Klingon Headquarters, London
Monday afternoon, 31st January 1994
Kay'vin's mood was uncharacteristically low as he went about his duties. The weekend he had just shared with Marla had been special, possibly the happiest few days of his life, but it was over now and real life had re-established itself with a vengeance.
She had promised him forever but that was not to be. He'd known then that it was a lie, an impossible dream but he'd wanted her so he'd allowed himself to be seduced, to believe that she could be his. Qu'vatlh! He still wanted her, would always want her.
Kay'vin sighed. Always might actually be a very short time considering the mission he was about to undertake. Anger flared at the thought. Marla was a Defence Force officer just as he was. She understood the importance of orders and she knew that as the aide of an Imperial Intelligence officer, there were things he could not speak of. What part of 'classified' did she not understand?
The cryptic orders he'd received from Meth were not at all welcome, even if he'd been expecting them. He'd hoped that his intervention would not be necessary, that things would sort themselves out and that he would not have to commit treason. That too had been an impossible dream.
Frowning, he cast his mind back to the fateful day he'd been given his secret orders. It had been shortly after he'd been assigned to the Earth project and had signed the non-disclosure agreement. Nobody who went on that mission would ever be able to speak of it. Their families, their friends, their colleagues, none would ever know what they had done or where they had served, only that they had served. He'd gone home for a few days leave before reporting for duty. It had been good to spend time with his family, help his father on the farm, enjoy his mother's cooking, to torment and be tormented by his sisters.
That day had been a public holiday and his father had come home early from the fields. There had been little respite for his mother however, busy in the kitchen cooking a special meal for the family to enjoy, and when his father went out again to enjoy a few drinks with his friends, Kay'vin chose to stay and help her.
Following his mother's instructions, he'd just taken the pie out of the oven and placed it on the cooling rack when the front door of the house slammed open and he heard his father coming down the hallway, his footsteps slightly unsteady. His father had always been a heavy drinker, and Kay'vin wondered with some annoyance just how much ale he had drunk this time.
A second set of footsteps was heard and dropping the oven mitt on the counter, Kay'vin went to investigate. His mother followed him out of the kitchen and greeted the visitor with a surprised smile. "Meth, it's good to see you again. You'll stay for dinner, of course?"
"No, I just offered Kornan a lift home," the visitor said, shaking his head. "I am not here to interrupt your meal."
"Don't be ridiculous," she scolded him fondly. "We have plenty of food. You know you are welcome here."
"Lady Nerilka," Meth bowed slightly in respect to the mistress of the House. "If that is one of your famous blood pies I can smell, I will be glad to accept your invitation."
"It is indeed," she said, baring her teeth in a smile before turning on her son. "Kay'vin, don't just stand there, pour our guest some bloodwine. Kalla, set another place at the table. And Keral, put the targ outside, I can see him hiding under the table, the scrounging Ha'DIbaH!"
Kay'vin studied the newcomer curiously. He was a tall, powerful man and despite his civilian clothing, he projected an air of authority that spoke of high command. It was his face, however, that caught the young man's attention – there was nothing natural about the motionless plastic skin covering that face. And just like that, Kay'vin realised who the visitor, who his father's friend was. Operations Master Meth, head of Klingon Imperial Intelligence, one of the most powerful and ruthless men in the empire.
A cold shiver slid like a knife blade down his spine. He was a Klingon warrior, he reminded himself, a lieutenant in the Defence Force. He feared nothing - and that, he knew, was a lie. Even the bravest soldier feared Imperial Intelligence. Everyone did, apart from his family who apparently knew him and counted him as a friend. Kay'vin shook himself in annoyance. Even a senior intelligence agent like Meth must have a life outside his work.
"Kay'vin!" His mother's voice sounded annoyed now. "Stop daydreaming. I asked you to get our guest a drink."
"Yes, mother." Quickly, Kay'vin moved to obey and once drinks had been offered and handed out, the family moved towards the table and seated themselves, ready to eat.
As he always did on a day of rest, although in Kay'vin's experience never before when they'd had visitors, his father had lifted the Book of Kahless down from its place of honour on the shelf and opened it, flicking through the pages to select the story he would read to his family before they ate. Even as Kornan took a breath to begin reading, the visitor reached over and placed a hand on the open book. "Allow me."
To Kay'vin's surprise, his father simply nodded and handed the book over without argument or protest. Meth accepted it, and handling the heavy, leather-bound book with reverence, he closed his eyes for a brief moment of meditation before opening them and the book at the same time. Then he glanced down and nodded in satisfaction at the randomly selected text.
"Long ago," Meth began, and while his eyes appeared to be fixed on the sacred text, Kay'vin had the impression that they saw not the words but the people around him. He was proved right when Meth continued the story, telling it accurately yet in his own words.
"… a mighty storm swept across the Ketha plains towards the city of Quin'lat. All its residents sought shelter within the wall - except one man who remained outside. Kahless approached the man, asking what he was doing and urging him to come inside to safety. The man replied that he was not afraid, that he would not hide his face behind stone and mortar. He would stand before the wind and make it respect him. Kahless honoured his choice and returned to his place of shelter. When the storm came, the man was killed."
Meth looked up from the book at that point, turning his head to look at the girl sitting next to him, the younger of Kay'vin's two sisters. "Do you remember what Kahless said?"
"qoH vuvbe' Sus," Keral replied promptly, "The wind does not respect a fool."
"Just so." Meth's expression did not change, could not change, but Kay'vin thought he detected a faint warmth in those piercing eyes.
With the ceremonies over, Kornan nodded to his wife and she began to serve the pie. For a while, the family and their visitor ate quietly, the food being simply too good to be disrespected with conversation.
Eventually, Meth stood up to take his leave. "Your cooking is as good as ever, Lady Nerilka," he said, again offering her that little bow. "I will look forward to the next time."
"You are always welcome here," Kornan said. He glanced at his son, who had been sitting quietly, listening to the conversation but contributing little. "Girls, you will help your mother clear the table. And you, Kay'vin, will escort our guest to his shuttle."
"HIja, Vav," Kay'vin said, getting to his feet. "Yes, father." It should be his father who escorted the visitor, such was only polite, but he was careful to keep his tone respectful.
The shuttle was parked not far away, in the paddock just beyond the kitchen garden. It was a fairly warm evening for this early in spring and the air was redolent with the scent of the herbs his mother cultivated for the kitchen. In no hurry to depart, Meth walked slowly, taking the time to observe and appreciate his surroundings. He did not often get a chance to leave the city behind and spend time in the countryside. He stopped, ostensibly to admire the garden but in reality, he was carefully studying his companion. "I saw the look you gave your father," he said suddenly. "He offered me no disrespect. I wanted the opportunity to speak with you alone. In the name of Kahless, there are things we must discuss with regard to your new assignment."
"You picked that story for a reason, didn't you?" Kay'vin accused, impulsively voicing the question that had been on his mind all evening. "It was not a random selection. Why was that? What is it you wished to convey?"
"You are observant," Meth said approvingly. "It is a story that has personal meaning for me. Unlike the warrior who stands tall and strong before the winds of the empire's enemies, I hide my face and work in the shadows."
Kay'vin nodded, understanding that the operations master was not speaking of his disfigurement but of the nature of his work. "What you do cannot be accomplished in the open."
"You are one who stands tall and strong," Meth said. "You stand before that wind and you are respected. I regret that I must ask you to step into the shadows."
Kay'vin was wary now. "You require something of me?"
"I do," Meth admitted. "You know who and what I am, an officer of Imperial Intelligence. But I am also a follower of Kahless, odd as that might seem to you. It is in both those capacities that I speak to you now." He was silent for a moment before continuing. "This mission to Earth will be under the command of one of my senior officers, Krang zantai Inigan. Like us, he is a follower of Kahless."
"I am a very junior officer," Kay'vin pointed out. "What does this have to do with me?"
Meth shot the younger man a look that very pointedly warned him to shut up and listen. "Krang has agreed to two years. Before that time ends, you must persuade him to go against his orders, to find a way to put things right and bring our soldiers home from Earth. Kay'vin, for the good of the empire, for the very existence of the empire, this mission must fail!"
It was all Kay'vin could do to hold his ground and not step back. Even so, he knew his expression and his body language were betraying him. "You are asking me to dishonour myself and commit treason?"
Meth shook his head, vaguely surprised to find he felt guilt at what he had to do. The young man standing in front of him was idealistic and honourable, not at all suited to undercover work. But he had no choice; he was working for the very survival of the empire and there was nobody else that he could trust. "I am asking you to stay true to your honour. What the High Council has decreed is wrong in every way. It goes against everything that makes us great. It goes against the teachings of the Unforgettable One. You know his words… 'Fight your enemy honourably, face to face'. What honour is there in attacking the weak? He said also, 'A Klingon does not fight merely to spill blood but to enrich the spirit'. This fight, son of Kornan, does nothing but impoverish us."
Seeing that Kay'vin was about to speak, he held up a hand to stop him. "If it makes you feel better, you should remember that I do not answer to the High Council. I take my orders directly from the chancellor. Sturka is in agreement with me in this but he stands alone against the blind ambition of his councillors."
"I do not understand," Kay'vin growled. "Why do you not simply explain this to your officer? Why do you need me?"
"I have considered that option," Meth admitted. "I have several reasons, the first and foremost of which is that I believe he would simply refuse the mission. Krang is a brilliant intelligence officer and everything I need in my deputy and future successor, but he has a strong and very inconvenient sense of honour. I would prefer that he come to these conclusions of his own accord – and I believe that in time, he will do just that. It may be that you need do nothing, that your interference will be unnecessary."
"And the other reasons?"
"As head of the Klingon forces and planetary governor, Krang will be very much in the spotlight," Meth said. "He is accustomed to working in the shadows, just as I do. Now he must stand before the wind. Everything he says and does will be scrutinised for the slightest signs of weakness or duplicity. The risk of discovery is too great and so, I must leave him to perform his task honestly and honourably until the time comes to take action."
Kay'vin's mind raced as he tried his best to understand and come to terms with these revelations. Slowly he nodded, somehow knowing that this man, the operations master of Imperial Intelligence, famous for his ruthlessness and feared by the empire he served, was speaking truthfully and from the heart.
"I do not ask this of you lightly, Kay'vin." Meth spoke with passion now. "Will you commit to the same two years as my officer? Help him and support him. Gain his trust. Befriend him if you can – and believe me, he will need a friend. If in those two years, you come to believe that I am wrong, that this mission is righteous, then you need do nothing, but if you accept that I speak truth, then you must do your part."
"If I agree to this," Kay'vin said slowly, "then you must do something in return for me."
Meth's face showed nothing, but there was nevertheless the faintest trace of disappointment mixed with satisfaction at the knowledge that he would get what he wanted. It always came down to selfishness and ambition. What self-serving conditions would this young officer put on his acceptance? A ship maybe? Advancement? "Go ahead."
"If this goes wrong," Kay'vin said carefully, "If this Krang will not listen or decides to kill me. Or for that matter, if we succeed in our treason and I am discommended or executed… you will offer your protection to my family. My parents and sisters are innocent. They do not deserve to suffer because of what you have asked me to do."
Meth's surprised approval was as well hidden as his disappointment had been a moment ago. Truly he had chosen well and his respect for the young man increased. "You have my word of honour," he said sincerely. "You may consider both yourself and your family under my protection."
"In that case," Kay'vin said resolutely, "I accept this mission. In the name of Kahless, I will do as you ask."
Notes and credits:
The story Meth tells, of the man in the wind is from the TNG episode 'Rightful Heir'.
The various novels about Klingons in the 23rd century imply very strongly that the way of Kahless was unfashionable and uncommon in the 23rd century and that the cult enjoyed a revival sometime before the TNG period. I have chosen to go with this, although I would add that while it is very unpopular, it is not illegal or banned in the Empire. Krang, Kay'vin, Meth and even the chancellor, Sturka are all followers of Kahless. Marla, Grenn, Koreth and the vast majority of Klingons in this story are not.
The name Nerilka is borrowed from an Anne McCaffrey book 'Nerilka's Story'.
The quote "A Klingon does not fight to spill blood..." comes from the Star Trek Adventures: Klingon Empire core book, published by Modiphius. It's primarily a gaming book but also a very good Klingon resource for non gamers interested in Klingons, and its well worth the slightly high price.
Meth's question "What honour in attacking the weak?" comes from the TNG episode 'Reunion'.
My thanks go out to the usual three suspects, JDC0, Solasnagreine and RobertBruceScott as well as my friend Ian who has rather appropriated the character of Kay'vin for himself. Thanks also go to my wonderful beta readers Linny and Dan2... and trust me, if Dan2 ever says to you "ooh, I have an idea"... RUN!