Chapter 10

M'lar's bedchamber

High season was on Boreth for the Capital City and the nights were as hot as the days. M'lar pulled against her robes threw her cooler sheet from her body and stood up. She had been trying to rest or sleep for the past two hours and now she was wide-awake and angry. Walking to her console she coded in the prefix for Janae. The screen did not immediately go on and all she had was background noises, which were obviously someone caught in the throws of passion a female voice giggled and then a squeal emitted as she reached her climax. "Go shower and I will join you in a second."

Again there were ruffling noises in the background and finally the screen appeared and there was Jane naked from the waist up. He smiled and ran a hand through his hair looked at the view screen and shook his head. "You are suppose to be asleep and not bothering me in the middle of . . . "

"Coitus?" She said dryly folding her arms over her breasts and giving him an annoyed look of disgust.

"Look because you have to remain with your legs together does not mean others should follow your pious way of life, I am a fairly young male with needs and you should of all people understand that. So . . . " From the bathing room came a petulant sounding voice.

"Janae-nae you coming baby?" She watched him roll his eyes and flush, he leaned in close to the monitor and looked her in the eye.

"Look that is her nickname for me so don't say nothing got it!" He wagged a finger at the screen and waited for a response. He knew she would not dignify that with a response and watched as she sat back and got more comfortable. "You got dark circles under your eyes. What is going on and why are you calling me at 2300 hours?" Again there was that pouty petulant voice.

"Baby you coming I am getting all wrinkly waiting for you." Which elicited another eye roll and a deep sigh.

"Be there in a moment baby, business taking a little longer than I thought." He turned back to the screen and noted she was about to terminate their conversation.

"Why don't you go take care of baby and contact me back when you are done and can talk, or better yet, just meet me at the Rocco Cantina near QuinLat. I can't sleep and I am going to check out this new dancer that claims to be able to do the death defying cleric's blade of death dance."

He sighed, "Going to show them how it's really done again?" He had remembered the last time and it had not been pretty when she got done the bar owner was down one dancer who was injured. He did not like it when she was in one of 'those' moods.

"Maybe, or I might just gut her on the stage and leave. See you there in an ninety minutes." She hit the command panel and the screen went blank. "Or maybe I will show the little twit how its really done." She muttered softly and then smiled. Walking to her closet she pressed the panel and walked into the secondary room that was once again filled with clothing.

Walking down the second row she paused in front of this one set of clothing and lifted it from its hook, it was a flashy red halter top style covering and the skit had multiple slits so that when she slid it over her body suit it moved in and around her legs showing a healthy portion of her body. The top did little to hide her upper attributes and she tucked her 'girls' away for better support. Walking to the exterior of the room, she opened the panel up on her weapons locker and took out several blades. Using her expertise for adorning her thighs and hips with a belt of blades she stepped back and frowned.

Realizing why she did not look enough like a Bisbee girl she grabbed that long hair and pulled it up on the crown of her head so her hair hung in a ponytail down her back exposing more of her body and the accouterments she had adorned on her body. She had a total of six blades now affixed to her thighs, inner and front, and two on her hips and for good measure she put two more on her belt. Nodding she was satisfied with her plan and her look.

Seeing her hooded cloak lying on the small stool at the end of her bed, she grabbed it and went to the door, paused and went back to get her transport pin, set her transporter on automatic return to the temple and was finally satisfied with her look and her plan. When the door slid open from the shadows the tall well muscled form of Bi'Anka stepped. She like M'lar was covered in a cloak, however under her cloak she wore the armor of the House of T'L'th. Tork pushed from the wall and walked to her side and from across the hall stepped HmfiC and Dovka.

"You really going to do this again?" HmfiC asked as he fell into lead step by her side. He was an old war weary Klingon that had seen far too many battles and more than he really wanted with this one at his side.

"Yes, they have to learn if you want to play at doing what I did when I was six then they need to use real knives." She gritted out the response and that immediately caused HmfiC to shut down and just stand by her side. His relationship with her had been very much like an affectionate older Uncle.

Bi'Anka held her own thoughts to herself and she hated these excursions I the middle of the night just so she could make a point that her dance, the one she created and did from the age of six was not to be made fun or by the nightly pay girls or as they were known Bisbee girls did in these bars. Bi'Anka figured that is she did this enough perhaps those silly women would stop trying to impersonate her and her dance.

M'lar stepped out of the temple into an awaiting hoover craft, HmfiC and Bi'Anka piled into the rear of the hoover craft while a secondary guider scooters were brought out for Tork and Dovka. They mounted the scooters and fell into place behind the craft, M'lar set the directions on the craft and then allowed auto pilot to take over.

"Do we do this as we did the last time?" HmfiC asked while they watched the scenery pass them.

"Yes, check her knives then let me do what I do best." She was not so sure why this was such a problem for her, she should just let it go but she had been proud of her accomplishments and she was one of the very few that she had trained that could actually do this dance of time, trials, and death. She had made this dance almost impossible to most unless they were very adept and there were two of them in this vehicle that could do this dance and one was her, the other was Bi'Anka.

The party arrived at a neatly kept but garish looking building that was lit up in a colorful array of lights. From the inside it was obvious that some of the patrons were having a good time and the music was loud. Then the huckster began his touting the next performers abilities. "It would seem we are just in time." M'lar muttered and exited the conveyance. Pulling up her hood she walked with an abundance of confidence into the dimly lit room.

HmfiC wearing his hooded robe followed with Bi'Anka and Tork along with Dovka took up the rear, they took up position at a table near the brightly lit stage. "My fellow revelers come and partake and enjoy our next act, a lovely young thing from the far reaches of Qo'noS who comes with the secret dance the forbidden dance done only in the temples of Kahless. A dance that is death defying and seductive. A dance that tests the skills of the dancer against her knives."

"HmfiC when she comes on stage check her knives." M'lar muttered and waited. The lights went down and a single spot light fixed to a sultry figure in the center of the room. Her green skin glistened under the lights and she had her face dressed with jewels around her eyes and down her neck. From what M'lar could see she was Orion and wondered how these fools in this tavern could believe she had learned a dance that M'lar had perfected.

She waited and watched HmfiC stand and launch himself agility onto the stage. Those spectators in the audience began to boo and shout. It appeared all of the male contingents in the bar were not happy with their entertainment being disrupted. M'Lar watched as he walked to the woman and grabbed the three knives she held in her hands. Turning he pitched one of them to M'lar and she caught it and bent the blade. "Are they all rubber?' She asked HmfiC and got a nod.

The huckster a Feringi flamboyantly dressed like a Naga stepped forward, "Security please remove this man from my stage." His superior attitude was replaced by astonishment when he saw HmfiC shrug off the cloak to reveal his armor as one from the temple. He smiled tightly and laughed uneasily. "I beg your pardon, I did not know an expert from the temple would be present to see this dance I am sure you have seen practiced many times."

M'lar stood and as she stood, Dovka and Tork moved forward to deftly lift her up on the stage. Korag the huckster did not know what to think when he saw more coming to the stage. M'lar in her spiked heeled boots walked with a grace and deliberate ease that was hers alone. "Well what have we here?" Korag asked as he watched M'lar walk and face the female that was a good head taller than she. Holding out that delicate hand which indicated to Korag she was female she waited for HmfiC to hand her the other two knives.

Taking the knives in her hand she balanced them and then pitched them to the floor with force that had they been actual blades they would have stuck in the floor instead, they bounced and laid broken from the force of the throw.

"How can you defy death with rubber coated blades?" Korag laughed uncomfortably. This was serious enough that it had caught the attention of the Temple. He just was not sure whom it was that was questioning the dancer now. "How did you learn to dance this dance are you one of the temple's hand maids?" She asked her voice taking on a silken tone.

"Of course not, I am just doing what he told me." She nodded to the huckster known as Korag. Feeling this situation was getting out of control and afraid that his bar was about to be torn apart, Korag challenged her.

"Since you seem to know so much about this dance and the right blades to use, why don't you dance it!" He got applause and laughter from those in the audience. The catcalls began and were now flowing around the room. Pulling from her waistband a digital recording she handed the diskette to the huckster.

"Play that," she turned to the woman, "the next time you want to perform my dance, you had better learn it from the one that started it as a way to practice the art of blades." She slipped her robe off and stood resplendent in the shiny skirt and top and that caused the room to fall silent.

Those that knew here, knew perfectly well who she was and the whispered word, "M'lar." The hush fell over the room as the whispers reached Korag and he swallowed hard. "Um are you the High Cleric?" His voice shook slightly as he waited for the response. He had his answer when those green eyes shift to him and bore a hole into his body.

"Um, I guess I have my answer, many pardons my dearest High Cleric M'lar please we just wanted some harmless entertainment for our warrior friends visiting from the Home World and thought to give them a little show honoring you of course."

"if you chose to honor someone you need to do it right. Play the music fool before I gut you on this stage for defiling my ritual with the blades." M'lar's temper was beginning to boil with the groveling from this Feringi. He back away bowing to her. Turning he placed the diskette into the machine and waited as the heady beat of the music began and the chants of the monks began to keep a beat that was almost mesmerizing.

HmfiC picked up the robes and moved off the stage to stand next to Dovka and Tork. Bi'Anka jumped on the stage, which sent others in the audience calling out their approval to three women on the stage. She walked to the Orion slave girl and growled. "Move aside." Throwing off her robe she stood to the side and waited for M'lar to take center stage. M'lar pulled the knives from her belt, taking each one to throw and stick with a thunk and a waver in the floor so that everyone could see her blades were true.

Bi'Anka retrieved them and waited for her to extend her arms to her side and tip her head back, Bi'Anka placed one blade then the other blade in each hand then stepped back holding the other four blades. "My mistress will use only six blades tonight to show you the art of the blade." She spoke to Korag. That is when trying to appear mildly interested he pressed a button so he could record the event that was about to take place.

With the beat and the chants beginning to speed M'lar waited for the first opening of the very base of the musical instrument, her body flowed into a a graceful arc and she pitched one blade into the air, watching it fly up to come handle over point plunging right for her eye. She reached up and caught the blade to take both blades and throw them into the air. Once again the blades flew into the air to tumble back towards the tiny figure of the woman now spinning in the center of the stage to bend backwards and aim the pointed end of the blades for her throat.

Catching both blades with lightening fast reflexes, M'lar caught them only to have Bi'Anka throw two more blades with the now spinning blades on the tips of her fingertips to launch them into the air again with the two other blades and dance around holding her arms out to her side and not moving but closing her eyes and willing the blades to fall towards her body. M'lar kicked up sent one blade flying into the air, to be joined by another kick and sending another blade with her other foot to dance wildly over head.

The other two blades were deftly caught in each hand to be sent flying back in the air again. That is when Bi'Anka sent two more blades into the air. Now dangling in a spinning dance of their own were six blades spinning and tumbling and arching to come towards the priestess. She smiled closed her eyes bent her back and waited she knew that the timing was what made this the most perfect command over the blades and they not over her. Doing a handless cartwheel and bending she caught one blade, then the second blade throwing them to pinion in front of her in the stage, she moved with incredible speed still appearing to be agile and filled with grace.

As the final four blades descended with lightening fast reflexes she caught and threw the blades to plant the six blades in a row in front of her. Dovka had gone to the hoover craft and entered with a betleh. Walking to the stage as she finished her knife throwing she waited and then heard the betleh being thrown, flipping over and going into a split she grabbed the betleh and began to twirl it hand over hand to throw it into the air to the shouts and whistles of her audience.

The dance was about done but not until with the point of the betleh she swept the six blades off the floor from their impaled position and sent them flying to the audience. That is when all six were caught by Dovka, and Tork as they were hurled towards them. Catching them and laying them on the table the turned their attention to the crowd to make sure there were no problems brewing.

As the music crescendo M'lar spun around on her toes and slid to the floor in a graceful fall holding the betleh over her head. Slowly she lowered her head and lay over her legs. The room had fallen into a hush. Then Korag broke the silence with a loud whistle. "My goodness you are right High Cleric, that is not what Lorel would have done if she had danced. She would have removed the clothing." He laughed uncomfortably when he watched HmfiC nod to Bi'Anka.

Bi'Anka disappeared behind the stage and found the recording device that had been used to vid her dance. Removing her disrupter she put it on kill and fired into the device that held the image that was just done of the dance. This created a stir from those behind the stage and a soft wail of disappointment from Korag. M'lar stood walked to Korag. "I only used six blades I still have four on me, would you like to taste the point of my blades?" She spoke softly and fixed him with her steely-eyed stare.

Korag gulped and backed up. "No one vid's my performance and usually lives, tonight I allow you to live the one that was to die was your cam that you used to vid my dance. Never insult my house or my abilities again or next time I will destroy your club and your profit." She had hissed the last before she turned to jump deftly from the stage, Bi'Anka followed her down to the floor turned and glared at the wormy Feringi.

"Do not make me come back Korag, you won't like what I do to you next time with my disrupter." He had watched the way the female guard moved and it occurred to him she moved like a feral animal with her muscles moving to accent each step she took. She was adept, coiled and ready to spring forth with a vengeance.

Then the whispers began again, and this time it was one word that made him shudder, "Volkain" If she were Volkarian born she would be deadly to go against. He bowed to her with a tense smile and held up his hands in capitulation. "No harm intended and should we ever have another dancer come in to dance for us she will not be permitted to call her dance the Cleric's dance of death since we have actually seen with our own eyes the actual cleric defy the blades and come out unscathed."

Bi'Anka growled she hated it when they groveled and pleaded then tried to placate. "I should gut you because I don't like you." She muttered softly and turned following behind the cleric and her entourage. Once they were seated in the hoover craft M'lar surprised them both. "I want to stay here for a little while. If you wish to leave you may." She waved them off she was filled with pent up anger and energy and needed a way to work it off and that dance had just proved how alive she had become.

"You know we can't leave you alone." M'lar started to answer when she felt that familiar feeling of her body being disassociated to be replaced in a new surroundings. She found herself transported to the bridge of the Tori.

Bridge of Janae's ship the Tori

M'lar sighed and looked to Modak and then to Marajade. Finally she turned her attention to Janae, "I am suppose to be impressed because you could lock onto my signal and transport me? I thought I told you to meet me at that Cantina." He watched as she folded her arms over her breasts.

"I don't like the company you keep they annoy me when I have a job to do and since you wanted to talk and I need to move on to the job, so I can get paid, I thought why not bring you with me so we could talk while I take care of business." He smiled that disarming and charming smile.

"You know this is going to upset my guard." She walked to a vacant chair and took a seat, turning in the chair she looked at Janae. "We will talk later, just go do the job you have been hired to do and after you have finished then we will discuss what I had contacted you for to begin with. Once we are done then you will need to take me to my temple."

Janae turned to Fortunato and smiled, "Will you please take the cleric to a comfortable room other than mine and see she stays there until this job is over?" He bowed to M'lar and she sighed standing he noticed she was scantily clad in one of her kick ass costumes. "Been bar hopping to teach a lesson in the blade of death dance again?' He observed and saw her stop and smile.

"What do you think?" She turned with a flip of her hair and entered the turbo lift. Looking over at the young man that now accompanied her she could see he was a fairly young Bajoran male that was probably a distant relative of Janae's. Folding her arms over her chest she leaned against the lift and felt the shift in the ship's speed. They had just jumped to Warp three and she was wondering where in the world were they going that he would need a speed factor of three for his warp drive.

The door slid open and the young handsome male escorted her to what this ship called the guests quarters. They were comfortable enough but the bed was way to soft. Walking over to the replicator she ordered a drink, "Nintie please." She watched as the glass and then drink appeared and she smiled. "Might as well be comfortable while I wait."

As they approached the dark moon of Feriti, Janae waited for them to drop out of warp and go into orbit, and then ordered the cloaking device activated. Turning to Mara and then to Modak he nodded, "Leland, take helm, Forunato, you have the con." He pushed from his seat and paused. "Make me proud and don't hurt my ship. Have Moran on standby in the transporter bay."

The three-crew members nodded and watched as the three top members of this ship go to the turbo lift. "Deck six." Janae called out. Once the lift slid to a halt all three stepped into the hallway. "Dress out and be prepared to go into stealth mode. Once we are in the building, head straight to the power core and the security sections to disarm. Then meet me back in detainment." He had taken on a professional attitude. "Whatever you do. Do not get caught and meet up back here in forty-two minutes. Set your chronometer."

All three had entered the room where a series of lockers were inset into the wall, each began to disrobe and dress in dark stealth clothing attaching various instruments to their belts around their waist and secured around the thighs to keep them from bouncing. Turning he looked at his two friends, smiled tensely and spoke softly, "Ready?"

They nodded. Janae along with Mara and Modak walked into the hallway and headed to the end of the hallway where the transporter room waited for them.