Author's Note: The 365 Project is an experimental project to write and post at least one short every day for the next year, not including my semi-regular bi-weekly updates. Whether or not that goal can be reached, we'll see... This is The 365 Project, 11 January.

Disclaimer: Star Trek Enterprise and all associated characters and situations are the property of CBS studios, and are used by myself for entertainment purposes without permission or intent to profit.

"Warrior to Warrior"
By J.T. Magnus, 'Turbo'

"With all due respect, sir, you're not stepping foot on that planet without a security escort," Lieutenant Malcom Reed stated firmly, "And that means me."

"Very well, Mister Reed," Captain Archer shrugged, "The more, the merrier, I guess."

Reed had been watching the events carefully, with a trained eye; an untrained one might mistake these 'Klingons' for being unruly, disorderly and out-of-control... but just by looking at them he could tell that every move made and every syllable uttered was planned and intended to mean something. These weren't Humans or Vulcans and the Captain was making a mistake if he was expecting them to think like either of those races.

When the Klingon leader started towards Archer with the knife still drawn, Reed put his hand on the butt of his phase pistol. The pistol cleared its holster and before Archer could say anything to stop Reed, the pistol found itself pointed right between the Klingon leader's eyes when his knife was put to Archer's throat.

"Now, I may not speak your language, mate," Reed remarked calmly before anyone else could speak, "But I'm sure that you can understand my phase pistol when it's telling to more that knife away slowly otherwise I'll give you a new arsehole right in the middle of your forehead. So, what'll it be?"

Looking eyeball to eyeball with the Klingon, Reed wasn't sure what was going through the other being's mind, but when they narrowed their eyes and pressed the knife tighter against Archer's throat, Reed responded by narrowing his eyes back and tightening his finger on the trigger. He wasn't sure what would happen next, but what Reed wasn't expecting was for the Klingon leader to give a deep laugh and clap his free hand on Reed's shoulder before pulling his knife away from the Captain and raising it into the air and making an announcement to the room in Klingonese.

"Hoshi," Archer asked quietly, though he could've asked normally and still not been heard over the raucious sounds of agreement with whatever had been said.

"It's difficult to translate, Captain," Lieutenant Sato frowned, "Something about wine for the warrior's blood? I'm not sure, but I think whatever their first response was going to be, Lieutenant Reed changed their mind."

Archer looked over his shoulder towards the last member of the landing party, "T'Pol?"

"I believe that correct translation would be 'bloodwine', Captain. If so, it means that the Klingons have recognised Mister Reed as a 'warrior' worthy of their acknowledgement."

"Well, as far as first contacts go, it could be worse," Archer muttered to himself out-loud, "At least they aren't taking anything as an insult and declaring hostilities."

"A far-more likely outcome," T'Pol informed him, "had Mister Reed not intervened."

"Yeah," Archer sighed and glanced at the Lieutenant who somehow managed to look smug with a straight face, "Good job, Reed."

Somehow, Archer knew he was never going to live down that he hadn't wanted Reed in the landing party in the beginning.

While this was going on, another Klingon had approached Reed and the Klingon leader with two metal bowl-like cups, the leader easily taking one; Reed paused for a moment and then took the other. Putting his knife back in its sheath - and only after that did Reed holster his own weapon - the Klingon leader turned to face the rest of his people in the room and began to speak with Hoshi quietly translating for the others.

"'Here is a warrior. A Klingon warrior can see the readiness to kill in his opponent's eyes. If I had killed his Captain, the warrior would have seen to it I died with him. There was no hesitation, no doubt. He was ready to kill for his Captain. Such willingness, such loyalty. Here is a warrior'!"

Then the Klingon leader said something that Hoshi didn't translate.

Archer frowned, "What was that last part?"

Hoshi shook her head, "You don't want to know."

While Archer gave Hoshi a curious look, Reed joined the Klingon leader in upending their bowls of bloodwine.

Author's Note: I actually wanted to end this one on a scene of Reed wearing a Starfleet 'flightsuit' uniform and a Klingon baldric, unfortunately, I couldn't figure out a way to work that in without involving the scene back on Enterprise where Archer informs the crew that Starfleet's officially starting the ship's mission and because that's such an Archer-centric scene I wasn't sure how to pull it off. Sorry.