A Matter Of Honor - Part II

Posted on Tue Oct 27th, 2015 @ 12:37pm by Lieutenant Commander Kh'ali & Aros & Commander Patrick Leroy & Lieutenant Nick Marcinko & Warrant Officer Awf

Mission: Further Challenges
Location: Qo'nos

* The Challenge - Sirella’s *

Sirella regarded Kh’ali as she entered the great hall clad in full battle armor, an expression of approval depicted on her face as far as approval could go with that woman.
Kh’ali watched around wondering about how much renown had been given to the event.
The challenge ground was crowded with all the important members of the House. Sitting on the Chancellor’s chair a solemn Martok surveyed the locale and his only eye glinted when he got hold of Kh’ali.

“Qaplà, Kh’ali daughter of Torin.” Sirella greeted her.

“Qaplà,” Kh’ali answered to her, then moved over to pay her respects to Martok. “Chancellor, it is my hope to restore honor to this family where it has been lost.”

“No honor has been lost on your part.” Martok replied “We all look forward to the solution of this feud as our tradition commands.” He then looked around the hall raising his voice. “Kahless watches on us and on this trial... Let it be known that this strife ends here and tonight and that it will plague this House no more whomever emerges the victor.”

Martok looked then to Sirella and nodded gravely.

“The Chancellor has spoken Kh’ali. Tonight this thing will be solved… One way or the other. Are you ready?”

“I am.” She looked over to Nick and nodded for him to take his place at her side. Beside him, Aros stood silent, along with Awf, and just beyond them, she could see Kalim and Patrick. Her gaze lingered on him, but finally she pulled her attention back to Sirella.

“Well,” he muttered so only Kh’ali could hear, “this is exciting!” He was actually looking forward to it. Of all things Klingon he had tried so hard to remove from his life, battle was definitely not one of them.

She had to smile at Nick in spite of the tension in the Great Hall. “I think so too, but don’t tell Patrick I said so. You need to be on watch, just in case. You’re on her list now too.”

“Lady, I’m on so many lists it’s amazing that I can get any sleep at night.”

“Yeah, you’re on my list too,” she joked. “But that’s a good thing. Let’s go. I’m ready to get this done.”

“Yeah. And next time, keep that mushy list stuff to yourself,” he said with a lopsided grin.

* * *

Sirella cast a look around out of nervousness. The challenged one hadn’t showed up so far and defying traditions was the thing she hated the most.

She turned to Kh’ali again. “Take your time to focus your strength. It seems we’re going to wait…” She said, her words suddenly interrupted by the sound of a transporter.

Kh’ali turned to look whence the sound came just in time to see, even before the reddish-orange hue transporter light had faded, a bellowing figure lunging at her bat’leth ready.

Instinct, more than reason, had her duck just in time to avoid the deadly swing. The audience murmured in shock and disapproval still no one moved a muscle to intervene.

Kh’ali dodged and jumped as Q’Vahn pressed her closely wildly swinging her bat’leth shouting and growling.

Nick in the end managed to get hold of the Bat’leth destined to Kh’ali and launched it her way. Just in the nick of time to parry Q’Vahn’s forceful blow. The move unbalanced her though, sending Kh’ali to the ground. Taking advantage of the moment Q’Vahn stepped forward over her delivering more blows. Once, twice, Kh’ali parried with her weapon sparks flying around…

Then with a wild roar Q’Vahn dealt an overhead swing with all her might. Kh’ali’s arms shuddered with the force of the blow. Q’Vahn’s bat’leth shattered and a klingon bystander fell to the ground with a splinter protruding from his shoulder.

Taking advantage of the moment Kh’ali rolled over to get herself in a better position but Q’Vahn was proving herself relentless as she landed a kick in Kh’ali’s armored ribs sending her skidding several feet.

Kh’ali growled and jumped to her feet. Q’Vahn was without a weapon and now was the time to strike. She stood her ground, braced and ready to charge when the right moment presented itself. A close look at Q’Vahn made it clear she was at the edge of her control.

Use that. The voice in her head belonged to Aros, and she nodded.

“This ends now,” Kh’ali bellowed and charged.

Q’Vahn, with a maddened expression in her eyes, growled throwing what remained of the bat’leth at Kh’ali who sent it flying with a dexterous parry then changing the weapon position in her hands she went for a deadly thrust which struck Q’Vahn in the thigh. Kh’ali had no time to rejoice, though, for a D’k’tahg appeared as if from nowhere in Q’Vahn’s hand skewering her protection right in the hip.

Both retreated cursing with blood dripping from their bodies and blades.

Kh’ali managed a sly smile as she faced down Q’Vahn. “That all you’ve got, Q?” she taunted. “Can’t hold your bat’leth...can’t finish me off as fast as you thought? What will you do now?” Her grip on her own bat’leth tightened, and she prepared to sidestep when Q’Vahn jumped at her.

Q’Vahn growled, her eyes feverish more akin to those of a beast than of a warrior. “I’ll have your skin.” She answered through the haze caused by the drug. With a furious bellow she moved forward a second D’k’tahg appearing in the left hand.

Biding their time the two female warriors circled around waiting for an opportunity, blood flowed generously from both their wounds and while Q’Vahn, aided by the drug, seemed oblivious of the pain and bloodloss finally it came the time that Kh’ali’s step faltered.

Q’Vahn felt the moment and grasped the opportunity. With a cry of victory she jumped, both blades in her hands ready to strike in an all-out attack. Kh’ali sidestepped her and Q’Vahn’s momentum carried her past her quarry. Too late realizing her mistake she tried to turn, the resulting move ungainly. With a mighty roar, Kh’ali struck, burying the tip of her bat’leth into the center of Q’Vahn’s chest. The woman shuddered, an incredulous look taking over in her eyes as her mouth twitched in a grimace. Kh’ali tried to pluck the weapon from her but, with unsuspected strength, Q’Vahn got hold of Kh’ali’s forearms.

“You… Think you’ve won….” she gasped. “Still… Your wedding will be bathed in blood…” A cruel smile appeared on her mouth then... “See you… In Gre’thor*.”

Q’Vahn’s knees bent and she slowly fell to the floor growing still as a pool of blood began to spread out beneath her. Kh’ali knelt down, pressing her fingers to Q’Vahn’s neck to check her pulse. Finally she stood and nodded to Martok.

In the silence that pervaded the Great hall Martok stood from his chair and and spoke to the audience “Kh’ali the daughter of Torin has won respecting honor and tradition. I declare this feud over and no one in this House will ever bring the matter out again.”

Some buzzing ensued following Martok’s speech and some Klingons left the hall. Kh’ali was able to recognize her uncle between them, Q’Vahn’s father.

She had no time to linger, though, as Sirella addressed her “You fought valiantly and came out with the upper hand. Take some rest now and have your wound attended. I know your mate has passed the Kal’Hyah... In the next days we’ll have your wedding ceremony celebrated and, even if it shouldn’t be allowed our customs, the circumstances are exceptional. You can exchange some words with your groom now before leaving this hall… If you want.”

“I do.” She motioned to Patrick, then pressed her hand to the knife wound in her hip to slow down the blood flow.

Making resolutely his way through the klingons Patrick hurried to reach her, Sirella stepped away to let them have a moment of their own.

“You’re bleeding.” Patrick said regarding her with worry, uncertain whether to hold her in his arms or not.

“It’s a scratch,” she joked, though her voice was strained. “I’m sorry it had to come to this, that you had to see this.” She reached for him, holding on to his arm as she pressed harder on the wound. “She would have killed you both eventually.”

“Blood doesn’t flow that way from scratches. We have to get you to medical.” He responded. Then setting aside any hesitation he gently held her in his arms despite the armor, despite everything.
“For a moment I’ve been afraid…” his voice trailing off to an obvious conclusion.

“I know,” she answered. “We’ll get through this. Sirella said that everything’s ready and we’ll have the ceremony in a few days. Then...we can go home and work through all this.” She held him tight with her free arm and then turned her head to kiss him. Patrick responded to her kiss then held her tight once more as she abandoned herself eased by his presence leaning her head on his shoulder and neck. That way she could not see the look in his eyes fixed on Q’Vahn’s body.

As if on a cue, while all the eyes were still enthralled by the fight occurred, a klingon sneaked to Marcinko’s back and hit him with a D’k’tahg sinking the blade to the hilt. With a cry, the half-Klingon fell on one knee frantically trying to reach the handle protruding from his back as the assassin ran away through the crowd.

“See to Nick,” Aros yelled to Awf. “I’ll get the Klingon!” He dashed off through the crowd at a dead run.

With a brief sneer, Awf nodded toward the other and started to rush off toward Nick as he was told to do so. "jIpIv! jIyaj!" Ironically even in the face of a more serious emergency, Awf kept up adherence to his new persona. Regardless, he was soon at the other's side, leaning down before him and he ready to provide any assistance that was so necessary.

Nick was standing now, realizing he couldn’t reach the knife, but pure rage coursed through him. Unfortunately for Awf, some of that was directed his way when he approached. Nick grabbed the Warrant Officer’s shirt and roughly pulled him toward his own face. “Where did he go!?” he roared.

While he did offer a softer look to Nick for the time being, he did his best to remove the other’s hand from him. “That is what we’re going to have to find out, but we’re not going to be able to if you don’t calm down some first. Let’s keep clear heads, right?” He blinked a bit, sounding a bit more rational than he had thus far.

Nick growled in frustration. He wanted to go after whoever had done this. He didn’t blame the kid--hell, Awf probably didn’t truly realize what Nick did for a living, but finding and slowly killing the motherfucker who had stabbed him in the back, literally, was at the top of his list now.

“Fine,” Nick finally resigned. “But one thing you need to know about this Klingon honor bullshit is that you find the person who tried to kill you, and then you kill them.” He was still seething but, despite the sharp pain in his back, and some loss of motor control of his right arm, he was beginning to calm himself. “Get me to a doctor, then. And who’s going after that asshole?”

Rather than get into a character or even start acting like his old self, Awf actually responded in a metered and logical way. "Someone's going to take care of them, and I'm getting you to a medic right away." Apparently the Ocampa was actually a bit stronger than one might have expected, and would have lifted Nick had he been so allowed to do so.

As Nick and Awf walked away, Nick glanced toward Kh’ali’s direction. He saw her looking at him and gave her a thumbs-up. She had done well in the fight.

“Go, get the baby so Kalim can help with Nick. Then get me to the doctor’s wing,” Kh’ali urged.

* Klingon equivalent for ‘Hell’

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

Aros
Still In Pursuit

Lt. Nick Marcinko
Back Stabbee

Lt. Commander Kh’ali
The Victor

Kalim
Babysitter

Q’Vahn
En Route To Gre’thor

Cmdr Patrick Leroy
Testing Morale

Warrant Officer Awf
The Honorable