Opponent Research

Posted on Tue Mar 26th, 2024 @ 6:51pm by Lieutenant Commander Kevin Lance

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

On:
{Flight Deck, USS Lionheart}

Kevin sat alone on the flight deck of the USS Lionheart, studying everything that he could find on the Klingon political situation. He was happy that the confusion over his message to Mira had been resolved and that she understood the scope of his commitment to her and Kolar. He was concerned, however, about the uncertainty surrounding who had altered the message and why. Couple with the doubt around why J’pok has taken Mira’s child, Kevin was left with an uneasy feeling about their pending arrival at Qo’nos.

What Mira had told him in the yacht’s dining room was true. The current chancellor was pro-Federation but the factions opposing him were growing in strength. The death of Kolar had been a tipping point although Star Fleet Intelligence’s assessment was that the Orion intervention was unrelated to the Klingon situation. Kevin felt that the coincidence was too convenient to fully dismiss a connection. Without an installed leader for House Ramehlier, its political and military power waned as less committed warriors allied themselves with other houses.

The Chancellor needed a strong ally in charge of House Ramehlier and Mira was the lynchpin. Despite being a Trill, it was clear that her mating to Kolar and adoption of Klingon customs and traditions during that period had elevated her to being considered for all intents and purposes a full-blooded Klingon. Her abandoning the responsibilities as Kolar’s widow had been something of a conundrum for Martok. Without Mira, establishing a direct line of succession was difficult.

K’lar, Kolar’s younger brother was the logical choice, but his leading a powerful house of his own would have created an entity that was liable to threaten the other Great Houses or even the Chancellor himself. Given their volatile history, the Klingons were eager to avoid anything that might contribute to the start of yet another civil war.

Garahl was more acceptable from a political standpoint as he was only a Captain in the IKN and wouldn’t upset the balance of power if he headed House Ramehlier. Unfortunately, relations between himself and Kolar had always been at a boiling point and even though it amounted to little more than family squabbling, the exodus of warriors form the House would be greater with Garahl installed that it was without a head.

Mating her to a loyal Klingon, even Garahl, was the Chancellor’s best option and likely why he had pushed Mira on the topic. With the cred of being mated to a Klingon warrior and at the head of the house, Mira’s leadership would shore up the political and military power of House Ramehlier and, by extension, the Chancellor’s position.

Trouble was that Mira had no interest in leading House Ramehlier and even less in being mated again. After the death of Kolar, loss of a child and her own accidental exile on Hell, Mira had turned her back on the painful memories of life among the Klingons. There was a power vacuum at the head of House Ramehlier and it was sucking in all sorts of things. Including one J’pok Okac.

There was little available information on J’pok Okac son of No One. A minor warrior from the House Khel’zee, he had come to the attention of Star Fleet Intelligence only three months ago when he had ascended to the captaincy of a Vor'cha-class attack cruiser under dubious circumstances. Now he was setting his sights on House Ramehlier by eliminating the competition. Mating to Mira would establish his legitimacy to House Ramehlier and if she continued to refuse to lead the house, he would have grounds to take control by legal means though the High Council.

For Mira, it was a lose-lose situation. Eliminating J’pok Okac seemed to Kevin to be the only solution.

Maybe that is why the man in black had contacted him.

:off

Lieutenant Commander Kevin Lance
Executive Officer
USS Chuck Norris