Chapter Nineteen
The Enterprise had arrived at the planet of Qronos. Worf stood in the observation lounge and stared through the windows at his home planet. It was a magnificent sight. The great planet hanging in the fabric of space. Worf smiled to himself. He had heard from Commander Riker that there was practically an orbital traffic jam, as Gowron had called back most of the klingon fleet, and then there were the ships of the other races who came to celebrate the NeH'sezv'ar festival.
The festival was to celebrate the unification of the klingon nations which happened around a thousand years ago, under the real Kahless. This was the first time that it had been celebrated since the emperor's return, and Gowron was making a big political spectacle of it.
The doors opened behind him, and Gowron, Kurn and Captain Picard swept into the room. Worf turned and walked over to embrace his brother. As usual Kurn looked like a wild man. Gowron just looked colossally annoyed. He also looked extremely haggard.
"Brother!" Worf growled happily.
"Worf! It has been a while. It is good to see you face to face again." Kurn said.
Gowron turned to Worf. "Enough of these pleasantries, where is MaH'delyna?" He asked forcefully.
Picard turned to Gowron, "Let's have a seat, shall we?" Picard sat and the others followed suit.
"She is on the ship, Gowron. You know that." Worf answered.
"I want her off the ship. I can protect her much better on the homeworld." The leader of the high council hissed angrily.
"Oh, I am sure that you can; however, she stays where she is, at least for a few days." Worf replied.
"When?" Kurn asked, trying to diffuse the tension between the two men.
Worf's eyes bored into Gowron. "After the medical inquiry."
Gowron shot up out of his chair. "What are you accusing me of?" He shouted.
Worf jumped to his feet. "I am not accusing you of anything, I am merely doing my job, protecting MaH'delyna from any who would profit from her death." He snarled ominously.
"How dare you challenge my honor! I have already promised you that I won't hurt her! How dare you accuse me of contemplating her death." Gowron barked.
"I didn't say anything!" Worf ground out.
Picard stood up. "Gentlemen, please sit down."
"Shut up, Picard." Gowron turned back to Worf. "I will see the girl and I will see her now!"
Worf obeyed his superior officer's orders and seated himself. "You will see her tonight, and not before. Be patient, Gowron." He sneered, hating Gowron at this moment.
"I will have the girl, I will have her tonight, even if I have to drag her from you, Worf." Gowron pivoted on his heel and stalked out of the room.
Kurn rose. "I should follow him. See you tonight, Worf, Captain Picard." He followed Gowron.
Picard turned to Worf. "What was that in aid of?" He asked coldly.
"Gowron was being particularly unreasonable. I just put him in his place." Worf shrugged. "I was showing him my strength. In the end, I will have gained more respect in his eyes and I have protected my witness."
Picard rolled his eyes. "Oh good. Next time warn me when you are going to antagonize visiting heads of state. I am not pleased, Mr. Worf."
"I apologize, sir. I just wanted Gowron to know that I don't trust him" Worf replied.
Picard grunted. "Is everything ready for this evening?"
"Yes. Security is at a maximum. I will stay with MaH'delyna all night. Hopefully we will flush Lersash and his merry men out of obscurity. I have warned sick bay that there could be trouble." Worf answered.
"Then you are dismissed, Worf. I will see you this evening." Picard got up and swept from the room. Worf followed suit.
Worf hated the starfleet dress uniform. It was too tight in the neck and it was impossible to fight in. He looked at himself in the mirror. He didn't look all that bad, though. His hair was back, his sash was shiny. He looked pretty good.
Walked out of his room and looked at his son. "I don't know when I will be back tonight, so make sure you go to bed around twenty-two hundred hours?" He stated crisply, picking imaginary lint off of his chest.
"I don't see why you get to go to a party, and I still have to go to bed at my regular time!" Alexander whined.
"Because I am the father and you are the son! That is why! "
Alexander looked at him mutinously. "That sounds like a typical adult reason."
Worf looked at him. "I want you home so I don't have to worry about you. There maybe some fighting on board the ship tonight, and I want to know you are safe and sound, not traipsing all over the ship where you could get hurt. It is important that I know exactly where you are tonight. I may need your help, if I have to change quickly."
"All right. Are you taking MaH'delyna with you?" Alexander asked.
"Yes, I am." Worf was turning toward the door.
"That's good. I like her, Father. She's a good teacher. I also think she makes you happy." Alexander turned and walked out of the room.
Worf shook his head and walked out of his quarters. If one thing was for certain, MaH'delyna and her situation did not make him happy. He went up to deck six to where MaH'delyna was. As he was approaching her door, which had a guard posted at it, he ran across Deanna and Beverly leaving. They both looked resplendent in their formal gowns, Beverly in green and Deanna in deep purple. "Doctor, Counselor." He nodded at them.
"Why, Worf, you look very dapper. We hear you have a big date tonight." Beverly said with a peculiar smile on her face.
"It is not a date. I am taking MaH'delyna so will be protected." He corrected.,
Troi nodded. "So how many weapons do you have on you?" She asked.
"Including the thong in my hair? I could use it as a garrote." He joked, keeping his face straight.
"Why not?" Beverly asked.
"About seven. I am running a few short. I could have fit a phasor rifle under my sash, but I thought it showed just a bit too much. I prefer to conceal my weapons." He winced slightly at the innuendo after he said it.
Troi nodded. "Well, see you later, Worf." The two ladies walked off down the beige corridor, looking more like birds that Starfleet officers.
He finished his walk and nodded crisply to the security officer. He chimed on MaH'delyna's door, and entered when he heard her voice softly from the inside. In her quarters, the light was very dim and it took a few moments for him to adjust to the light. "MaH'delyna, are you in here?" He asked.
His question was answered a moment later when she entered her living room and walked toward him. His first thought was that someone had gilded her. From her neck to her feet she was covered in gold. Worf stood with his jaw on the floor as she walked closer and closer. He could see that the dress was actually made of tiny metal tiles, all linked together, so that they moved as she walked. She didn't look real.
"Hello Worf." She smiled.
He couldn't speak. The dress was absolutely amazing. It encased her like a sheath. She was completely covered, and yet- The gown left little to the imagination. Whoever had crafted this dress had been a master metal smith. "You look like a goddess." Worf whispered irrationally, almost worried that if he spoke to loudly she would vanish.
"Why, thank you. I am glad you like it!" MaH'delyna glowed. "You look handsome yourself."
He walked closer to her and touched her metal covered arm. The material had warmed to her body temperature, and he found it a remarkable sensation. He ran his fingers up the limb, to her neck to touch the tendrils of hair which had escaped the golden mesh net that encased her hair. He slipped his palm around to cup her neck and looked at her. He could see that there were tiny imprints in the tiles of the dress. "I have never seen, never met, anyone who compares to you. You outshine the stars." His voice was husky, and he looked intently into her eyes. "How do you feel?"
She glanced at him nervously. "I'm afraid, worried that I won't be able to stay in that room with all of those people, knowing Keth'ex and Lersash might be there."
"I won't let you out of my sight, MaH'delyna," He rasped huskily. "Little mother."
"What if I freeze. What if I go into the other place, Worf?" It was a half whispered plea.
"I have extreme faith that you won't, but if you do, I will beam you out of there. And don't think about them getting to you. I have enough security in the holodeck to make sure that nothing untoward happens tonight." He assured her.
"So what happens when we arrive?" She asked.
"Well, I have it timed things so that we will be close to the last people arriving. We enter, we mingle, we dance, we leave. Nothing will happen. This is mostly just to show our quarry that you are alive, and not a vegetable, which has been the general impression we have been giving to the general public." Worf told her gently, rubbing the back of her neck.
"Ah, to be bait." She smiled faintly, her eyes slowly closing as she leaned into hand. MaH'delyna sighed langerously as he worked his massage.
"If you don't want to do this, you can stay here." He whispered.
She looked at him, her brown eyes filling with fledgling confidence. "No. I have to do this. I can't be afraid for the rest of my life."
"Then, my lady, Would you do me the honor of attending the NeH'sezv'ar Ball with me?" He bowed gallantly, breaking the mystical spell.
"With pleasure, Lieutenant Worf." She laughed.
Worf made a motion for her to proceed him and she did. His jaw hit the floor for a second time when he saw the back of the dress, or, he should have said, lack of back of the dress. With the exception of a small chain which held the shoulder in place, at the base of her neck, there was nothing there. The metal tiles formed a point at the very small of her back, leaving a triangular space exposing her rippled spine for all to see. From the base of her spine the dress hung straight to the floor, brushing it with the hem. He thought that he saw a slit, but he wasn't sure. He swallowed, and loosened the collar of his uniform with a finger. Why was it he felt the temperature in the room had increased by at least ten degrees?
"That is some dress!" He murmured, placing a hand on her bare skin as they went through the door.
"This is my oath taking dress. It was the only thing I had that was suitable for this sort of occasion. I didn't see anything in the replicators that I liked, and I have always been fond of this!" He could hear the smile in her voice. Why was it women instinctively knew when a man was uncomfortable?
They made their way down towards the holodeck, MaH'delyna attracting much attention from the staff walking in the corridors. On either side of the Holodeck doors stood two security men in full dress uniform. He nodded to them. "Has there been any trouble?" Worf asked.
"None at all, sir."
He nodded again, pleased, and held his elbow out for the golden klingon woman to take. "Is that dress made of gold?" He whispered in her ear.
"No, I believe it is pure Latinum." She looked coyly at the floor.
"The Ferengi delegation are going to have collective apoplexy." He countered, one eyebrow raised. He didn't want to think that her dress was probably worth as much as a Federation run-a-bout.
"Poor little men." She blinked innocently.
He rolled his eyes. "What force have I let loose on the world?" Worf asked with mock terror. "Shall we go in?" She nodded and they did.
The doors to the holodeck slid open to display a world of pure fantasy. A crystal bridge lead down from the open door to a crystal platform about fifty by fifty meters which hovered about twenty meters above a swirling green sea. The sky was dark, and stormy looking, with flashes of lightning close over head. There was a slight breeze, but it wasn't chilly, and in the air was the sound of a Federation band. About every five meters along the crystal platform were security guards in full dress uniform to help keep the revelers from 'falling over the side'. It was a breathtaking sight.
Worf heard MaH'delyna's intake of breath and said, "Do you like it?"
"It is wonderful, Worf! It is straight out of the Kel'shar gospels. 'And Kahless rose from the stormy sea to lead our people to victory.'" She murmured.
He smiled at her wonderment and took her slowly down the bridge. Eyes turned their way as they walked, and a path began to appear in the throng. Picard, flanked by Gowron and Kurn appeared at the bottom of the stairs.
When they arrived at the bottom, Picard took MaH'delyna's hand and raised it elegantly to his lips. "Qing MaH'delyna of SoS, I believe." He said warmly, with a smile.
"Captain Picard. I must thank you for all your kind hospitality during my stay on the Enterprise. I will never be able to repay you." She replied sincerely. Worf couldn't help but be proud of her. She was as cool and composed as a swan.
"Allow me to introduce you to Captain Kurn, the Klingon Foreign minister, and to Gowron, the Leader of the Klingon high council, and commander of the Klingon armada." Picard replied.
Worf looked at his brother. Kurn's eyes were round, and very surprised. "I am honored." Kurn said, moving his body into something resembling a bow.
It was the reaction in Gowron that surprised Worf the most. Gowron was splendid in his formal regalia. He looked like a klingon powerhouse, someone who the average person didn't want to mess with. He wore the caped jacket that was the symbol of his authority, and every piece of metal on it had been polished to an incredible shine. From his toes to his nose, he looked every inch a klingon Warrior. Gowron also looked like a pole axed cow. If Kurn's eyes were round, then Gowron's were saucers. He was extremely pale and he looked totally shocked. He blinked once, and then twice. His mouth worked, and finally the word "Amirabar!" came out.
"Yes, Gowron, I have returned. But I don't think I am Amirabar anymore. She grew up a long time ago." MaH'delyna said to Gowron. She turned to Picard. "Gowron used to call me Amirabar when I was but a child."
Picard nodded. Gowron just stood there. "It has been far to long, Amirabar." He rasped. "You don't know just how long I have waited for your return from the dead."
MaH'delyna looked at him sadly. "I am not the little girl who used to chase you around my father's estate. I have changed since then. Times have changed since then." Her voice brimmed with silent regret.
Gowron looked at her. "I don't care. I have waited twelve years for you. If you need time, I can give it. You are back . Everything is now the way it always should have been."
MaH'delyna's eyes widened as his words sunk in. Worf didn't want to hear what Gowron was saying, but he listened rapt, yet with every word a part of him died. "I don't know what to say." MaH'delyna breathed.
"Then say nothing at all. I know your answer. I can see it in your eyes. Things have been righted now, and time will progress as it was originally meant to." Gowron smiled. " You have my bond on that."
"I am flattered, Gowron." MaH'delyna replied, looking very concerned.
"Come with me, tonight, back to the planet. I can protect you much better from there." Gowron offered earnestly.
"I must stay on the Enterprise, Gowron. I have promises I, too, must keep. I cannot leave with you tonight." She replied. Worf felt a small part of him come back to life. Perhaps he did have a chance after all.
"I will not hear of it, but we can discuss things later. Perhaps discuss the past, and old promises, later. I cannot believe the girl who so teased me has grown into such an amazing woman." Gowron ran a gloved hand down her cheek. "You are like a creature out of the myths. a breath of air, and you will fade away. How I prayed for your return." He murmured softly. "You are glorious." Worf felt that Gowron was being far too possessive.
"Oh Gowron, I have missed you. There have been many times when I wished you would come and help me, and now you are here, I don't know what to think. This is all like a dream."
"No longer a dream, Amirabar. I am here, and no one is ever going to hurt you again. I always protect what is mine!"
MaH'delyna nodded. "I am glad you are here, Gowron. We do have much to discuss." Worf wondered what Gowron had meant by those last words. They could either be referring to the Latinum on SoS, or MaH'delyna, herself. He never hated Gowron as he did this moment. He was angry and horribly jealous. He could have committed murder.
"We shouldn't tie up MaH'delyna like this. There are many people who are interested meeting the survivor of SoS." The Captain interjected. Picard and Worf then began to maneuver her through the crowd. This was the best way for it to get back to their quarry that MaH'delyna had returned from the dead. They circulated around the room, slowly, everyone wanting to meet the beautiful and mysterious klingon woman from the place that was on almost everyone's lips.
The moment of reckoning came about an hour later when Keth'ex and Lersash maneuvered in front of them. Gowron, who had been following silently, bristled, as did Worf. Picard was very calm, as was MaH'delyna. Worf, who was still holding her hand, didn't feel her tense. She seemed as cool and unruffled on the inside as on the outside.
Keth'ex stared at her, his face limp with shock. "My daughter. You have returned!" He said looking completely ill.
MaH'delyna looked at the impostor, her face warm, but her eyes flat and totally devoid of any feeling. "Yes, father, I have. It has been too long since I saw you last. How time does stand still when we are separated from those who care for us." She said sweetly, making no move to touch him.
Keth'ex stared at her, and his piggish eyes calculating. His gaze darted between that of Gowron and Worf. Worf narrowed his eyes and stared at Keth'ex. He let one half of his face slide into a sardonic smile.
Lersash picked up the beat and walked over to her. He cupped her face with both hands and murmured to her, "Dearest child, how much your father has told me about you. You can't know what the past twelve years have been like for us, wanting to believe that you were alive. Now here you are. What an amazing thing. How ever did you survive?" He asked sweetly, but his eyes were narrowed and his nostrils flared, as he appeared to be inhaling her scent.
Worf took up the cue. "MaH'delyna has shown to be extremely resilient."
Keth'ex smiled. "What memories I have of you. And now, how you have changed. You look so different from the last time I saw you." Worf could see the panic in Keth'ex' eyes, and he wondered just how sane Keth'ex was.
MaH'delyna smiled. "Yes, I remember everything about our last meeting father. It was so tragic. I have longed to be near you again." To the casual observer, her words were warm, but to anyone who knew the real story, they were filled with bitter sarcasm. Worf inhaled deeply. She knew the game, and could she ever play it.
Gowron finally spoke up. "And isn't it amazing that she survived the Massacre. I hope that she may be able to shed some light on the situation." The klingon leader's words dripped with malice.
Worf nodded at Gowron. "She has told me the most amazing things, Gowron." He looked at Lersash. "The most amazing things."
Keth'ex paled, and nervously changed the subject. "I would imagine life in that primitive colony would be dreadfully dull."
"Oh no!" MaH'delyna said. "There were many interesting things on SoS." She looked at Lersash. "Especially in the trees." Her eyes burned.
Lersash's smile went sickly. "Different species of animals?"
"No. The animals on SoS walked on the ground and smelled like cowards." She hissed through her smile which brightened.
Gowron faced Worf. "Cowards." Gowron acted like he could taste the words." I like to hunt cowards. What about you, Worf."
"My favorite prey." Worf pulled on his beard speculatively. "What about you, Lersash?"
"Yes, I like the sound they make when they squeal for their lives. How they will promise anything to make the pain go away. I even enjoy-" Lersash stared at MaH'delyna and smiled cruelly. "I love the noises they make when I use them. The screaming, and the moaning, and the little rattling gurgle they make, right before they die!" Before Worf could do anything to stop him, Lersash snaked a hand MaH'delyna's neck and pulled her close to his body. With his other hand, he traced down the ridges of her forehead in a sick parody of a common gesture of klingon affection. "What do you think, Qing DiH'Xang-MaH'delyna of SoS, have you ever heard anything like that before?" His last word came out sounding more like a sound of desire than a speech. He licked his lips slowly and bent closer to her ear. "Moaning," His hand trailed along her neck, "And crying," Then his fingers traced the line of her cleavage. "And begging."
Worf was so stricken, he was almost paralyzed. He looked at Gowron, who seemed equally as sickened. Worf could taste coppery blood in his mouth, as he ground his teeth into the side of his inner cheek. He was going to kill Lersash.
MaH'delyna came to her own rescue. With hard eyes, and a face of stone, she extricated her way out of Lersash's grasp." I would say that it takes a coward to know a coward. Men who torture the helpless aren't worthy of the knives they carry. Torture is a game played by those too weak to have real power."
Keth'ex looked up sharply. "Now daughter, don't antagonize your future mate. Lersash and I have agreed that the best way to cement our alliance is for you two to," he paused and smirked nastily, "Cleave to one another."
"You forget the law, Keth'ex, the female must consent. It is the law." Gowron snarled viciously, his hackles rising.
MaH'delyna's eyes bored into Keth'ex's. "I find myself disinclined to soil myself with your ally, Father." She said very quietly.
Picard stepped from the background, "Of course, MaH'delyna is more than welcome to remain on the Enterprise as long as she likes. We have found her to be a valuble asset to our compliment." A courus of 'No, that won't be necesarry's'came from Gowron, Keth'ex and Lersash. But Picard took MaH'delyna's hand and held it in his, looking into her eyes kindly. "Just so that you know you have the option."
Worf watched as Gowron turned his piercing gaze onto the Captain, and Worf knew that the high council leader was eyeing the Captain as an adversary.
The music struck up a klingon Dance called the Olax, which mimicked the courtship rituals of the ancient klingons. MaH'delyna turned suddenly to Worf. "My feet itch, and as my escort, you get my first dance."
He offered her his arm and lead her to the dance floor. They immediately began to whirl to the violent music. The Olax was one of the most explicit dances of the klingon culture. Worf wondered why she had chosen this route for her escape.
He held her hands and pulled her closer to him, gyrating to the music. Like an expert she writhed, trying to get out of his embrace. She moved around him, getting caught and getting away as the music ordered.
He grabbed her wrist and smelled up her arm, as the dance steps dictated and when he got to her ear he whispered, "Are you sure you know what you are doing, dancing this with me?"
She danced away from him, letting her hand trace down his arm to his wrist, where, in time to the beat, he grabbed her and dragged her back into his embrace. Once in his arms she made the sharp flinging motion that was to simulate striking him. "I wanted to dance this with you."
She twirled away, but he grasped her wrists and pulled her closer again. "You could have picked Gowron." He ran his hand down her back and they began the complex cha cha like steps, constantly making mock striking movements that the dance demanded.
She grabbed him by the neck, and answered him. "I wanted to dance with you." She let him pick her up and throw her into the air. He was amazed by her ability to perform this dance. He knew it was much like a mock battle, but there was a certain amount of skill involved. She knew the execution flawlessly.
"You have been practicing." He murmured as he ducked another blow. The music began to go even faster, more furious. He pulled her along his body and leaned back.
"No, I learned it on SoS." The dance was coming to it's end. He stopped talking. He knew that he had to throw her up in the air and catch her just before she hit the ground. It took timing and patience, or the female partner could be seriously hurt. He knew that the weight of her metal dress wouldn't make his task any easier. But then that is what made the dance so exciting. There was nothing like the underlying currents of danger to make something more enjoyable.
He grabbed her hips, and threw her spinning, high above his head, straight into the air. She manipulated herself so that she was falling on a diagonal. The music went wild. Had Worf been paying any attention he would have noticed that they were the only couple on the floor to do the proper ending. He was too busy. The rest were merely standing in awe.
She fell and he braced himself. Damn this starfleet uniform. She landed in his arms and arched backwards sharply as the music wound down. He lowered her so that her legs were on the floor, supporting her waist by one hand, and in the traditional ending he ran his hand from her neck to her legs.
Worf stared at her exultant face. They were magical together, or so he thought. He watched his hand as it traced it's path to the final strains of the music. Something caught his eye and he really looked at the tiles of the dress. He had noticed earlier that the tiles had little imprints in them, what he hadn't realized was that the imprints were a highly stylized form of klingon script, each tile a different letter. The dress was a message! He brought the hand that was on her legs to her stomach and tried to smooth the dress, but he couldn't understand quite what it said, the letters were all jumbled together. Many were numbers and he had a notion that they were coordinates to something.
"Uh, Worf, you can let me up now." MaH'delyna murmured. He ignored her and, again, tried to smooth the golden surface he was looking at. He tried to sound out the letters to no avail. He needed time to study this. "Worf, people are beginning to stare." She moved and he lost his train of thought. "Worf!"
He looked up at her. "This dress! This is Toloth's legacy. Every tile is a letter." He picked her up and scooped her into his arms. He laughed out loud. It was an almost gleeful sound. "You are wearing the key to the whole mystery on your back!" He strode with her towards the crystal bridge.
"What?" Her eyes widened, and she began to laugh with him.
The stunned throng cleared a path as he walked up the bridge, and through the Holodeck doors. He could feel the curious eyes of the security officers as he moved by, walking as straight as an arrow, with her limp in his arms. Her head rested on his chest, and she began to giggle into it. "I don't believe it!" She said. "It has been right here the entire time."
He nodded and made his way into her quarters. "I need to study that," He broke into laughter again." I need to study that dress. I don't believe it. That dress has been in your possession all along. Go change!"
"I am glad we left, but won't we get in trouble for leaving so abruptly?" MaH'delyna asked.
"I doubt it. Perhaps it was a tad flamboyant, but -"He shrugged. "Picard will know I had a good reason. Now, go change. I can't read that dress while you are inside of it. I wonder if there will be anyone in the science labs? I want to run a computer analysis on it." He looked at her. She still stood there with him, looking at him strangely. "What?" He asked.
She pulled him into the bedroom with her. "I need your help."
He froze, his gleeful mood gone. "I don't think that is such a good idea. I don't want things to get out of hand."
She looked into his eyes. "I don't think they will."
He looked at her warily. She purred at him, and he was lost. He grabbed her wrists and brought her closer. "Are you sure you want this?"
"You aren't going to take advantage of me, if that is what you are asking. I want this as much as you do. I am yours. You are my hero. I have for a very long time." Her eyes shone.
"I don't think that this is the best time." Worf replied, trying to keep his whirling emotions in order. His throat was completely dry.
"There will never be a better time. I need this. I need you." She traced a finger down his face. "Don't you want this?" MaH'delyna asked softly, seeming almost unsure of herself.
"More than you can possible imagine!" He rasped.
She wrapped her golden arms around and looked up at him with her liquid eyes. He lost his control and growled at her. "We are going to regret this." He said through gritted teeth.
"Worf, I will never regret this. If the world considers this wrong, then the universe is wrong, and this is right. Love me, Worf." She whispered silkily to him. "Love me."
As he slowly undid the chain at the back of her neck, and as he felt the heat of her body radiating from her body, he thought to himself, 'I already do.'