Two captains - Part 1

Posted on 27 Jul 2015 @ 2:51am by Commodore Da`nal of the House of Varal & Lieutenant Commander Alorha Grange

1,943 words; about a 10 minute read

Mission: M13-B: The Big Goodbye
Location: USS Achilles

Kre closed the console, with a faint smile across his lips. He was proud of X'aedell, she was essentially learning how to run a House from a very experienced matriarch. Charg was representing Da'nal as head of the House of Varal. It was a good thing that that House was regaining it's strength. And through X'aedell they were tied already.

Leaning back in his chair he ordered the computer to open a secure channel to commodore D'anal of the USS Achilles.


[USS Achilles - CO's Quarters]

The family had had a final feast together before the Achilles left DS9 and began it's epic mission. Charg had taken Garath, his new little brother, to the holodeck to show him his batleth training program. Charg was having a tutorial program written to be able to teach the little warrior what he knew say that he want Garath ready to follow him in winning Champion Standing in the batleth tournament when they got back. His mother, Ariella, Ayren, and X'aedell were together spending what time they had left together.

Having been alerted to the call and having it routed to his quarters he took his wine with him as he planted himself in his desk
chair as the holo-monitor activated. "Kretorg you old Targ! No one has killed you yet I see!"

"No I am waiting to kill you!" Kre laughed. "Why do you keep on flying garbage like that? Get a real ship!"

"HAAA, This class of capital ship makes that little Negh'var of yours look like the under powered garbage scow it is! Perhaps I will task one of my new ship yards with designing a true capital ship for the Empire." Appearing to be making a hard decision, "Not to worry I'm sure I can find someone in your House worth to command it."

"You need a huge piece of metal to make you look powerful, but I understand..." he said dismissively, "you have been in Starfleet too long," Kre laughed. "Talking of which...I see you are now in Theta Fleet..." he said.

Da`nal scoffed and shook his head at the dig. "As are you...I may not be a in command of a Starfleet Task Force anymore but I still keep an eye on what goes on. Especially when it involves the Empire.

"Speaking of the Empire...I must apologize for the theft of Charg and X'aedell, but I needed people I could trust."

"May they serve you with honour, if they don't, send them to Sto Vo Kor!" Kre chuckled, then adopted a more serious demeanor. "X'aedell can be ... impulsive, but she can be a good politician and diplomat if she puts her mind to it.." he remarked. X'aedell had been trained in Starfleet as a psychiatrist, and had only been exposed to Klingon politics recently. "She was a good asset in negotiations with Starfleet concerning my mission," he added.

Da`nal huffed at the first comment. "Yes. X'ae was none to happy that Charg made Vashara his sister by the rite of R’uustai instead of cleaving her heart in two."

"Ohh.... I can imagine!" Kre chuckled. "Keep your enemies closer..." he commented. He understood the reasoning behind a move like that, and could very well imagine that X'aedell wouldn't have reacted very accepting. "D'anal, I am sure you know that I didn't contact you to chit chat," Kre said. "Our Houses are connected through Charg and X'ae's marriage...I called to discuss the implications," Kre said referring to his own mission into the Beta Quadrant.

"Well the obvious implications is that we are infinitely stronger. With my house absorbing the House of Morqrat and its holdings after Toran's death, and your house having influence on the high Council...there is little we could not accomplish. But with a rise in power come those that will want to take it.

"As you know Charg is the last of his house, but his family had served the house of Mogh for generations. That links us, however loosely, to two great houses. I will task Charg with formalizing those bonds. His friendships in the Empires internal security gives us an edge over those that may be our enemies."

That was exactly what Kre had been thinking. "Indeed," Kre said. "And I think we can expect some challenge when our positions dawn on some of our rivals. Both you and me will be away for extended periods of time. I am not concerned about us being away, you have Charg and I have my family to hold the fort so to speak," Kre said leaning back in his chair and pausing, he is coming to the point of his call. "My mission into the Beta quadrant is in an alliance with the Federation, I even have a Federation ambassador on board," he said with a small chuckle, "Vloc, a Vulcan..." he said. He didn't need to say more, they both would understand how Vulcans were meticulously by the book and Klingons were not. And Kre would have to maneuver around this man in whatever he did for the Empire or his house.

"Obviously I am not here only for the Federation, they want scientific information, some trade routes and I will pass on intelligence on any threat to them and us...For the Empire, I will eliminate or at least weaken such threats and as for the rest, it is up to me. Where I can, I will take territory, or establish trade agreements, which will be shared with our House alliances, including yours if you want. However, in some ways you are on the opposite side of the coin so to speak. Some of our goals are 'somewhat' contradictory to those of the Federation. Between you and me, I need to know where do you stand if some of the advantages we gain for our alliances in the Empire come from exploits which are contradictory to the Federations principles?"

"I may have served in the Federation but I am first and foremost a Klingon. You are operating in an area of space that is not held by the Empire or the Federation. Your mission may be supported by the Federation but it is not controlled by the Federation. Therefore Klingon rules of engagement are primary...not Federation. If the Federation wanted to call the shots they should have sent their own ship."

Kre laughed at Dan'al's answer. It was not different to what he had expected, the man had already acted against Federation policy by letting him have the specifications to send his ship back in time to fetch Charg. But he had to address it directly and he was glad he did. "Then we understand each other! May our enemies run in fear as we bring glory and honour to the Empire!" Kre said lifting the flagon he had been sipping from in the air.

Lifting his glass. "To the Empire!..."

As he lowered his glass the door hissed open and he looked to see that Charg had returned alone. "My Lord there is something we need to discuss."

Seeing his former XO Kre lifted his flagon again slightly. "Good to see you are alive.." Kre said. "I think we are done Da'nal," he added, as he leaned forward to close the channel.

Charg stopped him. "One moment Admiral. You input may be needed."

Da`nal looked at his questioningly.

Kre leaned back again and shared an inquiring glace with Da'nal. "In that case, go ahead Charg," Kre said wondering what this could be about.

Charg remained standing as he clasped his hands behind his back. "My Lord, you tasked me with running your House in your absence. To that end I have decided that your children should remain here..."

The chair Da`nal had been sitting in and the bloodwine in his hand both went flying as he bolted to his feet.

Kretorg's eyes flicked from Charg to Da'nal and shifted in his seat, as he could identify with Da'nal's strong reaction, but could also see where Chard was coming from. "Da'nal..... do you really want to take your small children into the unknown like that.... In Charg and X'aedell they have parents...very good ones at that. Your mission would prevent them from growing up in the Empire, and carve out their destinies in your House. Your House needs them to be here, not somewhere on the way to the Gamma Quadrant..."

His anger abated as other's voiced what had been in the back of his mind. He took several deep breaths as he weighed the benefits again.

...mentoring from Charg, X'aedell, and his mother.
...raised in the ways of the Empire in the Empire.
...the future of his House would be raised locally and earn the loyalty of it's members.
...eliminates the risk of their loss during the mission.
...communications would still be able to be made.

...he would not be able to watch them grow at his side.

Crossing to his old friend and placing a hand on his shoulder. "You are right as usual. Ayren will not be happy, but my mother will be over joyed."

Kre leaned back and watched them. ~Interesting...that both of us are leaving the Empire on long term missions....~ a thought that had been hovering in the back of his mind since he first heard of Dan'al's long term mission, came to the fore. He trusted both men on the other side of the comm. "Just a thought... who would want us both out of the Empire at the same time? And who has the power to engineer that without raising the suspicion of our friends in the High Council... or that of the chancellor?"

Da`nal looked to the monitor and stared at Kre...thankful for the distraction. The idea that there was a larger plot behind there missions was an interesting idea and there was a history of someone in the Federation trying to disgrace him; perhaps they have changed their tactics. Looking to his friend and son-by-rite. "Charg, use your connections in the Empires Internal Security and see it there is anything going on. If there is anything, let us know discretely."

"If there is anything going on I will find it, but how will you be able to act being so far away?"

"Starfleet is researching the final development and deployment of a Quantum Slipstream Drive. I will task my crew to work the QSD issue themselves during our mission. If nothing else I will take the Freedom and return as fast as I can."

"In the mean time, I will see what my father and Aakan, my eldest son can gather. Aakan married K'Tala, the new head of the Valdyr Engineering house, their base is very close to Q'oNos. He is in a good position right in the middle of a few of the major houses. He knows that he has to keep his ear to the ground there," Kre said. "He is a little under the radar still, being young and no one really regards him as he hasn't made a name in the Empire yet, which annoyed me... ", Kre said with a chuckle. "Now however, that could be beneficial where he is, no one sees him as a threat... My daughter is also in Qo'Nos, her name is Shenarra, Also of course, my father is on the High Council, so keep in contact with him. My resources are yours, Da'nal, and Charg, use my family, they are there."

Charg reassured them both. "I will also use my contacts within Internal Security to see what I can flush out"


TBC

 

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