Chapter 11: XI

It had been a long day at the station; one that will go down in the Klingon Empire's history as being a great day. On this day, Gowron's corrupt rule had finally been brought to an end and a more honorable man had taken his place; one worthy of the high office of Chancellor. At long last, Worf had hoped that his people would be able to return to the old ways of the Empire; the ways that had been lost by wayward politicians and power hungry underlings. He looked forward to the day when the Empire regains its former glory.

Hours after leaving the newly instated Chancellor in his quarters, Worf scanned over the transmission logs for the day as he looked for any potential threats to the station. As he did so, he noticed that once again, he found that a member of the crew whom he would not have expected had been in contact with a Klingon Warship. Had the log indicated that the individual on the ship had contacted Martok, Worf would have understood but instead his son had been conversing with another on the space station and it wasn't him.

Leaving the data pad on his desk in his quarters, Worf headed toward the habitat ring to speak with that unlikely individual who has been in contact with Alexander. Once there, he watched as the station's doctor headed away from Worf's destination. Despite his encouragement to Ezri about her pursuit of the doctor, it still was not easy to witness their dance of a courtship advancing. He knew that if the two that still behaved much like children themselves ever actually became open with one another about their feelings, his discomfort will likely only grow.

After waiting for an extra moment to allow Bashir to reach the lift at the other end of the corridor, Worf stalked over to Ezri's door and signaled his arrival.

"Did you forget someth-" Ezri came up short when she realized that it was Worf at her door rather than Julian. "Worf. I wasn't expecting you. Is something wrong?"

"That is what I came here to ask you," Worf let out an aggravated breath.

"Why would anything be wrong?" Ezri asked confused.

"According to the transmission logs, you have been in contact with my son. Most recently, this morning and then again just after the evening meal. Care to share what is going on?"

"You've been keeping track of who I speak with over subspace?"

"I keep track of all transmissions that go in or out of this station. Its security is my job." Worf suspected that she may see through his explanation but he didn't care about that for now. "About my son?"

"Alexander and I have enjoyed speaking with one another ever since I first contacted him to let him know that I was staying on the station. I didn't want to take him by surprise or anything if he came back here. That's all."

"That is not all. In the previous months, you've only had contact on average of once every one and a half to two weeks. Today, alone, you have spoken to him twice. Between those two transmissions, you also had contact with several within both the Romulan Empire and at Starfleet Medical."

Ezri crossed her arms as she leaned against the frame of her door and scowled. "Is this an interrogation, Worf?"

"I am concerned about my son and right now, it would seem that you are the only one that can tell me what is going on," Worf belted out before catching his own tone and realizing that Dax would be less willing to tell him what he wished to know if he continued to speak so harshly. "Please, about Alexander?"

"Actually, you would know what is going on with him if you ever bothered to contact him for yourself. If you did, you would know that he usually goes by T'knehzoR while serving within the Empire now."

"T'knehzoR?"

"It keeps him from being singled out as not being fully Klingon," Ezri explained. "Only his closest friends still call him Alexander, and only in private."

"I see," Worf muttered as he tried to picture the same boy who grew up wanting to embrace his Human heritage while at the same time casting that of his Klingon ancestors aside as being the same one who now served aboard a Klingon Warship and went by his Klingon name. "I had not anticipated that he'd go to such measures while serving within the Empire; though it does seem wise."

"I believe one of his friends on the Ya'Vang gave him the suggestion."

"But about this morning…" Worf knew that the Ya'Vang had been crippled shortly before the first transmission to the station. The fact that his son had been able to contact Ezri told him that he, himself, was well. What Worf didn't understand was why he would have contacted her after the attack on the Klingon ship in the first place. Nor why he had not reached out to him instead if he needed information that only a Starfleet Officer could give him (as Ezri's other transmissions seemed to indicate).

"One of his friends, the one who suggested that he use his Klingon name while on a Klingon ship, was injured this morning and was sent to Starbase 31 by way of a Romulan War Bird. He thought that I could gain information on his friend's condition."

"I am surprised that the captain of the Ya'Vang would send a fallen Klingon Warrior to a Federation base," Worf then sneered as he added, "especially by way of a Romulan ship."

Ezri bit her lip as she considered what she was about to tell Worf. Alexander had made no attempt to ask her to hide his relationship with K'nera but that may simply be because the idea that his father would ask had never occurred to him.

"He didn't. The wounded warrior that the captain sent off to the Starbase is actually a Betazoid."

Worf's eyes bugged out at the news. "A Betazoid serving on a Klingon ship?"

"Worf, you may want to come in. There are a few more things that you might want to know about what has been going on in recent months." Ezri stepped aside to make way for him enter her quarters.

DS9

Alexander stared up at the ceiling and listened to the ship's engines. He'd been trying to sleep for the last four hours as Ch'Targh snored loudly on the other side of the small crewmen quarters. The fact that he was still wide awake spoke of just how much success his attempts had been met with.

Hours earlier, Ezri had contacted him to let him know what she'd learned after he sought her help in learning of K'nera's fate once she was transported into Federation space. She had told him that while she couldn't access K'nera's medical records, she did learn that after nearly six hours in surgery she had survived. He'd heard much the same from Deanna when he'd contacted her on the Enterprise.

Alexander knew that his captain would have more information but he was unwilling to go to him for his answers just yet. K'nera was his niece and if he found Alexander to be wanting as a Klingon he could deem him unfit to seek a romantic relationship with her. After all, he was a hybrid who in many respects still showed his lack of extensive knowledge of Klingon culture and rituals. Not only that but the House of K'maj'ik was a well-respected house where as the House of his father had been dishonored several times over. The only redeeming aspect about his own family's honor had been the fact that General Martok had accepted both his father and himself into his family.

If he went to M'jaK to ask about K'nera, Alexander would likely have to tell him why he was so concerned. Though to be honest, he suspected that the man already knew considering his behavior toward the doctor when he had been so willing to just allow K'nera to die from her injuries. Still, that was one conversation that he'd like to postpone for as long as possible.

Tiring of lying on his rack while knowing that sleep would not come; Alexander got up and headed out of his shared quarters. He then went up to the deck that held the training room; the same room that he'd gone to only a day prior to work on his still lacking skills before the start of his shift. It was also the same room that he'd been in when he'd finally worked up the courage to actually act on his long held feelings for K'nera.

Standing in the room, Alexander felt more connected to her somehow. It was as if he could reach out and touch her while in this room. After a moment of quiet meditation, Alexander took up a bat'leth and began to put himself through the traditional paces of training with the weapon. The whole while, he replayed the events of the previous morning in his mind. From the moment that K'nera had joined him in the room, to the kiss, to when the Jem'Hadar had attacked the ship and ultimately nearly killed her right before his eyes. Seeing K'nera bloodied and still had sent him briefly back in time to when it had been a different woman for whom he cared deeply lying on the floor.

Had his father felt the same rage upon finding K'Ehleyr dying after Duras had attacked her while she was stationed aboard the Enterprise? Alexander always had a hard time connecting his parents together; not surprising considering that he'd witnessed so little of their interactions together. It had literally been days from the time that he'd first met his father before his mother had been killed. Still, Worf had shown a level of emotion that day that few had ever seen from him.

When K'Ehleyr died, Alexander had witnessed her death as a small, scared little boy; a son and he had reacted as such. Now, years later, he had nearly watched another die for whom he cared just as deeply for though on a different level. Someone whom Alexander could see himself falling fully and totally in love with if given the chance.

Lost in his thoughts, Alexander did not notice when the door to the training room slid open. It took several moments for him to look up and realize that the captain was watching him.

"Captain," Alexander pulled up short in surprise.

M'jaK acknowledged him in return, "yaS T'knehzoR."

It still was a thing of honor for Alexander every time he heard someone refer to him as an officer. When he'd first come aboard the Ya'Vang, he'd been a lowly bekk. Being made an officer on the ship had been the highlight of his life aboard the Klingon vessel.

"Can I help you? I wasn't expecting anyone up here at this early hour."

"Nor was I," M'jaK walked further into the training room as he indicated towards the hand that held Alexander's bat'leth. "You carry your dominate hand too low at times. You should watch that."

"I'll keep that in mind." Self-consciously, Alexander moved to put the weapon back in its place on the wall among the other blades. "Well, I should leave you to your morning exercises."

"Not just yet, T'knehzoR," Captain M'jaK held up a hand to stop the young weapons officer. "I have word on K'nera and suspected that you would like to know how she has fared. After all, had it not been for your insistence, she would not have been sent to the Starbase. She would have died here, instead."

"I… uh… I just don't like the idea of a needless death."

"So it seems," he couldn't help the snicker that slipped out at his officer's expense. It wasn't his fault that he hadn't been raised to honor Klingon values. No matter how much he has worked on altering his perspective on certain subjects, it can take a lifetime to succeed in doing so. "In any case, Dr. Zyctalir has assured me that she will make a full recovery."

"So she'll return to the ship soon?" Alexander asked hopefully.

"No. Once she has been cleared for duty she will be assigned to the Betazoid refugee camp on Talceus Prime."

"The refugee camp?"

"There are few officers who are comfortable with being stationed there. With her being Betazoid, it seemed like a logical placement." M'jaK only regretted that he'd not considered the camp as a possible safer assignment before K'nera had been injured so severely in battle the day before. "It will be best that way. Surely you of all people know just how unwise it is for an alien to serve aboard a Klingon ship at this point in time."

And he did. The same xenophobic hostilities that he had worked hard to dispel from his own direction had often been cast in K'nera's path as well, perhaps even more so. At times, he knew that there were those on the ship who would have just assumed to learn that he was dead after a battle with the Jem'Hadar. Alexander had also noticed that the only thing that had protected K'nera from some of the same hostilities had been the fact that her uncle was the captain of the ship.

In recent weeks, as Alexander had gained a level of standing among the crew, he had not been unaware of the fact that K'nera's own position had been declining with the majority of them. Alexander suspected that with the increase of losses on the front lines so increased the belief that the war would be over with the Dominion already if only the Klingon Empire had led the charge rather than yielding to the Federation. K'nera's pale hair and skin had served as beacons for some of the crew's hatred and animosity.

"I understand," Alexander hated to admit it but after a brief consideration, he was glad that she would be out of harm's way. Even if that did mean that he couldn't be with her. He did, however, plan to contact her as quickly as he could. They had a lot to talk about; mainly how they felt about one another. A conversation that would be best if done in person but given the war and their separate posts now, that may not be possible for a while.

M'jaK studied the man before him for a moment as he tried to decipher just what he was thinking about before speaking up once more. "There is one more thing that I think that you should know, T'knehzoR. Something that you should be made aware of since it will impact your life within the Empire."

Alexander gave his captain a questioning look. He wondered if it had anything to do with his feelings for the man's niece. "Sir?"

"Word has just gone out across the Empire. Gowron is dead."

"Dead? I wasn't aware that the Chancellor's ship was on the front lines."

"It wasn't. He was at Deep Space Nine," M'jaK paused as he eyed Alexander. "Your father challenged him and won."

Alexander's brows furled as he let what the captain was saying to him sink in. "Then who leads the Empire now? I assume that the Council will name someone to take Gowron's place quickly considering that we are in the middle of a war."

"Traditionally, the victor of such a challenge has the right to claim that honor."

"My father is no politician. Nor does he seek power for himself, Captain."

"Apparently not, after killing Gowron, he named Martok as the new Chancellor in his stead."

"Martok?"

"Yes, a fine choice in my opinion. He is a wise general and is an excellent tactician. The war just might go in our favor now with him at the helm of the Empire." M'jaK knew that many within the military felt the same way. He hoped that his faith in the man wouldn't be for nothing. It felt so strange to have possibly the most hated man in the Empire to be responsible for its new ruler. "Of course, this means that you are now a member of the Ruling House of the Klingon Empire."

"And what does that mean?"

"It means, as a security measure, you should think about being transferred to a better equipped ship with a crew whose loyalties to both Martok and yourself can be assured."

DS9

K'nera was aware of the medical staff long before she opened her eyes. The first thing that she realized was that none of them were Klingon. In fact, she couldn't sense a single Klingon aboard whatever ship or station that she was now on which meant that she was no longer aboard the Ya'Vang. Instead of the presence of those whom she would have expected, K'nera sensed Bolians, Humans, Vulcans, Romulans, as well as several other species that she had rare occasions to actually meet.

The absence of any of the people who had taken her in as an orphan and raised her was a stark reality for her. Especially since she had not left the Empire behind since she was a small child. Even during the war, K'nera had constantly been in the presence of at least a hundred Klingons at any given time. With the Ya'Vang being such a large ship, having hundreds of Klingon Warriors at the ready had become a normal part of life; as well as sifting through their thoughts and emotions.

Off to the side, K'nera heard one of the medical personnel comment on the fact that she was waking up. She then felt someone standing over her and run a scan. The doctor, a Bolian, finished running yet another test before she finally spoke up.

"It is pointless to keep your eyes closed. I am aware that you are awake," the doctor tapped her tri-corder as she finished checking K'nera's vitals as she spoke. "Please, tell me how you are feeling."

"Like I've just been trampled by a herd of wild targs."

K'nera fought a wince as she tried to shift her weight on the bio-bed before opening her eyes. It appeared that she was in a Federation Sick-Bay by the looks of the equipment that lined the unit. She was the only patient in the bay which likely was the reason for her nurse and doctor discovering her consciousness so early. Had there been other patients that needed their care K'nera would have been able to get a better grasp of where she was before they had come to check on her.

"Where am I?" K'nera gave the doctor an examining look as she spoke. The woman appeared to be aged but the young Betazoid was not familiar enough with her species to determine her more precise age. Around the room, the majority of the medical staff were Human but the lone Bolian in the room was clearly in charge of the facility.

"You are in a field hospital that the Federation has set up just behind the front lines of the war with the Dominion near Bolian space."

Looking down at herself, K'nera remembered the battle with the Jem'Hadar. She could still feel the blade that the warrior had welded being thrust into her just before hearing Alexander's anguished cry. For a second, the kiss that they'd shared just moments before the Ya'Vang was attacked flitted through her memory. It had been a moment that she'd tried to prevent yet was glad it had happened; a memory that was bound to put a smile on her face for a long time.

With eyes flashing open wide, K'nera then began to wonder what had happened to Alexander. She had no idea just what had happened after she had lost consciousness during the attack. The two of them had been out-numbered and the corridor in front of the training room had not been the only breach in the ship's defense systems. The fact that she couldn't sense any of her fellow crewmen now worried her a great deal. Just how is it that she had come to the Bolian system in the first place?

Dr. Zyctalir put a hand on K'nera's shoulder to settle her as her patient's vital signs spiked. "Settle back down. I'm afraid that you won't be going anywhere for a while."

"What of the others on the ship? What happened to them? How did I get here?"

"You were the only patient sent here; though I do have word from your captain to alert him of your condition. As to how you got here, you were brought by way of a Romulan War Bird."

"The Romulans?"

"That's all the information that I have on just what happened before you were brought here. I'm sure that your captain will be able to answer your other questions but that will have to wait until the morning."

The doctor gave K'nera a hypospray before she could ask any further questions. And questions she had plenty of. Like why had her uncle sent her to a field hospital on a Romulan ship? If she had been injured so badly, why hadn't she just been allowed to die? That was the Klingon way, after all. But perhaps the most important question on her mind; what had happened to Alexander?