David had barely materialised when the door opened and Chrissie came running out to greet him. Ignoring the Klingons, he stepped forward and pulled her into a hug before taking a good look at her. He was shocked to see the state of her face. "What happened to you, Chrissie? Did he do this to you?

"No!" Chrissie shook her head vehemently. "Krang would never harm me!"

David considered for a moment, not completely sure if he should believe her. He'd seen too many domestic abuse victims and had listened to their denials as he had treated their injuries.

"It wasn't him!" she insisted, a little spooked by his silence. "Why won't you believe me? It was Karg who did this. He had me arrested and… and…" Not wanting to elaborate further on that, she simply added, "Krang was the one who saved me."

"Karg?" David stiffened, fighting back the memories. It would be a long time before he was able to hear that name without flinching.

Kay'vin had moved away slightly, giving brother and sister a little space to greet each other, but he was still close enough to hear their conversation. At the mention of Karg's name, he turned back. "It was not an arrest, it was an unsanctioned kidnap. He acted illegally and has been dealt with."

"Maybe that should wait 'til later," McCoy intervened. "We have a patient to see to."

"In a moment," David said. He turned to the Klingon. "What exactly does that mean, dealt with?"

"It means," Kay'vin growled, with a vehemence that, if David only knew it, was very unusual for the normally easy-going Klingon, "that he is dead."

Realising that Kay'vin's blunt statement was about to lead to a lot more questions, especially when David found out just who had killed Karg and all that was going to do was delay things unnecessarily, Chrissie put a hand on his arm, looking up at him with pleading eyes. "Please, David, can't we talk about this later? Krang is hurt and I can't stop the bleeding. He really needs your help. Please… I'm begging you, don't let him die!"

He was being unprofessional, David realised uncomfortably, remembering the boast he had made to Karg about treating even his worst enemy. He was not living up to that right now. Slowly, he nodded. "You'd better take me to him then and I'll see what I can do." Taking his sister's hand, he allowed her to lead him into the house.

Finding their patient lying on the couch, both doctors immediately got to work. "He's still breathing," David said after a moment. "Check his pulse Len… you'll find it in more or less the same place as a human pulse, just the beat is a little different. Realising he was giving orders to McCoy, he stopped himself. "Sorry."

McCoy offered him a wry grin. "You're the Klingon expert. Go ahead and take the lead and I'll assist."

"What do you want me to do?" Chrissie asked. "I want to help."

Her brother took her hand, drawing her away from the injured Klingon. "You've done enough. I want you to show us where we can wash our hands, then make yourself a cup of tea and sit down and rest."

"But…"

Gently but firmly, he cut off her protest. "You did well," he reassured her. "You've kept him alive, slowed the bleeding and made him comfortable, but it's time to leave it to the professionals. Now… where is your kitchen?"

"It… it's through here and on the left at the end of the corridor." Giving in, she allowed herself to be chivvied in that direction.

The two Klingons followed. "I have heard of tea," Kay'vin said conversationally, glancing with interest around the large, homely kitchen. "But I have never tasted it. Maybe you could make enough for all of us."

"It would be interesting to try it," Marla agreed, immediately grasping what her lover was attempting to do and going along with it. "Is it much different to coffee?"

Leaving Chrissie to discuss the merits of tea versus coffee with the two young Klingons, and very grateful that they seemed willing to look after her and keep her distracted, David rolled up his sleeves and made use of the kitchen sink to thoroughly wash and disinfect his hands. McCoy did the same and the two doctors retreated back to the lounge to take care of their patient.

The courtroom, Qo'noS, 2375

Trial Day 4

"When I regained consciousness," Krang told his audience, "I did not immediately know where I was. I remember opening my eyes, to find myself face down on what turned out to be the sofa in the lounge of my home in France. It was odd, really," he added. "I lived in that house for almost two years and it was just a house, a convenient place to work and sleep. It was only after Chrissie and the children moved in that it truly began to feel like a home. From the point that Karg stabbed me, my memories are very hazy and I could not tell you how I got from that prison cell to the sofa. I had been dreaming about the day the operations master called me into his office and gave me my orders and it took me a moment to realise that I wasn't in Meth's office back at headquarters.

He sighed at the memory. "In the dream, I told him that he could stick his orders and walked out. The reality of course was very different and the idea of refusing, while very attractive on one level, was unthinkable. I still do not understand why I was chosen for the Earth mission or why Meth thought I might be even remotely suitable for such a role."

Lorgh stirred. "With the court's permission…" and his attitude made it very clear that the court had better give permission, "I may be able to answer that question."

Not appreciating the interruption, the judge glared at Lorgh, wordlessly warning him that he did not have jurisdiction here. "Operations Master, you have evidence you wish to submit to the court?"

"I do," Lorgh confirmed, stepping out of the spectator area and approaching the judge. Placing a data chip on the table, he takes a step back. "I have here, an entry from the personal logs of my predecessor, Operations Master Meth which is relevant to the proceedings in this courtroom. There are in fact, several such entries, but I would advise that each one be treated separately and listened to at the appropriate time."

Krahl growled, initially annoyed at what he saw as the operations master's game playing, but the request did make sense. "Very well. I will allow it."

Imperial Intelligence Headquarters, Qo'noS, 2265

Six Months previous to invasion.

"Welcome back, sir. Did you have a good trip?" The duty receptionist offered Krang a flirtatious smile as he approached the desk to sign in.

"I did," he confirmed. She was an attractive woman and he bared his teeth in response. "I got to travel on a luxury liner for once."

"You were lucky," she laughed. "It's usually a metal bunk on a Defence Force ship."

"Security Captain Krang to my office, now."

Krang sighed at the sound of his boss's voice over the tannoy. "That didn't take long," he growled, "I've been back in the building less than five minutes."

"Well, you're logged in now," the receptionist said. All signs of flirtatiousness were gone now, and she was careful to keep her voice neutral. She had no intention of getting involved in any dispute between the operations master and his most senior officer.

It was never a good idea to keep Meth waiting and immediately, Krang made his way to the lift that would take him up to the thirtieth floor where the operations master had his office. When he finally reached the required level, the soldiers on duty there saluted him and stepped aside, allowing him entrance to the inner sanctum.

"You took your time," Meth complained, seeing his subordinate in the doorway.

"I had to wait for the lift," Krang growled. "It had to come down from the twentieth floor and I think it stopped at every single floor on the way down and the same on the upward trip. You really should put in an override for senior officers."

"I might at that," Meth quipped. He might have smiled at Krang's irreverence had the plasticised skin on his face allowed him to do so. Since it did not, he contented himself with a low growl to indicate his amusement. Crossing the office, he opened the drinks cabinet and retrieved a bottle of bloodwine, before pouring the thick, oily liquid into two large mugs. "It's vintage Inigan estate," he said conversationally, handing one of the mugs to Krang.

"You wouldn't insult me with anything less," Krang acknowledged. "Whatever claims Opri might make, ours is still the best bloodwine on the market."

"You certainly charge enough for it," Meth groused. "Now tell me, how was the trip to Khitomer?"

At the question, Krang immediately snapped back into professional mode. "The trip was fine and I gained plenty of information. As for Organia, Captain Kor was very cooperative, but the situation is every bit as bad as the official report indicated." His lip curled in disgust. "The High Council's policies have certainly backfired on them big time, and it's going to cost the empire dearly."

"So, it's true then? The Organians really are a race of higher beings?

"Oh yes! They are indeed," Krang confirmed. "Unbelievable, isn't it! The Defence Force went in with their usual over-aggressive tactics and conquered what they thought was a primitive planet – and ordering the execution of two hundred innocent people for a crime, even when the perpetrators have already been handed over, is heavy-handed brutality by even our standards. Except, it turned out that they are not quite the simple, pacifist farmers they appeared to be. Rather, they are highly advanced beings who have the power to enforce their will on us whether we like it or not.

Meth considered all that. No wonder the High Council was in such a tizzy. The idea of being forced to make peace with the Federation was anathema to them. As for Sturka… The chancellor was an honourable man, but even with Gorkon's support, he was not strong enough to control them when they had settled their minds on something, and on this they were united. The temporal breakthroughs made by the Science Institute could not have happened at a worse time. If the time dilator worked as advertised, and Meth had no doubt that it would, the High Council would have their way and the invasion of Earth's past would go ahead.

Slowly, Meth nodded to himself, coming to a decision. He had been second guessing himself ever since he'd received his own orders from the chancellor, but listening to Krang's report, he realised that his instincts were correct. Krang was the right and only choice.

"I have new orders for you, Krang" he said abruptly. "Take a seat and I will explain what is required..."

Krang listened carefully and it was only with great difficulty that he was able to restrain himself from exploding in complete outrage. Going back in time to invade an enemy planet in its past? That had to be the most ridiculously stupid and utterly dishonourable thing that he had ever heard.

His views must have been very clear on his face because Meth did not bother waiting for him to speak. "Yes, I know. You're wondering if I am serious and hoping that I am pulling some sort of very inappropriate prank. I assure you that I am deadly serious. The information you've brought back from Khitomer has all but sealed the fate of Earth. The High Council do not want peace with the Federation and they will not tolerate the interference of the Organians in our affairs. The Defence Force will of course be the ones to do the actual fighting but once the planet is under Klingon control, your orders are to take command of the planet and rule it on behalf of the High Council."

Krang shook his head in stunned disbelief. None of this made any sense and he was not at all happy. "I still don't understand, sir. Why me? I am an intelligence officer, not a planetary governor. I am not trained or qualified for this."

Meth's eyes appeared cold as he studied his subordinate. They were always cold, but underneath, there was just the faintest hint of warmth. He would never admit it but he had a soft spot for this officer, remembering the scared and belligerent boy who had faced him down in the prison cells all those years ago. Even then, hidden beneath the criminal tendencies that had got him into so much trouble, there had been honour. It was both those things that Meth needed now – the willingness to rebel, and that unfailing sense of honour.

After releasing the boy into his elder brother's custody, Meth had not expected to ever see him again. That Krang would enter the Defence Force like his father and brother before him, was undisputed fact. Meth would admit to not a little surprise when a few years after that encounter, the fifteen-year-old Krang had walked into Imperial Intelligence and asked for a job. Whatever the reasons for his career choice, Krang had quickly developed into one of his best agents and Meth had never regretted taking him in.

Meth remembered also, that after the shuttle crash that had almost killed him, when he had returned to work after months of therapy, Krang had been one of the very few who did not look on his ruined face with horror or disgust – or even worse, pity.

He said nothing of this, however. "You are my second in command and there is nobody else than I can trust. Two years, Krang, that's all – just two years. You are still young and it will be good experience for you."

Krang frowned. He did not like this in the slightest and it was with great reluctance that he gave his answer. "If you order it, I will obey."

"That is all I ask; that you obey your orders. Remember, Krang, you answer only to me, not to the High Council. And my orders are as follows: You will take command of Earth as you have been instructed. You will govern the planet and its people to the best of your ability. Follow the teachings of Kahless and act with honour at all times. Do so and you will have my unconditional support."

There was nothing more Meth could say. His instructions were cryptic but necessarily so. If there was one fault Krang had, it was that he was almost too honourable. If he said too much, Krang would refuse the mission. He could only hope that when the time came, Krang would understand his words and act on them.

Firstly a big thank you to the usual suspects - JDC0, Solasanagreine and RobertBruceScott, for their wonderful reviews and comments. Go and read their stories.

Secondly: the character of Meth is borrowed from John Ford's "Final Reflection" which is pretty much considered the bible for old school Klingons. The book describes him as being cold and expressionless with plasticised skin, but gives no explanation. I have chosen to give a reason for this, ie, that he was involved in a shuttle accident that left him with 90 degree burns.

The Organians and Kor come from the TOS episode "Errand of Mercy."

Finally, to anyone ready, I wish you a very happy Christmas.