Krennla District, First City, Qo'noS
Late Evening, Trial day 4.
Not undeservedly, the Krennla district had a bad reputation and it was true that at night, the streets were filled with drug dealers, prostitutes and various other lowlifes who had been forced out of the better areas of the city by the ever-present security forces. It was not a good place for a woman, even one who was a Defence Force soldier, to be out on her own after dark. Not in the mood for confrontation, Marla chose to take a taxi back home.
For those who lived there, though, it was home and there was a surprising community spirit amongst its residents that Marla had come to appreciate. To Marla, a child of one of the twenty-four ruling families of Qo'noS, who had grown up on one of the great estates, life in Krennla had come as a massive shock. But after the debacle of their return from Earth and her discommendation by her family, it had been all that she and Kay'vin could afford and by the time he had been promoted and something better was possible, it had become home.
At least, she thought wryly, her home was not in one of the massive tenement blocks that dominated the area. Rather, it was on the outskirts, a small house with a tiny courtyard garden hidden behind a high, stone wall. Pointing the house out to the pilot, she waited patiently as he brought the shuttle down to land right in front of it. He was gone again almost as soon as she had paid him; no outsider remained long in Krennla if they could help it, it just wasn't safe for them.
Hurrying inside, Marla shut the door behind her and locked it. Satisfied that the house was secure, she moved into the living area and sank into the nearest chair. It had been a long, difficult day and she was both mentally and physically exhausted. When she'd got up that morning, her plan for the day had included nothing more exciting than spending an hour or two at the gym before going to the market to buy food and then settling down to read the engineering journal she'd downloaded from the Federation databases. It was not that having the authorities banging on the door was anything unusual in this part of the city, but she had not bargained for two lawyers turning up and dragging her into a court case that brought back memories she had thought long buried. Speaking of those long-gone days, full of happy memories of her courtship with Ka'vin, had been unbelievably hard.
Outsiders thought that Klingons did not feel grief, that they all wanted to die in glorious battle and then celebrated that death. It was true, they did… up to a point. But they were not suicidal and much as they aspired to that glorious death, it was always good to kill one's enemy and survive to tell the tale, preferably over several barrels of bloodwine. All Kay'vin had ever wanted, career-wise at least, was to captain a bird-of-prey in the service of the empire and much later than he deserved, due to the repercussions and reprisals after the Earth Project had ended, he had finally got his dream in the shape of the Hegh'Ta.
But Kay'vin had not just been a warrior. He had been a lover. A husband – and a good husband at that, the only one Marla had ever wanted. A father and eventually a grandfather. He had been her companion through life and while she was proud of him and glad that he'd had a death worthy of such a great warrior, she missed him desperately.
The day that Krang and Chrissie had come to visit her had been a particularly bad one. With the benefit of hindsight, it was obvious that they had intended to ask her to testify but, having noticed how poorly she was coping, had allowed her to assume that the trial was in respect of his more recent disobedience. Had she been in a different mood, she might have smiled at that; obviously Krang had changed little over the years and was still not good at obeying orders. It had been a lie of omission, but still a lie, and she had not yet forgiven them for that.
Her mate had been fiercely loyal to Krang and that had not changed, even after their return to Qo'noS. If he were still alive, she had no doubt that he would be in the courtroom loudly protesting Krang's innocence. But he was not alive and it fell to her to speak on his behalf. Whatever the cost to herself, she was determined that Kay'vin's voice would be heard.
Impulsively she got to her feet. Heading into the bedroom and kneeling by the bed, she reached under it to pull out a box. Brushing off the inevitable dust, she opened it carefully, lifting out a smaller box and opening that as well. Inside nestled a handful of photographs. Not holographs, these were real, twentieth century photos printed on actual paper and each one represented a precious memory.
Lovingly, she picked up the first photo. It had been taken in the bar of the hotel they had checked into on their first night in Madrid. They were hand in hand and each of them holding a large, balloon-shaped glass containing an aromatic beverage… what had it been called? Ah yes, brandy, that was it. They were both wearing Terran clothing, in Kay'vin's case, a pair of faded blue jeans, a navy jumper and a baseball cap with 'Real Madrid' emblazoned on the front. She smiled at the image. He looked disturbingly human in the photo, only the d'k tahg which he had refused to remove spoiling the look. As for her, she was wearing a tight, figure-hugging skirt that came to just above her knees, indecently short by Klingon standards. Her top half was covered by a cream-coloured blouse with tiny blue flowers embroidered on it. The salesgirls had tried to get her to buy some high heeled shoes to complete the effect and she'd tried them on but quickly discovered that walking in them was just impossible. Instead, she'd settled for a pair of black leather calf-length boots that were lighter and much more elegant than her uniform issue footwear.
Marla smiled at the memory. It being winter, she'd bought a coat as well. It had been black wool and beautifully warm, fitting snugly over her upper body then flaring out at the hip and coming down to her knees. She'd finished the outfit off with a woolly hat (and really, what was the point of that ridiculous pompom on the top of it, she wondered?) and matching scarf.
She'd had so much fun that weekend, staying in a Terran hotel and walking through the streets of Madrid, dressed in Terran clothing and blending in well enough that nobody had noticed the two Klingons sightseeing in their city.
Madrid, Spain
Early Afternoon, Friday 28th January 1994
Materialising in the little car park at the back of the Inmobilaria Plaza Mayor, Marla looked around her with amused interest, taking in the Klingon shuttle parked incongruously next to a couple of Terran cars, dwarfing them and taking up a significant amount of space. She offered Kay'vin a sideways grin. "The botanic gardens were undoubtedly 'dangerous' and in much need of close inspection, especially those gigantic water leaves, but what exactly was it here that you wished to show me?"
Kay'vin grinned in return. "We have a little more business to take care of and then I can give you the gifts I purchased on my last trip to Madrid – and which I had to leave here when you called me so precipitously." Taking her arm, he steered her towards the entrance.
Friday was early closing day and sitting at her desk, sorting out the last of the paperwork before she shut the shop, Carmen looked up with some irritation as the doorbell jangled, warning her of new arrivals. Why did people always wait until closing time? Her annoyance faded as she saw the Klingon; she'd been wondering when he'd come back for his things. He was not alone this time, she realised; there was a female Klingon with him. This must be the girlfriend he'd spoken of. She'd better be careful, she decided with some disappointment. The Klingon was good looking and it had been fun to flirt a little with him, but she did not want to get herself into trouble.
With a brusqueness that was typically Klingon, but was not intended to be rude, Kay'vin did not bother to greet her with anything more than a nod of the head. "You have sold the property?"
"I have, Señor," she told him, reaching for the paperwork and handing it to Kay'vin.
"It does not seem a lot," Marla said critically, looking over his arm at the documentation and studying the figures. She could not read Spanish, but the numbers spoke for themselves.
"Properties never go for high prices at auction," Carmen explained nervously. "We could get a higher price if we left it on the market but that would take time, maybe months."
Kay'vin nodded his understanding. "The price is acceptable. You will pay the funds into the account that has been provided and submit an invoice for your fees to the Klingon government through the usual channels. You have done good work, Señora Carmen."
She smiled. "Thank you, Señor. Is there anything else I can help you with?"
xxx
The hotel that Carmen had recommended was easy enough to find, its large, opulent-looking frontage taking up a significant part of the block. A uniformed man, whose purpose was unclear to the two Klingons since he did not appear to be a security officer, stood in the doorway. The man gave the two Klingons a wary look but opened the door without challenging them.
Kay'vin stepped straight inside, something that must have seemed bad-mannered to the Terran doorman who was used to the polite tradition of allowing the lady to go first. Klingons had no such custom and while Kay'vin did consider Marla to be his equal in every way, it was also natural to him to go first and ensure the safety of the woman he wanted as his mate.
Nudging Kay'vin, Marla gestured towards the sign on the reception desk. "We speak your language. Somehow, I don't think they mean tlhIngan Hol."
Kay'vin laughed uneasily. "No, I imagine not. I will settle for English. I'd prefer not to have to use the translator." The hotel looked expensive and he swiftly calculated his credit, hoping he could afford the stay. Marla, he noted, did not seem fazed by the luxury around her, but unlike him, she was a member of the aristocracy. She was probably used to the Klingon equivalent of places like this. He bit back a sigh, forcibly reminded of just how far above him she was. Her family would never allow them to marry.
Sensing his disquiet and guessing at the reason, Marla took control, addressing the young woman behind the counter. "We require a room for three nights."
That was not what the receptionist had expected when the two aliens had approached her. Was she or another member of staff or maybe a guest about to be arrested or even killed? All sorts of bad things had gone through her mind "I… yes, of course." Quickly, she pulled up the list of available rooms on the computer. At this time of year there was plenty of space and she considered the options before deciding on one of the suites on the sixth floor. All their rooms were good but offering anything less than the best could be construed as an insult and offending a Klingon was dangerous. Efficiently she sorted out room keys and summoned another member of staff. "Eduardo, would you escort our guests up to their room please? Suite 603."
Eying the Klingons nervously but deciding that no matter how intimidating they looked, with their armour and weapons, they did not seem to be here to cause trouble, the man named Eduardo bowed. "Certainly. Sir, Madam, if you would come with me…"
xxx
"Oh wow!" Marla shook her head. "Just… wow!"
Kay'vin could only agree. The 'room' they'd been allocated was bigger than his accommodation in the officers' barracks, consisting of a lounge, two bedrooms and a bathroom, all of which were huge and more luxurious than anything he could possibly have imagined.
Exploring the suite, they came to a halt at the entrance to the bedroom, looking with some disbelief at the enormous bed that dominated the room. Deciding to try it out, Marla darted past him and jumped onto the bed and to her surprise, bounced. Experimentally, she bounced again. The mattress was unbelievably soft and springy and she could not imagine how Terrans managed to sleep on it. Making herself comfortable, she considered that for a moment. Maybe not sleep, she decided, but a surface as giving as this one could be conducive to other activities. She grinned at the thought; this was going to be fun.
"So…" Kay'vin said eventually, trying his best to focus on anything other than the fact she was sitting provocatively on his bed. "What do you want to do today?"
Unfolding herself from the bed and approaching him, Marla considered the question. "Hmmm… I think we should try out that bed." Taking a wicked pleasure in his blush, she continued, "But first I want to go shopping and then, when we come back, I want to investigate those presents you bought me. That shop assistant, Carmen, said there's a department store near here that's worth a visit." Watching her lover carefully, she waited a moment before adding, "She likes you, you know."
He stopped dead. "She what? What do you mean, she likes me?"
With some effort, Marla managed to keep her expression grim as she teased him. "She was flirting with you, don't pretend you didn't notice."
Kay'vin growled, a low, menacing sound. Actually, he had noticed, and had noticed as well how attractive she was for a Terran, but he was not about to admit that. Stepping towards Marla, he caught hold of her by the wrists and pulled her against him, one arm going round her waist to secure her there. "I have no interest in any woman but you. You know my feelings for you, Marla-oy."
Reaching up, Marla bit his lip and then, before he could react, she twisted out of his grip and retreated to a safe distance. "Shopping first," she reminded him wickedly.
Slightly dazed, Kay'vin put up a hand to touch his lip and encountered traces of blood. She'd bit him, even if it wasn't very hard. Kahless, right now he wanted to do nothing more than throw her on that bed and claim her. With some effort, he nodded. "It shall be as you wish, my lady. Shopping it is."
He moved back towards the door and as he was about to open it, she stopped him. "I meant it, you know, what I said about trying out the bed. I have no intention of sleeping alone tonight, or for that matter, sleeping. I want you and I will have you." Seeing the look on his face, one of pure joy, she smiled to herself. Yes, she would have him – tonight and every night. Now and forever!
So, Marla wasn't meant to get a full chapter to herself, but it turned out that she had a lot to say and not all if it was what I expected.
Once again, thank you to the wonderful people who have been leaving reviews and comments.
Language note: 'Inmobilaria' is Spanish for Estate Agent (UK term) or Realtor (US). I am English so I use UK English when I write.
Real Madrid is the name of one of Madrid's two top league football team. I doubt that Kay'vin knows that.