"He should have been here by now," B'Etor muttered as she paced the bridge of the Cha'Joh in impatient agitation. "He has betrayed us!"

Sitting in the command chair, Lursa said "For the price we agreed, he will be here, B'Etor. You should have more faith in a friend of the family."

"We can trust no one," B'Etor grumbled as she continued her pacing. It had been a little over two years now since the sisters' disastrous defeat when their Romulan 'allies' had turned tail in the face of Picard's fleet, allowing them to be overrun by Gowron. The bulk of their support lost, Lursa and B'Etor had only just managed to escape, and were now outcasts and fugitives in the eyes of the Klingon Empire. Toral's usefulness to them ended, they had swiftly abandoned the boy, imagining he would soon be executed. They were surprised to learn that Worf, when offered Toral's life by Gowron, chose to spare it, before returning to the Enterprise under Picard. They had heard nothing from Toral or Sela since, which suited them fine.

Ever since, they had wandered interstellar space on the Cha'Joh, seeking any means to rebuild their strength. Then, not long ago, they had made the acquaintance of Gorta. The Dopterian businessman insisted that sharing was usually against his personal code; however, as he was being chased by assassins sent by a vengeful ex-wife at the time, he offered the sisters information on a great sourceof wealth which only he knew of, if they would help him escape his pursuers.

The source of wealth, Gorta told them, was a large deposit of magnesite ore he had found quite accidentally on Kalla III, a planet within Pakled territory. The Pakleds themselves were totally unaware of it, so he, Lursa and B'Etor could just take it...provided they could obtain the necessary mining equipment first. After a number of discrete enquires, it looked as though they had been fortunate.

"Vessel approaching," the science officer reported from his station.

"HaSta," B'Etor ordered, and at her command, the large main viewscreen in front of them activated to show a fairly common civilian merchant ship coming towards their position in space.

"We are being hailed," the bekk in charge of communications said.

Getting up from her chair, Lursa said "On screen." Near instantly, the viewscreen changed to show a man seated on the bridge of the approaching ship. He was fairly large, his cheeks red, his chin adorned with a short black beard, and his black hair swept back to show the slight ridges on his otherwise smooth forehead. He and Lursa smiled when they saw each other. "Valan Mudd," Lursa greeted him.

"It's very good to see you again after such a long time, Lursa," Valan Mudd responded. "Are you well?"

Lursa nodded. "I am now that you are hre. It has been too long."

B'Etor stomped over then. "Mudd, do you have the mining equipment you promised us?" she demanded. Lursa shot her sister a dark look.

Appearing unconcerned by B'Etor's attitude, Valan replied "Of course, my word is my bond. You, of course, have the payment?"

"Our word is also our bond," said Lursa. By pooling their meagre assets with those of Gorta, they could easily meet Valan's generous price.

"I will have the machinery beamed over to you immediately," Valan said. "Though I would be honored if you would join me for dinner on board my ship."

OOOOOOOO

It came as little surprise to Lursa that B'Etor chose to remain on board the Cha'Joh while she beamed over to Valan's ship. Growing up, she had not formed the bond with Valan that Lursa had. Valan's parents had known their father, and Lursa had fond memories from her childhood of the times Valan visited Ja'rod in the company of his human father and Klingon mother. "Do you remember the time your father took you, me and Duras to the Hamar Mountains?" Valan said as he and Lursa sat together at a table in his rooms, cups of fine bloodwine in their hands.

Lursa laughed. "I do indeed. We hunted wild targs and howled at the stars. It was the finest night of my life!" Her face assumed a more somber look. "It is unfortunate that our fathers are not still among the living."

"Mother always spoke highly of Ja'rod," Valan remarked, looking into his cup. "She thought he should have lead the High Council. I wish I could do more to help you regain your standing in the Empire, but...I am only half Klingon, a humble merchant, and not well liked by Gowron."

"You have helped enough by agreeing to sell us the mining equipment we need," Lursa told him.

Valan looked at her and smiled. "Because it's you, Lursa, you may have it for half the price we initially agreed on. My gift to you."

On hearing this, Lursa blushed with happiness. "Valan...you are too kind! Thank you." As they looked at one another then, they became aware of something building in the atmosphere between them. A tension, an expectation. Neither spoke, but both breathed heavily as Valan set his cup on the table, stood, and approached Lursa. Seizing her shoulders, he lifted her to her feet, her cup clattering to the floor. Valan then grasped her right hand and slowly tugged off her glove. As the discarded glove fell softly to the floor, he sniffed her palm and growled. Lursa growled too. They clasped their hands together, increasing the pressure until blood welled between their fingers.

"I may be half human," Valan whispered, "But I think I know how to please a Klingon woman."

"We shall see," Lursa answered with a playful smile...

OOOOOOOO

B'Etor chuckled triumphantly on the bridge of the Cha'Joh as the Bird-of-Prey left orbit of Kalla III and accelerated into warp. It had taken nearly a month, but they had mined all the ore on the planet, and had already located a Yridian merchant willing to buy it from them. As for Gorta, they had left the disgusting Dopterian on the planet; he could make his own way off!

A sudden groan from Lursa caused her to look at her sister. Seated in the command chair, Lursa was clutching her stomach, looking distinctly ill. "Something ails you?" B'Etor asked.

"It is nothing," Lursa replied after a few seconds. "Probably just something I ate. I need to rest." She got up then and walked quickly off the bridge without another word.

OOOOOOOO

When B'Etor entered their quarters a short while later, she saw Lursa standing in the middle of the room, her expression one of shock. A medical tricorder was in her hand. "What is wrong, sister?" B'Etor said. "choja!"

Lursa was trembling slightly as she spoke. "B'Etor...I am pregnant."