Chapter 6
by Starsinger
Kirk stares down the man who dared deliberately put his crew in danger. He also meets an old Klingon "friend". Don't own them.
Kirk awoke. This was getting really old. He stayed awake for ten minutes, then slept for two hours. He looked up to see an old friend, "Goroth? They let you off Rura Penthe?"
"New Klingon Chancellor, you may have heard of him, Guldarth. He married a human," he laughed. "What are you doing captaining a starship? You're the best engineer I've ever met."
"Oh, well, did that. Starfleet had other ideas," Jim laughed. "Besides, I have the best Engineer in Starfleet, believe it or not. Oh, this is Dr. Leonard McCoy, he saved my life." Jim introduced them. McCoy's eyes bugged out of his head. "I did some work for him."
"Good job, Doctor. I'm here on business, Kirk. I'm here take your statement on the incident surrounding your trip to Qo'noS." Kirk nodded. He told the story, beginning to end. He skipped a few things, like that ridiculous fight Uhura chose to have with Spock on the ship to Qo'noS. They really could have picked a better time to have THAT discussion, and then they dragged him into it!
"Well, that's all the professional business that was needed. I'm glad you're well, my friend, and, frankly, this is perfect for you. You would have been wasted anywhere else. Well, except on Qo'noS, what you could do for the Klingons!"
"Sorry, my friend, I'm allergic to Blood Wine. I am glad to see that you've moved up in the universe. You're the Ambassador to the Federation Council?"
"Oh, yes, Earth is much more beautiful than I imagined. Klingons are powerful, but lack imagination. Qa'pla!"
"Qa'pla," Jim returned.
"Okay, what does that mean, Qasomething," McCoy asked.
"Qa'pla? It means success…" Jim's voice trailed off as he focused on someone by the door. McCoy looked over to find Marcus sitting there.
"If you need anything, Jim, hit the nurse's button," McCoy told him before leaving.
"Marcus," Kirk said. Kirk's face had gone hard. Something that Marcus had never actually seen before as fire seemed to spark from Kirk's icy blue eyes. "Well, it seems that you still managed to lose, Alex. I can call you that, now, Alex." Marcus couldn't quite meet Kirk's eyes, "You sent us on that mission, never intending us to return. You thought that we could provoke a war. You had no problems condemning us."
"You should never have made it back to Earth," Marcus told him.
"I'm well aware of that, ALEX. If there is a war, then I'll be one of many people fighting it. Rura Penthe, frankly, is too good for you."
"You've BEEN there?" Marcus asked.
"Yes, I have. My trip was much more pleasant, and profitable, than yours will be. My testimony has been taken by both the prosecution and the Klingons. If I believed in such, I'd hope that you rot in hell. You WILL NEVER be in a position to deliberately put good people in harm's way again."
"People die in war, Kirk," Marcus hissed back.
"You're right, Marcus. They do. If we had died fighting the Klingons during a war, then I would have accepted that, I'd have been dead, so it wouldn't have made a difference. I'm a soldier, soldiers die in battle. What you designed was a slaughter. Khan was as much a pawn as I was. I hope he's able to see justice done for him and his family as I will."
"The Klingons will come for you, Jim." Marcus snarled.
"There's a difference between us, Alex. I've made friends in the Klingon Empire, and I'm not the only one. They may be thieves and pirates, but they're honorable friends and foes."
"What do you mean thieves and pirates?" Marcus asked, taken aback.
"Most of the technology they have they've obtained through less than legal measures. They raided a Romulan border colony for warp technology. A federation freighter yielded photon torpedoes and phaser modulators. Replicator technology they bullied out of the Ferengi. They won't back down, though. If their honor is at stake, they'll fight until they're victorious or dead, or unable to go on. Although, they're not afraid to trade either. I got some good money out of a trade with Klingons." Suddenly, Kirk was asleep. No warning, no sign of his being tired, his eyes closed and he was lost to the world.
"He lasted longer than I expected," a voice sounded behind him. "Are you done, Marcus?"
Marcus looked up at McCoy, "Take care of him, McCoy. He's the best hope of the Federation. All of you are."
McCoy looked like he was about to say something, then changed his mind, "Go, Marcus, before I do something that I regret." With that, Marcus left, much left unsaid.