Aftermath
Posted on Sun Nov 16th, 2025 @ 7:07pm by Commander Kevin Lance
981 words; about a 5 minute read
Mission:
Death before dishonor
Location: Starbase 364
Timeline: Current
on:
{Arena, Klingon Lower Decks, Starbase 364}
The Hall of Honor was a riot awash in Klingon hormones. Kevin remained standing in the center of the arena, sweat drying cold beneath the layers of his ceremonial armor. The marshal had spoken the words of acknowledgment, that quarter had been offered and was refused. The fight had been concluded with honor.
Warriors had slapped his shoulder and called him Lance, Mate of Rasmehlier, with tones that were half respect, half shock. Kevin looked around the thronging mob for Mira but she had been escorted out before he could catch her eye. “I fought for you,” he whispered towards the doors that she had been taken through, “Even though you wouldn’t let me.”
His voice was lost in the sea of Klingon voices. No answer came. He wished she had seen what mattered: not the insults, not the spectacle, but the simple truth—
He had not given her up. Not for a moment.
Kronnelti handed Kevin a rag to wipe the blood from his face and hands.
“You fought well,” the Klingon said gruffly. “Klvll died like a warrior. You live like one.”
Kevin gave a short, harrumph of dismissal. “It was a close fought thing,” he admitted, “It nearly went the other way.” After a pause, he continued, “He was too good to be allowed to live.”
“That is how you know you are not a fool,” Kronnelti replied. “Only the mad would let an enemy survive the battle.”
Kevin hesitated. “Do you think… she hates me?”
Kronnelti snorted, not needing explanation. “She is Klingon. If she hated you, she’d have tried to stab you on the way out.”
Kevin blinked. “…That’s not comforting.”
“It should be,” Kronnelti said, clapping him on the shoulder. “Hate may fade. Honor does not. And today, you fought for her. She will see it—eventually.”
Kevin hoped Kronnelti was right.
Because he wasn’t sure how many more battles he could win if she wasn’t standing with him.
{Family Quarters, USS Chuck Norris}
Kevin stood alone in his quarters, peeling off the last of the Klingon armor. He had expected to find Mira with their children but the second officer had informed him that his family was aboard the USS Conqueror.
His hands shook—not with exhaustion, not with adrenaline, but with the memory of how close Klvll had come to killing him. One breath. One heartbeat. He could have been gone.
He imagined Mira seeing the result if he had lost. What would she have felt?
Relief? Grief? Indifference?
He didn’t know anymore.
He rubbed his eyes with the heel of his palm.
“If I had died,” he whispered to the empty room, “at least she wouldn’t have had to choose.”
But he hadn’t died.
And now they both had to live with the consequences.
{Later}
The chime to the family quarters rang out. Kevin knew that Mira would not ring before entering their quarters but he was still disappointed when the ship’s second officer entered. He took another pull off of the bottle of whisky that he had liberated from Mira’s stock and gestured for Montgomery to have a seat.
“How are you feeling,” Jeff asked tentatively.
“Like I was in a battle for survival and barely came away with my life,” Kevin admitted. He raised his left arm to show the bandage, “The duty nurse stitched me up and gave me pain meds…which I am supplementing.” He took another swallow of the amber liquid, then poured a glass and pushed it towards the second officer. “Where is Doctor K’ner, anyways?”
“She is with Mira,” Jeff replied, then Kevin joined in unison when he said, “Aboard the Conqueror.”
Kevin couldn’t fault the Haz Team leader from wanting to protect Mira and the children. Still, he wished that she hadn’t of taken a full third of the ship’s complement with her. “Well, at least they are aboard a Federation ship.”
“Have you talked to her?” Jeff ask, avoiding the offered glass of bourbon.
“When have I had the opportunity?” Kevin replied, “She refused to talk to me after storming out of the dinner, then was kidnapped and drugged. I didn’t see her until I arrived at the duel and was too busy ensuring that she didn’t fight Klvll on her own. After the duel, she was whisked away before I could get to her. I had hoped that she would have come back her but I guess that she is still just too angry to talk.”
“She needs time to process all that has happened,” Jeff nodded.
“It’s pretty clear that she doesn’t want to talk yet,” Kevin observed, “So until she is ready, I wait.”
“You could always go over to the Conqueror,” Jeff suggested.
“And be denied admittance?” Kevin countered, “That won’t improve my standing with the Klingons.”
“I didn’t think that you put much value on the opinions of Klingons.”
“I couldn’t care less,” Kevin answered taking another swig, “but Mira does. She is genetically a Trill but in her heart and mind she is a Klingon. Through and through.”
“That seems like an oversimplification.”
“Probably fair,” Kevin shrugged, “but she treats me like a Klingon woman would. And…I…Don’t…Like…It!”
Jeff sat back at the anger in Kevin’s voice.
“Sorry, Jeff, I shouldn’t have snapped at you,” Kevin apologized, “I don’t like talking about my past but suffice it to say that I have enough experience with the Klingon race to develop a well-informed opinion.”
“You need to tell her how you feel,” Jeff pointed out.
“Alright, Counsellor,” Kevin chided with a wry smile, “I’ll call on the Conqueror.” He wondered if she would answer.
:off
Commander Kevin Lance
Executive Officer
USS Chuck Norris
RSS Feed