Stress Fracture (Part 1 of 2)

Posted on 21 Feb 2017 @ 6:01pm by General ('aj) Ko'raH House of G'Iogh & Ensign Miraj Derani

2,276 words; about a 11 minute read

Mission: Episode 14 - Statecraft
Location: IKS DuJa'Q - Deck 8, Saalm's Quarters
Timeline: MD 01 - 2345 hrs

[ON]

Getting the DuJa'Q out of the nebula was slow and grueling. The physical flying had been fine, she knew where all the physical controls were and how they worked, though it felt a bit like trying to ride an angry targ. And she knew which instrument panel covered what, the trouble was unlike her previous Klingon ship, no one had forced a translation matrix through the interface. Waiting on someone to translate the panels so she knew what they were saying was a pain.

Her brain hurt from trying to translate the claw-mark like glyphs of the Klingon alphabet into words and numbers hurt her head and organic translators added unacceptable margins to her action times. A growing headache was starting to stab at her brain from behind her eyes and all she wanted to do was go to bed and had stumbled down to deck 8 to find the quarters the Klingon's put aside for their Chief navigator, and had now assigned to her.

She was asleep on her feet, not looking where she was going, not wanting to look at any Klingon in case they recognised her from her visit to General Kora'H. Which was why she walked straight into a Klingon uniform she hadn't noticed.

The body she impacted with was fairly soft and yielding, not the solid walls she'd come to associate with Klingons. Looking up, Miraj realised she'd walked straight into the admiral. Or the general. Or whatever. It all felt strange and weird and confusing.

"Sorry, Ma'am," She stammered.

The Orion had been busy walking her targ and only noticed the other incoming woman mere seconds before they collided. She held out a hand and placed it on woman's shoulder to help her not fall over backwards from the impact. "Miss Derani," Lirha acknowledged. Snuffles tugged on his leash and began to sniff at the young woman's feet. "What are you doing walking around at this hour...on a Klingon starship?"

Miraj gave a non-committal shrug, but also gave the targ an uncertain look as he tried to lick her bare toes. "Getting to know the bitch. She's a bloody menace and I don't want to miss any shit she pulls." She said before she realise how crazy she sounded, her admittedly vestigial brain-mouth filter completely defeated by the hour and the stress of the last few hours, and days, and weeks.

Lirha narrowed her green eyes. "Excuse me?" Such unfiltered command of Federation Standard wasn't unheard of to her, but it was quite surprising coming from one of her former officers.

"Sorry ma'am. Its been a long day. Just getting to know the feel of the ship. She's different from the Federation ships I'm used to."

It was a slight relief to learn that her comment wasn't directed at her but rather the starship. Lirha could sympathize with her -- it had been a long day, indeed, full of new personnel, assignments, and a new environment. It was mentally-taxing, to say the least.

"You are attempting to pilot a Klingon battlecruiser," Lirha said matter-of-factly. "It does not perform like a fighter or Nova-class, or anything you have piloted before. It is a ship of war designed for one purpose...to defeat Federation heavy cruisers from the early 24th century. You must study the vessel and its history, not simply sit at the helm console and expect it to maneuver how you desire it to. Give it time," she mentored. Lirha then looked back towards her quarters. "Come. I wish to show you something."

"Yes ma'am," Miraj said, only a little out of propriety and a lot out of curiosity. What did the admiral have to show her?

Lirha turned and began to walk back down the corridor in the direction from which she'd come. Snuffles trotted ahead of her and she looked back to make make sure Miraj was in tow. Rather quickly, they arrived in front of the general's quarters. Lirha reached out to input a brief command into the small red console next to the door, and the entrance quickly parted. She stepped inside and indicated for Miraj to follow her.

"These are my quarters. The quarters for every Klingon captain who has served on this vessel," she remarked, stepping further into the large room. It was a two-deck room, with a spacious and trophy-laden expanse on the bottom level and the bed, recreational area, and bathroom on the upper level. "Klingons take pride in their honor and those who they consider to be the most honorable. Such as their captain." Lirha turned to face Miraj and continue her lesson. "The DuJa'Q is very similar. It was created to display honor for the Empire. Its purpose is to destroy enemy vessels...nothing more and nothing less. You must embrace the Klingon state-of-mind if you wish to truly understand how to pilot this starship."

Miraj looked around the suite. It was luxurious by Klingon standards. A nasty little voice inside her whispered at her. And what did she do for the Klingons for them to consider her honorable? Afterall, remember what Ko'ra'H did to 'restore' your 'honor'? She felt guilty at the thought. It wasn't very charitable. "I don't think I'd know how to embrace a Klingon Mind-set. I really don't see the honor in what they did to us."

Lirha reached behind her back and unfastened the clasps of the sash which crossed her torso. She deftly tossed it to the side near one of the small weapons racks, then removed the abrasive armor pads which sat atop her shoulders. They too were quickly deposited in unceremonious fashion, leaving the Orion with a plethora of exposed green skin. "Me neither," she agreed in a soft voice.

Walking over to a nearby storage compartment, Lirha reached inside and fumbled around for a short moment before retrieving a neurostimulator device. She looked back at Miraj before speaking. "Come here and turn around, and lift up your shirt," she instructed.

Miraj eyed the thing in Lirha's hand with trepidation. "Why? What's that?"

"It is a device for musical tonation, used to tune instruments," Lirha answered. Her eyes locked on Miraj's and glinted in the dim light. A slight wink could be seen which was accompanied by a motion for her to come closer. "Please come."

Miraj wasn't sure what she needed an instrument tuner for. Or why the Orion would want her to lift up her shirt. She hadn't had a chance to change into the clothes the Kreanans had provided her with, and was still in the orange jumpsuit that had been scrounged for her. It had only be washed twice. It was a bit smelly. She unzipped the front and pulled her arms out of the sleeves so it fell down to her waist, started to lift her vest, and paused. "What are you going to do?"

Too many questions were being asked. Lirha slipped around behind Derani and pushed her torso downward while lifting her shirt so that the bumps of her spine were visible on her skin. Putting a calming hand on her back to hold her in place, Lirha quickly brought the device to the base of her back and activated it.

Miraj gave a shocked squeal as she was pushed forward. The situation was beginning to feel very similar to her encounter with the other general. "What are you doing?"

"Remain still. This will only take a moment..." Less than a couple seconds passed before it began to beep, after which Lirha depressed the discharge button. A surge of electricity pulsed into the Boslic's back and short circuited the invisible subdermal device beneath her skin. Lirha stepped back, satisfied that her transmitter had been disabled.

It was like being stung by an electric fence. A shock, but not very painful. "What was that?"

"You were implanted with a tracking device while on Kreanus. Most likely while you were sleeping or in the infirmary," Lirha explained. "I am not sure of its transmission capabilities but it is best to be safe. I have just disabled it."

Miraj stood up, and reached around awkwardly, trying to feel whatever had been put inside her. She felt vaguely dirty, the thought that someone had crept into the dormitory whilst she was asleep and put something inside her. And who would have done it? Surely a stranger creeping around would have been noticed. Surely no-one would have collaborated so far with the Kreanans. "Why would they need to track us?"

"For security, perhaps. Or knowing the Tal Shiar, for espionage. And for our current assignment, most likely to gain information in case something goes wrong," Lirha answered. "It is okay," she added, finally giving Miraj a small smile. "We can speak freely now without the concern of overwatch." She raised her hand up to gently stroke the side of Miraj's pink hair and look over her.

"It's good to see you again," she said with soft, genuine eyes.

Miraj pulled her overalls back up, trying to zip them all the way to the top, but as usual it wouldn't work, and slipped open again. She wasn't sure what to say, and fiddled with it to cover the fact that she wasn't sure what to say first. So many questions, none of which you should say to a senior officer. "Thank you ma'am." The zip was pulled up again, and then slid back another couple of inches. "Where were you?" she blurted out. "We needed you."

Lirha nodded while understanding the sentiment. "I was severely injured when Ko'raH's people transported me from Galileo. I do not remember the journey to Kreanus nor the first several days of my stay there. When I came to, Sub-commander S'anara was in my room and explained the situation to me. She explained I had suffered multiple fractures to my hip and legs, as well as internal wounds."

Thoughts of the first time she'd realized her unborns had been lost flooded through her head. "My children were..." she clenched her teeth and didn't finish the sentence knowing that her current physical state betrayed their fate. Eventually she continued. "I spent the next week in recovery, isolated from everyone except for S'anara and Medara. I asked about all of you and were assured of your presence and safety, but I was in no condition to walk or be permitted to join you," she explained.

As if to prove her words, Lirha reached down to her belt to undo the buckle and pull it aside. She pulled down the dark black leather of her pants to her knees, and turned to show Miraj the deep scar which ran from her lower abdomen, across her pelvic bone, and down the side of her thigh. "I have been told the scar is superficial, but that the nerve damage may never fully heal."

Miraj gasped and put a hand to her mouth at the sight of the horrible scar. All around the new skin was taught and slight puckering could still be seen. Even deep scars were easily treated in a properly equipped facility, but who knows how long it would be before they saw one of those. "I'm so sorry."

An unexpected set of tears began to brew at the bottom of the Orion's eyes. She'd never shown anyone her wounds before due to the recency of her injury, nor had she tried to explain the loss of her twins. As much as she wanted to maintain her aura of being a Klingon captain, she now found herself half-naked in front of Derani with past traumas fully exposed. "It's not your fault," she whispered. "We did all that we could. I...I am just relieved you are here. As well as the rest of us who survived."

Miraj wasn't sure what to do with her commanding officer almost in tears. She quickly pulled the blanket from the bed and put it round lirha's shoulder. The Orion was slightly taller than her so it was a bit of a reach. "Sit down, ma'am. One of the people we rescued is a proper counsellor. Do you want I should go get her?"

Lirha slowly pulled up her pants and put an arm around the shorter woman's waist. She accepted the invitation but declined the offer for help. "No," she managed to laugh softly, "that would do no good for the crew. I must project confidence even in time when I am distressed."

Turning to Miraj, Lirha couldn't help but feel a warmth emanating from the young woman. "Come lie down with me. My leg is sore and I cannot sit anymore," she requested. Although they had probably grown up worlds apart and were separated in age, she found comfort in her company.

Lie down with her? Was that allowed? She followed Lirha to her bed and sat down on the far end, "Can I ask a question?"

Lirha followed and settled into the mattress to let her tired feet and legs rest. "Yes?"

"Is the general on board? Are all the Klingons here his men?"

"No, he is not here. The Klingons on board are loyal to Chorag, and he is loyal to me," she replied. Her head rested against the headrest and she let out a soft sigh. Miraj was still on the other end of the bed, and Lirha beckoned her to join her. "Come. Do not worry about him."

To Be Continued...

[OFF]

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GEN Lirha Saalm
Commanding Officer
IKS DuJa'Q
[PNPC Ko'raH]

Ensign Miraj Derani
Chief Flight Control Officer
IKS DuJa'Q

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