Aftermath

Posted on Thu Oct 30th, 2025 @ 6:06am by Captain Mira Rodale Lance & Commander Kevin Lance & Lieutenant Betaras K'ner

2,017 words; about a 10 minute read

Mission: Death before dishonor
Location: Starbase 364
Timeline: Present

ON
(Klingon level)

Mira frowned putting her hands on her hips “There is a ceremony on hair tugging?” Mira raised an eyebrow that was a new one on her. What race was these woman and how did Kevin know them? Her fingertips going to her spots forehead.

“It is an Okinkus tradition based on a mythological superstition,” Kevin explained as he led Mira through the escape hatch and into the vessel beyond, “The story goes that the god Lohkey impersonated his brother in order to sleep with his wife and beget a child that would bring about the end of the world. He had the entire family fooled and was on the verge of success when his niece pulled on his beard removing it from his face entirely. The Odinskus tug on beards and braids to ensure that the person they are meeting isn’t an imposter.”

Mira frowned “and there are so many imposters that they kept that tradition?

Kevin shrugged, "The tradition of clasping hands when meeting has long outlasted the custom of everyone going around armed."

{Odinkus Shuttle}

The vessel beyond the hatch was a long, narrow cylinder barely two arm-widths wide. Three small benches crossed the tube with short poles extending from the vessel’s hull. Small portholes lined the hull adjacent to benches and a small seat at the aft under a bubble canopy. Two Star Fleet enlisted personnel in operations yellow sat on the middle bench. They were security guards judging by the phasers on their hips.

Mira looked back to Kevin then sighed, “The victory celebration? Fleet Admiral Proll is going to have a fit!” Part of her had hoped that the dress had disappeared but she was betting it was safe on her bed waiting on her.

Captain Astra Karrelsdotter entered the vessel followed by her shieldmaiden who began closing the hatches. Astra clapped her hands together and said, “Zo, vhere iz eet youse vould like to goes?”

“Let’s make our way back to the ship and see what we can find out,” Mira answered before addressing Kevin, “I don’t think that bomb was on a timer. I finished that fight earlier then expected. So they either wanted me part of the blast or they just wanted to take him out and someone set it off. It wasn’t Isabel. She would have waited. Maybe blown up his ship.” She chuckled sitting on the bench behind the security guards.

“Ferry Gut!” Astra exclaimed. She was broad and well-muscled in a way that suggested she was from a higher gravity planet. She squeezed past the two guards and nearly flattened Mira and Kevin to the hull of the vessel as she passed them. “Commander Lancesson,” She said as she took a seat next to a longer pole extending forward from the craft's aft end, “Vould youse bee zo kind as to row mit mine zhieldmaiden? Ve vill make better time to youse sheep vid four at de hoars.”

Kevin blushed and looked uncomfortable but muttered an acknowledgement before climbing between the two guard to seat himself next to the shieldmaiden. Mira knew that Kevin was nervous around pretty women but he seemed much more so than usual. Now that they were married she had thought he had gotten so much better. Gained more confidence in himself.

Mira frowned at the strange ship wondering if this was a good idea. Why were they taking this odd little ship. Why not the transporter. Her hand went to the spot her commbadge normally was attached to her uniform. Then rolled her eye. “Damn it. I left my commbadge on my uniform jacket. Proll is going to swear I did this on purpose.”

Mira waved her hand “to be honest I do a lot of things to drive him and Ambassador M’Niras as crazy. As much as I can get away with but none of this was planned.” She looked out the view port “no damage to base. So it was a very small explosion.” Mira bit her lip “Kevin can you connect Montgomery?” It only took a moment to realize that they were actually rowing in a space ship.

Moving behind Kevin she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and kissed his neck as she tapped his commbadge “Commander Lance to the USS Chuck Norris.”

There was a slight male laugh “why commander how sexy you sound.”

“shove it Rodriguez connect me to Montgomery.” Mira told him.

There was a smacking sound. Mira grinned imagining Montgomery popping Rodriguez on the back of his head.

=/\= “one of this days ensign your going to say something like that to some who will take serious offense to your actions. Captain its so good hear your voice are you ok?” =/\= he asked sounding worried.

“I am fine, I won the challenge but someone blow up the arena. I need you to start scans. We need to know what happened. “ She told him.

=/\= Aye Captain we started scanning right after the explosion, three dead, four others injured. K’lar is on the war path as is Proll and M’Niras. General D’amish Kharon has everyone searching for you. Where are you?.”=/\=

Mira rolled her eyes she could just imagine what those 3 would be up to.

=/\= you don’t even want to know how many fights have broken out involving Viking. =/\= Montgomery continued

“oh jeez “ she whispered and rested her chin on Kevin’s shoulder “why does everything always get out of hand.”


{SB 364, Klingon Level}

"Talk to me Peke," K'ner said, swinging for the knees, sliding sideways as her opponent paid for his lack of spacial awareness.

"The Captain and XO are away safely. The trigger was short, encrypted. If we hadn't been monitoring we would never have caught it. Gonna take a little time to decode and see if the signature is enough to track. But we're watching for it now too. Taz is listening to some interesting conversations. It's crazy what people will say in the heat of the moment..." Peke's voice sounded only a little distracted as he analyzed the signals in and around the skirmish.

Nod's voice came on the channel, "Permission to eliminate." He sounded a little ticked off, which was unusual for the counselor, even given his Klingon heritage.

K'ner stepped back and seemed to meld into the tall plant that stood against the wall, surprisingly so with all the jostling from the fighting and chaos. "Negative. We've got enough blood feuds active at the moment. Just assist K'lar and the House... Preferably as quietly as possible."

The dots acknowledged...

{Starbase 364 Command Center}

"Admiral!" the communications technician shouted, "We have intercepted a transmission from Captain Rodale!"

"Where?" Admiral Proll asked as he stalked to the communications panel, "How?"

"It was transmitted from Commander Lance's comm badge," the tech explained, "but the location reading is...strange."

"Out with it," the Admiral hissed.

"Commander Lance's comm badge is outside of the station."

"Outside?" Proll asked in some confusion, "Are they in EVA suits?"

"Uncertain," another duty office replied, "There aren't any equipment lockers in that part of the station. Captain Rodale could have stashed suit nearby."

But why would she have? Proll wondered. Unless she knew there would be an explosion and had made plans in advance. "Lock onto the comm badge and beam in anything within 10 meters," he ordered.

The operations officer tapped on her console briefly then shook her head. "I can't get a lock-on, Admiral. Something is interfering the the targeting signal."

"What are the base's sensors reporting?" Proll demanded.

The tactical officer replied instantly, "There is something small in the vicinity with a weak electromagnetic signal."

"What is it?"

"Too small for the sensors to get a reading but definitely bigger than an EVA suit. Recalibrating sensors."

Proll wanted to tear out his whiskers

{Odinkus Shuttle}

With a sigh Mira returned to her seat. She didn’t know these people at all. First they tag her in the Admirals office? Why and why did Kevin trust them? Did they know about the bomb? To many questions to new people Mira always kept as far away as she could.

Kevin, the shieldmaiden and the two security guards pulled and pushed on the rods extending from the sides of the vessel in what appeared to be a rowing motion. Captain Astra sang in a language foreign to Mira’s ears in such a manner that it allowed the four to row in unison. Kevin, despite the tension in his shoulders, matched strokes with the other three in a very practiced manner.

Occasionally, Astra would shout out commands in accented Federation standard, causing the oarsmen to shift their cadence, move in opposition and reverse movements, suggesting that the Odinkus Captain was maneuvering the vessel.

Mira frowned, would this shuttle even be able to dock with her ship and did she want them anywhere in her ship? Probably not. They would have to check the whole ship for what ever these two left behind.

Her ship came into view, yeah it was small. The Odinkus Captain frown. Mira could tell what the woman was thinking so she just answered the question. “Yes, that is my Federation ship. The two over there are my Klingon house ships.” Mira gave a little chuckle “Well, the 5 over there as well.” She rolled up her sleeve to show her the crest on her wrist guard “Any ship with this mark is of Rasmehlier house is mine. But this little baby is home. She may be small but she can destroy a Borg ship. I also prefer a small crew.” Mira was feeling very short around these to Amazon woman and she wanted off this ship.

"Ah, ja," Astra replied, "A smoler sheep iz much more hintimate. De Keisari iz zo big dat I doubts dat eye vill hever know hall de names and tales of de crew. Butt zix sheeps iz ferry himpressive. Youse could zet youszelf up as a proper vorlord."

Astra turned her attention to the Norris approaching through her canopy. She made a couple of minor adjustments to the pole that she was hold then commanded to rowers to 'backwater'. The craft slowed and gently touched the side of the Federation ship.

Kevin touched his comm badge. "Norris, this is Lance," he intoned, "We had docked alongside and will be entering through the portside docking hatch." No reason to surprise Montgomery and the rest of the crew. He moved forward and with the shieldmaiden's assistance, he operated the control panel.

After a minute, the shuttle's iris hatch opened to look in on an interior hallway of the Norris. The Chief Tactical Officer stood there with a security guard, both with phasers aimed at the entrance. "We come in peace," Kevin quipped before turning to hold a hand out to Mira.

"Eye ham lookink forwards to zeeing you both at de celebrazion feast tonight," Astra called out, "Remembers to brings youse knives." She gave Kevin a significant look.

Mira perked up, “Oh knives! I love knives! “ She grinned at Kevin “Think the Ambassador will let me ditch the dress and wear the full Klingon formal attire? Just think of the weapons I could bring...”

Kevin smirked cutting her off, “I believe the idea of the dress was to make you the distraction in the room not the destruction of the room.“

Mira laughed “Yeah, I didn’t destroy anything. Well not lately anyways. OK, the Ambassador wants me to be a distraction but not for the Odinkus. The Admiral just wants to preen under all the prestige. The general? Just told me to win the challenge and that it was first blood only I did as he wished followed orders. So that means another group will be there.” She bit her lip in thought then gave a little shrug. “I really hate Caitian surprises,“ she said as she stepped into her ship.

OFF:

Lt Betaras K’ner
Hazard Team Combat Medic TL-B / CMO
USS Chuck Norris

&

Command Kevin Lance
Executive Officer
USS Chuck Noris

&

Captain Mira Rodale Lance
CO USS Chuck Norris

 

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