Klingon Allies

Posted on 02 Jun 2023 @ 4:14pm by Commander Morgan Tarin & Commander Scarlet Blake & Lieutenant Aria Rice & Ensign Mimi
Edited on on 03 Aug 2023 @ 4:27pm

1,103 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Episode 18 - Cold Station 31
Location: IKS Praxis - Mess Hall
Timeline: MD 11, 0345 hrs

[ON]

Fresh out of the medical bay, Aria rolled her shoulders and took a deeper breath to feel the lack of dear heavens I can't breathe pain in her ribs. Her nose had been set, although she was still somewhat bruised. Same with the cuts, but they had only been healed to a certain level. Because of resources, she had been told. She thought it was because Klingons enjoyed a scar. Well, she could get it removed when she was on the Galileo again.

She had made note of some of the Klingons that had cheered. There had been Mak'Lar, an older Klingon who seemed to have been more on the former Chief Security Officer's side than on Aria's, but him being older might mean he had insight she needed. And there had been Etisa, the first one to start banging the table once the fight was over. Two Klingons, very different, that she wanted to approach.

Aria walked through the ship with a sense of familiarity now, a blessing from a mind sharpened by reading reports and it being a part of her job knowing all the layouts of the ships she served on. It took her to what was, politely, a mess hall. But it was there where she saw Mak'Lar and Etisa, sat together and talking. She walked straight over, because there was no need to beat around any imaginary bushes. "Do you mind if I join you?" she asked, as she approached, her face serious.

"I mind that you asked," Etisa replied, but she gave a rough chuckle with it, poking fun rather than giving her a culture lesson. She reached out to slap the empty chair at their table. "Come and show us your battle scars..."

Aria laughed, sitting down before she nodded. "I have some Federation habits to shake off," she said before she tapped her chin. "It looks meagre compared to the scars some of your warriors have. But it will do."

"Hm...a battle scratch, I think..." Etisa grinned, looking to Mak'lar as she took her drink, mischief in her eyes.

"I've had better scratches from my targ at home." Mak'lar said but raised his mug of bloodwine to the victorious woman. "I am very surprised you beat Brin't'a, she was a formidable warrior."

"I am surprised too," Aria admitted, not minding being that honest. She suspected that they would have caught her lying too easily anyway. "I would not have bet on myself as an onlooker to that. But I think I got underestimated," she finally said and met their eyes, taking a breath. "She had an honourable death."

"More than she deserved," Etisa muttered into her cup, her ridged bow furrowed as she dark the comment down. "Why did a human agree to come here?" she asked bluntly. It was one of the questions playing on her mind.

"I was ordered to, by my Starfleet Captain," Aria said just as bluntly back before she shrugged, as if it didn't matter. "But it is a great opportunity to learn about your ways on a vessel and culture. Although I am finding the learning curve a little steeper than I thought at first." She decided that honesty wasn't a bad thing. Better than to be caught in a lie.

Etisa's chest lifted with the gruff grunt of laughter that brought to her. She certainly had the human knack for understatement. "You are to be congratulated," she finally admitted, shrugging lightly at saying it. "I do not think I could stand to be on a Starfleet ship for longer than a day."

"I have been on a couple." Mak'lar told the group. "They are far too clean and comfortable, the air tastes stale. And their replicators make worse bloodwine than even Marel's."

Aria chuckled as she looked at them, sitting back. "It is not something that Starfleet...sets as a priority. Bloodwine, I mean. Although with a talented enough person, they could make it. I see a lot of similarities between our ships though. Both have a closely knit crew. And we all rely on each other. I hope that I can be of service here."

Etisa's defined brows lifted with what she'd said, sitting back slowly as she watched her steadily, her eyes narrowing. "No...no, Starfleet, we serve you. I would suggest you not forget it."

"A difference I will have to learn," Aria said as she held her eyes. "I have always viewed it that if we all serve a common cause, then we serve each other. I have your back, you have mine, and we all serve..." she paused, clearly taking a moment more for herself. Because this was what got tricky. "We all serve this ship and its Captain," she finally said, but firmly. And with conviction, because in that moment she did believe it. "I do expect my orders to be followed though. And the respect that comes with the title, even while I also ask for your guidance. I am here to learn, Etisa. But also to show you that Starfleet is not as weak as people would like to think." And she almost wanted to add in please insert joke except she was under the impression Klingons were perhaps more into slapstick humour than anything else.

"And what is it that you want to learn, Rice, of the not weak Federation?" Etisa asked, holding her drink between them, motioning to her with it, the liquid almost sloshing over the edge.

Aria met Etisa's eyes before she took a deeper breath. "About you. Your people, your ship. Your culture. It's how my species...get better. By learning from others."

"Like the Borg...without the tubes," Etisa laughed at her own joke, shaking her head as she set the cup down hard enough to shake the table. "Our own Fleet Queen, come to steal our secrets," it was all said in clear jest. She found the whole thing entertaining.

Aria laughed at that, because yes, when she said it that way there were parallels. "And why not?" she said playfully. "Why should I not know all the secrets of the universe and use them for my own devious agenda..." she winked and sat back, taking a deeper breath. "I think what our species have in common is that we make the best out of what we got, and where we are..." with that, she gave a small wink and sat back, enjoying the company of the two Klingons.

[OFF]

--

Lt. Aria Rice
XO
IKS Praxis

Etisa
[NPC Blake]

Mak'lar
[NPC Mimi]

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