Loire Valley, France

Tuesday 18th January 1994

If Krang had thought his childcare problems would be over once morning came, he'd been quickly disabused of that idea. A quick call to London headquarters and a conversation with Kay'vin had made it very clear that the children were going to be with him for some time yet.

"I am sorry, sir," Kay'vin said. "According to the duty logs, there have been no enquiries overnight. It's still early morning though, the woman may come back today."

"What about Child Services?"

"They remain unable to help," Kay'vin growled. "They seem happy for us to retain custody for now."

"It's not good enough," Krang snapped. "What am I supposed to do with the children? I can't keep them, I have work to do!"

Kay'vin grinned at the slightly frantic note in his superior's voice, thankful that it was an audio only call and that Krang could not see his mirth.

"I know you're laughing," Krang warned his aide. "If you think it's so funny, you can look after them while I get some work done."

"I have two sisters at home," Kay'vin said, no longer even attempting to hide his laughter. "I'd rather die!"

"That could easily be arranged," his superior snapped, biting back his own laughter. He could always count on his aide to cheer him up; Kay'vin really was irrepressible. "But before I kill you, could you go over to Washington and finish that assessment for me?"

It was an order rather than a request and Kay'vin took it as such. "Yes, sir."

"And once that's done, I want you back in London." He hesitated before adding, "Be careful around Karg. He knows you are reporting to me and I don't want to have to start training another aide."

"Understood, sir." It was Kay'vin's turn to hesitate. "Um… Sir, I… on that subject…"

All traces of humour gone, Krang quickly interrupted him. "Not over an open comm. channel. I expect to be in London tomorrow, we can talk then. Now, if there's nothing else, I do need to talk to Karg. Can you transfer me?"

"Transferring now, sir."

The security captain did not have to wait long for the call to go through. Only a few seconds passed before Kay'vin's voice was replaced by that of Colonel Karg.

"NuqneH?"

"I require you to carry out a second interrogation of the medical team," Krang instructed his deputy. "I wanted to do it myself but find myself otherwise occupied today." He did not trust his second in command in the slightest; Karg was anything but subtle and Krang knew a challenge or maybe an assassination attempt was coming. But he had no evidence other than his own instincts and he could not simply kill a Defence Force officer without provocation. In the meantime, he could not deny the other man's competence at his job.

"Yes, sir." Karg responded immediately, careful to keep his tone compliant and respectful. He was not yet ready to make his move against Krang. Besides, if the boss wasn't coming in today, he had no complaints about that.

"I am not convinced that the female medic was acting alone," Krang said. "There has to be someone working with her. If there's someone who has escaped detection so far, we need to find them. As for the rest of the team, if they are as innocent as they maintain, make arrangements for their release and I will sign the authorisation later." A note of warning entered Krang's voice as he continued "But remember, Karg, that doctor has given us good service. If he and his assistants are innocent, I want them released in good condition and fit to continue their work."

"What about the other prisoner?" Karg asked stiffly, barely holding back an annoyed growl. He knew what he was doing; he didn't need Imperial Intelligence interfering in his job. "The one who was picked up on the raid yesterday?"

Krang did not hesitate. "Continue the interrogation. Then, once you are happy there's nothing more to learn from him, he can be executed alongside the woman. Make an example of them."

"Understood," Karg grunted. For the moment it suited him to obey his orders. "It will be done according to your wishes."

Ending the call, Krang got up and made his way back to the kitchen to check on the children. They were still eating their breakfast and seemed to be enjoying the meal that his housekeeper had prepared for them - burned bread with a red, jelly-like substance spread lavishly on it. Krang grimaced at the sight of the stuff. It was not his idea of a healthy meal, but it would suffice for now and they seemed happy enough.

His housekeeper had arrived bright and early as she always did. Marie-Claire was a plump, middle-aged farmer's wife who came in each morning to clean the house and take care of any necessary domestic tasks. She had been somewhat surprised to find her employer in the kitchen with two Terran children, attempting to make breakfast and in her opinion, achieving nothing more than making a mess.

"Bonjour Monseigneur." The woman spoke almost no English but with the help of Krang's very basic knowledge of French and the universal translator, communication was not generally an issue.

"Bonjour Marie-Claire," Krang responded, "Comment ḉa va?" Polite phrases such as 'How are you?' were not a Klingon concept but he had learned that in this culture they were expected.

"Ça va bien, Monseigneur. Why are there two children in your house?"

"That," Krang sighed, "is a long story."

Having heard the story, the Frenchwoman had shook her head in amused disbelief and shooed him out of the kitchen, muttering under her breath in her native language - and he caught something via the translator about 'useless males' - as she got on with sorting a meal from the limited supplies available.

He would check his messages while they were finishing their meal, he decided, and then afterwards, he would take the children into the nearby town. His housekeeper would sort out suitable food, but he still needed to find them some clean clothes.

Making a swift retreat to his study, he activated his computer and entered his passcodes. There were, he found, several communications waiting for his attention.

Probably the most important message was from Johannesburg, detailing an arising situation with big game poachers and thinking for a moment, Krang sent back an authorisation for his deputy there to handle it as he saw fit.

Other than occasional unrest in the cities, there was actually very little trouble in the African continent. Local tribes were doing very well out of taking their alien visitors on hunting expeditions and Krang had good memories of the week he had spent with the Masai.

But while Klingons loved to hunt, they also understood the need for conservation. If an animal was worth hunting, it was worth preserving. Many of these magnificent animals were critically endangered and extinction would end the hunt permanently. With this in mind, the Klingons had been quick to crack down on illegal poaching and set up a strict conservation and breeding programme, something that had done much to endear them to the local population.

Asia on the other hand, was completely different. Khan and his augments were still at large and the situation there could best be described as volatile. Swiftly Krang read the report from Singapore. For the moment, Colonel Kell had things under control but Krang made a note to schedule a visit sometime in the next few weeks.

Satisfied that everything was as it should be and that his deputies had their orders, he deactivated his computer. It was time to go shopping.

Kay'vin returned from Washington sometime early afternoon and as ordered, went directly to the London office, grabbing himself a bite to eat on the way. He'd developed a liking for Terran bacon, one of the few meats that in his opinion actually benefited from being burned and there was a fast food place near the station that was deservedly enjoying a roaring trade from the Klingon security forces.

Finishing his bacon, he entered the station where he found Lieutenant Marla on the front desk. One of the few female officers on Earth, she was an attractive woman and he couldn't help growling appreciatively when he saw her.

Marla offered him a sultry grin in return and somewhat stunned, he stared at her, wondering if he was reading the signals right and if he should declare his interest in her, when he realised she was talking to him. He shook himself… "Huh? What?"

"I said..." she repeated, slightly irritated by his inattention but at the same time, rather pleased at the effect she'd had on him, "… that the Terran woman came in today."

"Oh…" That was good news. Kay'vin had been beginning to wonder when she would show up. "Have you informed the security captain?"

"Not yet," Marla purred. "It was about an hour after he called. Colonel Karg informed her that the security captain should be here tomorrow." She looked around her, checking there was no-one else in earshot, before asking with a conspiratorial grin, "So, how is the boss taking to fatherhood?"

Kay'vin grinned. "Frantic would be a good word. I don't think he knows what's hit him."

"Well he is a batchelor." Sobering again, Marla added, "Kay'vin, the colonel hasn't told her the kids have been found. I'd guess the boss isn't the only one who's frantic."

"I'm going to try to call her," Kay'vin decided, turning towards Krang's office. If he remembered right, the contact details should be on the desk. The security captain kept his workspace spotlessly clean and tidy and after a little rummaging, Kay'vin quickly found what he was looking for.

The female Klingon watched from the doorway as Kay'vin opened up the comm. system and tied it into the Terragnan phone network before inputting the numerical codes. Eventually, evidently frustrated he disconnected and looked up. "Nothing."

"That's odd," Marla said. "Their technology is primitive compared to ours, but they do have answering systems. I think we should pay a visit."

"That's not a bad idea," Kay'vin conceded. "You can't come with me though, you have duty here."

She shook her head. "Actually, my shift is over. I'm just waiting for Kordek to come back from his break. Besides, if I don't go, you'll have to take a squad with you – and I think…" She gave him a teasing grin, "… that you'd enjoy my company more. Of course, if I am wrong, you can take the squad and I will stay here and plague Kordek instead?"

For Chrissie, the rest of the morning passed interminably slowly as she waited by the phone, hoping and praying that the phone would ring, that there would be news of the children. But the phone stayed stubbornly silent.

She felt sick and scared and the longer she waited, the worse it got. Eventually it became too much - the atmosphere in the house was oppressive and claustrophobic and she needed to get out. Checking to make sure the answer phone was switched on, she pulled on her coat and went out the door. She shut it behind her but in her hurry to escape, she never thought to lock it. Running down the communal stairs and out the main door, she stopped to catch her breath before moving into the street. Barely aware of the cold, Chrissie wandered aimlessly, and without consciously knowing it, headed towards the church. She had searched there already and found nothing; her children were not there, but still… it had been a place of sanctuary and she felt drawn there.

The ancient building was structurally intact, but some serious damage had been done to its interior when the Klingons raided. The door that led from the church to the hall was hanging off its hinges, likewise the door from the hall into the community garden. Dirt and dead leaves littered the floor, blown in by the wind and leaving the once pristine hall looking desolate and decayed. Outside, the winter flowers – tiny, delicate snowdrops, hellebores and ornamental cabbages - had been trampled into the ground by heavy, booted feet. At the far end, the swing that had hung from the old horse chestnut tree lay broken on the ground.

A bright splash of blue caught Chrissie's attention and she bent to find a tattered, dirty ribbon in the mud. She picked it up, recognising it as the ribbon that had been tied around the neck of her daughter's teddy bear… the little bear she took everywhere with her. Overwhelmed and frightened, Chrissie sank to the frosty ground and cried.

Hope anyone reading this is enjoying the story. I had a bit of fun with Krang in this chapter. Ive been told that Krang is unusually patient for a Klingon and its true, he is. I put it down to 3 things... 1) he is an intelligence officer, a role that requires a lot of patience - and much of his role as an intelligence officer involved studying himans, so he has a good understanding of the way they think and how to handle them to best effect... 2) his belief in Kahless and the way of honour - which if the novels are to be believed, was not popular in the 23rd century, so in a way his beliefs and attitudes are much more compatible with Klingons of the 24th century. 3) a simple quirk of his personality.

Meanwile, I would love to know what the deal is with chapter 29 of this story? For some reason its getting 10 times the views of any other chapter... a keyword attracting bots maybe?

A big thank you to RBS for reviewing each chapter. I always take on board your comments and views and use them to try to improve the story. If anyone is reading this, I recommend you head over to his profile and take a look at his USS Hunter series. It's well worth a read.

If anyone else is out there reading, please leave a little review, thanks...

Finally, as lockdown is slowly easing off, stay safe and take care.