Star Trek - Diplomatic Implausibility Part 22

Vail s.h.i.+fted from foot to foot. "I do not believe there is room for me to advance here, sir. I have made many suggestions for improving the prowess of this great s.h.i.+p, but the only ones Commander Kurak has allowed me to implement were in the heat of battle." Klag frowned.

"What do you mean?"

"I-I was the one who conquered the energy distribution nodes to provide us with extra s.h.i.+eld power during both battles against the foul Kreel." Vail hesitated, then spit for effect. Klag tried not to roll his eyes. "You see, I was able to shunt power from the holodeck using a device that I-"

"Yes, yes." Klag feared that Vail would go on at obscene length regarding his accomplishments. It was like a sickness with these engineering types. Get them started on something technical, and they babbled like humans. "And you say Commander Kurak has been unwilling to allow any upgrades?"

"I do not wish to speak ill of my commanding officer," Vail said quickly and nervously. "If that is how she wishes to command, that is her prerogative. This is a very impressive s.h.i.+p, put together by some of the finest engineers in the empire, and I can see why she would trust the finest engineers in the empire before she would trust me."

How did this Grishnar cat live this long in the Defense Force? Klag wondered. "So you wish to volunteer for this duty, because you feel it's the best way for you to advance your career?"

"Perhaps not directly, sir, but-Honestly, sir, I am not much of a fighter."

"That much is obvious," Worf muttered, and Klag had to concur.

"I had hoped that my accomplishments as an engineer might make up for that-that my prowess in defeating the problems faced by engineers on a stars.h.i.+p would overcome my deficiencies fighting foes on a battlefield.

However -realistically, sir, I am not sure that that can last Volunteering for this a.s.signment gives me the chance to do something for the empire. I a.s.sume I will not truly be emperor, yes, Amba.s.sador?"

"The position would be largely ceremonial," Worf said with a nod. "Its primary function would be to create the illusion of power. You would act as the head of state to the galaxy at large, and write regular reports, but your power would be-negligible."

"That is fine!" Vail said, gesturing in an inane manner. "I do not seek power! I only seek the glory that I can get through my work! And if I am a ceremonial emperor, I will have plenty of time to conquer some conundra that I have confronted of late. For one thing, there were some difficulties with the converter I used to dump holodeck power into the engines. This would give me the time to give that foe the attention it deserves."

Klag shook his head. On the one hand, it was an ideal solution to the problem of Vail-after all, he thought, just look at him. It's an embarra.s.sment to have him on my s.h.i.+p. It's better for everyone if he's exiled to some backwater ice-world.

On the other hand, it seemed he was more or less directly responsible for keeping the Gorkon intact long enough for Klag to triumph over the Kreel. He wasn't sure he wanted to lose so valued an officer.

"Kuraktovall"

The voice startled Vail. He let out a yelp and dropped the tool he was holding.

Then again, Klag thought, perhaps we're well to be rid of him.

"V-V-VVVall."

"Haven't you finished the d.a.m.ned repairs yet?"

"Uh, yes, Commander, I-I have, but-"

Klag was curious as to how Vail was going to explain his way out of this, but Worf came to his rescue.

"Commander, this is Amba.s.sador Worf. Lieutenant Vail is presently in conference with myself and Captain Klag. We will return him to duty as soon as we are finished."

There was a pause. "Very well. Out."

Worf turned to Vail. "This plan has the approval of Chancellor Martok and, naturally, of the Federation."

"Why naturally?" Klag asked. "You haven't sent any communique's to the Federation since you returned from the surface." Turning back to Klag, Worf said, "Captain, I am the Federation as far as this mission is concerned. I do not need to beg for approval. My decision in this matter is final. That is my job." Klag said nothing.

Worf looked back at Vail. "In any case, it still needs to be brought before Governor Tiral and the al'Hmatti. With your permission, Captain," Worf said with a glance back at Klag, "I would like to have that meeting on the Gorkon."

"Fine."

Worf peered down at Vail-the amba.s.sador was a head taller than the lieutenant-and fixed him with a penetrating gaze. "Are you sure, Lieutenant, that this is what you wish?"

"Yes, sir! I am!"

"Very well. We shall meet in the wardroom in two hours."

Worf then left, his aide trailing silently behind.

Vail twisted his hands around nervously. "I, ah, I suppose I should be getting back to engineering, sir."

"That would be a good idea. But, Lieutenant?" Klag added as Vail turned to leave.

"Yes, sir?"

"Don't tell Commander Kurak-or anyone else-of what was discussed in this room until I give the order, is that understood?"

Nodding so hard Klag feared his head might fall off, Vail said, "Yes, sir! You can count on me, sir."

Then he left.

Shaking his head, Klag got up to head for the bridge.

"Toq to Klag."

"Klag."

"Captain, you have received a personal message from the Homeworld. It is tagged as urgent."

Frowning, Klag sat back down at his desk. "Route it to me here, Lieutenant"

"Yes, sir."

Klag played the message.

When it was over, he played it again.

M'Raq, son of K'Ton, former commander in the Klingon Defense Force and father to Captain Klag, had died in his sleep.

Just, Klag thought with revulsion, like that jeghpu'wl' emperor.

It was finally over.

Thirty years of n.o.ble service to the empire, followed by over a decade of disgrace.

M'Raq-and the rest of the family-had long since given up imploring Klag to visit the old man on Qo'nos. Klag had found his father's behavior incomprehensible, and would not see him. He wouldn't even set foot in the family's home in the First City for as long as his father remained alive, because, to Klag's mind, he had brought dishonor upon them.

The High Council hadn't seen it that way. Those thirty years of n.o.ble service outweighed the years that followed, and M'Raq had never been officially censured.

Not that it mattered to Klag. Years ago on the Pagh, he had said to Riker, when the human was aghast at Klag's insistence on not visiting his own father, "A Klingon is his work, not his family. That is the way of things." He was a soldier of the empire. M'Raq may have forgotten what that meant, but the son of M'Raq swore he never would. Even as his father disgraced the family, Klag would keep the family's honor. That was why he had stuck it out for ten years under Kargan's boot, because he knew that someday he would triumph.

And he had. He was a hero. He would be inducted into the Order of the Bat'leth. He had a fine s.h.i.+p under his command.

The only thing he didn't have was a right arm.

Suddenly, Klag reared his head back and laughed.

He continued laughing for several minutes.

"Klag to B'Oraq," he said when he had recovered enough breath to speak.

"B'Oraq."

"Doctor, those biological requirements for transplanting a new arm-would a member of my family qualify?"

"Almost definitely. Why?"

Klag firmly believed that M'Raq's spirit was headed straight for the Barge of the Dead in Gre'thor. He knew it in his warrior's heart.

Unless Klag did something about it. Perhaps, Father, I can regain for you what you could not be bothered to regain for yourself.

"I believe I have found a donor on Qo'nos."

"This is outrageous!" Governor Tiral screamed. "I will not allow you to do this to me!"

Worf tried hard not to sigh, and did not entirely succeed. He had hoped Tiral's reaction would be a bit less emotional. He hadn't expected it, but he had hoped. To be fair, Tiral had been silent-fuming, but silent-while Worf outlined his proposal. In fact, Tiral spent most of the meeting glowering at re'Trenat and em'Rlakun, whom Worf had invited.

Also present were Worf, Wu, Klag, Drex, Vail -nervously fidgeting in his chair, of course-and Tiral, all seated around the table. Standing at one end of the room were the two al'Hmatti, who could not fit in the wardroom chairs. At the opposite end of the room, against the wall, were Tiral's guards, Klag's guard, and Krevor. Krevor had cut her hair short so that it was again all of an equal length.

The governor continued to rant "I will not stand for this!"

Contradicting this statement, he rose from his seat and glowered at Worf, his gray eyes smoldering. "I will not allow you to take this planet away from me. And you!" he added, turning his gaze upon Klag.

"Is this how you fulfill your promise to me?"

Klag, for his part, looked completely unperturbed. "I told you once, Governor, and I will repeat, that I did precisely what I promised-a good word with the High Council."

Pointing a pudgy finger at the captain, Tiral cried, "Make whatever feeble excuses you wish, Captain, but I can a.s.sure you that you will regret what you have done!"

"Commander Drex," Klag said.

"Sir!"

"Make an appointment for me for three weeks hence."

Drex tapped some commands into the console in front of him. "And the nature of the appointment, sir?"

"Set aside five minutes for me to be worried about the governor's threat."

"Tiral snarled, unsheathed a tik'leth-similar to an Earth long sword-from a scabbard under his vest, and ran toward Klag.

Krevor and Klag's own guard moved to block him. Undaunted, Tiral swung his tik'leth. Krevor blocked the strike with her arm and then punched the governor in the stomach-the most obvious target. Klag's guard grabbed Tiral's arm and slammed it into his knee, loosening Tiral's grip on the tik'leth. With a quick motion, the guard relieved Tiral of the sword, while Krevor pushed him away. Worf noticed abrasions on Tiral's armor where Krevor had punched him, but the blades in her gauntlets had not penetrated the leather.

Tiral's two guards stepped forward, their disrupters raised. Krevor and Klag's guard responded in kind. They stood facing each other, each ready to kill the others. Blood stained Krevor's sleeve where the tik'leth had struck.

"Enough!" Klag cried, standing up. "Stand fast, all of you!"

"With respect, sir," Klag's guard said, "I will when they do."

Tiral gestured to his guards, who lowered their pistols. Only then did Krevor and Klag's guard do Likewise. Klag's guard even offered Tiral his tik'leth back.

Ignoring the offer, Tiral instead turned his corpulent form toward Worf. "I do not acknowledge your authority over me, Amba.s.sador. I will go to the High Council!"

"The same High Council that you have been appealing to for months?" Tiral said nothing, though he looked Like he had just swallowed dead rocht.

Worf did not let up. "The same High Council that said it would abide by my decision in this matter? The same High Council that has already approved my proposal?"

Tiral snarled. "d.a.m.n you ..."

Worf stood up and took the tik'leth from Klag's guard and held it before Tiral. "The purpose of this meeting, Governor, was to provide you with information, not to invite debate.

The decision has already been made. All that is left for you is to decide whether to face this news honorably."

Tiral s.n.a.t.c.hed the sword out of Worf's hands and held it to Worf's neck. Worf did not budge.

"You may, of course, try to kill me," Worf said calmly. "But I doubt that will do much for your future prospects. Especially since there are people in this room who will die to protect me."

Still holding the sword to Worf's neck, Tiral said in a whisper, "Do you realize what you have done? It is not enough that you are replacing me with that todsah over there." He indicated Vail with a jerk of his head. "But there are people on tad, Amba.s.sador-people who have dedicated their lives to the mines down there, to bringing top aline to the empire. Some have died for it! And now they are having their lives uprooted in order to accommodate the wishes of jeghpu ".

What am I to tell them, Amba.s.sador?"

"That they are serving the empire."

"They serve the empire now." Tiral pushed the sword closer. Worf felt the blade press against his skin.

"And they have done so, well. But now is the time to find another way to serve." Again, Tiral snarled-he seemed inordinately fond of the sound. He did not press his attack, but he did not relent in it, either.

"Governor," said Klag's voice from behind Worf, "if you wish to live to ever get off this s.h.i.+p, I suggest you back away from the amba.s.sador right now."

Worf gazed past Tiral for a moment, and saw that Klag, Krevor, Klag's guard, and even Drex and Vail all had disrupters trained on Tiral. Tiral's guards looked uncertainly at each other, not sure what to do. The two al'Hmatti seemed amused as they watched from against the wall.

Tiral lowered his tik'leth. "You are all fools," he said.

Then he turned and left the room as fast as his girth would allow. His guards followed quickly behind.