Shorter chapter than you're all used to, I know, but I hope you still enjoy seeing what's going on with Alex while she and Spock are apart!
"Alex's log. I fell asleep. Well, okay that's not entirely accurate. I passed out. I think I have a concussion, I keep passing out. I haven't thrown up in awhile though- not since I left the Romulan ship, so that's a plus I guess. I used some of my water to clean my head, my eye is still swollen, and I can't open it. The ringing in my ear finally stopped, but I can't really hear out of it, or- I can, but it's really muffled. I think I have hearing damage from the explosion.
Truthfully, I think my augmentations are the only reason I'm alive. There's no other explanation for why I survived what would have killed any other human. I tried to reach out to General Thal again. Tried to reach out to anyone. I figured out how to turn on the emergency beacon, but I don't know what the range on that thing is." A sigh broke the train of thought from the woman who stared out the window of the shuttle.
"Even now, in my position, I can't help but think about how lucky I am; humans from my time would kill to be where I am today. Space never interested me- I mean, of course it did- but I never tried to become an astronaut. I got into the service to pay for college. I never ended up going- they paid better for tod's- tour of duties." another sigh broke her train of thought as she stared out into space. She ached, she was hungry, so she took a small sip of water. "I have 110 hours of oxygen left," Another small sip of water and she stood up. "I'm going to see what other supplies are here. Hopefully there's some sort of anti-bacterial or something for the cut on my head."
"Thal," Alex said as she looked at the general, she and other Klingons were in what she considered the war room. Information about their target, about the different ships, about the war were everywhere, all over the walls, and on the tables. Maps with planets marked here and there with different sources of information were on screens. "I understand the Klingon way of fighting war," Alex said gently. "I understand that to fight hand to hand is the honorable thing to do, but-"
"There is no but!" another insisted. "Your people are weak and small, you do not know the Klingon ways!"
"That may be true of most humans, but I have lived among the Klingons for plenty of time now," Alex insisted as she looked back at the outspoken one harshly. "And humans may be weak, but we know war. I have been in war many times," she said as she stared him in the eye. "How many wars have you fought in?" she pressed and he grew silent. Battles, yes, wars? Not so much.
"Finish your thought Ramirez," Thal said and she stood up, walking to a screen that held a map of the planets in the Klingon empire.
"This planet here," she pointed to one of them. "Is where they seem to be training their recruits for war," she said as she touched the screen, purposefully not looking at the small planet on the outskirts of the Klingon empire that practically screamed for her attention.
"It is," another agreed with her.
"They have a camp where they train their fighters and they prepare them for war."
"The war academy is new, but it is bringing new fighters to their side every day," Raz Toltiss spoke up and Alex nodded as she looked at him and then looked back at the planet.
"So we bomb the camp," she said simply, earning shocked silence from the others. "Don't give me that shocked look, I know you've bombed plenty of different people and planets,"
"But to bomb our own people," One finally said and she looked over at them.
"Are you not Klingons?" she asked. "Is this not war?" she pressed. "I don't understand what is happening here- You claim to want to win the war, this will be a devastating blow to Kaldal,"
"I agree with Ramirez," a voice finally said and she looked over to see Raz looking at her with a nod. "We should bomb the camp- to take them out would give a show of aggression that Kaldal and his forces are not expecting,"
"I will speak to The Little Klingon and The Aggressor," Thal said after a moment. When the other Klingons had left the room he looked between the two of them with a slight amount of concern in his eyes. "Do you not think this will infuriate the others?" he asked. "When it is time for me to take my place as chancellor?"
"It may," Alex conceded. "But think about it this way," she said as she looked at him, "It will be a great show of strength, it will strike fear in the heart of not only the Klingons who dare oppose you, but it will show the rest of the universe that you are not afraid of making the hard decisions,"
"I disagree," Raz said and Alex looked over at him with a slight frown. Thal looked at his nephew, and held a hand, stopping the comment that had been coming to Alex. "I think, if we are to stoop as far as to bombing out own people, why not go all the way?" he asked. "Then no Klingon can claim you to be a coward who would bomb his own?"
"What do you think?" Thal asked Raz who gave him a grin.
"We have the Romulans coming," he said slowly. "We have them bomb the camp."
"That's a terrible idea," Alex spoke up, not able to stop herself. "Thal, no, listen, we could have the Romulans do it, but when you become Chancellor, the rest of the Empire will demand retribution for the attack on Klingon lives," she explained. "We cannot hide behind the Romulans and risk starting a new war just to save face!"
"Why not?" Raz demanded and she shot him a scowl.
"Because the whole point of Thal becoming Chancellor is to bring peace to the Klingon Empire," she insisted. "The Empire is fractured enough as it is, and Klingons think of war far too often, Thal, you know I'm right," she said as she looked at her friend imploringly. "Another war will break the Mighty Empire beyond repair, and having the Romulans do this will be a fracture you cannot heal. Bomb the camp yourself, take the credit, it will bring the Klingon empire closer together."
"I have much to think about," Thal finally said and then turned, leaving Raz and Alex in the room together. Alex sighed as she leaned against the table, her eyes caught the map of the planets in the Klingon empire again and she stepped up to it, looking over the map before her eyes landed on the one little planet in the Klingon Neutral zone. Her left thumb found the ring on her left finger and she began to twist at the ring, wondering what her husband would say of all this.
"It has no name," Raz spoke to her right and she looked over at him. He was looking at the planet she had been looking at and he gestured to it.
"That's not what I was thinking about," Alex said and he looked down at her.
"You were thinking of your Vulcan," he said and she frowned slightly. "There are whispers of a time some months ago when you, the General and Kurak left the ship for some days on the outskirts of the empire," he said. "I have heard of my uncle's time onboard the Enterprise." he continued and she nodded slowly.
"I'm thinking of my husband," she confirmed and he looked a little surprised to hear that.
"You married a Vulcan?" he asked and she looked at him with a raised eyebrow.
"And?" she asked and he smiled slightly.
"And yet you are The Little Klingon." he said as he looked over at her and put a hand on her shoulder. "The Little Klingon married a Vulcan," he shook his head slightly as he moved his hand. "I had higher hopes for you," he said and she scowled as she straightened up and jerked away from his touch.
"And I had higher hopes that you were smarter than you seem, but unfortunately you've just been as pig headed as I thought you were," she said. "Blaming the Romulans will tear the empire apart! It will destroy Thal's chances at bringing peace to the Empire as Chancellor!"
"Okay Little Klingon," he said with a slight smirk. "We will see in two days when the Romulans get here, who they are willing to listen to. A mighty Klingon warrior," he straightened up. "Or a tiny human who is married to the Vulcan who turned down the Vulcan science academy in favor of the Federation." At the look of surprise on Alex's face he gave her a knowing nod. "Oh yes, even here, we know of the Vulcan Spock. Half human, Half Vulcan, belonging to neither." he looked her over and then gave a slight nod. "Much like yourself," he said before he turned and walked out of the room, leaving Alex there, dumbfounded and furious as he left her alone.