Chapter 7: VII

K'nera made her way to the captain's ready room to inform him of the plans to exchange the passenger manifests with the other ships that were on their way to rendezvous at Starbase 1182. The ready room aboard the Ya'Vang, like on any other Vor'cha class ship, was designed to emphasize the prestige and prowess of the ship's captain. Along the walls, M'jaK had displayed weapons and trophies of previous battles and conquests. The only chair within the room was one that was meant solely for the captain. K'nera stood at attention as she waited for her uncle to acknowledge her presence.

"I would have thought that you would still be seeing to our guests. What are you doing here now?"

"I was not needed. Alexander has the situation down there well in hand. In fact, he appeared to be familiar with one of the refugees."

"Yes, it would seem that the ambassador's daughter was his Soh-chim." M'jaK shook his head at the knowledge. "Still, I want you to remain with them as well and see to it that everything remains under control until we arrive at the starbase in another six hours."

K'nera clinched her jaw as she tried to decide if she should share her discomforts in regards to the other Betazoids on the ship. Unfortunately she never got to make her decision. Her uncle could tell from experience that she had a refusal on the tip of her tongue and asked her what her qualms were. He only gave a slight look of disapproval when she spoke to him in the familiar rather than addressing him as captain. Though so long as the rest of the crew were not present, he really didn't mind while speaking with his niece.

"M'jaK, I'd prefer to be reassigned elsewhere on the ship. Being in such close proximity with the other telepaths is rather difficult for me. I've never really bothered with training to keep other telepaths out before. On Celyn Four, each individual wanted peace and were there to learn how to not delve into the thoughts of others haphazardly. These Betazoids are used to using telepathy before even trying to speak. I can't handle all of the prodding from them when I'm down there."

The captain stared at K'nera for a few moments while considering her request. He knew her well enough to know that she wouldn't have asked to avoid a duty without there being a real concern but he also knew just how tenuous the crew's feelings were in regards to aliens on their ship. Asking them to accept one Betazoid among their ranks had been one thing but now they were all paranoid over the fact that dozens more were onboard which only reinforced the xenophobic hostilities on the Ya'Vang. M'jaK knew that it would be unwise to send most of the other members of his crew to assist with the refugees. No. It would be best if his niece continued to aid with the telepaths down below rather than to add any of the other crew into the mix.

"K'nera, perhaps this situation can give you a unique opportunity. You've only known how those unfortunate Klingons born with psionic abilities have learned to cope with their disabilities. You have never had the chance to see how those of your own kind have learned to cope with them. I suggest that you utilize this opportunity and explore your forgotten heritage."

"I don't want to explore my heritage."

"You may feel that way for now but you might change your mind and regret not doing so later on."

M'jaK was not unsympathetic but he really did need his niece to help keep his unplanned passengers occupied until they reached the rendezvous. In a way, he knew that he had actually been lucky in regards to his bekk's prior knowledge and relationship with the ambassador. It made some things much simpler in that respect. Still, he could not be expected to handle the dozens of panicked Betazoids on his own for long.

"Now, return to the VIP quarters and do what you can to keep everyone under control."

K'nera took a deep breath of resignation before nodding. "I just need your permission to exchange a passenger manifest list with the other ships that took on refugees from the planet's surface. Alexander suggested that it would make the transition for everyone once they reached the starbase run more smoothly if everyone already knew where their friends and family were at before arriving."

M'jaK raised a brow at the request. He was not used to taking on passengers of the civilian kind and refugees were of a different sort altogether. He supposed that by granting this request it should ensure that those who were currently in the VIP quarters would stay out of his hair. Nodding, M'jaK told K'nera to use the computer console in the makeshift quarters for the Betazoids and dismissed her.

Judging by the look that she was trying to hide, M'jaK suspected that K'nera had hoped to use one of the bridge consoles so that she would have an excuse to not return to the VIP quarters so soon. Had she been a Klingon member of his crew, not to mention one who was not a relative, he would have called her out on her disrespect. It was clear that he needed to see to having her transferred soon. He was going soft where she was concerned and he couldn't allow that at all. He must maintain order and respect from all of his crew. If he couldn't do that, then he didn't deserve to command this ship.

Back in the VIP quarters, Alexander was filling Lwaxana in on the various changes in his life since he'd last seen her on the Enterprise. Mainly just so he could keep her distracted from the day's events and the uncertainty of what had happened to her son and valet. In return, Lwaxana gave the young man a rundown of some of her more recent escapades; including those that took her to Deep Space Nine. After learning that Alexander's father had recently gotten married she dug through her memory to recall just who the woman was who had the misfortune of being the bride for the stoic Klingon.

"Well, all I can say is that I hope that woman is prepared for a long and boring life. I don't think I've ever even seen that father of yours crack a smile. How absolutely dull."

"I think that she'll do enough smiling and joking around for the both of them," Alexander chuckled while he, too, tried to remember the last time he'd seen his father truly enjoy himself. Well, other than while he was on the path to Kal'Hyah that is. "Jadzia will see to it that my father's life is never boring again. She'll be good for him."

"I certainly hope so. Your father could use a little excitement in his life. Maybe then he won't be so stern all of the time," Lwaxana replied as she noticed that the Betazoid officer had returned and made her way to the computer console on the far side of the room. She also caught Alexander watching her as she did so. Ever the romantic, Lwaxana smiled and leaned in to Alexander and whispered, "Well, so it would seem that my Little Warrior has a bit of a crush on a certain young lady."

"Wha-?" He blushed furiously as he stammered. Alexander hadn't even realized that he'd let his attention wander, even if briefly, but it was clear that Lwaxana had.

"Oh there's no reason to be embarrassed. It's perfectly natural," Lwaxana giggled as she watched Alexander nervously run a hand over his long but well groomed hair. Briefly, she thought with approval that at least Alexander had acquired one positive trait from his father; she never could see why most Klingons seemed to prefer to allow their hair to hang wildly about their head. She would think that it would be distracting during battle but then she wasn't a warrior. She was, however, an expert in fashion and she liked seeing Alexander's hair neatly tucked away as it was now. "I would say, though, that you should be more discreet if you don't plan tell her about your feelings. She is a telepath after all. In fact, she likely already knows by now which would mean that there is no point in trying to hide them any longer."

The reminder that K'nera probably was already well aware of his infatuation only served to cause Alexander's face to become even more heated than it had been only seconds before. A sight that the ambassador seemed to find quite amusing. "She's just a friend, nothing more, Lwaxana."

"Of course she is. An ancient Betazed saying states, One who speaks one thing, and thinks another, is fighting a war inside," she replied with a knowing smile. "So, tell me about this unusual member of the crew. Do you know why a Betazoid would choose to serve aboard a Klingon warship?"

Alexander spared another glance at the woman in question and saw that she was busy with the computer console and seemed to be oblivious to the fact that she was the subject of their conversation. Alexander shrugged as he spoke, "She was raised by a family of Klingons on Ty'Gokor so it sort of makes sense that she'd join the Defense Forces."

"Really?" That knowledge surprised Lwaxana. "Why in the worlds would a Betazoid be raised by Klingons?"

"Her father and adoptive father were good friends. K'nera's parents were killed by the Romulans when she was little; she has lived among the Klingons ever since then from what I understand."

"That doesn't make sense. If her parents were killed then surely one from their families would have stepped forward to care for the child." Lwaxana was now even more curious about the young blonde woman since she knew that it was not customary for her people to abandon their children to be raised by outsiders. Standing, Lwaxana quickly made her way toward the computer console that K'nera was stationed at and working on contacting the other ships in regards to their passenger manifests.

Alexander stumbled to his feet once he realized that the older woman planned to actually speak with K'nera herself. "Lwaxana, wait."

Ignoring Alexander, Lwaxana came to rest just behind K'nera and spoke up, "Young Lady, I'd liked to ask you about how you came to live with Klingons."

K'nera looked up to see the ambassador standing behind her with Alexander mouthing an apology to her as he joined them. In her mind, she could feel the ever so slight probing that indicated that Lwaxana would prefer to have the conversation telepathically since it would lead to a quicker discussion but K'nera tamped down her own abilities as a means to block the woman.

"I'm very busy trying to get these manifests together. If this could wait-"

"I'm sure that you can talk and work at the same time." Lwaxana pulled up a chair to sit beside K'nera. "Tell me, who were your parents."

"I really need to work on these-"

"I know but like I said, you can do that while you are talking." Lwaxana leaned forward and rested her elbows on the console in a manner that was fully meant to show that she wasn't going anywhere. After all, she needed something to keep her busy until they reached the starbase.

Seeing that there was little that he could do once the woman had made up her mind, Alexander decided to discreetly return toward the other side of the room to speak with the other refugees as Lwaxana grilled his friend.

K'nera exhaled heavily as she eyed Lwaxana. Almost in resignation, she pulled up the next passenger list and began to copy them onto a data pad before she finally mumbled, "My parents were Rennan and Javana Stadax."

Lwaxana's brow's creased as she tried to put some faces to the names. They seemed vaguely familiar to her but she couldn't be sure. "Stadax… I don't understand why you were not raised by your mother's family once you were orphaned. Children, especially daughters, are highly valued among our people."

"Your people, Ambassador; not mine. I've lived with the Klingons since I was three years old. I have not had any contact with your people since then," K'nera said with just a touch of bitterness that she desperately tried to conceal.

"My, you aren't too friendly are you? I'm only trying to make conversation, after all."

"No, what you are doing is snooping." Okay, so she was being unfriendly but she was being stretched to her limits right now and this woman wasn't helping. "Look, I know that you are just trying to kill some time but I really would prefer not to go into my past. I'm here to perform a duty and I'm trying to get it done so that you can know what has happened to the others that you were asking about. I'll be willing to talk to you about nearly anything else after I've finished but to be frank, I rather not discuss my parents. Anything in me that was Betazoid died with them. Lor'vah took me in when no one else would and he is my family now."

"You say that everything of Betazed died with your parents but I can sense you trying to hide your telepathic abilities. Those are not Klingon and there is nothing that you can try to say that will change that fact, Young One." Lwaxana used her own honed powers of mental telepathy to try to catch a stray thought from the young woman in front of her. She was quite surprised to find that the wall of dissidence that the younger woman had erected was quite strong. "How old were you when your psionic abilities first began to show themselves? Ten? Eleven perhaps?"

K'nera put her data pad down and turned in her chair out of frustration. It was clear that she wouldn't get any more work done until she had satisfied the older woman's curiosity. "I was born with them. Anything else that you want to know?"

Lwaxana's eyes widened just a bit at the news. All Betazoids develop telepathic abilities at some point in their lives. The most common time is during puberty, which for Betazed children is usually around ten or eleven, though children have been known to be born with their abilities and resulting in the need of extensive early therapy. Those children have been known to work through therapy and become productive members of society (though many times they end up regulated to living their lives tucked away within hospitals). Such individuals are almost always extremely talented and powerful in telepathic terms, but also unable to screen out the noise of other people's minds, so they generally suffer mental problems of varying severity depending mostly on when the problem was diagnosed. For Lwaxana, to find one such member of her society to be living not only among others but to be fully entrenched in such an aggressive society as the Klingons was nearly impossible for her to imagine.

"You were born with them?" Perhaps that explained why her family had not taken her in after her parents' death. They hadn't wanted to deal with the burden of raising a child whose powers of the mind were too extreme by most standards to be healthy. "But…But how were you able to-"

"Lor'vah saw to it that I received the proper training within Klingon society. I've learned to suppress them for the most part."

"My Dear, your abilities are not meant to be merely suppressed. They are a part of you. Denying them is a lot like trying to go about life with one hand tied behind your back."

"I've managed. Now, if it would please you, I really do need to get this list completed so that each of you will know what ships you will need to find to meet up with your families once we've reached the station."

Lwaxana pursed her lips since she was now more curious about the sole Daughter of Betazed within the Klingon Empire than she had been before she had started speaking with her. Despite the wall that K'nera had up to keep her from probing her actual thoughts, Lwaxana could sense the turmoil that was at the forefront of the younger woman's mind. "You know, that pressure that you are feeling would lessen if you didn't try to suppress your abilities so much. It's why you are having a harder time with other telepaths present."

"How did you know that I was-?"

"Like I said, your abilities are a part of you. Denying them, bottling them up like you are doing, will only make you feel as if you are going to explode. Once you start actively using them you'll be able to control the rush of voices that you hear from others around you."

"I prefer to not snoop on my friends," K'nera said despite the fact that she knew very well that she had done so on more than one occasion. Some of those times had even been on purpose. Other times, they hadn't been. Then of course there were the times that she had tapped into the anger of others to help her when she needed to fight, particularly the Jem'Hadar, since fighting itself went against the nature of Betazoids.

"Ah, yes. The line does get a little blurred when you don't live among other telepaths. With telepaths, we have always recognized that we have nothing to hide from others. Those without such openness may consider it to be a violation but…" Lwaxana recalled with some amusement the first few times that she had mentioned some of Captain Picard's own thoughts that he'd had when he hadn't been conscious of thinking about her. It had been far too easy to get under the man's skin by calling him on them. "Anyway, I still stand by what I've said. You need to exercise your mental prowess a bit more. Then your mind wouldn't be so muddled and you'd be able to actually relax a bit. And don't be concerned about offending others around you. They need never know that you are taking a peak every once in a while."

"I don't think that I'd be comfortable doing that, Ambassador."

"Oh, nonsense." Lwaxana stood and then glanced over at Alexander before adding with a wink, "Besides, you just might be surprised at what you'd learn with a little discreet snooping."