Star Trek: Starbase 777 - north-vendor-hall

The Sheliak Corporation, led by Quintan, had set up a stunning array of baked goods .The massive platter, still radiating warmth due to the warming plates underneath, showcased everything from cookies to fresh cakes to scones, each item a mesmerizing swirl of rich browns and deep blues that came from what the Sheliaks said "the secret ingredient" from their colony!! Biting into any of these delicacies revealed a complex flavor profile: an earthy richness reminiscent of truffles formed the base, while toasted nuts added a warm, comforting depth. Dark chocolate notes wove through each bite, their smooth bitterness perfectly balanced by precise touches of salt, while the distinctive blue streaks contributed an unexpected but delightful tang, similar to a mild blue cheese, adding a subtle fermented edge that elevated the entire experience. *Holosigns warning "No Eating here, only eat in the Private Eating hall" were strategically blocked by hulking Hupyrians, all of who were looking very bored. *

Quintan was flanked by two Hupyrian helpers as they were overseeing the servings of all the baked goods, they stood by the entrance of the line to help answer questions. (edited)

Mudd entered the north vendor hall, he scanned around the area seeing the massive array of baked goods. He went over to look at one of the cakes not indulging himself just yet as he was unsure, should he bring a piece with him and eat it in the private eating hall? Judging from the signs probably, he didn't want to upset anyone especially not on a event like this.

He took a moment to look around and take in his surroundings - a normal thing to do, yet drenched in Romulan mannerisms - before noticing the guide of this place. Or, rather, he saw their helpers first. And while the offered goods had the most inviting look and smell, the scientist decided to approach the guests firsts - something something, the taste of knowledge being just as beckoning: "Hello," he offered a nod of his head, not a bow but intended to carry the same weight of respect. "Very impressive and varied display. I am guessing the secret ingredient will stay a secret, despite how many people might ask about it?" Saren's tone of voice carried a joking note in it. He then continued: "How did you come up with the idea of having a joined festival?"

Quintan came to a soft chuckle as they looked at the bluebrown food they said"All I'll say is the ingredients come from Rileth; the rest come from our skilled bakers."Quintan was talking, but their mouths barely moved. as they explained. "We didn't; the 5,000-page peace treaty that I helped negotiate between our two people basically relegated us to have this. It was under how to foster relationships better, the.... Starfleet Negotiator was very convincing,"

"Ooh, this sounds very intriguing." K'tehka said as he made his way into the room, having overheard the tail end of the conversation. "Starfleet negotiators, hm? I've been at a few tables with them. They can be quite persistent." He said, and a rumble of laughter escaped his mouth. "nuqneH, I am K'tehka, Son of Th'omon." And he made a slight bow toward Quintan and the others.

Having had enough of the bean viewing, Nikiyta moved over to the north vendor hall to see what sort of things they were exhibiting. Smelling the scent of food made his mouth water as he slowly made his way to the front to check out what they had.

He nodded, not disappointed by the not-answer in the slightest, "I see. Well, here's to hope that this endeavor will be, ah... bearing good fruits somewhat soon. Or... whatever it is that humans like to say." People were allowed to keep their little secrets. He of all species would know that. Saren's gaze then shifted briefly to the newcomers, his head ducking with another nod at the older Klingon's greeting: "Saren tr'Lareth, junior assistant in the Science division. Pleasure to meet you, K'tehka."

Orsic entered in and glanced around seeing the Hupyrians.... And then to the baked goods as they slowly nodded. The Sheliaks seem to be holding their side of the ceasefire so far.... Wait a second; they walked over to the baked goods, seeing the weird colors"What in it?" He called out to Quintan who he recognized from the diplomacy table

Quintan looked at K'tehka with absolute dread of negotiating with Starfleet again. "Persistent? I thought Sheliaks were legalistic-" They were about to follow up when they saw Orsic as they got visibly nervous. The two Hupyrians next to Quintan moved to be more in front of them, as Quintan responded."Oh, its just a rich ingredient we got from Rileth. We prefer to keep our trade secrets, secret,"

Mudd was just about to take one of the baked goods when he heard the little commotion between Orsic and Quintan, he perked his eyebrows up. He didn't need to be a telepath to see that the Sheliak seemed a little off, the voice of his previous host Tula spoke to him agreeing that there was something off as he overheard the conversation. "Anything wrong?" He called out before he even had a second to think about what he was going to say, he was definitely curious.

She had just wandered up to the area and was a little taken aback by what seemed to be a not-quite-yet-argument. She backed away from it, happy that someone else already seemed to be taking care of it, instead she wearily eyed the food, she was not entirely sure if she wanted to try any of it, sure it smelled rather fine, but the colours were a little offputing she thought.

Bannosta entered the north dining hall first, scanning the baked goods and selecting a few. She paid no mind to most of the conversation, sifting through it to see if there was any details or tidbits she could use or would be useful later as part of a bigger picture on the commons and going ls of the Starbase. She was a former Intelligence officer and been a diplomatic attache and aid for years. It was practically muscle memory. She grinned at the other Klingon in the room, and introduced herself when it was appropriate. He right fist slapped her left shoulder. "Greetings, fellow warrior." She grinned in a way only a Klingon would find warm. "Sogla' Bannosta, House Irtus. Attache for Allied Fleet Services."

Zhi'rev had arrived at the vendor hall as well, wandering more than anything else, not really sure where he wished to go or where he should go -- if that made any sense. It seemed like he had caught the back end of some sort of tension, something that made the hair at the back of his neck stand on end. Tension was something that he knew well, but he also knew when not to get involved. This was not a situation that he should take part in -- at least until it escalated.

Orsic glanced at Mudd, nodding as he relayed his frustration. “I was just asking what’s in these, and they wouldn’t tell me—something about trade secrets,” He said, rolling his eyes as he shot a glance toward Quintan.

Quintan said sharply, pushing past the Hupyrians with a forced smile, their tone tight and defensive. “We pride ourselves on the trade secrets that have made our colony what it is today.” *They gestured toward the goods with a flourish, adding, *“These baked goods are a testament to our… unique methods and the talent of our bakers. There’s no need to question what’s in them—just enjoy.”

K'tehka just laughed at Quintan's comment, watching as he got distracted. A moment passed and the elder Klingon's head turned when Saren introduced himself, deep brown eyes meeting Saren's and a flicker of recognition crossed his face, mostly in the form of the raising of his eyebrows. This young man certainly looked quite a bit like the man from the fog some time ago. Curious. K'tehka's eyes stayed honed in on the young man, Mr. tr'Lareth, and he nodded to him. "Ah, sciences hm? Quite fascinating stuff, though I know next to nothing about them. I'm better with a bat'leth." He laughed, a deep rough sound from his chest, and cocked his head to the side a bit - he could not get over how much the young man looked like the hallucination. It was peculiar. "It is a pleasure to meet you too...Saren." Other folks began to shuffle in and start talking amongst themselves, so K'tehka stayed where he was, content to listen in on the conversations. It seemed there was a big to do about a secret ingredient. "I'm not much for secrets," he offered to the conversation. "I much prefer fighting my battles in the open, as it were."

Konicek, sensing the tension rising, stepped forward with their Hupyrian aide in tow,They gave a measured, almost rehearsed smile before addressing the room. “Quintan may claim it as a trade secret,” Konicek began, their tone calm but deliberate, *“but I should clarify—they’re no baker and wouldn’t know a nut from a bean. What I can tell you is this: everything here has passed Starfleet food safety protocols thoroughly. The base ingredient is fungi-like plant, sourced from the caves of Rileth. It’s a…It’s… something deeply tied to our colony’s history and identity—integral, you might say, to who we are as a people.” *Then, with a practiced gesture, they motioned toward the baked goods, inviting the room to indulge.Please, enjoy it—it’s safe, I assure you.”

The security officer made his way inside the north vendor hall, realizing that perhaps he ought to have picked the south side given the amount of people present at the moment. No matter. Even if he wasn’t in the mood for talking, he was in the mood for eating. This trumped his introverted desires, and he began to make his way through the hall before stumbling across what appeared to be the rumblings of a disagreement. Well. Damn. “Excuse me…” He said, clearing his throat to reach the attention of Orsic and the others as he came up to meet Mudd, “Something the matter here?” A raised eyebrow.

Orsic listened attentively to the new Sheliak and the security officer before speaking up, their expression wary. He slowly turned to the others and explained themselves in a slightly sharper tone “I’m very conscious about what I eat,its apart of my ethos,” Orsic begins, his eyes narrowing as he surveys the pastries once more. He looks up, addressing both the Sheliak and the security officer, “I was just curious what’s in these pastries. These two are claiming ‘Trade secrets,’ but…” He gestures toward the Konicek. “…this one claimed it’s fungi. Fungi.....” His mistrust is evident as he crosses his arms, watching the Sheliak carefully. But moved to take a brownie, carefully looking at the brown blue brownie (edited)

“…hrm,” Maxson nodded to Orsic and looked toward Quintan and Konicek. He folded his arms as he realized that indeed, a security matter had arisen. Such is the life… “If you wouldn’t mind us…taking a look at what all the corporation has to offer? For security purposes. Even keeping…trade secrets in mind, we wouldn’t want any potential allergens. Correct?”

"Oh come now, it's just food." K'tehka said, mostly to Maxson and Orsic and walked toward the tables where the food was from where he'd previously been standing near folks. "It is very odd looking, but I'll try anything once."

Nikiyta turned his had to sense the people in the room. He was still 'staring' at the food, wondering what to try. "Oh, something wrong with the food? I was just going to take some back to the uh private areas," Nikiyta, a true Siberian-born individual, was used to communal eating so having to go to a private area was very strange, but he would honour the customs of their visitors.

“I doubt there’s anything wrong,” He lied through his teeth, but he didn’t want to stoke the flames, “…however, with some raised concerns, it wouldn’t hurt to just…take a look. A quick tricorder scan should…ease some worries,” He held up his own and looked to the Sheliak for approval, “May I?”

Ignoring the clearly offended guy and Maxson's, to him, paternalistic sense of wariness, K'tehka took it upon himself to pick up a brownie. He looked at the brownie, then at the rest of the group and shrugged, opened his large, toothy mouth, and chomped right into it.* *A few seconds passed and nothing happened, well except an explosion of flavor in his mouth! "See? It's fine." And he ate the second half othe brownie in one bite. After he'd eaten it, he laughed happily and turned to grab more. "These are very good. My compliments to the chef. The flavor profile is exquisite, tangy, and rich. I do not taste any fungus." (edited)

5

Mudd watched K'tehka and almost gasped, oh no. "I would not do that if I were you." He said, this was not good he thought, especially after what he had read about the two species, there was a reason there were private eating halls.

1

When K'tehka chomped into the brownie, Nikiyta's antennae moved to point to the civilian to show his focus on the man. His eyes widened as if he was 'seeing' all of this unfold, but in reality Nikiyta could just telepathically sense K'tehka's action. "Dude........... Duuuuuuuuuude....."

"My brother in Tenakruvek..." Rai, who was here all along, looked towards the munching individual with an equally shocked pikachu-meme like face.

4

Suddenly, a lot of things started happening all at once - as they usually tended to, in a way that set off Saren's sixth (common) sense. First it was the way K'tehka looked at him - with that godawful note of recognition that Saren dreaded. The scientist tensed, shifting his weight around and offering another damn nod - a curt one, this time. *He didn't have time to ponder further, because second came the tension - but not between the two of them, no, rather... the whole vendor. The Romulan took a step back as he watched the two sides interact and... not quite clash, but it was like two wrong words away from that, and then the taste test happened, and, oh, dear. Oh his brother in Shrist. Instinctively Saren's eyes went roaming around the crowd, searching for the darker yellows of security and reds of the diplomatic divisions. * (edited)

2

Oh. Son of a bitch. Maxson took in a heavy breath after the civilian took his big huge bite, not too keen on what was gonna end up happening afterward, “…damnit.” He said softly.

1

Konicek was not going to intervene with Ktethka or the tricorder scan. There was a reason why they suggested the baked goods: Quintan would be stuck in a corner between the Colony and Peace. They missed weapons making and always thought Quintan was an idiot.

8

K'tehka did not see all of the facial expressions changing because he had turned back to the table. There was already another baked good in his hand, something like a flaky pastry with some dark blue chocolate substance on it. Almost like a chocolate croissant. He did not know what a chocolate croissant was. He started to put it to his mouth as he turned around to face everyone else, and was taken aback by their expressions. With the "croissant" half in his mouth he muttered," "...what?"

5

2

"That is a furr paw!" Rai said, pointing to the pastry in the civilian's hand and then the man's mouth full of croissant.

3

"Faux pas," Nikiyta corrected the captain, trying not to laugh but.. oh elements he was FEAR!

Orsic’s eyes went bloodshot as they widened, the pressure building inside them before escaping in a high-pitched whine. Hands flew to their head, fingers clawing at their face as their eyes rolled uncontrollably. They managed to force out the words, their voice a strangled scream. “HOW DARE YOU!?!” The words came out like a screech, panicked and raw, as they clawed desperately at their own face. They were struggling to focus on what they had learned in therapy—thankfully, still a service available in their colony. "Wait!" They gasped, catching their breath between frantic movements, claw marks evident on their skin. “NO… Fungus?” Their voice faltered, still trembling with a mix of horror and disbelief, trying to level out enough to form a coherent sentence.

4

Quintan glanced at this scenario unfolding, he had no clue what was in the pastry and relied on their reliant aid, Konicek, to pick an appropriate meal. These pastries were the favorite of the colony; he had them frequently!The two Hupyrians moved to instinctively protect their boss

Saeihr would have liked to dissolve into air right about now. She did not really like the concept of a 'secret ingredient', she was good not getting poisoned on purpose or by accident. Not that she actually thought they were trying to poison them, hopefully... right? She was not quite sure why everyone else was so tense though. Did someone suspect something? What was she missing?

Bannosta suppressed a laugh at the older warrior's antics and the shock of the others. She stood ready to eat her own snacks as she watched this unfold. It was always fun to have other Klingons at the party that didn't have to...'behave' as well as she did as an attache. "Should we summon a medic or two?" She asked with some concern as things escalated swiftly.

Mudd winced as Orsic screamed, that was loud. And he had expected a casual event but now that seemed to be ruined, one there was a secret ingredient. And two there were a Klingon eating outside of the private eating hall, he facepalmed himself in disbelief and a groan. "Wait- so is there something wrong with the uh.. Fungus?" He asked since that sounded equally horrible to Orsic for some reason. "And we do apologize for the disrespect." He said nervously, he was by far no Diplomat, he dealt with machines most of the times the only diplomatic experiences he had was from his previous lives.

Wandering over with a plate in hand and a confused look on her face, Elwyn listened in on the ongoing conversations, wondering just what was going on. Noticing Maxson, they decided to wander over to their boss. "Hi, sir... Uhh... What's happening?"

Orsic's scream pierced K'tehka's ears, bloodcurdling but not in the same way that a Klingon might yell in battle. No, it was shrill and terrible. It seemed eating the food was...wrong, perhaps, given the faux pas comment and the clearly disturbed Kreetasan standing in front of him, clawing at their face. He swallowed the remaining "croissant" in his mouth and held the rest of it in his hand at his side, rather than bringing it up to his mouth again. "No, I do not taste fungus." He repeated. "Of course, I don't know what you are referring to, but this tastes like something fermented. I have never tasted anything like it before. Of course, that is mostly because I have a preference for gagh and racht..." He raised an eyebrow at the crowd now gathered around him. He felt a bit indignant. How could eating be a faux pas, anyway?

"My brother in Tenakruvek, again -- eating is a taboo and private activity to these people, this is not the best move," Ironic that Rai, the ice sculpture licker, was telling someone else they were committing a cultural blunder. "I... I think you should put the food down."

"To be fair, the signs in this vendor hall are a bit... covered," he uttered, referencing the Hupyrians blocking the signs.

Bannosta stepped back a bit to stay out of the middle of the mess. She had noticed the Hupyrians blocking the sign and wondered if it was purposeful to try and cause a diplomatic incident. Thankfully it wasn't anyone Starfleet or AFS so she didn't feel a need to intervene. Instead she wanted to see who would do what and how they would handle it. She was leanring a lot about 777's crew and inhabitants in the moment.

Orsic panted, his eyes wide with suspicion as he pointed accusingly at Quintan and Konicek, his voice edged with frustration and a hint of panic. “Let them scan it,”He demanded, his words sharp and tinged with urgency, “I’ve already suffered enough mental anguish! I won’t trust anything until it’s scanned. The blueness—it’s too much. I suspect foul play.” (edited)

Quintan’s expression darkened, their gaze narrowing as they took in Orsic’s words. With a resigned sigh, they spoke, though their voice carried an air of reluctant formality. “I formally protest this deviation from the peace agreement,” Quintan stated, rolling their eyes. “But, I’ll allow it this one time… if it satisfies your curiosity and ensures peace.”

D’Nuhir’s brown eyes started scanning the sea of unfamiliar faces. A faint, polite smile appeared at the corners of his lips, more an effort to blend in than an expression of ease. As he made his way toward the food table, the number of vibrant dishes caught his attention. For a moment, he lingered, feigning interest in the buffet to mask the growing tension in his chest. Crowds were not his element, but he was here, a quiet promise to himself to honor his human side’s desire for connection.

Hanneth entered the north hall and observed some of the remnants of the chaos. Since he wasn't sure exactly what was going on, and didn't see any immediate danger, he simply observed and was ready to follow the lead of any security officers already here if need be. He didn't like these kinds of events most of the time, but this certainly was something.

Chastised and a bit indignant, K'tehka did look over to where Saren and mentioned signs. Oh, yes, they were there indeed. He was not one to apologize. It wasn't particularly Klingon. But maybe there was not honor in doubling down. Instead, he raised an eyebrow, put the "croissant" back down on the table and raised his arms in a gesture that he did not mean to offend. He remained silent and watched as the rest of the scene unfolded.

Listening in on everything being said, albeit still a little confused as to what exactly was going on, Elwyn was quick to chime in. "Scan it? As in this food with the blue on it? I can do that." Quick to find somewhere to put her plate down, the android was quick to come back, taking her tricorder off her belt and beginning the scan to find out just what was in the food.

The scan found normal ingredients, except that the bulk of it was made up of a bean called Azulmire that was extremely organically complex and dense! The bean was in the database, thanks to the Rileth 4 colony. Other than that, it was very harmless! Nothing bad in it! (edited)

5

2

"So what's in the food?" Nikiyta asked, still curious what was in it.

Having not quite grasped the seriousness or situation they found themself in, Elwyn was quick to list off all the ingredients that made up the food they scanned. "...Oh and Azulmire! There's a lot of that in this. It's all harmless, though! No poisonous substances, and none of it has expired."

3

Saren, who has never so much as held a cigarette in his life, had a sudden nagging urge for a smoke.

5

TW Retching Orsic entire body turned into an odd shade as the words hit them as they stuttered, moving the brownie closer to them protectively"I'll...You!" They retched a few times, tripping up due to it but they quickly picked themselves up to run. "THE BEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANNNNNN!!!!!!!!"*They started to scream again, running out and down the #private-eating-hall out of terror; they had to get the others and protect the bean! God what were they! Monsters?!!?!! *

3

There was most definitely trouble brewing, if the sound of a mob forming in the south vending hall was any inclination. Almost instinctively, he wished to jump into action. It was his job as a Diplomatic Attaché, after all. But first, he had to find some others to work with, perhaps others in his line of work.

Mudd raised his eyebrow wondering what it was all about, the bean? The Azulmire what was it about he wondered. Seeing as the only one offended by seeing food being eaten infront of them was gone he opted to pick up a brownie taking a test bite before placing it back down. Nothing wrong with it from what he could tell. "Strange." He muttered as he swallowed the taste of the brownie, very interesting different tastes.

A frenzied roar filled the air as the mob surged into the North Vendor Hall, their eyes widening in horror at the sight of the brown-blue pastries and food laid out before them. The collective gasped in disbelief as a single voice rang out from the crowd: “MONSTERS!!!!” With a cacophony of panicked shouts, the mob erupted into chaos, throwing whatever they brought, mostly utensils and pieces of tables, in all directions, knocking over tables, and scattering in every direction.

Orsic’s finger shot out, trembling with urgency as they pointed toward the food table, their voice cutting through the chaos. “Grab it! We must make sure Azulmire doesn’t get eaten anymore! Find Quintan, NOW!”

The two hulking Hupyrians stood frozen for a moment, their eyes darting nervously between the scattering crowd and the Starfleet representatives. With no clear direction to go, they began to back up, the tension in the air palpable as they looked to the others for guidance.

"WOAH EVERYONE SETTLE DOWN!" Nikiyta heard the uproar and sensed great unrest. He understood why people would be up in arms, but this also did not warrant an entire MOB! Luckily, Niki was big , verticly and horizontally, he couldn't fight off a entire mob, but hopefully they'd hear his artificial voice loud and clear

Twelve entered the north vendor hall and started to look around. She conducted an assessment of the situation and then promptly tapped her combadge as her assessment arrived at its conclusion and they designated the scene before them as Angry mob that hunted/is hunting a target with the supplementary designation of potential riot, a question mark appended after that one. "Lieutenant Commander Twelve of Twenty to Security and Station ops, major incident occurring in the northern vendor hall of the cultural exchange and food event, looks like a angry mob, assistance needed urgently." The El-Aurian ex Borg paused a moment. "Situation serious, persons in danger." The addition that followed marked by a step off to one side as she decided to go in search of a medical kit.

Zhi'rev decided that it would be best to stand next to the Lieutenant who was yelling, maybe give him some back up while people got to safety. "We need to come to a favorable outcome, and a mob is not going to provide that like you think it will!"

"Yes, we've already called for security and medical I think. I can help hold off some people if needed, I'm engineering but I'm pretty strong," Nikiya flexed his muscles, ready to help.

Seiyya, as Security, had been buying her food, when she heard the commotion starting. She didn’t have much context as to what was going on- she had been chatting with other people and not really keeping up with things as she probably should have been. Though, in her defense, she was off duty and also not expecting a mob to break out. Still, she was Security, and she was here. “Everyone, settle down! Whatever’s going on, there is no reason to behave like animals!” She yelled, loud enough to be heard above the roar.

Was Kya security? No! Was she more than willing to help out in a pitched event? Yes! So in she came with a phaser on her hip and in uniform as she looked towards the mob breaking out, hoping to not use her phaser (and also waiting for orders from a more security minded officers) she stuck next to Seiyya. “Yes, please calm down!”

Saren ended up by a tall Romulan's side - gods, was the guy even taller than Sy?.. - and pressed on his commbadge: "Junior assistant Chief of Science here. North vendor hall is in need of Security personnel - we have a mob here," the calm report was then followed by a sigh and a shake of his head. So much so for a calm, normal day on Starbase 777.

Zhi'rev looked over at the romulan who had stood next to him, offering a small smile in his direction before he continued 'holding the line' as it were. Until more people in Security got there, this was as good as it was going to get. "Hopefully this will calm down soon so we can get everyone to speak on what is happening." He offered.

K'tehka loved a fight. Especially one he'd started. He looked around, wondering a bit sheepishly, if Klingons could be sheepish, whether he'd have to defend himself. He loved getting the opportunity to spar. Though, he did not make any moves to stoke the flames and instead stood in the back, near the food, sneakily pocketing the rest of the croissant he hadn't eaten and hoping no one would notice.

3

Quintan scurried toward the Starfleet crowd, their eyes wide with panic. Practically screeching, they flailed their arms for emphasis. “They’re after me! Save me, Starfleet!” Their voice cracked as they cowered behind the Starfleet officers, their two hulking Hupyrian aides moving protectively into place on either side.

The mob was small—just a dozen or so people, including Orsic—but their fury filled the hall like an unchecked storm. Orsic scanned the growing Starfleet presence with a sneer, their anger fueling the crowd. Suddenly, the two with soup arrived, their purpose clear as they held the steaming pots aloft, searching for Quintan.

Orsic’s voice rang out, sharp and unyielding, as they jabbed a finger toward the baked goods. “No! The bean is sacred! We will go to war before we see another brownie consumed! MONSTERS! Hand over Quintan and the baked goods, and no one else will get hurt, Starfleet!”

Orsic took a step closer, emboldened by the roar of support from the mob behind them. The crowd surged forward, their shouts blending into a chaotic cacophony as they moved with purpose toward the Starfleet group.

She moved to stand in front of the mob (she was in the more combat focussed division after all). “Will everyone please calm down?” She said loudly. “You harm your own case with this riot, why don’t we all sit down and talk about this like the sensible people I’m sure all of you are.”

“Put the soup down this instant! There is absolutely no reason to assault someone instead of having a civil conversation!” This was Starfleet, and they were on a Starbase- surely, they could all be civil, sapient beings instead of animals. She stepped to the front of everyone- she could probably take a pot of boiling soup better than whoever the mob was calling for. (edited)

Hannth arrived at just the right time, he supposed. He pressed his comm badge. "Emta to security. Requesting assistance. Twelve individuals are non compliant." After requesting assistance he waded into the fray. "EVERYONE PLEASE CALM DOWN. WE WILL SORT THIS OUT."

Mudd just stood there in disbelief, finally getting that one of the food ingredients that was here in the north hall may have been very important to the mob. And he just ate one of those brownies, woops, and it was criminally delicious to. Mudd stood there in silence cracking his fingers which popped loudly in a stimming sort of way. He scooted over to a nearby Romulan, a man. "Well this all went to shit aye?"

1

At this point, Twelve returned to the area of the room where matters progressed with a medical kit tossed over her left shoulder. She looked around, frowned and proceeded to softly observe to herself. "Situation remaining serious, adapting." As she moved to place security officers between her and the mob and looked for the person being hunted by said mob. The person preliminary identified as the person who currently cowered behind one of the officers in the moments before she'd then started to approach the person.

"Hopefully," he repeated after the diplomat, watching as the crowd came closer, stubbornly unwavering from where the scientist stood. Suppressing the roll of his eyes at threats of force from the Starfleet's side, he instead scanned the crowd. "That one seems to be the leader," he gestured with a tilt of his head towards Orsic. "A crowd angered by a cultural offense... any specific protocol to follow in that case, Lieutenant?"

D’Nuhir turned his head at the sound of the trill’s voice, his brow raising slightly in interest at the chaotic scene Infront of him. He regarded Mudd with his usual composed demeanor, though the faintest twitch at the corner of his lips hinted at a smile. “Indeed, it appears your culinary choices may have caused… Chaotic consequences,” he replied evenly, his voice carrying a calm and steady tone. “I trust you are prepared to navigate the fallout of this, Lieutenant?” His gaze flicked momentarily to the table of desserts before returning to Mudion, his expression an inscrutable mix of Romulan discipline and the faintest trace of human curiosity.

Kya heard Saren and followed his head tilt towards Orsic specifically, and began to address them. “I’m sure any cultural offence was a misunderstanding, violence is not the answer here. If we all calm down and explain things will be fixed.”

Zhi'rev agreed, force was not necessary at this point in time, and would only serve to make the situation worse if things were not handled in a tactful manner. Instead, they thought for a minute and decided to address the leader, taking cues from the Romulan beside him (he would need to get his name after this, he appeared to have quite the head on his shoulders). "What cultural offence has occured in order to ellicit such a reaction?" He asked, keeping his tone neutral. It was the job of Starfleet to be a mediator, he thought.

Mudd chuckled nervously, he could certainly have chosen better 'culinary choices' but this was not something he alone had caused luckily. "It certainly appears so though I wasn't the baker." He said chuckling again as he watched the mob, this did not look good in the slightest and it put Mudd off ease but was what he going to do this was a diplomatic and security incident despite Mudd's previous experiences in his previous lives as both a Counsellor, Admiral and Captain. "I'm just an engineer in this life."

Swift steps conveyed Twelve directly to the person who had been identified as having cowered. Once they arrived they then proceeded to softly ask. "Query, are you being being sought by the numerous individuals in conversation with Starfleet personnel?" The El-Aurian Liberated Borg inquired simply as she tapped her badge once and prepared mentally the format of the stated order she wished to issue related to a transport, if the person answered in the affirmative.

D’Nuhir allowed a faint smirk to grace his otherwise stoic features, a gesture meant to ease the tension. “An engineer in this life, perhaps, but it seems your past roles have prepared you well for unconventional situations,” he said, his tone carrying a rare warmth. He glanced toward the growing commotion, then back at Mudion. “Besides, if there’s anyone who can keep this from spiraling further, it’s someone with your… unique experience. Just remember, diplomacy often begins with owning up to the offense…especially when brownies are involved.” His voice softened slightly, his demeanor uncharacteristically light. “Though I’d wager it’s not the first time you’ve faced an irate mob, is it?”

Konicek lingered on the outskirts of the chaos, watching intently from the shadows. He held his breath as the mob’s rage swirled around Quintan, silently relieved they weren’t turning on him. As long as the mob fury remained focused on Quintan, he could slip by unnoticed. Perfect. Soon, he’d be building bombs instead of helping to manage some stupid administrator’s job.

Orsic’s voice rose above the cacophony, raw with fury and indignation. “No! Everything the Sheliaks have done is calculated. I bet they’ve been hiding this on purpose! We’ll expose the truth and stop the war before it happens here!” Their fists clenched as they glared at the Starfleet officers The betrayal stung—after all the compromises, all the times they’d bent over backward to help them—this was the thanks they got? Their sacred Azulmire, reduced to a mere baked good, consumed without reverence.

The mob hesitated, their momentum faltering as they took in the sight of two Starfleet officers standing protectively in front of them. Still, murmurs rippled through the group, a growing tide of agreement with Orsic’s accusations. “They used to make precise weapons,” someone muttered. “Everything they do is deliberate,”another added.

Quintan turned to look at the xB as they nodded. "Their coming to kill me!! Look at that soup!!! What are they going to do?! Cook me too!?" They asked slightly panicked

Kya looked towards Quintan and back towards the mob. “They aren’t going to cook you! Because we are going to have a civilized discussion about this and come to an understanding.” She said back to the crowd. “Regardless of their past in weapons creation, that does not infer that anything they’ve done today is anything more then a misunderstanding.” She reasoned with the crowd.

Zhi'rev took a deep breath, and decided that maybe he could help with this, this was his job, after all. "I am Zhi'rev tr'Lareth, a Diplomatic Attache. I believe it is in everyone's best interests if this mob is dispersed and we start some sort of dialogue. We will get to the bottom of this, but violence is not the answer."

"Statement acknowledged, response as follows, goodbye." Twelve nodded once at the statement made by Quintan as they smoothly proceeded to affix their combadge, pre-tap activated, to Quintan. "Computer, one to transport directly to sickbay on Twelve of Twenty's combadge signal, alert security individual in transport requires protection."

Seiyya, however, noticed Konicek trying to slip away. She left the thick of the crowd, slipping over to where he was. He seemed shady- he was leaving, but he wasn’t panicking, like he had somewhere to be. She didn’t really want to be threatening, but she was definitely not playing around. “Now, where are you off to?”

Mudd mumbled he was technically correct he couldn't argue with that but he did not feel like going heads on with a mob yet another time, it was indeed not his very first time dealing with a mob but seeing as there were other people on the task of managing it he refrained from not getting involved as to not overwhelm the situation. But he would if absolutely necessary if by words or force, he could use both his height and bulkiness in his favour if he so wished. "I know diplomacy quite well having lived the life as a Starfleet Admiral and Captain. Brownies? Hmph." He chose not to comment about that to D'Nuhir, he didn't want the mob overhearing that he had eaten one, but it was just a small bite and he didn't know one of the ingredients were sacred so could he really be to blame?

Hanneth stood his ground between the group and the others. "You folks already made peace during a war. We can move passed this too. We can help get this sorted." He stated firmly but politely.

“Ah, Mudd! I see you're grappling with the complexities of our situation." He’s struggling, isn’t he? But I admire his resolve. Diplomacy is a dance, and sometimes it takes two to lead. "I appreciate your hesitation; sometimes, diplomacy requires a delicate touch. As a hybrid, I often find myself balancing two worlds, just as you balance your approach in managing the mob. It’s a challenge I know all too well." Perhaps I can help him find that balance. "Regarding those brownies, I’ve learned that culture can often bring unexpected flavors~" He Chuckled softly "trust me, I know. It's best to tread carefully when sacred ingredients are involved." Did he really eat one? I can’t fault him for curiosity, though it does complicate matters." "But, let's not focus on the past. Together, we can find a way to navigate this, all while keeping our lunch plans intact."

Quintan opened their mouth to speak—but before a single word could escape, they vanished in a flash of light, beamed away to safety.

Konicek blinked at the sudden disappearance, quickly adapting to the change in circumstances. Raising his hands in a gesture of innocence, he stepped forward cautiously. “I’m the official staff chief to Quintan,” he said, his tone calm but his eyes darting nervously toward the mob. *“I was just trying to keep myself safe from these… uh… crazy fooders.” *His voice dropped to a whisper, as though hoping not to provoke them further.

Orsic’s eyes widened in disbelief as they realized Quintan had escaped. “No… No! NO!”Their voice cracked with desperation, and they slammed a fist against the nearest table. Turning to face the crowd, they snarled, *“We’ll be stuck in diplomatic hell now! There will be no more peace on Rileth as long as the Azulmire is being eaten and desecrated like this!” *Taking a deep breath, Orsic straightened, their expression hardening with resolve. They jabbed a finger toward the table of baked goods. “Fine. Let us take the baked goods, and we’ll leave in peace.”

The mob, momentarily deflated by Quintan’s escape, perked up at the mention of the pastries. A roar of excitement rippled through the group, their earlier hesitation replaced with renewed energy. The two holding the pot of soup, however, exchanged uncertain glances, as though silently asking, ‘What now?’ They moved and tried to look threating since they havent gotten the pastries

Lareth. Now was not the time, now was not the place, but Saren reacted anyways - he couldn't help it, not after hearing his own House name leave a stranger's mouth so easily. The Romulan's eyes widened ever so slightly as his head snapped to look at Zhi'rev with a mix of uncertainty and wonder; then, just as swiftly, he looked away, staring off at the crowd again as his thoughts tried in vain to herd themselves back into a proper working order. Just... who was he standing by? Should he be concerned? Ecstatic? Saren had no idea how to navigate this particular situation... Hell, something like handling an unruly mob like this one was, now seemed like a much easier task.

“I understand, this is certainly not the safest place to be at the moment. Do you know any reason why these people are so.. intent.. on causing harm to Quintan?” She asked, still trying to make sense of the situation.

She took a breath as the riot calmed down. “Thank the prophets.” She muttered as she stood there and let Seiyya take statements, she wasn’t even security after all.

Zhi'rev was content in letting them take the pastries, especially if it would avoid a more severe incident, but that might not have been his call to make. What he was more interested in hearing was the thought process behind putting something clearly sacred into the baked goods in the first place. But, that might not have been his job either. "I am amenable to you taking the pastries, especially if it would cause peace, may I ask what you intend to do with them?"

Twelve dispassionately watched as the individual opened their mouth to speak then vanished in teleporter light. "Objection irrelevant, we are Starfleet, you have been rescued, resistance is futile." She half muttered to herself before she turned and looked to Orsic as he protested, as Twelves mind turned to earlier overheard calls for medical assistance from the other vendor hall and she almost snapped, though it ended up an emotionless statement still as it was uttered. "Statement, reports of a officer injured are extant, individuals party to the riot in progress who were part of the mob who transited from south hall to north vendor hall should be aware, the social code of this collective of individuals designated 'Starbase 777' has been breached, harm has been caused further to original harm caused." The El-Aurian remained dispassionate externally, emotionless externally. "Thusly, the statement you will leave in peace must be modulated by the following one, in the trail we herein left, all social code and etiquette defied." They paused a moment longer. "Both situations require resolution." (edited)

The Klingon woman watched this all unfold as Starfleet scrambled to maintain order, or avoid a full blown riot. She subtly put the pastries she took back on the table with the others.

4

Hanneth sighed with relief as things calmed down. He moved to stand next to and slightly behind Lieutenant t'Raikh to help keep an eye on things, and off his presence as a detergent to further...action that would compromise safety.

Konicek was getting a bit nervous talking to security as they explained. "Quintan made the original 5,000-page treaty. At the time, Rileth 4 believed they gave up a lot due to Quintan's negotiations. Some still have some ire toward him"

Once the Mob got permission, they carefully and delicately took the pastries and started to leave; one woman started to sob, holding their set of pastries as they walked out. Their anger replaced with almost grief

Orsic glared at Twelve of twenty and ignored them. The bean being safe and taken care of was the primary cause now. Had he failed his colony reverence for it? No, he wasn't wrong. He protected the bean as soon as he knew there was a problem"We intend to put the pastries back to the ground; let's hope the Azulmire can reclaim it. The Azulmire isn't meant to be used this way!" (edited)

Seiyya watched the crowd dissipate, but she wasn’t entirely satisfied with Konicek’s answer. She was Romulan- and what was more, she was a Romulan who had spent a good chunk of time lying her ass off in order to survive. She could tell when someone was being shady. “Mhm.. and certainly nothing to do with these.. Azulmire brownies? No correlation at all? I just want to have a clear record of events.”

Konicek’s lips curled into a faint, practiced smile at the mention of the Azulmire bean, a gleam in their eyes betraying a trace of calculated mischief. They straightened their posture, their voice practiced to the security officer. “The Azulmire Bean, you say?”They let the words hang for a moment before continuing, their tone almost mocking. “It is not included in the treaty, if this bean was as sacred as the mob claims. Perhaps… they should have thought to protect it in the first treaty. An oversight, I imagine.” They glanced sidelong at where Quintan was before they were beamed out, the smile still lingering as they added,“And who would have made such an oversight for us? Surely not I, of course, I was a weapons designer at the time," Internally, Konicek was savoring the tension.With any luck, the fallout would force Quintan out of their role, paving the way for someone less eager for peace—or better yet, an enforcer! The chaos would leave Konicek free to return to their true calling: the thrill of explosions (edited)

The opportunity for this diplomatic representative to have ameliorated the damage done to their diplomatic position by the act they'd engaged in, whatever it was, that resulted in injury, if that was what indeed had occurred. Twelve ignored him pulled out her PADD and idly as the glance was noted, proceeded to say. "Direction of glance noted, individual previously present has been transported to safety." The El-Aurian declared as she tapped out and then proceeded to send a formal indication on her PADD that the representative of a Kreetasan colony was seen involved and leading a angry mob seeking to attack another representative on a Starfleet station. Incident involved also resulted, it is suspected, in a linked call for medical aid for a injured officer. Best for word to be passed on now, Twelve reckoned, so people who were diplomats or diplomatic attaches, could see that part of the matter investigated and resolved. Not that they considered it much beyond that. They were a doctor, not a diplomat or Rakim's wife. "Further observation, conversational formatting indicates attempted deflection of blame, tonal indicators also noted." The xB dispassionately observed then before they then in a louder tone stated. "Any individual who has sustained injury during recent events should call out, so treatment can be provided." As they had then looked around.

“Hmm.. a 5,000 page treaty, penned by Quintan? In 5,000 pages, surely he could have spared one to protect it, no? If it is so sacred, surely it would have come up in peace talks. I will say.. it would be quite an easy way to stir chaos by, say, baking a sacred object into pastries and feeding them to everyone on the Starbase. Wouldn’t you say so?” Yeah, Seiyya smelled a rat. She wanted to get this guy in front of a proper investigator- Quintan too. Inciting a riot by baking a sacred object into pastries was.. certainly something that warranted investigation. It would be an absolutely idiotic move to let those guys go without proper questioning. “Ah, a weapons designer. How is it, I wonder, going from such an active role.. to a simple subordinate to Quintan?” There was one benefit to having a very rocky, unstable, and downright abusive childhood- she could lie and mislead as easily as she could breathe.

Only two Hupyrians had been injured, and a few people had been pushed over, though they appeared to be walking away just fine. Thanks to Starfleet’s quick thinking, the crowd had only managed to damage the physical surroundings, which ops members were already flooding in to repair. The Hupyrians made their way to Twelve, suffering only minor injuries, including some head and neck wounds, but nothing too serious.

Konicek listened as they said."Rileth mining rights were stopped due to the Azulmire; the bean was pseudo-protected," They were getting even more nervous as they started to take a few steps back as they said."That sounds like a bold assumption. I mean, maybe the person who selected the bakeries just thought it would be safe. We eat it all the time; it's not in the peace agreement. "Konicek’s practiced smile faltered only slightly, then more. Did he say what they thought they just said? He should've taken the Orion Syndicate or even the Ferengi offer, which was better than this job. They couldn't have been found out, could they be? Konicek forced a smile, his tone betraying a hint of irritation from earlier and now thinking of the transition“It’s… been an interesting transition,” he muttered, the words laced with a dry bitterness."Diplomacy… well, it provides its own kind of bang. Not quite as satisfying as a real explosion, but..."

“Mhm… but wouldn’t you, as the official staff chief, have been responsible for picking all of that out? Certainly, you were responsible enough to ensure your choice of dessert wouldn’t cause a riot, yes? Unless.. he didn’t come with peaceful intentions in the first place. Surely, a weapons producer would be itching to get back to war, rather than the dull job of being a subordinate paper-pusher. She could tell that Konicek was getting nervous. With a little more pushing.. she could probably get somewhere with this. And.. well, if he bolted… Seiyya was 6’6, built like a brick shithouse, and absolutely did not need a phaser to take someone down and beam them directly to the Brig for further, official questioning. “I’ll say. Must be a little boring, relegated to admin tasks, stuck in an office. But.. there’s been quite a bang here, wouldn’t you say?”

Konicek, realizing they were getting dangerously close to being trapped, glanced around, considering how best to escape the conversation. But as the officer mentioned the weapon, Konicek couldn’t help but relax slightly. There was a certain satisfaction in knowing others appreciated their handiwork. “It’s been… the most exciting day I’ve had in a year,” Konicek remarked with a cheerfulness that dripped in tension, the tension in their voice betraying their nervousness“Did you see? They almost got my boss. I was really hoping for more of a commotion, though… would’ve made it easier for me to set off my bomb.” They slowly turned to the officer, realizing what they had let slip, letting the silence stretch between them, eyes calculating.They then said in the deadest voice"It could be on me."Realizing they were trapped now, they had to get out of this somehow (edited)

Hanneth for a moment at what he had heard, a bomb here could cause a lot of damage and many deaths. "Ma'am? I can get a few of the other security members that arrived and quietly scan and check for this possible...device." He asked Lt. t'Raikh, avoiding using a word that could cause panic if overheard.

“I’ll say, today was quite exciting… but trust me. You won’t be getting away with anything on this Starbase.” She said, dropping her casual facade and drawing herself up to her fullest height. She was absolutely not afraid- bomb or no bomb, she wasn’t scared of laying down her life for Starfleet anyhow if it came down to it, and with so much Security personnel around, it wouldn’t even come down to that. She nodded to Emta. “Scan him. If he’s not bluffing, we’re going to need backup.”

Hanneth nodded and lulled out his tricorder. He began to scan Konicek and the immediate area for any devices, signatures of a bomb, materials used in bomb making, and any other elements he could think of. He remembered back to his study of their planet before coming here, and added in any minerals or devices they may have used in weapon manufacturing in the past.

Konicek did not have an explosive on them or anything that resembled an explosive but the tricorder picked up something that was emitting some kind of low-grade signal. The Hupyrian, who was with Konicek earlier, who had broken away from them during the mob, saw what was going on and started to book it out.

Konicek pulled out a weird triangle button-looking item and just pressed it and then ducked. Hoping the bluff would work

Off in the distance, a small rumble could be heard but the festival was fine

4

Wait, where was the Bomb?! Where did his helper put it? Konicek glared at the running Hupyrian, he was now absolutely boned as he gave a grin at the officers."Maybe we should restart...."

Mudd who had been standing in the north vendor hall all along just vibing and overhearing about a possible bomb really piqued his interest, finally something he could perhaps help with as if there was a bomb he probably had the experience to diffuse it. He inspected Konicek with his VISOR detecting a low-grade signal then he heard a small rumble. "He has a low-grade signal of some kind.. What was that rumble? I'll go investigate." He said with a grin like all of this amused him, then he was off. (edited)

“Put your hands up!” She shouted, after her pressed the button and the rumble sounded. There was no explosion in the immediate vicinity- but she didn’t like that button in his hands. He had obviously done something to cause that rumble- maybe some kind of remote detonator. “Go check out that rumble- it sounded like it came from the docking area!”

Emta ignored the running Hupyrian and tried to zero in on the signal. He pressed his comm badge. "Hanneth to security team delta, stop that Hupyrian and secure and scan the halls. We have a possible-" He felt the rumble. "explosive in the area." He ordered his security team members that had arrived to assist him. (edited)

And in entered a 7 foot tall Breen looking very displeased at having to have come off duty to deal with a situation, though you probably could not see that due to his refrigeration suit. "What is going on here?" He said approaching the commotion in the north vendor hall, then he spotted Hupyrians running away which he promptly got in there way to stop them in their tracks. "Hold on."

Konicek dropped the device as they raised their hands."Listen, I uh, I uh."They didn't know how to get out of this, so they just smiled awkwardly, holding their hands as they glanced at their aid.

The Hupyrian stopped dead in their tracks as they smiled nervously as they pointed to Konicek "They did it; I didn't put it here,"They softly whispered, barely audible. The signal seemed to lead away from the festival. There was no indication the bomb was at the festival.

She went to her comm, making a statement to beam Konicek to the brig. “You’re not going anywhere.” She said coldly, though she was thankful he wasn’t trying to run or fight. Even though part of her would love to deck him.

Having started to treat anyone who indicated they had sustained injury, when the explosion was detected and Konicek talked, Twelve observed then. "Observation: Individual who has recently spoke, Konicek, species Shelliak has formulated their recent statements in a manner that presents sufficient points to be marked as 'highly suspicious.'" Twelve observed then before she stated to their patient. "Resistance is futile, you are being helped." As they continued their treatment of the individual.

*And with that, the computer transferred the Sheliak to the Brig! There seemed to be no replacement for the food, so it seemed like the North Vendor Hall was closing up for the time being *

Twelve, once all treatments were completed, ordered those who were injured enough to necessitate it after they'd been treated insitu to make their way to sickbay if they could do on their own. Once that was sorted, Twelve headed in the direction the explosion had been heard in.