4: Tribble In Paradise

"That was a rather mean-spirited trick of you to play on us, last time, Captain Fujino," Captain Koloth was sitting across from Shizuru at a table in the Enterprise's Recreation Room One, a crystal 3-Dimensional chess board in between them.

The Enterprise and the IKS Groth crossed paths often, during their patrols of the established Neutral Zone between their respective governments. Shizuru had quickly convinced Starfleet Command that such meetings were actually helpful, as it kept an open dialogue between the two respective powers, and fostered an atmosphere of mutual respect, especially as Shizuru frequently bested Koloth at 3-Dimensional Chess. Having a half-human/half-Vulcan first officer and lover helped her maintain her edge. And she did need to maintain her edge. For even though she always defeated Koloth, it was always a close game between the two of them.

"I'd say that it pales in comparison to poisoning the grain bound for Sherman's Planet," Shizuru smiled thinly.

"Really, now, Captain, that's beneath you. I had nothing to do with that. Indeed, I knew nothing of it. That was the work of a member of Klingon intelligence, and to be honest, those people are quite insane. Assassins. Spies. Poisoners. Hardly fit to be warriors of honor on the field of battle."

"Klingons never lie?" Doctor McCoy asked ruefully from one table over.

"In war, Doctor,"Koloth smirked, "A bit of deception is a necessity. A feint here. A gambit there. But an outright lie? It's shameful. The man you call Arne Darvin will have to go through the rest of his life with that name, for he has been given Discommendation from the Empire. No Klingon from here on will even recognize him as a Klingon, and indeed, our surgeons will not restore his prior appearance. As one of us, he is no more. And such action has the entire intelligence group scrambling to ensure they do not behave in so dishonorable a way, again. But to dump a veritable scourge on our ship? Suppose we'd made planetfall before being aware of those…Tribbles. Imagine the ecological disaster. We were lucky that our own food stores are far more secure than those of a Terran ship."

"You raise a valid point," Shizuru said, "I have spoken with the crewmen involved in that stunt, and I assure you, I had no foreknowledge of it. They have each been given a stern lecture on the subject."

"But no official reprimand?" Koloth moved a pawn.

"None," Shizuru smiled, refusing to be baited and instead lowering her rook to the lowest level, "Check, I believe."

"Just what did you do with the Tribbles," Natsuki asked, quirking an eyebrow, "I know Scotty didn't want to beam them into deep space. That would be cruel. But what was their fate?"

"Kuga, my blushes," Koloth feigned indignation as he moved to block Shizuru's rook, "It is unbecoming of a warrior to simply slay an animal that presents no challenge. We found a suitable place to deposit them. Ample food. Plenty of room to move and breed. A dominant predator species that should keep their numbers in check. All very carefully researched by our science team and skillfully executed by our most trusted transporter technician."

"And that's Mate," Shizuru moved a piece into play, "I must say, Captain Koloth, you take longer and longer to beat with each game we play."

"Yes, I do find your games of strategy to be most enlivening," Koloth grinned, then turned to his first officer, Nina of the House of Wang, "Did you contact the ship?"

"Sir," she put her arm over her chest and bowed slightly, a Klingon salute, "They tell me that everything is in order. We can beam over at any time."

"Well, Captain Fujino…Unless you'd care for a cup of raktijino?"

"Oh, Heavens, no," Shizuru said, waving dismissively, "One cup of that brew of yours and I'm up all night."

"Captain Fujino, are you telling me that a single cup of coffee is too much for a stalwart captain such as yourself? Besides," he grinned, giving a quick look to Natsuki, "As I understand it, you have someone who can help you work off any extra energy. Though, I must say you're green tea isn't bad, but it's just not strong enough."

"I'm sorry, but raktijino simply isn't my cup of tea," Shizuru said.

"Quite literally," Natsuki smirked.

"Ikezu."

"Here,"Natsuki handed a pouch to Koloth, "I find a little dark chocolate goes well with raktijino."

"Natsuki, if you will escort Captain Koloth and Commander Nina to the transporter. I have early duty tomorrow, and we're due on Rigel for the conference. You'll excuse me, Captain Koloth?"

"Of course. As humans are wont to say, if you don't have your health, you don't have anything. Pleasant dreams, Captain Fujino."

Shizuru made her way to the turbolift, and went up to her quarters, which were up two decks. She reached her door, covering her mouth as she yawned. She pressed the panel by the door, but it didn't budge. She frowned and pressed again. Still, nothing.

As it happened, Haruka Suzushiro, head of security was passing by, "Problem, Captain?"

"My door appears to be locked."

She tapped the panel to demonstrate.

"Hmm," Haruka frowned, "I was searching the deck. We got a sensor reading that suggested some sort of energy surge in the area. It was right as Koloth and his XO beamed off the ship. Maybe a glitch fried the door. Should we have Engineering…?"

"Shizuru, is something wrong?" Natsuki asked.

"My door seems to be unwilling to open," Shizuru said.

Natsuki looked at the panel, "It's not locked. But it might be jammed. I'll try and push it while you try the panel again. My Vulcan strength might be enough to loosen…"

The door did indeed come open.

And Shizuru understood immediately what had happened. As wave after wave of warm, soft fluff enveloped her, she thought to herself that the transporter tech on Koloth's ship must, indeed, be a skilled individual. She would have to find a way to express her appreciation for their skill. Personally. It was a good two minutes before Tribbles ceased pouring out of her room.

"A suitable place to deposit them," Natsuki glowered, "Plenty of food. Ours."

"I'll bet Koloth jumped into Warp the instant he was aboard his ship, too," Shizuru chuckled, remembering what an ancestor of hers had once said. A long ago relation had once posited that if one only got angry when tricked, they would learn nothing, "I shall have to find a way to repay him for his generous…gift…later."

"Well, what do we do about this?" Haruka asked, gesturing to the Tribbles that she, Shizuru, and Natsuki were now hip deep in.

"You know," Shizuru said, already tired and being lulled by the trilling of the creatures, "This is actually kind of comfy. I might rest here."

"Be serious, will you?" Natsuki chided, then posited, "I suppose we could feed a few to Duran and see if he likes the taste of Tribble…"

"Ikezu," Shizuru sighed, "Someone try to raise Cyrano Jones on subspace. We'll see if we can find the homeworld of Tribbles and rehabitate them. In the meanwhile, Natsuki, I'm bunking with you, tonight."