A Matter Of Honor - Part I
Posted on Tue Oct 27th, 2015 @ 12:35pm by Lieutenant Commander Kh'ali & Aros & Commander Patrick Leroy & Lieutenant Nick Marcinko & Warrant Officer Awf
Mission:
Further Challenges
Location: Qo'nos
* Qo’nos *
“The fool…”
Q’vahn muttered as she looked out of the window. The klingon warrior, standing behind her by the door, did not move. He just stood there, waiting. After a minute, thinking Q’vahn hadn’t heard clearly what he’d said, repeated his question:
“What are you going to respond to the Mistress?”
Q’Vahn turned to face the warrior, eyes glaring. “Of course I accept the challenge. Go back to Sirella and tell her I’ll be there at the specified time.”
The klingon warrior nodded stiffly, turned on his heels, and exited the room.
Left alone, Q’vahn, folded arms on her chest and started pacing slowly back and forth considering all the implications. Khang had been a poor choice she now realized. His failure had screwed up her plans almost to the point of no return. Still, unexpectedly, the thing was taking on an interesting twist.
Instead of pleading protection from Sirella or the family, thus probably slipping out of her grasp for good, Kh’ali had resorted to the ritual challenge.
She wants to fight back! Perhaps the traits inherited from her puny mother aren’t so strong after all... She smiled at the thought.
Q’Vahn’s lips crooked in slight disappointment. She would have gladly ruined Kh’ali, taking away her son and perhaps her mate leaving her cousin to suffer for the rest of her days. Now that option wasn’t possible anymore. She would have had to content herself of getting rid of Kh’ali once and for all through the challenge.
Her steps had brought her close to a desk, without thinking she opened the drawer and extracted a vial and a hypo. She smiled cruelly playing with the vial in her hand watching the sickly green-hued liquid inside.
“Dear cousin…” Q’vahn said as she loaded the hypo shooting it in her neck. She gasped almost instantly, clutching the desk to avoid falling to the ground as the substance delivered its effect. The hypo fell clattering to the floor while a shudder coursed through Q’Vahn’s body. Drops of blood trickled from her nose staining the desk surface and a murderous light shone in her eyes when she opened them again.
“...The time of your end is nigh.”
* wherever the f---k the puny heroes are in this moment *
Kh’ali grunted as Aros yanked on the back lacings that pulled the chest plate tighter around her. Once he was done, she took a deep breath to make sure she could, then swung her arms all around, settling the armor in place.
“Better, thanks.” She surveyed herself in the mirror, doing a slow turn. Finally, she was satisfied. The only things left were her gauntlet and boots. She wanted to see Patrick but that wasn’t permissible at this stage of the wedding preparations, though Aros had told her he’d be there. “Where are Nick and Awf?”
“Seeing to the weapons when I left them.” Aros hesitated for a moment, then placed his hands on her shoulders. “Are you sure this is the right course, Kh’ali? Patrick’s nearly in a panic thinking it could go horribly wrong. None of us want to lose you.”
“Then I’ll have to make sure that doesn’t happen,” she answered. “Sirella’s right though. If Q’Vahn would go so far as to send warriors to try to get to the baby, or Patrick, as long as they live they’ll be in danger. I can’t live with constantly looking over my shoulder or worrying every time I leave them that they won’t be there when I get back.”
Aros nodded. “I agree. Don’t expect her to fight fair though. Don’t expect me to, either, he thought.
Kh’ali had to laugh at that. “She never has.” Both turned at a knock on the door.
“I’ll get it.” Aros crossed to open the door. “Oh, come in.”
Torin, standing just outside the door, nodded his thanks to Aros and walked in. “I have come to see my daughter before she undertakes one of the most honorable feats of her life.” He looked at her intently then and outstretched his arms.
A bright smile lit Kh’ali’s face and she rushed into the hug. “This is an unexpected pleasure. I didn’t think you’d be here until tomorrow.”
“Why would I have waited?” Torin said taking her by the shoulders and regarding her with a smile “You make out a great warrior figure.”
He took her arms then and started moving them up, down and sideways with a very critical look on his face, ignoring the puzzled one on his daughter.
“Your friend seems to be skilled with Klingon battle-armor but I know a trick or two.” He reworked the shoulder pieces making Kh’ali grunt again in the process.
“Try moving your arms now. You’ll see you can swing your weapons in a slightly wider arc. This is a veteran trick… You have to grasp to every slight advantage you can.”
“Thank you.” She leaned in to kiss his cheek. “Have you seen Patrick? Is he climbing the walls yet?”
“I haven’t seen him. And I don’t think it’s a wise thing to do for it seems to me he disagrees strongly with our ways.” Torin responded sternly “It’s about you now. He cannot change what is going to happen. You are the one who can, how do you feel?”
Kh’ali nodded slowly. “Good. Centered,” she answered. “Q’Vahn made a grave mistake when she tried to get to my family as well as my friends.” Her gaze shifted to Aros for a moment. “He and Nick could’ve been killed as well. She jumped into much deeper water than she expected to, I think.”
“And brave friends they’ve been. They fought for you and protected your hearth, never forget. I never will. For what concerns Q’Vahn we’ll never know which beast has been eating her from inside for hating you so much. Her recklessness will be her undoing.”
Torin looked around then. “Are your other friends around here?”
“They were off seeing to the weapons, but should be here anytime.” Kh’ali stopped as the door opened.
The Ocampa that had been mentioned before finally showed up with a stalwart look on his face that seemed entirely out of character for his usual self. He'd finished overseeing the weapons and had finally decided to make his arrival. "Qapla'!"
Aros clapped Awf on the shoulder. “Just in time.” He nodded to the tall Klingon before Kh’ali. “This is Torin, Kh’ali’s father.”
Torin nodded briefly to the Ocampa “I’m grateful for what you’ve done for my daughter. All of you.”
"And I am equally grateful to you, as your permitting my presence here honors my house." Awf spoke the words with authority, thanking the other but not at all acting like a sycophant.
“Ah… Does your race have a long tradition of honorable Houses?” Torin asked suddenly interested. He’d never seen an Ocampa in his life.
"My race for a long time banded together as one; I am a member of House Caretaker, which once encompassed all living Ocampa." Awf's story wasn't necessarily untrue after all.
“When this is over, you should have him tell you his story. It’s a good one,” Kh’ali informed her father. She looked past him now to Aros. “It’s about that time, will you go see if Nick is ready?”
Aros nodded. “We’ll be back here shortly.” He turned and left the room.
“I will gladly listen to your story.” Torin said looking solemnly at the Ocampa “Klingons never tire of hearing about great deeds and great honor.”
The Ocampa seemed pleased that someone had showed interest in his history. Finally nodding once more, he turned up toward him, "Yes, I will tell you of the history of my people and of the time we cowered deep beneath our soil only to learn that in doing so, we denied ourselves that which makes us unique." He was sure that a story of cowardice atoned for by acts of bravery would make a Klingon's blood stir.
* Qo’nos - Kh’ali’s home *
Patrick watched out of the window while a restless D’veidh wriggled in his embrace. The blood-red light of Qo’noS’ setting sun painted everything he could see. A smile lined his lips, despite everything, when D’veidh tried repeatedly to get hold of his nose. Then he heard the steps behind him.
“So… Will it be behind the church at the crack of dawn?” He asked without turning. The bitter irony of the statement probably lost on Kalim, he thought.
“The church?” Kalim puzzled over that and finally made sense of it. “Ahh...the challenge ground at Sirella’s in an hour. The men have gotten her dressed and ready to go.”
“Why wait then? Aros is not here so I’ll have to bring D’veidh with me. Help me gather the cradle and the rest and I’m ready to go.”
Kalim started to object but then decided that the boy was Klingon, it was fitting that he be brought along. “I’ll hold him. Just get the bag and pack light.” He held out his arms for the baby.
Not without reluctance Patrick let the baby in Kalim’s arms. The little bundle was the only thing making him feel close to Kh’ali. Quickly he got the bag, threw inside a few necessary things, and returned to the Klingon.
“I’m ready. Let’s get this over with.”
“Very well.” Kalim led the way to the door, then stopped. “She will be alright Patrick.” He hoped he was at least somewhat reassuring. “She has two very good reasons to triumph.”
“Let’s hope those are going to prove enough.” Patrick responded dryly as he passed Kalim and exited the door.
* Nick & Aros *
Nick had just finished up with prepping the weapons Kh’ali could use and heard Aros enter. “If you’re here, then I can assume she’s ready to kick some ass and take some names?”
“She is. I”ve got her laced in tight and her father came in to make a few more minor adjustments to the armor. She is as ready as she will ever be,” Aros answered.
“I hope so. I know she still practices with this stuff on occasion, but I doubt she takes it as seriously as Q’Vahn.”
Aros sat down as he watched Nick. “That woman is crazy, and by that I mean Q’Vahn, not Kh’ali.” He smiled briefly. “I warned Kh’ali that I don’t expect her cousin to fight fair so I will tell you now - if things are looking bad, I can help you two out.”
“And how would you be able to do that?” Nick asked, setting down the final weapon.
Aros tapped his forehead. “Have you noticed how, every time those two meet, Kh’ali remains calm and that seems to drive her cousin over the edge?”
Nick narrowed his eyes. “Fair warning, Aros--I like you, but if I find out you’re spelunking in my noggin’, your ass is grass.”
“I have no desire to be in that head of yours, Nick. But if things go bad, pushing Q’Vahn over the edge and making her lose control is possible and could turn the tide. I doubt Kh’ali needs the help, though, to be honest. I hope it won’t get to that point.” Aros shrugged. “I’ll be glad when this is over, to be honest.”
“I’m sure Kh’ali is a bit freaked, despite her calm demeanor, but no, not to where she’d need your intervention during this.” Nick took the time to crack his neck. “There comes a point when you realize you don’t have a choice and you stare death in the face and just welcome the fight. You either win or you lose, but you don’t have a choice, so you just deal with it.”
“Let’s hope it’s win, not lose,” Aros commented and stood. “Come on, it’s time.”
To Be Continued....
**************
Aros
Lt. Nick Marcinko
Lt. Commander Kh’ali
Kalim
Q’Vahn
Cmdr Patrick Leroy
Warrant Officer Awf
