Talking

Posted on Tue Mar 26th, 2024 @ 12:29am by Commander Kevin Lance & Captain Mira Rodale
Edited on on Tue Mar 26th, 2024 @ 3:05am

Mission: Blood wine and vengeance
Location: Admiral's yacht
Timeline: Present

on:
{Admiral's yacht}

Mira awoke when she heard a woman whispering, "Should we ......I don't know, send her to a bunk?

"I am not waking her to send her bed! Are you crazy? Do you see the weapons on her? Who is she, and why did we get clearance into Klingon space."

Mira awoke with a frown at them talking. She looked around. How long had she been out? Is Kevin really here?

She frowned, Getting up, she went to the communications console. She then placed a message to Garahl on the Harbinger and to the USS Conqueror. She grabbed a cup of coffee and thought of Kevin. Getting a 2nd cup of coffee, she made her way to the pilot chair. "Coffee?" she offered as a peace offering.

Kevin looked up from what he had been reading on the flight control console. From the way the stars were streaking by on the viewscreen, Mira knew that the ship was still in warp. Strictly speaking, while in warp the pilot had little to do beyond monitor systems and be available in the event of a navigational hazard. Kevin had been reading up on the political situation in the Klingon Empire looking for any information on J'pok Okac and the factions that might be supporting him.

He took the proffered cup of the steaming hot liquid. "Thank you," he said before taking a sip, "I was about to get up and get a cup for myself." He blew on the surface of the coffee and took a small sip, all the while watching Mira.

"Are you feeling better?" he ventured.

Mira nodded, "yes.......that hasn't happened in a lot of years. I guess I was more upset than I realized. I ..... have been trying to contact my family for days now. I got some information from Commander Krum on the station......." She looked out at the stars going by . "There were a few attacks at the same time. I know you said you don't want to be a father. I can understand that, I am not going to make you but .....Kevin ....... My son has been taken for a reason, and I am going to get him back. I don't know how this mission is going to end."

"I said 'I never wanted to be a father' but that I would be the father that 'you and I never had'. If you want me to be that for Kolar," Kevin said quietly. That she hadn't heard that in his letter saddened him immensely. He took another sip of coffee before the emotion overcame him.

"But... that wasn't in the message that I got this morning. " she said confused "If I want it....but what do you want Kevin?"

She looked down "I don't know how to be a mom, I barely remember that I had a mom. " she shrugged . "I thought I mess the poor kid up and he couldn't be raised on a ship like the USS Chuck Norris. ..... But now that he has been taken . I think the only safe place is with me."

The two things that Kevin most wanted were to escape his past and be forgiven for his betrayal of Ashla. But he never would admit that to anyone, maybe not even Mira. As always, he focused on the future as he answered her question. “I want to love and be worthy of being loved,” he said, “I want to protect you and keep you safe. And that extended to those who you hold dear, even this scruffy guy.” He roughly tousled Vaytoc’s head. Mira detected irritation from Vaytoc but no serious dislike.

Mira nodded, "I want the same things with you. Ok. " She nodded, making a decision. Was she opening herself up to be hurt? She hoped not. "Our relationship and work relationship are no doubt going to clash a few times. I can give you charge of our safety in both personal and professional areas. As Captain, we might have to work things out a little more. " Mira nodded.

She never believed in making anyone behave differently than their core beliefs. Men, for the most part, needed to protect. She was good with that. She had been told many times she leaped before thinking.

"I also realized I am not thinking clearly in this ." She waved a hand around them. She laughed, taking off her coat. Then, she waved a hand to herself. " I dressed for a battle that is weeks away. I planned to send the crew away for their safety with no thought of well much anything else. " She finished with a sigh.

"Your passion and commitment are endearing qualities," he smiled, "but you need to accept that we can't do it alone. It's why we have a crew." He paused a moment then continued, "You know that Kronnelti is going to have a fit when he finds out you left him behind."

Mira nodded , "I know, but I was thinking of his mate and the baby." she put her hand to her face, wondering if she should tell him all of it. "I didn't think I would live though this and thought his family needed him more."

"The guy that took Kolar. I found almost nothing on him. It was like one day he was just there fully grown and with no house. He decided that he wanted the Rasmehlier house. So, without any house behind him, he attacked both Rasmehlier houses. " She rubbed her forehead." See Kolar and K'lar are brothers. Kolar was the oldest, and he was raised Klingon while K'lar a few years younger was raised on earth. So they both built their own house. Kolar would have normally just claimed both, but he felt his brother a strong enough ally he just let K'lar run his own house. Then Kolar was killed thier Cousin stepped up and took the first house with K'lar blessing. Then, I re-enter the picture. The Klingon council doesn't like loose ends. They decided that I should mate Garahl and the baby we would have would be head of the house. " Mira laughed. "I told them to stuff it. If Garahl was good enough to rule the house, then he should get mated and have kids with someone else. if he didn't, then one of K'lar's kids would take over the house when Garahl died. Reluctantly, they agreed. I left and joined back up with Starfleet. That is all history now. J'pok Okac enters the picture, thinking he can have an opening into ruling the house if he can claim me. So he petitioned the Klingon council for Kolar's Widow. Since I guess he couldn't get his hands on me, he took my......our son. I just don't understand why he thinks the Klingon high council will go along with all this. I am a Trill and a captain. Baby Kolar is half Trill and half Human and not under their control. "

“My understanding of Klingon politics is imperfect,” Kevin admitted, “but I remember attending a seminar on the Great Game while I was at the Academy. A very feudalistic society where the Klingon Chancellor is dependent on the support of the Great Houses and sometimes plays one against another. Rather like the Holy Roman Empire on old Earth. Sometimes a weak chancellor is ruled by a Great House.”

Mira nodded slowly as she thought, "Klingon politics has never been an interesting of mine. K'lar explained it as being close to the Vikings of Earth, and in away he is right. Women can be both mothers and warriors. They can own business and fight. They can do just about everything that the male does until it comes to the high council. She can not challenge because the fight is combat, and she is normally not as strong as the males. but a weak chancellor could easily be controlled by a house." she nodded.

“There is also the dichotomy between pro- and anti-Federation factions within the Klingon houses," Kevin continued, "The pro-Federation faction has been in the ascendancy for a decade since the Dominion War. It might be the pendulum is swinging back the other direction.”

Mira nodded, following what he meant it was a good possibility too.

“If Kolar and K’lar were pro-Federation," Kevin said, "this could all be part of a power play by the anti-faction. If the current Chancellor is pro-Fed, having the widow of Kolar, who is a Federation Captain in her own right, mated to the successor of Kolar’s house would more closely align it to his cause."

"Yes, both Kolar and K’lar were pro-Federation. I was approached a few time to change their minds, but yeah, that wasn't going to happen. Garahl is pro-Federation as well. It was why I thought he would be a good leader for the house.
Chancellor is pro-Fed, I believe, so if that was in play, then he would have just insisted on the marriage with Garahl, he was put in place when they thought both Kolar and I were dead."

"Do we know if this J’pok is pro or anti?” Kevin was glad that the conversation had taken this turn. I allowed him to ask questions that would establish Mira at the source of the information that the man in black had given him. He didn’t know the games that THAT man was playing but he wanted to keep Mira as far away from it as possible.

Mira looked through her PADD. "Definily anti fed. It looks like everything he stands for is against the federation. So why would he want me? I am not Klingon, and I am a captain in the Federation. " Mira shook her head as she handed what she had over to Kevin. "It would be away to take the house. he has made K'lar look really bad by not protecting his house and mate. If he killed Garahl, then the house would be his by right. J’pok didn't need to try and get me. I am not Garahl's anything.... Unless he can't get him...." she frowned."I haven't been able to get ahold of him. " She bit her lip. "If he killed me, then both Garahl and K'lar would look bad. So would the Federation. And he could change the house to whatever he saw fit to."

"A riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma,” Kevin recited a favorite quote from an old Earth statesman. Then more happily he asked, "Can I see Kolar's picture again?"

Mira pulled out her PADD and handed it to him. He examined the image of the blonde cherub. Q had done a good job. Kevin couldn't detect any of Rodriguez's features. "I think he has my chin," he said lightly as he stroked the hair growing on his own."

"and your eyes and hair. But he does have my spots." She smiled.

"Well, I hope he also has your smarts and gift for languages," Kevin replied.

Mira laughed, "Oh my, matching wits with him should be interesting. Kiara said he was already putting puzzles together and getting into things he shouldn't be. "

"That's our boy," Kevin chuckled, "Now why don't you close that door and come sit on my lap?"

Mira grinned as she stood up locked the door, then removed her weapons before sitting on his lap. She placed a kiss on his neck as her hand went to his shoulders.

And for a while, the Universe was only two people. And Vaytoc of course.

:off

Lieutenant Commander Kevin Lance
Executive Officer
USS Chuck Norris

and

Captain Mira Rodale
CO
USS Chuck Norris