Guess Who's Coming To Dinner... (Part 1 of 4)

Posted on 13 Feb 2023 @ 6:17pm by Commander Morgan Tarin & Lieutenant Aria Rice & Ensign Mimi & Chief Warrant Officer 3 Alexion Wylde & Chief Petty Officer Afthinam Naime & Petty Officer 1st Class T'Lin & Petty Officer 3rd Class Jeysa Zeror & Petty Officer 2nd Class Amul
Edited on on 13 Feb 2023 @ 6:34pm

3,936 words; about a 20 minute read

Mission: Episode 18 - Cold Station 31
Location: USS Galileo - Deck 5, Observation Lounge
Timeline: MD 10, 1957 hrs

Previously, on Adapt and Overcome...

"Rice. Mimi." The commander's acknowledgement was recognizably curt. "I just sent Petty Officer Zeror down to engineering to assist with repairs." She wiped her forehead with the back of her grimy hand. "In the meantime, we need to prepare the ship for our evening guests. That means bloodwine and gagh...at a minimum." She looked closer at the freshly-washed and well-presented acting XO. "Can you and the ensign organize the arrangements?"

Aria glanced at Mimi, knowing full well the Ensign would have massive issues with the task. But she also knew Mimi was a professional really, so she wouldn't let that show easily. "Yes, Captain," she said, giving a nod. "We'll start the arrangements straight away." And maybe, if she was lucky, she could tuck Mimi away somewhere during this so that the woman didn't have to deal too much with the Klingons. Situational dependencies on that one, but she could reassess as needed.

Slowly and methodically, Tarin approached Rice. An unorthodox idea had suddenly presented itself, one of which its viability she was unsure. But looking around at the state of the small Nova-class and its limited resources, it was worth asking. "We have a lot of confiscated alcohol in the mess hall, if I recall," she started in a low voice to the lieutenant. "Can we...somehow refine it into bloodwine? Or some form of approximation? We need to conserve our replicator resources right now and prioritize them for system repairs."

"It could be worth a try," Aria said, after a moment. "It may have to be a bit by the seat of our pants, not sure if the database has a recipe for converting types. But I will ask Nesh Saalm, she might have some idea." And if not, at least Nesh knew what bloodwine tasted like.

The answer Tarin received was as good as she could expect under the circumstances. "Make it so. If this sector of space has taught me anything, it's that we need to improvise and adapt in order to overcome." She looked to the Nekomi ensign then back to Rice. "Get to it, on the double. We only have..." she glanced to the chronometer on a nearby console, "five hours before the Klingons arrive."

And Now, the Continuation...

[ON]

Deck 2, Transporter Room 1

The time had arrived. One so dreadful and terrifying that all Starfleet personnel cowered in their personal quarters at the mere thought of the aliens' arrival. Tall, muscularly robust and intimidating, there was no way the weaker members of the Federation could match the prowess of their long-standing and supreme rivals. Well, that was partially what Galileo's CO imagined the incoming Klingon cadre thought. The reality was probably somewhere in between, and her previous interactions with Captain KehG and his senior officers had revealed a healthy dose of bluster which was more-or-less on point with every similar interaction she'd ever had with their species.

Those interactions, while limited, brought a strange comfort to Commander Morgan Tarin. As she waited into the Nova-class' primary transporter room checking her new uniform for unsightly creases, she felt a welcome sensation of familiarity. Not because she possessed intimate knowledge of Klingon culture or was respected by her foreign peers -- but because their simple presence reminded her that she was not alone in this unexplored and isolated sector of space hundreds of light years from her Earth homeworld. The arrival of Praxis had introduced a singular yet important known element into the unknown, one which she hadn't realized she needed. Two years stationed at Regula I was beginning to exact its mental toll.

Without the usual spring in her step Mimi trudged into the transporter room, not looking forward to the forthcoming events. Dinner with Klingons. If there were other survivors from Kemi that could see her now they'd probably be ashamed of her despite the species' hatred of holding grudges. "Captain." She said greeting Tarin, she'd have another go at getting her to excuse her from the dinner if she got the chance.

T'Lin thought it highly illogical to have an enlisted scientist present. "Then again perhaps if things don't turn out well, Vulcans are one of the few capable of dealing with an inebriated Klingon." In her view the whole dinner was a poorly calculated risk. The ship should have given some excuse to get away. "Isn't the away team more important priority?" The thought continued. "So much illogic." T'Lin decided before entering the room.

Aria followed T'Lin in, a slight frown on her features. She had done her best in getting things ready, although a lot of the credit needed to go to Mimi and Nesh. She gave Tarin a nod and took her position, trying to school her features.

Irritable was a good word to describe Alexion Wylde as he moved in on the heels of Aria. A doctor was for...well, doctoring, not entertaining. Especially Klingons. They were loud. And ate horrific food. He was about to make a snipey comment along those lines until he realised that the Captain was already there and thought better of it. At least they were in regular uniform and he didn't have to deal with the confines of a dress uniform too.

Last of the Galileo team to arrive in the room was Chief Naime. The ship was still limping through space, her engines barley functioning with potentially deadly consequences lurking beneath the surface and simply not enough staff in Engineering to keep things afloat. So the chief felt no guilt about being the last here, this dinner was the least of her concerns and honestly felt like a waste of time. "Evening everyone," she said with terse informality and nodded in the direction of the transporter "So when do they get here?"

"Soon," Aria said, looking at Naime before she gave her a small smile. "Last report from Engineering looked promising, Chief. You're doing a lot of miracle work down there." She wanted to let the Chief know she was impressed, and also grateful.

"Thank you Lieutenant, but there's still a lot of work to be done." It was a pointed remark. The chief would have gone further but even she could tell that this wasn't the time. This was a time to be professional and diplomatic. Naime suddenly became conscious of the fact that she should maybe have cleaned herself up a bit before the dinner. "Is there anything we should know before they arrive? I'm not exactly trained as a diplomat."

Commander Tarin walked around the front of the assembled Galileans. She methodically observed their uniforms and appearance with professional scrutiny, finding little which needed to be corrected. This was not a formal diplomatic event yet it was still a diplomatic event. One hastily assembled out of necessity. "Captain KehG is Praxis' commander," she replied to the senior enlisted woman. "Starfleet records indicate he's a Dominion War combat veteran who, from what I've seen, is methodical and effective. Calculating and controlled. His officers? Well, you all remember Commander Kuran..."

Tarin exhaled a breath through her nose and continued her short briefing. "Conduct yourselves professionally no matter what occurs. Remember your SOPs and don't answer any questions you're not authorized to. Make direct eye contact and speak clearly and with confidence. Don't let their size or demeanor intimate you. Remember...they're here because they want something from us. And I fully intend to exploit that advantage to its fullest." She then glanced across the crew members a second time. "Understood?"

Aria looked at the others for a moment, giving a small smile. She didn't doubt that they'd all be fine. "They've been through a lot as well," she added, to make sure that they didn't lose sight that the Klingons were also just people. "And we are all far away from home."

T'Lin cocked one eyebrow. "To expect to step on a sand viper and not have it strike is illogical in the extreme. Diplomacy and Klingons are nearly mutually exclusive."

"They say the same thing about me, T'Lin." Naime had made a quick joke to sooth the scientist's worries but it perhaps had some internal truth to it too. She gave an awkward smile in the direction of the senior officers before continuing "But don't worry, you can't trust everything that people say, about me or the Klingons."

"Captain," Mimi began to speak seeing the opportunity. "I again ask to be excused from this...event, even without my personal feelings towards Klingons there is a lot to be done to repair the ship and I think I would be more useful there."

It took a decent amount of self-control for Tarin to resist rolling her eyes at the deputy operations manager. What made the young Nekomi think that after already being told no - then being summoned to the transporter room to meet the Klingon cadre - that she would suddenly change her mind? "Permission denied," was the full extent of her reply.

Petty officer Amul looked down at the transporter control panel as it beeped an alert. "Message from the Praxis. Sir, the Klingons are ready to beam over, party of four."

The hour had finally arrived. Tarin holstered her PADD on her belt clip then nodded to the Risian operations officer. Here we go. "Energize," she ordered, reaching back behind her head to tighten her hair's ponytail configuration.

The overhead lights above the pad's personnel slots brightened. The distinctive soft whir of an incoming transport sequence highlighted the silent room and accompanied growing white and cerulean particle shimmers. Four large and distinct silhouettes appeared on their corresponding platforms, and within two seconds, now stood a delegation of Klingon warriors.

On the left side of the transporter pad was Captain KehG in all of his glory. Tall, robust and muscular, his physique betrayed his experience as a front-line warrior rather than a simple starship captain. His body was adorned with traditional gray Klingon armor plating and was highlighted by a decorative silver and gold sash tightly worn from his right shoulder to his left hip. As he came out of transport, his dark and intimidating eyes quickly scanned the small beaming facility and the Starfleet cadre present. The aged wrinkles and scars on his face barely twitched while he locked eyes with Commander Tarin. His braided, greying goatee was impressive, as were his curly locks of Klingon hair which proudly descended to the tops of his wide shoulders. "...Commander," was his simple, calculated greeting.

Tarin looked across all four new yet familiar arrivals. They'd appeared just as expected, without any trickery. She clasped her hands behind her back and stood at attention to convey her respect. "Captain KehG. Welcome aboard USS Galileo," she replied, her head tilted high. "We're honored by your presence. May I present my crew." She extended her hand to the line of officers and enlisted personnel next to her. "Lieutenant Aria Rice, first officer. Ensign Mimi, chief of operations. Chief Warrant Officer 3 Alexion Wylde, doctor and chief medical officer. Chief Petty Officer Afthinam Naime, chief engineer. And Petty Officer 1st class T'Lin, science officer."

Captain KehG remained stoic, observing the entirety of the Federation delegation before eventually walking forward and stepping down from the slightly elevated transporter platform. The three Klingon officers behind him followed suit, their collective armored boots loudly thumping against the floor while their targ-leathered armor creaked as they moved. They were all very tall. KehG was a head above Tarin who herself was an inch shy of six feet. And they were all very Klingon.

"We accept this offer of hospitality...on behalf of the Empire," KehG finally replied as he approached his counterpart. His gloved hand extended to reciprocate Tarin's introduction. "I am Captain KehG of the House of M'Tor. Commander of IKS Praxis. You know my first officer...he needs no introduction. Commander Kuran has led your ship in battle. He is one of my finest warriors."

Commander Kuran, the Klingon battlecruiser's XO, stepped forward with absolute confidence which would put any Vulcan to shame. He was slightly taller than his captain yet more lean. There was no gray coloration in his hair, which put him roughly between the age of 25 and 90. His un-scarred face possessed a traditional Klingon fu manchu and his own decorative sash lacked the abundance of ceremonial symbols compared to his captain's. Kuran stared at Rice. He knew her well. At least, for the short moment when they'd allied for the sake of mutual victory.

KehG then introduced the two youngest senior officers of his crew. "I also introduce my weapons master, Commander Torn of the House of Martok." The man was not quite as tall as Kuran or KehG but was a young and talented tactical officer. His bald head was complimented by a robust ponytail in the back and a look of ambition in his eyes which couldn't be underestimated. "And my chief of security, Lieutenant Commander Brin't'a of the House of Lor'am." The Klingon woman's long, flowing locks were impressive, as was her tall physique which put most male Humans to shame.

Despite being perhaps the tallest of Galileo's party, Chief Naime still found herself looking up at the Klingons. They looked like they were trying to be impressive and the chief was duly impressed. The way they carried themselves sang out in a self confidence she couldn't help but respect. Naime really was quite captivated by the display, she found her eyes meeting those of the Klingon security officer and without moving her gaze directed a comment to the Klingon leader "From what I've seen of Praxis, captain, you have quite a beautiful ship."

T'Lin could have been a statue standing in the corner as the visitors materialized and introductions made. Though not entirely logical she raised her hand, made the traditional Vulcan salute and voiced. "Live long and prosper."

Commander Kuran observed the blond Vulcan and her species' traditional greeting. He briefly recalled her presence from Galileo's bridge during the boarding actions several hours prior. She had not revealed herself to be an incompetent woman - unlike others he'd encountered - so he therefore thumped his fist to his chest to reciprocate her gesture. "Honor and glory."

Meanwhile, Brin't'a stared down the foreign alien known as 'Naime' with subtle contempt lurking in her dark brown eyes. "Praxis is a warship...the finest battlecruiser in the Imperial Navy! Not some Federation art exhibit," she chastised the Starfleet engineer.

Naime grinned with satisfaction at the reaction she had provoked "Is there no craftsmanship to be found in a weapon, no art to the engineering? Is it not its beauty that makes it the finest battlecruiser in your navy? Or perhaps it is beautiful because it is the finest." with a wave of her hand she paused her poeticality to offer something a bit more down to earth "It certainly is quite big."

Mimi kept quiet, even though she had met these Klingons before and this time it was them outnumbered by the Starfleet personnel she was tense and anxious at the same time, her body certainly showing the signs; her tail tucked itself in close to her body knee's unconsciously bent muscles coiled to act in a moments notice, ears flattened back.

Aria watched the Klingons, giving a small and firm nod in greeting to them. Now that Tarin had returned, she had taken a step back, so to speak, and decided to keep quiet unless she was addressed first; certainly by the Captain. It was an adjustment though, to settle down again after the last hours she had spent in charge. She did look at Kuran though, a small smile coming to her. It had been intense, but she liked the Klingon.

Alexion was standing at rest, his hands clasped behind his back. He remained silent, not seeing the need to speak up...there was no medical emergency...yet. He did look the Klingons up and down though, taking in their garb. It reminded him of those dystopian old futuristic holonovels.

T'Lin made a small tilt of the head to the response to her salute. At least no one had pulled a blade yet. That was the operative word here, yet. To her logically staying confined could lead to problems.

The Klingon delegation finished walking across the line of the Starfleet personnel. Kuran looked at all of the Federation officers with disdain but gave Rice a throaty huff to express his subtle pleasure to see her again. Despite the small woman's uniform, he perceived her to have more heart and authority than many other Klingons he knew.

After the two delegations finished their visual parlay, Captain KehG stood near the transporter room's exit door. "We are ready to proceed and conduct this diplomacy you seek..."

"Of course, Captain KehG," Aria said and walked over, her face serious. "Please, follow me." She walked out, expecting them all to follow her. Most people would tense up with so many Klingons behind them, or maybe most sensible people would tense up. She didn't. She trusted them and she trusted herself. It had to be enough.


Deck 5, Observation Lounge

The observation lounge had been prepared according to some strict instructions. It had been inspected beforehand too, so Rice was secure in that knowledge. She stopped inside and stepped to the side, to allow the others to enter easily.

As T'Lin entered she moved to the side as well. She wanted to observe where the Klingons would sit. To say that the tastes and smells of Klingon food were repulsive to Vulcan sensibilities was a given.

IKS Praxis' delegation slowly walked into the Nova-class' recreational room then paused to observe the chamber with the utmost scrutiny. Small in size yet robust enough to contain an entire large dinning table and subsequent accommodations, the facility also housed several...sofas. And other plush seating devices designed strictly for comfort. The large transparent titanium windows lining the walls offered an expansive view of space from the aft quarter of the ship. A luxury not afforded to any Klingon warrior. Outrage would probably have ensued were it not for the scents of various food plates waiting to be served, or the neatly-arranged cutlery and dining devices present at the table.

Unimpressed by the presentation, the tactical officer Commander Torn stepped around their captain and gestured to the entirety of the lounge. "What is the purpose of this room? Why does it exist on a stunted starship of this size?!"

"On a ship this size most rooms have many uses," Mimi decided to say "we can hold briefings here, the crew can come here to relax and it is the only room on the ship big enough to hold events like this."

Lieutenant Commander Brin't'a stepped next to her colleague then presented a knowing smirk to Torn. "It is because Starfleet does not build warships large enough to compete with ours..." she loudly whispered. "They value 'negotiations' more than combat prowess."

The Klingon tactical chief grunted in acknowledgement then moved to the far end of the table. The rest of the Klingon delegation followed suit, each one now standing behind their respective chairs on one side of the dining table. Somewhat impatiently, they all stared at Rice and Tarin awaiting the formal beginning of the meal. The scent of food in the air was enticing. Yet also repugnant when combined with the latent, sterile smell which inundated all Starfleet vessels.

Mimi went to give a counter argument but thought better of it and quietly took position behind a chair 'Whereas you shoot first and then negotiate.' she thought.

T'Lin positioned herself as far as possible away. The smell was enough to drive the logic out of a Vulcan.

Aria looked over at Tarin for a moment before she motioned for the others to sit down. She caught Nesh Saalm's eyes and saw the woman sigh more than hear it. Nesh had a very expressive body language. Even so, the bloodwine was brought out, with Nesh serving it. "I thank you all for coming to our table," she said and, once her glass was full, took it and raised it. "To all who gathered, all who fought, all who defended, and those who now dwell in Sto'vo'kor." It never hurt to do a nod to the locals, so to speak. Besides, Aria liked the idea of Sto'vo'kor as much as the next agnostic Luna Terran.

Jeysa came forward too, helping serve bloodwine to those who wanted it. She was looking forward to practising her Klingon if she got the chance.

More to be diplomatic than anything else, Mimi took a mug of bloodwine and set about smelling it, she was already familiar with the smell and taste of raw bloody foodstuffs but this smelt foul and very alcoholic both of which were not ideal for her, it took effort for her not to gag.

Raising her glass with the others Naime took to mind the one thing everyone knows about Klingons, they simply love Shakespeare "And though she be but little, she is fierce." She had meant it as a refutation of Brin't'a's comment but as she looked at the woman leading the toast she couldn't help but see it also applying to Lieutenant Rice too, Galileo's own little Hermia.

Alexion lifted his glass but paused when he caught sight of movement in the kitchen area. He tilted his head, seeing his son shifting a large pot. He watched with a slight frown until he caught his eye, widening his own as if to ask what he was doing there. When Laeon just gave a brief shrug in response, Alexion narrowed his eyes to say they'd discuss it when they got home.

"To continued peace and prosperity. For both the Klingon Empire and the Federation," toasted Commander Tarin at one head of the table. She raised her glass and briefly caught the scent of the beverage. It was not traditional bloodwine and the Klingons would soon find out. But it was the best the Nova-class' skeleton crew could do under such circumstances. Morgan presented a rare smile to her side of the table and then to the Klingons. As diplomacy required. She brought the glass to her lips then tilted it back, secretly realizing that their collective fates were somehow now in the hands of Lirha Saalm's younger sister and her mixology proficiency.

To Be Continued...

[OFF]

--

CMDR Morgan Tarin
Acting Commanding Officer
USS Galileo-A
[PNPC Saalm]

ENS Mimi
Deputy Operations Manager
USS Galileo-A

LT Aria Rice
Chief Security Officer/Acting First Officer
USS Galileo-A

PO1 T'Lin
Science Officer
USS Galileo-A
[PNPC Warraquim]

CWO3 Alexion Wylde
Medical Officer
USS Galileo-A
[PNPC Blake]

CPO Afthinam Naime
Engineering Officer
USS Galileo-A
[PNPC Ullswater]

PO2 Amul
Operations Officer
USS Galileo-A

PO3 Jeysa Zeror
Yeoman
USS Galileo-A
[PNPC Mimi]

Captain KehG
Commanding Officer
IKS Praxis
[PNPC Saalm]

Commander Kuran
First Officer
IKS Praxis
[PNPC Saalm]

Commander Torn
Chief Tactical Officer
IKS Praxis
[PNPC Saalm]

Lieutenant Commander Brin't'a
Chief Security Officer
IKS Praxis
[PNPC Saalm]

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