Chapter 9

"And this is Ten-Forward." Worf finished his tour with flourish. He and MaH'delyna walked into the lounge and sat down in one of the tables that stood before the huge floor to ceiling windows.

She sat with her hands in her lap, her eyes down. A personification of demure. " I have never seen anything like this place." MaH'delyna said quietly.

Worf felt his chest jut out proudly. "The Federation does have some special technologies."

She looked out at the stars. "Oh, to be able to travel the lengths of the universe! What amazing things you must have seen in your time!" She exclaimed. He stayed silent, watching her. She turned her face toward his and confided quietly, "My father used to say there was nothing more exhilarating than having the decks of his ship tremble with speed. I remember when I was very small, he took me on his battle cruiser to Earth. It was a long trip from Qronos to Terra. My mother was not pleased." She said, her eyes alight with the memory.

Worf studied her, trying to extrapolate her background from her musings. "He did not ask her?"

"I seem to remember him saying to her on our return that a Warrior does not ask anything of a mere female." She coughed nervously. "I think she threw something at him after that. Funny enough, my brother came soon later." Her eyes gleamed at him wickedly, yet her face kept it's demure look.

"Your father was an officer on a battle cruiser?" He questioned cautiously.

"He was the captain, but if I remember correctly, he had several ships under his control."

Worf held up his hand as Guinan drew near. "MaH'delyna, this is Guinan. Guinan is the hostess of Ten-Forward."

Worf had seen Guinan in many, well, interesting outfits, but this one took the cake. It was neon green with tiny little betazoid bells all over it. Her hat was in the shape of a star. She smiled benignly and looked at MaH'delyna. "Welcome to Ten-Forward and to the Enterprise. You are the lady of SoS." She said knowingly.

"I am Qing MaH'delyna. How do you do?" MaH'delyna inquired somewhat warily.

"I do just fine." Guinan flashed a pearly smile. She turned to Worf. "What can I get for you"

"Romulan ale and some nice fresh qagh." Worf ordered.

"Wait, Worf, what is qagh?" MaH'delyna asked.

"Regelean blood worms. Why?" He was perplexed.

"I can't eat meat." She looked at Guinan. "Do you have any vegetable dishes here?"

Guinan nodded. "I will get you a human classic, Caesar salad." She smiled mischievously, "and I'll hold the anchovies."

Worf was finally able to get his breath. "You don't eat meat?" He asked aghast. MaH'delyna shook her head. Worf stared at her as if she was insane.

"I like it. A vegetarian klingon. MaH'delyna, come down and visit me in Ten-Forward anytime. I think we will get along just fine." The hostess glided off, stopping and greeting people at other tables as she meandered her way back to the bar.

"You don't eat meat? Why?" Worf felt pained. A klingon that didn't eat meat was like a klingon that didn't fight, an oxymoron. Vegetarian and klingon were not two words one spoke in the same sentence. Most klingons really didn't even eat vegetables. Green stuff wasn't food, it was bait.

"No SoSian klingon would eat meat. It is one of our most sacred traditions." She said.

"But why?" Worf just couldn't understand, and perhaps, a small part of his brain pointed out, he didn't want to.

"Because, according to our history, when the original settlers were traveling in their starships they ran out of food, and many starved to death. To survive, the living at the flesh of the dead. In honor of those terrible times, the SoSians never ate meat again. You can always grow more plants, but death is forever, even the death of an animal." MaH'delyna explained gently.

"Aren't you killing the plants then?" Worf asked snidely.

She looked at him, exasperated, "You are intelligent enough to know the difference. Plants aren't sentient, at least not in the same way we and animals are."

He fought the urge to yell at her for being so silly, but no, he was going to be understanding. He was going to try. It was just so... so unnatural. "But this is replicated meat. It isn't the same thing."

"It is. I used to eat meat once. I could again, but if I don't keep some of the SoS traditions alive, they will die . I must keep them if only because I am the only left to do so." She looked at him imploringly.

He considered her words a moment. "I think I understand."

She smiled, a small half smile of feminine triumph. "It is not such a big thing, really. What else is there for me?"

"You can go back to your family on Qronos."

"My family is dead." MaH'delyna stated simply.

"Are you so sure?"

She hesitated a moment. "Toloth made some inquiries a few years ago. My family is no more. My father is dead, his retainers scattered to the winds. There is nothing for me on the home world." Her tone indicated that to her the subject was most definatly closed.

"Perhaps he did not tell you the truth." Worf said suddenly. He was feeling frustrated. He wasn't getting anywhere, and he had a sneaky suspicion he was being lead around by the nose. He knew as well as she did that there was more."

"Toloth? No, I can't see why he would lie to me. It was always his policy to be truthful." Her brow furrowed slightly.

"MaH'delyna, How did you get to SoS? I know that you arrived there before the planet was even discovered." He questioned. "I want a straight answer from you."

She looked down, and was silent while a waiter placed her salad and his qagh on the table. "There was an accident. It was a long time ago. What does it matter?" Small lines of strain formed around her mouth, and Worf could almost see her eyes darken with pain.

He had a forkful of the worms, chewed and swallowed. "It means a certain amount, yes. If I don't know your past, I can't find out why these men were after you. You told me this attack was motivated by revenge."

"I did not!" She said aghast, but there was something in her eyes, perhaps fear, which only served to convince him he had struck a nerve.

"You weren't yourself at the time, but you did say it, actually, several times. WHO WAS YOUR ATTACKER? You knew who he was!" He hissed. He knew the only way to get her to tell him would be force.

She stood up, and leaned over the table. "I don't know! I had never seen him before in my life." MaH'delyna said coldly, her eyes flashing with fire.

It was the first time he had seen any anger in her. In a way, it suited her. "You are lying. I know it, you know it. Why are you protecting him?" Worf asked, and ate some more qagh.

Her eyes widened. "How dare you? Why would I protect a monster? Don't you think I would tell you if I knew?" Worf could see her shake with what he could only surmise as fury.

"So why won't you tell me who you are, or were? I will find out, with or without your cooperation." He replied calmly, even coldly. He did not have the time or the patience to deal with her 'selective' memory. He sighed inwardly. Was he ever tired!

"Because I died a very long time ago and I don't want to be alive again. I don't even want to feel again. I died when they killed my son!" She looked at him, and leaned forward until her nose was only centimeters away from him. In a passioned voice, she hissed, "You think I lie, don't you. I bet you even suspect that I never lived on SoS, or that the boy I was with was even my son, but let me tell this, SON OF MOHG, if I could possibly get my hands on the men who destroyed my family, I wouldn't stop until they were DEAD!" MaH'delyna turned and swept from Ten-forward. Worf put his elbow on the table, placed his chin in his hands, and had another bite.

What was he missing? There was something wrong with all of this. Why was she so reluctant to tell him who she was? Had her father been dishonored? Maybe she didn't want someone to know she was alive. That made more sense. But if that truly was the case, why did he sense that she trusted him? And more disturbingly, did she honestly think him so unsubtle as to go and blurt out her name within the empire?

But the biggest question was how did she get to SoS in the first place? An accident? Improbable considering where SoS lay on the borders of the Federation and the Empire. He didn't think she was a plant, no, he knew she wasn't a plant. Beverly had medical evidence to the contrary, but that still didn't tell him how she arrived.

He rose and stalked out of the lounge. He had to get to work. His patience was exhausted. Worf would just find out from himself, which is probably what he should have done in the first place. The easiest way would be to enlist Kurn, Gowron and his spies be damned. Kurn had men whom both he and Worf trusted. Men who believed more in their honor than in Gowron's latinum.

He entered the turbolift and snapped "Deck five." Yes, Kurn would help him. He would trade secrets with his brother and see what Kurn could find in the Empire's rather sketchy database. As much as he was loathe to admit it, Kurn did have more contacts in the empire than he did.

He entered his office, and stalked over to his desk. Using his terminal he radioed Kurn's battle cruiser. Within a minute the call was answered.

The stark, brutal looking insignia of the empire flashed on the screen before going into the face of some lowly sub-commander. "What do you want?" The klingon said laconically.

Worf narrowed his eyes and snarled, "I will speak to minister Kurn NOW! Patch me through or I will have you disemboweled!" He was not in the mood to deal with some puffed up petty officer.

The klingon straightened. "Who are you?" He answered crisply.

"That is not your concern, you lowly son of a TARG!" He spat out.

The klingon saluted. "Aye sir!"

Worf curled his lip distastefully and nodded. There was one nice thing about being a federation officer, you didn't have to insult your lessors to get them to move. Training and discipline had gone downhill in the Empire.

Kurn's face came into view. "Worf! Brother! What are you doing, intimidating my new cadets! That's MY job!" He said with a chuckle.

"He was insolent. I believed you ran a tight ship. You should have him disciplined." Worf grunted.

"I try, but the military academies are plugging out officer cadets who seem to think they are important. I love it when they realize they are just lackeys." He shrugged. "I'll have him flogged. He did not offend you?"

"It is of no import. Kurn, I have decided to take you up on your offer."

"Which one? You ignore so many. You're bringing Alexander up to Rhisa during your next shore leave? I still have that villa there. Bujal and I could meet you -"Kurn urged.

Worf rolled his eyes dramatically. "No!" He shook his head. "I need your help with the investigation of SoS." He let the statement drift into the air.

"Oh how the mighty have fallen." Kurn said derisively, but his eyes burned with interest.

"Go stick your attitude in the great barrier. I'm serious." Worf growled.

"Fine. Fire away. Like the ferengi, I am all ears." Kurn smiled, showing several decaying teeth to the view screen. It was a sight which made Worf thankful for Starfleet's code of personal hygiene.

"I want you to look into all patrols that would have been conducted by a Trizek battle cruiser in the area of SoS." Worf growled.

"A KLINGON Trizek battle cruiser?" Kurn choked.

"We are the only race with a Trizek class of ships, Kurn. Don't' be an idiot."

Kurn ignored his insult. "Are you sure?"

"Aye. DNA scans on our survivor's body show she was violated by our own people. The destroyers of SoS were klingons."

"That isn't possible!" Kurn spat.

"Believe it Kurn. They were klingons."

"The dishonor! SoS was defenseless. There has to be some reason." Kurn replied aghast.

"Revenge is all our lady has mentioned." Worf answered with a shrug.

"Worf, SoS hasn't been discovered long enough for the inhabitants to offend someone with enough clout to have control of a battle cruiser. I just received permission to build mine, and I'm the damn foreign minister. Gowron hands out Cruiser commissions the way he hands out his own body parts. Not unless you're cute and female. One would think that's how the Duras sisters got theirs."

Worf allowed himself to laugh at Kurn's joke before becoming serious again. "The damage to SoS was done by a very specialized tracking computer, one we have already determined to be only available on the Trizek class cruisers. We also discovered a certain amount of Terilluim, which is only used in the environmental systems of the Trizek's." Worf pointed out.

"By the honor of the real Kahless, this is a mystery!" Kurn exclaimed.

"I also want you to run the name MaH'delyna through the data base, any reference to the name." Worf added.

Kurn looked dubious. "Can you give me anything else to reference the name to?"

Worf tugged on his beard. "Hmm, she made references to her father taking her to Earth on a diplomatic mission. In HIS personal cruiser. She also made references to her father having several ships under his control."

"That narrows things down a little. Only members of the High council have any control over the fleet." Kurn mumbled.

"Well, look into everything. I wouldn't take a child's remembrances of her father at face value. Children tend to remember their parents as larger than life." Worf said, momentarily thinking of his real father.

"I don't understand these questions. There were no non-SoSian people on SOS. The King of SoS wouldn't even allow traders to have even temporary lodgings on the planet."

"All right, MaH'delyna, our survivor, wasn't native to SoS. She came from the empire some time ago. In fact, it appears she arrived on SoS about three or four years before it was discovered by the Federation." supplied Worf.

"That isn't possible. The discovery of SoS was well documented. No one know about it. NO ONE, Worf." Kurn urged.

"We cannot be so sure of that. The proof is there, in her tissues."

"I doubt it; however, I will do as you ask."

"Anyway, I want you to look into any diplomatic missions to Earth in the last twenty four years. MaH'delyna is only twenty three, and according to medical evidence had been on the planet for at least twelve years." The lieutenant instructed.

"I don't like this Worf. I think you should talk to Gowron. I have the feeling there is more here than meets the eye." Kurn grumbled and yawned.

"It is my personal duty to find the answers. I made a vow to a superior officer. I cannot go back on it."

"I understand." Kurn changed the subject. "Worf, I have a feeling this is becoming personal to you. Do you think that wise?"

Worf sent his brother a withering look. "I am not personally involved. I am merely doing my duty as a starfleet officer, and as Head of Security on the Enterprise."

Kurn snorted derisively. "I do not have the brain of a Targ, Worf. Don't treat me as if I did. One does not go around making vows at the drop of a dagger."

"You can take your little comments and blow them out your bilges. Now get me answers Kurn, or I will let Bujal know you are not the romantic poet you appear to be." Worf growled. Sometimes it seemed that Kurn had a chip on his shoulder the size of a large black hole.

Kurn held up his hands in protest. "I submit. That would be a fate worse than death."

"And Kurn, be discreet. Worf out." He clicked off his view screen.

He made another quick decision, and sent out another call to Gowron's private lodgings. He knew it was early morning on Qronos, and that Gowron would probably be asleep.

He was right. A moment later a very bleary eyed Gowron picked up the call. "This had better be very good." He snarled.

"It's Worf, Gowron."

Gowron fixed a beady eye at Worf. "So it is. What do you want?"

"This is an unofficial call."

The leader of the high council's eyes widened slightly with interest. "Well, go on."

Worf cleared his throat, knowing that he could get in trouble for this. "I want to trade some information. I will give you what you want to know, if you tell me what I want to know."

"What is it that you want?"

"I want to know if SoS was discovered by the Empire before it was discovered by the federation."

"You know it wasn't!" Gowron snapped.

"Do I? But what I know isn't important. I want to know what you know." Worf replied slyly.

Gowron grunted. "I am to tired to fence with you. I have been looking through the database myself. There was no documented discovered of SoS prior to the USS Tut-whatever. I have been going through private records. My information is accurate. Now, tell me about survivors!"

"There was one female survivor."

"That isn't enough, Worf."

"Then I will also tell you that SoS was attacked by a klingon force of unknown size and number." Worf answered.

"That still isn't enough. I already knew that. give my spies a little credit please." Gowron glared at Worf.

"That's all you are going to get, Gowron."

"Why?"

"Because, I don't know just how much I trust you. I haven't ascertained if you were involved or not."

Gowron opened his mouth to utter a retort when Worf saw something fly by Gowron's head, and heard the ensuing crash of breaking pottery. It was then followed by the Purr of an aroused female klingon.

Gowron rolled his eyes and looked pained. "QI'yaH!" He swore.

"Taken the oath have you, Gowron?"

"Oh shut up Worf. You know that I haven't. I have to go, but let me tell you, I DID NOT ATTACK SoS!" As the screen flickered out Worf watched Gowron duck again.

Worf still did not trust Gowron, but he did believe Gowron about the discovery of SoS. Gowron didn't seem to have any reason to lie. Seem being the operative word, though. This whole mystery was a matter of how things seemed and didn't seem. There were no real clues. No real answers.

"Computer," He barked. "Display the Medical records of the klingon Qing MaH'delyna,"

"Security access code?" Came the disembodied voice.

"Worf, Delta five Gamma."

The information scrolled up onto his terminal. He looked at the bottom of the screen. The first log had twenty pages to it. He shuddered. Twenty pages of medical jargon, and the next log would be the recording of the surgery. After that he was unsure. There were seven log entries by Doctor Crusher alone. It would be a long night. He hoped he wouldn't lose his qagh.