If Mama's Not Happy...

Posted on Sat Sep 12th, 2015 @ 12:54am by Lieutenant Commander Kh'ali & Aros & Lieutenant Nick Marcinko
Edited on on Sat Oct 3rd, 2015 @ 12:26am

Mission: Further Challenges
Location: Qo'noS

* Qo’noS *

From behind Kalim’s broad shoulders, Nick stuck his head out and saw Kh’ali.

“So...how you doin’?” he asked, much more cautiously, and in a higher tone, than he normally would.

Kh’ali stood on top of the door that now laid on the floor of the entry hall. She was not the usual perfectly put together Kh’ali. This one was home from a hunt and was covered in dirt, had wild, tangled hair, and carried two large skin bags over her shoulders. She gave off a decidedly gamey smell. It was also clear that she suspected something was up.

Sniffing the air, and ignoring Nick’s question, she frowned. “Why do I smell blood?”

To her left, Aros appeared with a mop and bucket. Seeing Kh’ali, he shot Nick and Kalim a worried glance and immediately withdrew to hide the mop. The movement caught her gaze only a moment and she turned back to Nick.

“Well?”

Nick didn’t shrink back, but he tried to dodge the question by circling around Kalim, taking the baby and holding him gently in front of her, bouncing him a bit, albeit awkwardly. “Oh, look! Mama’s home! Aren’t you happy to see your mama? I bet you are!” He quickly realized he was talking to D'Veidh like he were a dog instead of an infant and changed his tone. “Say welcome home, mama!” With that he held him out for Kh’ali to take, his thought being that with a handful of baby bottom she would be less likely to reach out and try to take someone by the throat.

“I am too filthy, Nick. Aros!” she called out. “Whatever you two have done, did you get him involved as well?”

Aros hustled out of his hiding place and reached out to take the baby. He smiled at Kh’ali. “That’s a new look for you but it works.” He dearly hoped a little humour would diffuse the situation.

She gave him the briefest of smiles. “ Thank you. You may live through the night, unlike these two.”

Kalim cleared his throat and finally spoke. “It wasn’t our fault,” he began. “Why don’t we all have a seat and we can tell you what happened. Maybe a drink to toast your successful hunt?”

“Kalim, you are already flammable enough. But come.” She turned and led the way through to the large den, dropped the bags on the floor and settled in a chair. It felt wonderful to sit down, she had to admit.

Nick now decided that it may be best to use D'Veidh as a human/Klingon shield if Kh’ali went into a berserker rage. He cleared some debris from around a small stool that had been knocked over, righted it and took a seat with the baby prominently displayed, and safe, on his knee.

“For the record, we had nothing to do with this, other than being on the receiving end. Intruders came in, intruders were killed, baby’s all safe, the end.”

“Intruders? What intruders?” She looked to Aros, knowing she’d get the unvarnished truth.

“The baby was sleeping, Patrick and Kalim were out, and I was about to get some dinner together when all hell broke loose.” He shrugged. “I took out one coming through the window, Khang broke down the door and there were two others that came in upstairs. We had to.”

“Khang?” She turned back to Nick and Kalim. “What was he after?” her voice had taken on a dangerous edge. She suspected she already knew what they wanted.

“He wasn’t here for tea and crumpets, that’s for damn sure,” Nick said, but not in his usual gruff tone so as not to set off the baby’s natural alarm system--the kid could really wail when he put his heart into it. “I assume he was here for the baby. Maybe Patrick, if he’d been here. Rub out the family line and all of that.”

Kalim nodded. “Agreed. All four are dead and Nick has the proof of who was here. You will need that to take to Sirella.”

A new fear gripped Kh’ali, since they really had not mentioned Patrick till now. “Where is Patrick? Is he safe? Wasn’t he with you Kalim?”

“He is. We didn’t arrive till Nick and Aros had finished up. We poured him into bed and he’s out like a light.”

Kh’ali settled back into the chair, overwhelmed with relief and exhaustion. “Thank you. All of you.” She motioned to Aros. “Take D’veidh back up to bed, then get back down here. We need to decide a few things.”

Aros made to reach for the kid but Nick pulled him back. “Just for the record, you’re not going to go all Hulk smash when the kid goes upstairs, right? Because if you are, I think D’veidh is just fine right here between me an’ you.”

“No, I promise, especially since you two saved him. But it’s very late, I need a bath and a bed after we figure out our next move,” she assured him.

Nick sniffed the air. “Yes. Yes you do.” He handed the baby to Aros and pulled Khang’s dagger out. Holding it up so Kh’ali could see that it had Khang’s family crest and names on it, he stood and handed it to her. “I have more from the others. Just grabbed what I could for proof.”

She ran a finger over the etching on the blade and growled. “Khang...is Q’vahn’s lackey.”

“He showed up tonight to try and piss me off and frighten Patrick, but it didn’t work on either of us.” Kalim’s voice held a note of pride. “Your man was most impressive.”

That news pleased Kh’ali as well and she nodded. “He is not what any of the family expected. As for this,” she held up the knife, “I will take it to the Mistress. Things may get ugly soon.”

“I’ll get the rest of the crap I took off of ‘em,” Nick added. “But we took down everyone they sent here. That should definitely knock the wind out of their sails. And Khang was supposed to be her biggest and best, right? If I remember my wonderful Klingon upbringing, that’s one hell of a blow to her house’s name and her honor.”

“That is the least of her worries, but yes it will be.” Kh’ali rubbed her eyes, the fierceness gone for now. “Tomorrow will be an interesting day.”

Aros reappeared and stopped by Kh’ali’s chair. “D’veidh’s asleep and I got a steaming hot bath waiting for you. Baby’s in your room, so stay out of his as Patrick is in there and you know the rules.” He smiled at her for a moment, then looked to Nick. “Want to help me with that little clean-up?”

Nick clapped his hands and smiled, “Oh boy, can I?” The smile quickly disappeared and he followed after Aros, his shoulders slumped. “I don’t clean the messes, I make ‘em,” he grumbled.

The sound of Kh’ali’s laughter followed them out and then she looked at Kalim. “This is messed up,” she muttered.

“And it’s just beginning,” he answered.

*************

Lt. Commander Kh’ali
Home From The Hunt

Lt. Nick Marcinko
Not Ashamed of the Baby Shield

Aros
Clean-Up Man

Kalim
Do Not Hold Near Open Flame