Chapter Twenty-four
Worf was in a corner. He knew it, and he knew that Gowron knew it. The klingon leader was always on board the Enterprise, always in sick bay, waiting for MaH'delyna to wake up. Now Gowron was suggesting she be moved to a facility that he was having set up for her. The only thing keeping Picard from transferring her were Beverly's scowls and Worf's pleas. He had a feeling that it was not the latter, but the former that kept the Captain in check.
It had been two days since the fight that was fast becoming a legend in the Empire. MaH'delyna had become a folk hero. And now the people were clamoring to hear of her progress. Not like there had been any. She still slept. Worf hated the feeling of powerlessness he felt. This was worse than when they had been on SoS. He didn't care forher then.
He entered Sick Bay and was surprised not to see any of Gowron's bodyguards. Worf snorted. Gowron must have decided to take a break. Worf had to admit to himself that he, too, had been contributing to the wear on the carpet in here.
He walked past Beverly's office and was surprised to see that she was not there. He had become used to her sympathetic smiles every time he walked by. Worf stopped suddenly. His Communicator beeping. "Dr. Crusher to Worf, will you please report to sickbay."
He smiled slightly, the first time in three days. He stepped into the regular care section. "Doctor crusher?" He called.
She poked her head around from intensive care, her face frozen with surprise. "That was quick."
He shrugged. "Turbo lifts. What can I say." He said with a certain amount of mirth. "I notice that Gowron and his Goon squad aren't here. That is a first." He commented dryly.
Beverly sighed. "I was about to break his legs. I would have last night, were it not for my hypocratic oath. He's constantly in my hair. But enough of this, MaH'delyna is awake, and asking for you."
The lights in sick bay became brighter, the air smelled fresher and Beverly looked like a Goddess. "How is she?"
"Her body has switched back to the main organs. I think she will pull through. Be gentle though. No bear hugs." Her lips twitched, amused.
"Ha, ha, ha." He walked into intensive care, feeling a little nervous. It had been two days. Would she have changed in that amount of time?
She looked very small under the iridescent medial blanket. Her eyes were closed, and even though her chest was moving up and down, her breathing was very shallow. He slowly walked toward her. He felt a twinge of deja vu. It made him feel uneasy.
"Little mother?" He called softly in klingon.
She opened her eyes. It was like the sun rising, to Worf. She turned her head to look at him. "Worf!" She sighed. Her voice seemed rusty from lack of use.
He took a few tentative steps forward. She had never looked more beautiful to him. She had also never looked so frail. He couldn't believe how much she had wasted away in two days. "I am here, MaH'delyna." He said in english." And so are you. Thank Kahless that he was not ready to take you to Stovokhor." He reached the bed and gently took her hand.
She smiled slightly at him. "Thank Kahless indeed." Her eyes searched his face. "You don't look well, Worf. You don't look well at all. What have you been doing to yourself?"
"I should ask you the same question!" He jested.
"Well, you know me. I work with children all day. they can really take the energy out of a klingon." She bantered.
"Tell me about it. Mine has been looking daggers at me because I went and let his favorite teacher get hurt." He felt his voice crack, and he switched into klingon so that he could put the proper emotion into his voice. "I should never have let you fight Lersash. I watched you die before my very eyes. I should never have let you fight him." The guilt of two days overwhelmed him.
She reached up and traced a pattern on his cheek. "I did what I had to do. You know that. And I am alive. Nothing ventured, nothing gained."
"Nothing lost, either." He whispered.
"You could never have been lost, Worf. I would have always been here." She let her finger meander from his cheek to the region above his heart.
"I don't know what I would have done without you."
"You would have gone on to bigger and better things."
He shook his head. "Never."
She shut her eyes and was silent for a moment. "I am alive, again, Worf. Inside. There is something within me that has awakened again. I feel alive. A month ago, a week ago, I would never have believed that I would feel this way. Alive." She tasted the word.
He could see that there was a sparkle in her eye that had never been there before. The pain was still there, the memory was still there, but in the flat, lifeless spot, there lay a glimmer. "You are so beautiful!"
Gowron and the high council had laid an ultimatum before Worf. MaH'delyna had to pass judgment on Lersash, his family, and his house, as well as all the other men who raped her, all of whom had turned themselves in, or the council would do it. And she had to do it today. Since she awoke four days, things had been moving on the planet below. It didn't help that the Enterprise was leaving today, and not staying for the entire NeH'sezv'ar festival. She had to go down to the planet and pass sentence in front of a full council, and anyone else who wanted to attended, klingon or otherwise. He clamped his teeth together. She hadn't even taken a step off of the Biobed in sickbay, she hadn't even been moved out of intensive care, and Gowron wanted her to go down and in front of at least one hundred people, pass judgment on the man who had almost killed her.
Beverly, naturally, was spitting nails. Worf had been there when she had told Picard in no uncertain terms that she would challenge Gowron to a duel before she would turn her patient over to the klingon leader. MaH'delyna had taken the matter into her own hands when she had told the Doctor that she was going down to the planet even if Beverly tied her down. Worf didn't like it. He believed that Gowron was playing games, but there was nothing that he could do.
He put on a different set of formal robes than the ones he had worn a week ago. He still hadn't washed the other set. For some reason, it seemed blasphemous to clean MaH'delyna's blood off of them. When he had told her that, she had scoffed at him for being silly.
MaH'delyna. He wondered what she was doing now. He hadn't seen her since yearly this morning. She had been closeted with Emperor Kahless since after breakfast. He wondered if she was nervous.
His door chimed and he straightened his garments and called "Come."
It was Beverly, looking resplendent in her formal uniform, something he had rarely seen her in. "Hello Worf." She said curtly.
"Doctor." He said cautiously. He knew that she was mad at him. He was going to tread very softly around her.
"I was sent by a certain very stubborn woman to fetch you. She and that Emperor of yours told me that it was time. The captain is with them now." She instructed him crisply.
"Yes, I was just on my way." He replied. "Are you coming down to the surface with us?"
"Oh yes. I don't even know if MaH'delyna has the strength to walk. There is no way I am going to allow her to go down to the planet without my being there to make sure that she is all right." The Doctor said.
Worf nodded as they left his quarters. "I understand that sentiment." They walked in silence until they arrived at the turbolift. "You know, Doctor, I don't want this anymore than you do. There just isn't anything that I can do about it. I tried, but Gowron has the council right where he wants them."
"Sickbay. "She said to the Computer. She put her hand on his arm. "I know. I realize that I haven't been totally fair to you. I just am worried, and I hate feeling that I can't manipulate the situation like everyone else." She smiled at him.
He nodded and they walked into the sickbay. When they arrived in Sickbay, MaH'delyna was sitting on the edge of the biobed looking like a queen. She was wearing a green gown unlike anything he had ever seen before. The bodice was tight and encrusted with beading and embroidery, and the skirt was bell shaped and made of frothy net. Her hair had been braided ornately into a coronet and within the center of the Coronet she wore a crown like piece of jewelry. She looked much better than she had when he had first seen her, but he still was unhappy about this.
"May I present her majesty, the queen of SoS." Kahless said with flourish.
Worf looked at MaH'delyna. "You called yourself the queen of SoS the other day and I never got around to asking you about it. I knew that you were the chancellor's wife, how did you become queen?"
She looked at him and smiled. "Well, Toloth was next in line for the throne. As the king was dead, and Toloth was dead, it makes me queen. Not like it makes any difference, really, as I have a kingdom of one person. Rather pretentious really. But the other day I thought that it would enhance my claim against Lersash, and his Imperial majesty says that I am fully within my rights to use it, so I might as well use it today." She explained.
He walked over to stand before her. "You are really amazing, do you know that?"
She let out a small peal of laughter. "You could say the same thing about yourself."
Before he could speak, Jean-Luc picard entered the intensive care area. "I just talked to Gowron. He says that we should go down now, as everyone has arrived."
Worf put his hands gently around MaH'delyna's chest. He picked her up just above the waste, being careful not to disturb the place where she had been wounded. She wrapped her arms around his neck. "I guess that it is the moment of truth." She giggled, nervously.
He nodded and set her gently on her feet. She fell slightly forward, and he braced her gently against him. He could feel her skirts swirl around his feet like an emerald green sea. Worf liked the feeling.
She put her weigh onto her feet and took a step back from him. "I think that I will be all right, as long as I have someone's arm to hold on to."
"My arm is yours." Worf replied steadfastly. At this moment he would have cut it off for her.
She put her hand lightly on his forearm. "Thank you!"
Picard cleared his throat. "Well, we should be off. Picard to Transporter room, five to beam from sickbay to the pre-specified coordinates." He said.
They all beamed into the same hall outside the council chamber that Worf, Picard and MaH'delyna had beamed into a week ago. As the guards opened the door, the quintet arranged themselves in a loose formation. Kahless in front, Worf and MAH'delyna behind him, and Picard and Doctor Crusher behind them. The doors swung open, and Worf heard Beverly gasp when she saw the group inside.
The hall was packed. The high councilors stood beside Gowron on the raised dais, on either side of Kahless's throne. Important military men and powerful civilian klingons stood at the head of the hall, and from the klingons to the doors, all of the intergalactic delegates who attended the festival were there as well. It was a glittering assemblage of close to five hundred people.
Kahless lead the group inside. The Emperor went straight up and sat down on his throne. Worf lead MaH'delyna only as far as the red klingon insignia in the floor. He assumed that the captain and the doctor had stopped close behind them.
Gowron nodded to the Emperor and descended to see MaH'delyna. "I am sorry to put you through this." He murmured as he lead her forward. Worf refused to be left behind, and he stayed with his arm beneath MaH'delyna's hand.
Gowron cleared his throat. "Emperor Kahless, I bring MaH'delyna, a woman wronged by members of this council. Recent evidence has brought to light her claim against this men, and it has been the decision of this council that be allowed to pass judgment on her attackers. Will the Emperor accept any decision she makes as valid?" He said in a powerful voice.
"We do." Kahless nodded.
Gowron clapped his gloved hands. "Bring in the traitors!"
There was the clank of chains and a gang of seven people were escorted into the hall, driven by two klingons with whips. Worf was disgusted to notice that Lersash lead the group, his arm and leg having been surgically reattached. The group came abreast of MaH'delyna, Worf, and Gowron, and were halted. Behind them were escorted a middle aged klingon woman and her son. The woman's souless, bitter eyes stared at MaH'delyna. "Lersash's wife and son." Gowron told MaH'delyna.
Kahless cleared his throat. "MaH'delyna, Queen of SoS, we present to you these klingons, their lives yours to do with as you please. The fate of the House of Lersash also rests within your hands."
MaH'delyna surveyed the woman and her child. Worf could see that MaH'delyna's face looked saddened yet resolute. She took a deep breath and began. "I have been given the lives of these klingons. What to do with them is up to me. But why should I want them? Lersash and his men destroyed my home, and nothing I do to Lersash will bring them back.
I have the power of life and death over these men. It is a heady responsibility, and my first impulse is to shout, 'KILL THEM!' But I know that is not the answer. Having Lersash skinned will not bring my father back, it will not bring my mother back, it will not bring my mate, Qang Toloth back, it will not bring my son back, and it will not rebuild the planet of SoS. I have had enough experience in my life to realize that death begets more death. Thereby, I will not order Lersash or any of his men to be executed. I will let them live with their dishonor, I would have their klingon citizenship and their rights as klingons stripped away from them, and I would have them sent to live in a lifetime of servitude on the klingon prison planet of Rura Pente. I think that spending the rest of their lives paying for their crime is much more suitable than a quick death.
"As for Lersash's family, I would ask that the seven generations of dishonor not be applied to his house. I see his young son over there, and I realize that punishing a man's child for his father's crimes only leads to the child growing up with a burning, angry heart. Thereby, with the permission of Emperor Kahless, I would have Lersash's mate and son placed in the house of the Emperor until the boy is of legal age to take control of his own house. Should Lersash's mate wish to follow her husband to Rura Pente, she is welcome to do so.
"I know that there are those of you who will not be pleased with me decision, but you must understand that I have seen enough bloodshed in my time to know that more blood spilt only compounds a problem. As I said, nothing will bring my son back to me. What purpose would the cold blooded murder of that innocent child over there accomplish? He is innocent of his father's heinous crimes. He did not fire the phaser that destroyed my planet. He had not even been conceived a twelve years ago when this all began. I would ask that when he grows to the age of Inclusion that the ruling body of the klingon empire treat him as if nothing happened. If klingons, if anyone, are going to live together, then they must unite as a people and stop all the needless violence. So I pass my judgment on Lersash, his men, and his house." She finished.
The silence in the room was palpable. No one breathed. No one spoke. There was just shocked silence. The klingons stood in disbelief of what they had just heard. What MaH'delyna said had been directly contrary to everything that they had been taught all their lives. The rest of the diplomats were stunned by the fact that the frail young woman had not ordered a blood bath. The idea of a klingon who did not want to murder someone whose crimes were as lengthy as Lersash's was completely beyond them.
Gowron turned and spoke first. "Are you sure?" He asked, his brutal face puzzled.
She nodded sedately. "I am very sure. That is my decision. You said their lives were mine, and I past judgment."
Lersash found his voice. "You say that you won't kill us but you condemn us to Rura Pente! As klingons on a planet reserved for non-klingons prisoners, we won't live to see our first morning there. The other inmates will rip us apart." He screamed. "Kill us quickly! We beg of you!"
MaH'delyna shook her head. "You should have thought of that when you raped me, Lersash. And, you won't die on Pente. Not for a very long time. The Emperor has already agreed to supply some of his own troops to protect you for the rest of your natural lives. Die in dishonor, Ha'di'baH!"
Worf thought about it for a minute. MaH'delyna had a point. It would be far worse for Lersash to live in the ultimate dishonor of being a prisoner on Rura Pente than if he had a quick death. In actual fact her punishment was worse than even the most terrible death she could have picked for Lersash. To be kicked out of the Empire, have ones citizenship stripped from one was the harshest dishonor known to a klingon.
She turned and swept from the hall. Worf followed her. She got no farther than a meter past the doors before she collapsed into Worf's arms. He picked her up and carried her out of the building. There was a small plaza in front of the main entrance to the council building and he took her there, and sat down with her on a small bench. "Are you alive?" He asked.
She nodded weakly. "I didn't like doing that." She said, and grimaced as she held her side..
"It would have been far kinder to have ordered them drawn and quartered. You do realize that, don't you?" He told her.
"I know. I just ordered them to a life of starvation, overwork and extreme cold. On Rura Pente they will be beaten by the inmates, and terrorized by the guards, and I doubt that Kahless's guardian troops will do little more to protect them than to make sure they are still alive at the end of each day."
"Remind me to never get on your bad side."
He stopped when he saw Gowron enter the plaza with a scroll. "MaH'delyna," He said as he approached. "On behalf of the Emperor I am to give you ownership of SoS."
"I don't understand?" She wrinkled her brow.
"Direct ownership of SoS is yours. The entire planet is now your property to do with as you please. I am not just referring to custodianship, but complete title to the planet." Gowron explained.
"I can't own a planet. No single person just owns a planet." She said with disbelief.
"You do. As well, as head of your house, custodianship of all Dylythuim mines in the Empire is also your responsibility." Gowron said.
"I am overwhelmed. I don't know what to say." She breathed.
Gowron sat on the other side of the bench, beside MaH'delyna. He looked quickly at Worf and pressed on. "Tell me that you will take the oath with me." He asked softly.
Her eyes filled with tears. "Oh Gowron." She said softly. The two trickles of moisture ran from her eyes.
Worf stood up, "I will leave you alone." He said hollowly.
MaH'delyna put her hand on his back. "No, Worf, stay." She turned back to Gowron. "Gowron, I love you, I have since I was a girl, but never in this way. You are like my brother. You were always there for me when I was a child but I am not a child anymore. And we both know that my decision today was not what the people wanted. I am different from other klingons. I think differently. I come from a totally different culture." She paused.
"I don't mind." Gowron whispered. "I crave you. You belong to me!"
She put her hand on Gowron's. "Gowron, we both know that I am not the woman to be your consort. Your mate should be a woman who believes in the very fiber of klingonness. She should be strong and unafraid and totally in awe of you. I would not make you a proper wife."
"But I have waited for you-" He continued, brokenly.
"But am I truly what you imagined me to be? When I went to SoS, I was a little warrior in training. Now, I don't like fighting. I could never be what you wanted me to be, and in time your love for me would turn into disgust and hatred." She replied softly.
"But!-"
"And last of all Gowron, you need an heir which I cannot provide for you." She said simply.
Worf turned around to look at her. "What?" He asked.
Gowron glanced at Worf and then his eyes went back to MaH'delyna. "What are you saying?"
"Beverly told me this morning that because of the way my body turned off systems to provide blood to my limbs, it didn't provide blood to other parts of my body that were unnecessary in fighting. The first place it neglected were the reproductive organs. The lack of blood caused sterility. I give life because there is no life in those parts of my body." MaH'delyna explained in a whisper.
Gowron looked at her face, at her stomach and at then at her face. "I do not retract my offer, MaH'delyna." He said firmly.
"But I cannot accept. You need a woman who is full of life, both within her mind, and within her body." MaH'delyna answered.
"Then accept me as your brother, if that is the highest place that I can have in your life." Gowron responded.
She gently embraced Gowron. "You always have been my brother, Gowron, and you always will. I have no family. We have the bond of time, which is as think as blood. I will always care for you."
He put his arms around her then stood. "I must go. Will you stay on Qronos?"
She shook her head. "No. I can't. I don't fit in here. I will talk to Tyng about the Dylythium mines. See if he will become the second of my house, like he was my fathers. I have a feeling that he would be a far better administrator of the mines then I. I think that I might travel a bit, and then perhaps return to SoS." She smiled slightly. "Perhaps I will build an orphanage, for the stray children of the galaxy. I certainly have the means to pay for it, now."
"Then I will bid you good-by, for with the bomb you dropped on the council, I doubt that I will be able to see you before you leave. Fare Well, MaH'delyna. "He traced the ridges of her forehead with one finger. "I will always be here for you. All you have to do is come back to me." Gowron turned to Worf, and murmured in a strange tone. "I guess the better man won." And strode off.
Worf watched him go, and then he turned to MaH'delyna. "Is it true?" He asked simply.
She nodded. "Yes, It is true. I am sterile. There is nothing that Beverly can do. In actual fact, she had to remove much of the organs involved when she operated on me a week ago." She laid a graceful hand on her stomach. "How could I have Lersash's boy killed? I don't think that I will ever be able to take a life. I have none to give in return."
Worf sat and put his arms around her. "Will come back to the Enterprise with me?"
"No, Worf. I can't. I care for you so much, yet, I don't think I am ready to..." Her voice trailed off.
He looked and her, confused. "But why?"
MaH'delyna laid a soft hand on his arm. "Worf, I need time. There is so much that I must do, to sort out. I am a soul who has been brought back. Dead, but now, somehow, and wonderfully, I am alive." She stood up and spread her arms at the sky." I was prepared to die, and as I fell down, Lersash defeated, I felt my soul leave, and I saw them all, standing there, beckoning me to join them. Do you understand Worf? I wanted to go, and yet, you and your ship gave me so many reasons to stay, and I hovered there on the brink, torn with indesion, astonished at my desire to keep fighting, yet desperate to rest with those I loved. And then my father came up to me and lead my away from their haven, and told me," She sobbed slightly. "He told me that there was still work I had to do, and that it wasn't my time yet, no matter how much I wished it to be."
Worf stared up at her, into her eyes. "But why can't you come with me?"
"Oh, Worf, can't you see? I need to seek the answers for myself. It is freedom, and a curse at the same time. If I stay with you, I won't learn for myself, because you will shelter me, and I will stifle you. This is my chance to live up to my potential, A second chance, as if the universe is apologizing for what it has done, and I cannot waste it."
He stood aswell, but looked away from her, his pride stung. "Then let me smother you no longer." He started to stalk off, but her hand grabbed his arm.
"Don't leave me this way, Worf. I love you. And when I am ready, I will find you, and our affair will ignite the stars, but now is not the right time for us. There are things, beyond you and I; it just wouldn't work now, and we both know it, and we must console ourselves knowing that soon a time will come when you aren't burdened with duty and politics, and I am not burdened with grief and pain, and we can be together. And that must sustain us for now."
He shook his head. "I wish I could understand. Why does it have to end this way?"
There was a shout directed at them and Tyng started across the square. "Don't look at this as an ending Worf. It is a beginning, for you and me, and for everything. Not 'good-bye', but, 'untill next time'."
He shook his head. "As you wish it, MaH'delyna." He smiled slightly and inclined his head. "Untill next time." Worf picked up her hand and held it. "Untill we meet again."
She smiled, "Untill we meet again." And turned and walked toward Tyng.
Worf watched her go, and felt a pain in his chest. "Oh yes," He murmured. "Walk away, strong and proud. Out of the shadow and into the sunlight." And then he began to recite:
"Let the night surround you,
Let her look her fill.
Let her tentacles embrace you.
Let her touch at will
Let her scent enfold you.
Let her lips draw near.
Let the night caress you,
Let her, without fear.
Let the Lady kiss you,
Let her fingers through your hair.
Let her breathe down your neck,
Let her love you, if you dare.
Grab her with your two hands!
Hold her with all your might.
For soon her sister, Dawn, will come,
And she'll drift out of sight."
And so endeth 'Time of Darkness'
By
Lauren Towers