The courtroom, Qo'noS, 2375

Trial Day 3

Krang turned his head to look across the courtroom towards his wife. She was looking at him and as they made eye contact, he saw the little smile on her face and the red tinge on her cheeks that could not be completely attributed to the heat in the courtroom. Despite their surroundings and the seriousness of their situation, his lips turned upwards in a faint smile that was for her only.

Seeing Krang's attention stray, the venerable old judge was barely able to hold back a very inappropriate grin. He was not so old that he could not remember the early, passionate days… and nights… of his own marriage. Even he could see there was something special about the way these two were looking at each other.

As Krang's children could have attested, the security captain was a very good story-teller and the judge was interested enough to want to know more - and not only because it was relevant to the trial. How had this odd couple had gone from the shaky beginning of a dishonourable proposition to the deeply committed and loving relationship they obviously shared today?

The trial itself was, as far as the judge was concerned, a complete farce. Martok had made it very clear what verdict he expected. The chancellor wanted Krang cleared of all charges against him and back on duty with a clean slate and honour restored. Krahl could understand that, even if he did not appreciate government interference in judicial processes. The man was a war hero, as was his cha'Dich, and public opinion was riding high in their favour. Not that Krahl was about to allow himself to be blackmailed by the public, but he was all too aware that a guilty verdict would spark rioting. Well if it came to it, the judge thought irritably, that would be Homeworld Security's problem to deal with. He would not bend to the whim of the public.

It had very quickly become obvious to Krahl that this trial could not be conducted under normal procedures – it was not in fact, even a trial in the truest sense of the word… or if so, it was maybe not the defendant who was on trial, but the High Council of the time. In the Klingon Empire, it was not always about the crime itself, but about the motives and the honour of those involved.

So far, everything they had heard was background information, setting the scene. The truly relevant part, the explanation of how and why Krang had gone against the wishes of the High Council, was a story still to be told.

And it would have to wait another day, Krahl decided. Enough was enough. The temperature in the courtroom was becoming unbearable and not for the first time, he considered the benefits of having Terran-style air conditioning installed in the old courtroom. It might not be so bad, the old judge thought wryly, if it were not for the heavy robes that Klingon tradition deemed necessary for occasions like this. Not that he would admit it, but Krang's Terragnan wife was not the only one who was struggling in the heat. Making a mental note to complain to Weather Control – the city was in desperate need of rain and it was ridiculous allowing this extreme weather to continue – Krahl lifted the gavel and brought an end to the day's proceedings.

Imperial Intelligence Headquarters, Qo'noS, 2375

Late evening, Trial day 3

The third day of the trial had ended much as the second one had, with Krang being handed over to the waiting Imperial Intelligence soldiers, who had brought him back to I.I. headquarters. Entering his cell, he found his uniform, freshly laundered and folded neatly, lying on the bench waiting for him. He was glad of that. The officers' uniform had not changed a lot over the years, but there were small differences in the style and the cut of the fabric, not to mention the fact that the pockets had been moved. It had been good of Kreltek to lend him a clean uniform but his own was familiar to him and fitted him correctly. A shower was in order, Krang decided, feeling the need to wash off the sweat and grime of the overheated, smoky courtroom and change back into his own clothes.

Half an hour later, feeling much better, Krang was dressed in his own uniform, although he did not bother to don the outer jacket, nor did he bother with the gauntlets or spiked gloves. Despite the ventilation, it was still warm down here, if nowhere near as hot as the courtroom had been and he wanted to keep it clean for the following day. He was going soft, he reflected wryly, if something as simple as a sonic shower could feel so good. Maybe Karg had been right, that he had always been soft. Certainly, he had quickly become used to life in the Federation, although living on Earth as the governor of a conquered planet had in no way prepared him for life as a junior Starfleet officer. Even so, that life had its compensations – hot water showers, high quality medical care, decent mattresses… and his wife! On the downside of course, was overcooked food, the overly bright lighting, and worse - the bureaucracy – endless paperwork and unnecessary rules and regulations. Krang shook his head. No, he would change nothing.

Krang returned to his cell, the borrowed uniform folded over his arm only to find its owner sitting on the bench waiting for him. The other security captain, he noted, had also removed his jacket. Kreltek stood as he approached, reaching to take the uniform from him and Krang surrendered it with a nod of thanks.

"I thought you'd be in the shower," Kreltek said by way of greeting. "It's too khest'n hot out there today.

"I can't disagree with that," Krang acknowledged.

"Kahless only knows what Weather Control are playing at," Kreltek told him. "I was at Khitomer at the time, so I missed them – I think I told you I am normally stationed there - but Moragh said the storms we had last month were absolutely horrendous."

"I visited Khitomer regularly," Krang said idly. "Its location makes it perfect for monitoring the Federation."

Kreltek made no effort to deny that. Instead he changed the subject. "That was an interesting story you told today. It would not be appropriate to discuss the trial with you; nevertheless, I do have a question." Krang gave his fellow security captain an enquiring look and Kreltek continued, "What happened with the gagh? Did Grapok really try to feed them on chocolate?"

"He did," Krang confirmed. "The experiment failed miserably; the gagh wouldn't touch the stuff." He grinned before adding, "The racht on the other hand, loved it."

Kreltek saw the implications of that immediately and his eyes lit up. "Chocolate flavoured candied racht? If that actually works, they should build a statue to Grapok in the Hall of Heroes! What happened to Grapok, anyway?"

Krang sobered. "You will hear that story in due course."

Kreltek understood. Obviously, the chef still had a part to play in the tale Krang was telling in the courtroom. He would ask for no further details. "On the subject of food," he said, "I've sent Moragh out again to get takeaway. He should be back soon. Is there anything you need in the meantime?"

Krang nodded. "There is, actually. If it is permitted, I would like to call my wife."

"Of course," Kreltek said at once. "You can use the comm. system in the guard office. I regret however, that I will not be able to offer you privacy."

That protected both of them, Krang knew, quite apart from the fact that any outgoing call from the heart of I.I headquarters to a Federation starship would automatically be monitored. Imperial Intelligence was a law unto itself, but even so, they had rules and procedures that must be followed, especially while the trial was ongoing. Kreltek was bending those rules almost to breaking point and it was good of him to allow the call.

There were several desks in the guard office and Kreltek gestured towards one before settling himself at another, opening up the console and logging to check his messages, giving Krang the illusion if not the reality of privacy.

Taking a seat at the desk, Krang studied the console in front of him. He activated it and immediately the screen lit up with a message. Enter passcode.

Krang looked up to see Kreltek blatantly watching him; no longer pretending to work, the other security captain was waiting for him to ask for the necessary information.

So, it was like that was it? Another test? Krang bared his teeth, accepting the wordless challenge. If he could not break into the system and place the call without triggering any alarms, he was not worthy to call himself a security captain.

It helped, of course, that he had been the one to write the security protocols for the computer systems and as the years had passed, they had worked well enough that they had not been significantly altered. Less than a minute later, he was in. Offering his stunned colleague a smug grin, he placed the call to Endeavour.

"Krang!" Chrissie's eyes lit up with joy at the sight of him on her viewscreen. "Oh Krang, it's so good to see you."

"You are well?" he asked her. "And our little ones?"

"They are fine," she reassured him, "And so am I. They've been having the time of their lives here on Endeavour. So have Toni and Fina – I'll call them in a minute so they can tell you about it themselves."

"Meren and the girls are in bed now, I assume?"

"They are," Chrissie confirmed, "but I can wake them if you like?"

The Klingon shook his head. Much as he wanted to see his younger children, it was best not to disturb them. They were not old enough to comprehend why he was not there with them and there was no point in upsetting them. "No, let them sleep."

Sensing the unspoken words and agreeing with his decision, Chrissie nodded. "Are you all right, Krang-oy?" she asked him. "I've been worried about you."

"I am all right," he promised her. "You need not be concerned; I am being treated well."

"I miss you," Chrissie admitted, blushing slightly as she continued, "and tonight I will miss you more, especially after what we talked about today in the court."

"Your testimony brought back some good memories," he admitted, adding mischievously, "I will look forward to continuing the story."

She hesitated at that. "Krang-oy, you're not going to give them any more details, are you? They don't need to know…"

Happy to be talking with his wife for the first time since the trial had begun, even if it was over a comm. system and with witnesses listening, Krang could not resist teasing his wife and she always made it so easy. Once again, she had inadvertently given him ammunition. "Chrissie-oy, you are my wife and the mother of my children. I think people are already aware that at some point, we have mated."

"May I remind you, husband," she said dangerously, in a tone borrowed directly from him, "that revenge is ice-cream. And that I know where all your ticklish spots are."

It was an old joke between them and he grinned at her irreverent mix of proverbs. Revenge was apparently a dish served cold. It was also sweet, causing her to come to the ridiculous conclusion it was ice-cream. He would need to watch his step, he decided; his wife could be… inventive at times. "I believe you are right," he said quickly. "The judge and the court do not need any further details of what happened that night."

Chrissie laughed, enjoying her momentary victory before launching her next attack. "I can't believe you told them I put the phaser in the toilet. Did you have to embarrass me like that?"

He laughed in return. "I still can't believe you actually put it in the toilet,"

"It's as well that I did," she said, "considering that you managed to tip my bag upside down the following morning. I don't think I want to know what would have happened if you'd found it."

Krang sobered. "I would have had you arrested," he admitted uncomfortably. That he would have been forced to order her interrogation and maybe even her execution remained unsaid. Both of them knew that they had been lucky to get through the events of the following days. Had she left the phaser in her bag that night, there would have been no coming back from that. Chrissie's last-minute decision to hide the phaser had changed both their lives and for that he was thankful.

Chrissie knew all this as well as he did, but it was not something she wanted to dwell on. Instead she changed the subject, needing to keep their conversation light-hearted. "It was a good night," she said suggestively. "Remember what happened when I bit you?"

Krang let out a low growl as his body reacted to her teasing. Yes, he remembered all too well. She'd just scored major points in their teasing battle, but he was not yet done with her. "I am not alone, Chrissie-oy," he warned, "but if you wish to continue playing this game in front of witnesses, I will happily oblige."

Watching with satisfaction as his wife blushed, and chalking up another point to himself, Krang allowed his mind to drift back to that night.