AN: Salutations and bienvenue! Malice and I are bringing you another story of romance, passion, and daring do! Today's story brings to characters from past stories of Malice and mine, but it takes place beyond our current story Sphere of Influnence. That story should be wrapping up soon…ish. Anywho, on with the story!
Captain Amelia Cobham sat in the ready room of her ship, poring over the latest department reports before she decided to turn in for the night. The tall, blonde-haired human didn't mind the bureaucracy of command, since it had taken quite some time for Starfleet to find her a permanent ship. The Valdres-class Strike Wing Escort was hardly the most renowned class of vessel to captain, but she didn't care - the Cleopatra was her ship, and it's crew were her crew. That, to Amelia, was vastly more important than simply commanding a famous class or ship.
She typed a few more notes into her desk terminal, setting the PADD aside for a moment as she did, when she was suddenly disturbed by her door chime sounding. "Come," she called clearly, and the door hissed open to admit her First Officer, a shorter, slight young woman, with shoulder-length brown hair and the jet-black eyes of a Betazoid. "Bezgla, come in," Amelia said with a smile, gesturing to the chair opposite her. "What can I do for you?"
Bezgla sat in the offered chair, returning Amelia's smile. "Nothing really," she answered, her voice soft and measured, "I just wanted to see how you were doing. You have been in command for a little over a week now, and they still have not sent you an official mission."
"Oh, I don't mind so much," Amelia answered, rising to walk over to her replicator. "It's given me a chance to really settle in, start putting my own mark on things - drink?"
"No, thank you," Bezgla said politely, raising a hand. "I am turning in soon myself, I just wanted to see that you were okay. And if the increased efficiency in the ship is anything to go by, I would say you have made your mark quite well," Bezgla said with a gentle laugh.
Amelia took her own raktajino from the replicator, sipping it as she returned to her seat. "I do my best. But yes, I think I've settled in well, and I've certainly found your input to be invaluable - the joys of commanding officers from different career paths," Amelia finished, grinning.
Having focused on an Engineering career path originally, having Bezgla - a firmly Science-orientated officer - as her second-in-command was incredibly helpful, since they would often see the same problem in different ways, which gave rise to more flexibility.
"I do have one interesting fact to share, however, before I go," Bezgla stated, and Amelia looked up in question. "It turns out that you and I are actually related."
Amelia nearly choked on her drink, and she set it down quickly before the beverage attempted to cause her any more harm. "Really? That…that is quite a surprise," she said eventually. "I'm surprised Admiral Zevil gave me the command then, since that could constitute a conflict of interests."
"Oh, it is doubtful he even knows," Bezgla countered, waving a hand dismissively. "Our familial connection is hardly close - cousin of a nephew of an aunt's sister's father, sort of thing. We are, after several degrees of separation, cousins - although I am still certain your family attended my mother's wedding, about five years ago."
Amelia frowned. "Is that whose that was?" she asked, a confused smile on her face. "All I remember is being dragged to an event for some relation I didn't know, and lots of people not wearing any clothes."
"Traditional betazoid weddings, pray you never have one yourself," Bezgla laughed.
"Or that Shones never drags me to one," Amelia added bitterly, rolling her eyes as she thought of her Chief Medical Officer. "Anyway, I'd better-"
She was interrupted by the comms system beeping intrusively, and another of her officers spoke shortly after. "Nebral to Captain Cobham."
"Go ahead, Lashe."
"Priority signal for you, ma'am. From Admiral Zevil's office."
Amelia and Bezgla exchanged looks, both of them hoping that this was the moment they had been waiting for. "I'll take it here, Lashe, thank you."
"Understood ma'am, Nebral out." As soon as the comm clicked off, Amelia turned to her desk terminal and tapped a key, revealing the face of her new CO.
"Admiral Zevil, sir," Amelia said politely, "if this is about my latest report, I can only apologise but I guarantee I can get our readiness times down further by the end of the week."
"That's…good to hear, captain." Zevil said, thoroughly confused by this response. As far as he was concerned, Captain Cobham was the platinum standard for report filing. He was even considering using her reports as an example to all the captains in his command to emulate. "Actually, I'm the one who should apologise, it took longer than I'd care to admit to get your first assignment to you. Things have been rather…chaotic since we had to engage the Voth within the Dyson Sphere."
"I've seen the reports," Amelia added sombrely. The Voth were technologically powerful and incredibly aggressive, and had been making things difficult in the Delta Quadrant in general, and the Jenolan Dyson Sphere in particular. "Naturally sir, if there's anything the Cleo can do to support you, just say the word."
"I'll take you up on that offer now, captain." A diagram of areas in the Sphere appeared by the Admiral, some parts red with the Voth's symbol and some blue with the allied forces'. "We've recently gained a new spire in the latest skirmish at the Voth front. Inside is a treasure trove of not only Solane technology, but possibly Voth tech, not even counting the possible intel about both species that could be useful to our own ongoing offensive against them." The map then disappeared as Zevil drew himself into an even more rigid posture. "Your mission is to secure the spire and gather as much information as you can about the combatants and their technology."
Amelia sat back in her chair, sipping her beverage as her black-laced eyes took in the details of the map display while she listened to the Admiral.
"I see we have some allied forces in the area," she commented, setting her drink aside again. "Do we know if any of them have sent a ship to the Spire?"
"The Republic has a few ships keeping watch on the surrounding perimeter, but they're letting us and the Klingons look inside first." Zevil told her as he looked down at the padd in his hands. "As for the Klingons, they're sending just one ship, but it's one of their best. Dahar Master M'Zetta of the I.K.S. Sor'mang. I met M'Zetta during the Preserver Search, she is… impressive to say the least."
Amelia raised her eyebrows at that. A Dahar Master was one of the most elite warriors in the Empire, with a list of feats and accomplishments as long as her ship's hull. "I'd better brush up on my KDF protocols then, I'll want to make sure she is given the greeting a warrior of her calibre deserves." Amelia sipped her beverage, contemplating the situation. "Is there anything else you want me to know, Sir?"
"M'Zetta has very high standards and can be very…intense." Zevil said, trying his best to find the right words to describe the feline female that gave most Klingons pause. "She's over a hundred and fifty years old, personally knew Kang, Kolath, and Kor, and she will not hesitate to put you in your place if you disappoint her. In our first meeting she not only dressed down myself and an eight foot tall Gorn, but then brought him down to his knees when he tried to talk back to her.
"All that is to say, that it would be in your best interest to listen to her wisdom and don't get on her bad side." There was actually more to the Dahar Master's story, like how she was a Delta recruit like he was, but telling Amelia that would be a violation of the Temporal Prime Directive and that was not a headache he needed right now. Zevil smiled then, hoping to put her at ease."However, I have no doubt you will rise to her challenge. You're one of the best captains in the fleet and I have no doubt you'll do Starfleet proud. Keep me apprised of your progress and be safe. Zevil out."
As soon as the terminal screen returned to the UFP logo, Amelia became more animated, clearing any unnecessary items from her desk and finalising her work. "Bez, you'd best get your head down now then," she told Bezgla, who stood up instantly at the instruction. "We'll all need to be on the ball as soon as we cross into the Solanae Dyson Sphere. On your way out, tell M'larit to set course for the Dyson Sphere by way of New Romulus - I won't be able to make it for my brother's wedding, but I'd like to send him my love as we pass through."
"And yourself, ma'am?" Bezgla asked, an eyebrow raised expectantly.
"Don't worry, I fully intend on getting my rest as well," Amelia stated, straightening the Klingon sash that she wore as a mark of pride and honour. "I just don't intend to present myself in front of a Dahar Master looking like some unwashed, unprepared recruit!"
Bezgla smiled. "Glad to hear it, Captain. Sleep well, and I shall see you when we reach New Romulus no doubt."
At that she turned and left, leaving Amelia to her own preparations.
"-and then that slimy little toDSaH had the balls to tell me to 'play nice' with the Starfleet captain they're sending." Growled Dahar Master M'Zetta as she sunk her Kur'leth hilt deep into the Fek'eri in front of her. Whenever she wanted to blow off steam, she would come to the holodeck and fight past foes along with the ghost of her oldest friend.
"J'mpok was always more a politician than a warrior." Dahar Master Kor said as he pushed back and kicked away at three blade welding Jem'hadar, charging and sinking his Bat'leths blade into one's chest and his dagger into another's throat. "It was a surprise when you told me he killed Martok for the Chancellorship. Then again he and Gowron always did get along."
Was it healthy to talk to the hologram of your dead friend? A counsellor would probably say no it definitely wasn't, but no one was stupid enough to say that to M'Zetta. However, M'Zetta did know that this wasn't really Kor, no matter how well she programmed him. This hologram was just a pale reflection of the man that was Dahar Master Kor, but M'Zetta still used it as a way to let off steam and talk out strategies with her fellow master and friend.
"He tires of the war, as do we all," M'Zetta smoothly lopped off the heads of two Tal Shiar agents and did a fluid backwards thrust without looking, easily running through the Cardassian trying to stealthily stab her in the back. "But he has tied his hands with all his idiotic rhetoric and Klingon pride. All that is left to him is his precious politics and a hope that something monumental will bring this war to an end and that will save his worthless hide."
There were no more enemies to fight, so the two masters began to circle one another, blades at the ready. "All I'm hearing is whine, whine, whine! If these were the old days, you would have beaten J'mpok into submission and told him what to do, just like the nagging old house cat you are!"
"If these were the old days, you would be passed out on your fourth bottle of blood wine!" Hissed M'Zetta and she blocked then parried the ensuing attack that Kor heralded with a roar. They ran at one another and locked blades, both growling and pushing to get the upper hand.
"It would have been five bottles of blood wine, four bottles of fire wine, and at least three glasses of Chech'tluth!" He roared with a mad glee making him smile, the joy of battle making him boisterous. The smile soon turned lecherous as he said "Not to mention a female or two sleeping beside me."
"Blind, old, Yridian females maybe!" M'Zetta stomped hard on his foot, surprising Kor enough for M'Zetta to land a palm strike to his face that left him open to a roundhouse kick to the torso, knocking him to the floor. She capitalised on her opportunity and pounced on the old Klingon, pinning his arms in place with her knees and holding her Kur'leth at his neck. "Yield." She growled.
"Never!" He responded, the mad glee that made him Kor clear in his eyes and feral smile. He may be a hologram, but M'Zetta was meticulous and would never allow something she made or did to be less than perfect. That is what made her a Dahar Master.
"Good, I would hate to delete you for lack of a spine." She said, before delivering a punch to his face, strong enough to daze him and dislocate his nose, but not break it. Never leave an enemy with enough facilities or resources to strike you when you choose to be merciful.
"Ker to M'Zetta." Said her first officer over the communicator on her wrist.
"Speak. You're lucky I just finished my exercise." M'Zetta growled as she activated her com, bringing her other fist up quickly when Kor got up and tried to sneak up behind her, sending him back down to the floor. She turned and placed her foot on his neck, applying just enough pressure to keep him in place and only lightly choke him.
"I will let my son know to be grateful you did not kill me for interrupting your sparring match." Ker said with good humour, speaking of his son K'gan, first officer to Brigadier J'Vasa. "Long range sensors have picked up a Starfleet vessel. I have no doubt that this is the Captain they sent."
"I will make my way to the bridge now." M'Zetta said and ended the call. Removing her foot so he could get up, M'Zetta turned to the hologram of her old friend. "I must go."
"The call for duty and battle is ever eternal." Said Kor, his smile more somber than feral. "Till next we meet…you mangy old alley cat." The feral smile was back, all sharp teeth and an unspoken promise of violence.
"Till then, you wretched old drunk." M'Zetta responded with a smile of her own, hers a hair shy of feral but promising just as much, if not more violence. "Computer, deactivate holodeck." She ordered the computer and instantly Kor and all the dead bodies vanished.
There was a moment, that she would die before admitting, where she was sad to see her old friend disappear. She had met Kor when they were in their prime. They nearly killed each other, but a bond was born in blood and battle as the loresingers say. They had been friends ever since, till the day he died- and after it would seem. When she had heard of his death, she nearly flew to DS-Nine to find Martok and kill him for allowing Kor to die. Not that he could have stopped him, no one could: for he was Kor, Dahar Master, and would not let anyone get in the way of his glorious last stand.
'Enough lingering among the dead.' She thought to herself, turning, walking through the hooldeck's doors into the halls of her ship, and heading to the turbo lift. 'The living are in greater need of my attention.'
As she made her way to the lift, she passed members of her crew, most of which were old and grizzled. M'Zetta almost never allowed anyone under the age of forty onto her crew. She wanted seasoned warriors on her ship, not mewling pups trying to prove how 'great' they are. She was too old and too short tempered to deal with that idiocy. Besides, younger officers often tried to kill her to take over her command, and after the seventieth attempt on her life she was tired of nailing the skulls to her wall and cleaning moron blood from her claws.
She entered the lift and soon found herself on the bridge of her ship. It was on the larger side of Klingon Bridges, with a pit around the path to her Captain's chair where her crew worked at their consoles. "Captain on the bridge!" Said Ker as he got up from the conn, making her crew stop and slam their fists over their hearts.
"Back to your stations, you old baktag's, before you crash us into that damned spire." She growled as she took her seat, her crew chuckling as they resumed their stations. "Report Ker."
"The Starfleet ship will be here in five minutes, Dahar Master." He told her succinctly without preamble. Ker and K'gan were much alike in looks, with the exception of all the white hair Ker sported on his head and goatee, along with all the wrinkles on his face. He was as steady as a tree and as sharp as the blade cutting it down, and had proven that by killing more than one skilled opponent on the battlefield.
"Hopefully this one is adequate enough not to be a hindrance." M'Zetta growled as the alert came just at the time Ker had told her and the screen showed the arrow shaped ship of the Cleopatra. "Interesting design. Hail them."
"Are you sure I look okay?" Amelia was currently in the process of having her First Officer help ensure she looked as smart and competent as possible, and Bezgla tutted.
"You look absolutely dazzling, Captain," she said, exasperated at reassuring her superior for the fourth time in ten minutes.
And it wasn't a lie - Amelia's uniform was perfectly straight, neat and tidy, the Klingon sash she wore cleaned and polished with due reverence, and a pair of simple clips kept Amelia's long, golden hair from getting in her face. Her boots shone with a brilliance that would make the strictest officer smile.
And yet, she still didn't feel that she was up to the standards of a Dahar Master.
"I think you look gorgeous, Captain, as always," added a tall, muscular Aenar woman, who had arrived with a report for the Captain but stuck around to watch.
"Shones, you're functionally blind, you don't get an opinion," Amelia answered, cocking her head as Bezgla worked at her collar. "Now please, get back to Sickbay, before your raging hormones give me another migraine."
Shones gave a disapproving tut of her own, then turned to leave. "You're real mean, captain, denying a woman her simple pleasures."
"Out!"
Shones hurried out with a giggle, leaving Bezgla and Amelia to their work.
"I still can't be sure I've got this greeting right," Amelia complained, reading from a PADD. "The Klingon language never was my strong suit."
"Well, just…try your best," Bezgla said softly, pushing Amelia's head aside again.
"Easy for you to say," Amelia muttered, "you're not the one that stands to risk offending one of the fiercest warriors in the Empire."
"And I for one would like to keep it that way, thank you," Bezgla replied with a gentle laugh, then finally stepped back. "There. Even the President of the Federation would be proud to meet you now."
Before Amelia could reply, the comm blooped at her, a voice coming over from the officer at the con.
"Halor to the Captain."
"Here, Halor. What's wrong?"
"Just thought you'd like to know, ma'am, we'll be at our rendezvous in one minute."
"I'll be out momentarily, Halor, thank you. Cobham out." The comm clicked off once again, and Amelia took a deep breath. "Okay, let's get this over with."
Masking the trepidation she felt, she led Bezgla out of the Ready Room, appearing more prepared than she felt.
The Cleopatra moved gracefully, slowing as it neared the Klingon vessel that absolutely dwarfed it. "Ma'am, we're already being hailed," announced her Ops officer, and Amelia nodded as she stood up, straightening her jacket.
"Very good, Mister Zenov. Onscreen."
The view of the Klingon vessel was instantly replaced with the dark-furred face of its Ferasan captain, and Amelia cleared her throat before beating a fist against her heart.
"ghaH 'ej Duvan Dahar pIn'a," she announced as fiercely as she could. She knew that Klingons never spoke softly to each other, and worried that her own voice might not be loud enough. Still, it was firmer than Bezgla's, at least, and she met the Ferasan's steely gaze as she awaited the response.
M'Zetta raised a solitary brow at the formal Klingon greeting, almost impressed. 'Someone did their research.' she thought to herself, before speaking. "And greetings to you as well, captain. I am M'Zetta, Daughter of none, first and only of my House, Huntress of hunters, blood and battle sister of Kor, Breaker of warriors, Culler of weakness, and Dahar Master of the Klingon Empire."
"It is an honour to be working with as…storied a warrior as yourself, Dahar Master," Amelia declared firmly, choosing to use M'Zetta's official title - to call her a mere captain would be to ignore her vast array of achievements, and likely snub the old warrior's sense of honour. "Although, I can't help but think this sort of mission is a waste of your skills and experience. In fact, speaking of your experience, I will defer to your authority in this mission if you wish - you are a full century older than me and then some, you definitely know more than I."
She said this last with a crooked smile, still silently terrified that every word would herald some horrifying retribution that ended with the death of her whole line.
To the surprise of everyone on the Sor'mang, M'Zetta laughed, and it wasn't the derisive or cruel laughs she did to her soon-to-be dead enemies, but a genuine laugh. "How delightful, a Starfleet captain with an ounce of deference. Well played captain, that was a very diplomatic way of saying I'm older and wiser than you." M'Zetta was silent for a minute, making it look like she was thinking. In truth, she had already decided what to do and had planned to "railroad", as the humans say, whoever was sent into doing things her way but this human had done the smart thing. "We should beam down with our away team and security teams and start methodically searching the spire from the top down for enemies and traps before bringing any other personnel to begin sacking it of its technology and intel. Do you agree, captain…?"
In her urge to give the right impression, Amelia realised she had neglected to introduce herself, and she chuckled at her own mistake. "Cobham," she said with an embarrassed laugh, "Captain Amelia Cobham, of the USS Cleopatra." She sobered quickly, focusing once more on the job at hand. "Now then, I agree with your assessment completely, Dahar Master. I will organise the appropriate teams and officers, and we can meet you on the Spire within the hour. Does that suit you?"
"Very good Captain Cobham, I will see you in the Spire. Sor'mang out." M'Zetta signed off, stood up, and started for the turbo lift, barking orders as she went. "I want our best warriors ready and waiting for me at the transporter room, that goes double for Dreg and Sivah. It's time those old fools left their labs. S'kar and J'Var, you cut throats are with me. Keep my ship intact, Ker." She told her first officer as a Faresan with a jet black mane and a stoic Klingon using a staff rifle as a walking stick, followed her into the lift. The doors closed and she thought over her first impression of the Starfleet captain.
Despite her earlier behaviour, M'Zetta knew not only her name, but thanks to a recent new aly in Klingon Intelligence, her entire service record. Despite this being her first command, she seemed confident and eager to please, her use of a formal Klingon greeting (which most Klingons didn't even bother with) proved that. 'She's also quite lovely.' M'Zetta thought to herself, an almost imperceptible smile appeared on her muzzle. 'Maybe I'll see how eager to please she really is.'
With only a few minutes left before she deployed to the Spire, Amelia was striding down the corridor towards the Transporter Room, issuing orders to Bezgla as she went. "I want a fighter screen at all times. Deploy one wing once I'm off-ship, then rotate them every hour and a half, keep the pilots fresh. Trust in your own instincts - if something seems off, don't hesitate to investigate it, I'll be fine downstairs until you get back."
"Will that be all, Captain?"
Amelia smiled at her cousin as she took the transporter pad alongside her away team.
"I'd say something witty about not breaking my new ship, but you have everything under control, so…no, not really," Amelia said with a chuckle. "See you in a few, Bez. Energise."
Exactly one hour after she had stopped talking to the Dahar Master, Amelia and her team appeared in the Spire in a gleam of azure light, some pulling out their tricorders while others readied their weapons.
Amelia focused on projecting an air of calm competence, despite being somewhat nervous - there were precious few Ferasan Dahar Masters in the KDF, so getting a hold of the public parts of M'Zetta's record was no difficult matter, and the young Captain had been amazed by what she read.
The feats of M'Zetta read more like those of some mythical hero, and she was over a hundred years older than Amelia herself. That kind of experience, that legacy, had a tendency to be somewhat intimidating, and she remained worried about offending the incredible warrior.
"Ah, good, you've arrived." M'Zetta said, standing front and centre with her cadre of elderly Klingons. "We did a cursory scan of this room and so far no enemies or security measures have ambushed us or been triggered."
Amelia moved forwards to greet the Dahar Master, bowing to her in respect.
"Within the hour, as promised," she said, smiling proudly. "It's something you'll learn about me - I always come on time."
Behind her, Shones tried - and failed - to stifle a laugh, her laughter echoing around the domed room, and Amelia turned to glare at her.
"Is there a problem, Commander?" she hissed with barely-restrained anger, mortified that this happened in front of a warrior like M'zetta.
"Ahem, it's nothing, ma'am," Shones said, trying to school herself into some semblance of calm. "It's just…how do you not hear yourself?"
Amelia raised an eyebrow at her, then turned back to M'zetta. "Forgive my Chief Medical Officer, she has a single functioning braincell and it's usually taken up with smut," Amelia said apologetically.
"I had a friend like her, he was worse. At least she's not a drunken fool and is much better to look at." M'Zetta said, giving the Aenar a once over, noting but not commenting on her odd uniform choice. She thought only the humans, or Terrans as they preferred to be called, wore that uniform. Deciding she didn't really care, M'Zetta turned back to blonde. "I'm glad to be working with someone who knows how and when to get things done." She came closer to the human and practically loomed over her being at least a head taller. "I hope you're obediently punctual whenever I tell you to come, captain." She purred with hooded eyes.
Amelia felt her throat go dry and her pulse quicken, as she looked up at the impressive warrior. She had to swallow twice and clear her throat before she could speak again.
"Uhh…y-yes, of course," she said, her mind drawing a blank on what to say.
Behind her, Shones stifled fresh laughter.
M'Zetta internally smirked at the human's reaction, filing it away for later enjoyment, and then got back to work. "I believe some introductions are in order." She finally said as she stepped away from Amelia and gestured to the people behind her. "Captain Cobham, may I introduce you to the mangy mongrels I call a crew.
"My Chief Engineer, Dreg." She gestured to an elderly Orion male, metal plates decorating his wrinkled head and bolts sticking out of his shoulders, that were on full display since the sleeves of his KDF uniform were torn off. He had big muscles all over him, which lost their effect combined with his large gut. He gave them a grunt and a nod of acknowledgement, strong arms crossed over his belly. "He looks like a big dumb spanner, which he is, but he's also the best engineer in the Empire.
"Next we have our science officer and part time doctor, Dr. Sivah Sha'vee." She pointed to an old Romulan wearing dusty old leathers, with steel grey hair and wrinkles that meant he was probably just as old as M'Zetta. "When I first joined the KDF, I brought Sivah with me and he's saved my life many times over the years.
"The old cat over there is S'Kar, my security officer." S'Kar said nothing as he observed them all with his one good eye, the other milky white with a jagged scar bisecting over it. "He might only have one good eye, but he can shoot the wings of a velusian fly from a hundred feet or more.
"Finally, and least of all, is my tactical officer and head warrior, J'Var." He looked at all of them stoically, but you could see a calculating gleam in his eyes, like he was trying to figure out a way to kill all of them, his captain included. "He's a scheming little snake, but he's loyal to me… if he knows what's good for him."
Amelia beat a fist against her heart and bowed to the assembled officers, before introducing her own. "Well, you've met the walking hormone, Commander Aphlyb," she said, and Shones gave a casual wave while continuing her scans.
"Let's see…over there we have Lieutenant-Commander Aroyla Sodus - one of apparently several Betazoids on my ship," Amelia added, pointing to a woman of average height with long, rich orange hair, tied up into a bun. She wore the traditional Engineering yellow, and a metal rig that supported her deployment of tactical constructs.
"We also have Lieutenant Commander T'vev, my head of security," she said, pointing to a tall, narrow-framed Andorian male, his phaser rifle held low but ready to act at a moment's notice. He was noticeably older than Amelia, and yet also clearly respected her command.
"And finally," Amelia added, gesturing to a nearby woman also wearing science blue, "Lieutenant DeSornia, one of my ship's newer crew members." As they spoke, the young Lieutenant opened her tricorder to scan an object, tripped over a tool case, and fell on the floor, sending her tricorder sliding across the chamber. "She has a way to go," Amelia added, giving the Dahar Master a nervous smile.
"Clearly." M'Zetta said with one of her eyebrows raised, clearly unimpressed with the Lieutenant. "I prefer seasoned officers on my ship, less mistakes and murder attempts that way, but I do take on a few young officers to learn from the masters among my crew. Dr. Sha'vee will be a good influence on the girl." Seeming to read his Captain's mind, the old Romulan walked over to the young woman, picked up her tricorder, and offered her a hand and a grandfatherly smile.
"Thank you, Dahar Master," Amelia said, watching the Romulan treating the young officer with care and calm, teaching her in the measured way so reminiscent of their Vulcan cousins.
"Now then, you and your crew have already secured this chamber, as you said, so I was thinking we get the crews to set up a proper base of operations while we come up with a plan for how to move forward," Amelia told M'zetta, once again worrying that she was overstepping her authority.
She absently placed a hand on the Klingon sash she wore, feeling the reassuring presence of the small icon attached to it, and quietly took a deep breath to steady herself. "Forgive me, if I seem…unsure. This is my first time meeting a Dahar Master, and only my second meeting a Ferasan."
"She's saying you make her nervous," Shones called out, chuckling even as Amelia fixed her with a deadly glare.
M'Zetta let out a purring chuckle at the interaction between captain and subordinate. "I take no offence, Captain. I'd probably be offended if you weren't nervous. While we Ferasans are genetically superior and more evolved than the Caitian, we are still predators at heart and enjoy it when we instil fear in others. It's why we get along so well with the races of the Empire: we all embrace our inner predator." She leaned in to whisper so only Amelia could hear, her voice a husky growl. "I particularly love when I see my prey on their knees before me."
Standing to attention, almost abruptly, M'Zetta got back to business. "I agree that this chamber will make an excellent base for our purposes. I would suggest calling a few more warriors down to keep it safe and to not decrease our own forces. Trust me when I say you do not want to be caught undermanned if we come across any Voth."
Amelia's mind went blank momentarily, unsure what had just happened - all she could fathom was that M'zetta had been very close and now she was blushing and thinking a variety of things about cat-people that she had never entertained before.
She was also acutely aware that Shones was becoming somewhat irritated about something, but working harder because of it.
Swings and roundabouts, I suppose.
"Ahem…um, yes, I've read the reports," she answered eventually, catching up to the conversation. "I'll have an Engineer team beam down and set up some defensive emplacements and basic facilities, then we can set about making this a regular home from home." She gave M'Zetta a warm smile, her earlier nerves forgotten.
"Very good, captain." M'Zetta purred, but as she turned to her men, her face became an angry snarl, "You heard her, you maggot ridin fools! Get this place ready for habitation and defense! Now!" The assorted warriors sprang into action while M'Zetta's senior staff moved at a more measured pace. Working with the Starfleet officers, which was only novel for the few youngsters among M'Zetta's crew. The older generations, however, remembered the days after the Dominion War and happily worked with the crew of the Cleopatra.
"Base camp is prepared and all Voth defensive measures have been made to serve us, Dahar Master, Captain." Said S'Kar as he and T'vev came up to the two women as they surveyed newly fabricated command console which projected a holo image of the spire. "Your security officer is surprisingly wise…for a whipper snapper."
Amelia laughed heartily. "The idea of T'vev being a 'whipper-snapper,' when he's about twenty years older than me, is…amusing," she offered as an explanation.
T'vev sighed with mock exasperation, shook his head, and simply said, "Thank you, for summing that up, ma'am."
"Still," Amelia continued, her tone more serious, "I suppose he is young compared to most of the KDF races. He's still a damned good officer and a tribute to the Cleo, though." She turned her attention to the holo-image of the spire, her brow furrowed in thought.
M'Zetta flicked her claws at the security chiefs and walked up behind the human, leaning in to whisper "Tell me what you see captain." M'Zetta walked around to the other side of the table, looking at the blonde through the hologram. "What angles do you see?"
"This will be easier if we move as a cohesive team," Amelia mused, pointing to the display to illustrate her thoughts. "You and your team will have the better experience in close combat, so we'll want to move in a formation that allows your people to get in close, while affording my team the opportunity to provide covering fire." She paused, thinking again, then pointed to a series of wide, circular rooms set along the corridors. "These rooms here will serve us well as checkpoints - given the numbers we have, we can afford to leave some joint security teams in each, leaving us free to advance without concern of attacks from the rear."
M'Zetta surveyed the hologram, seeing the route and the formation perfect for this kind of operation. "I suggest two or three officers from both ships, two tactical officers certainly and perhaps an engineer. I would also suggest we make the checkpoint at the halfway between the bottom of the Spire and base camp into a small field hospital in case we can't transport our people out." She squinted in thought before continuing. "A diamond formation would work best, my warriors at the front to deal close quarter combat and your people providing cover fire. I'd also suggest we have a few mixed officers at the back in case of…surprises."
Amelia nodded firmly. A Dahar Master might make her nervous, but tactics she understood perfectly.
"Agreed. In a place like this we can never be too cautious, much as that might grate against the natural inclination for a warrior to get into the fight. It might also be worthwhile having one science officer to a fireteam - the sciences can have some…interesting applications if misused correctly." She chuckled softly, grinning at M'Zetta. She was oblivious to the displeased tut from Shones, who was busy in the background but still keeping a protective eye on her captain.
M'Zetta noticed though. 'Interesting.' thought the Dahar Master, her tail swishing in a decidedly mischievous manner. 'It appears I have competition. Let's make sure though.' M'Zetta leaned in next to the other woman and placed her arm around Amelia's back and her hand possessively on the captain's hip. A tad daring, but she wanted to see the Aenars reaction. "Why don't you walk me through all those interesting ways you have to bring things to a perfect climax." M'Zetta heard the sounds of metal bending in the vicinity of Shones and purred with satisfaction. 'Oh this will be so much fun. Victory is so much sweeter when there are others who want it.'
"O-oh," Amelia stammered, allowing herself to be moved by the Dahar master, unsure of how to respond in the face of such overt flirting.
"I can't stand how she's acting!" Shones threw a spare tricorder across the room, and Lieutenant DeSornia looked aside at her. Amelia and M'Zetta had stayed at the base camp while others began moving forward, and Shones had led part of that advance. "Letting that fucking blue furball have her way! It's damned out of order!"
DeSornia stayed silent through Shones' tirade, merely staring at her in her peripheral vision. As Shones finished, DeSornia shrugged and returned to her work. "Well, if I may be so bold, perhaps she's not toying with the captain - maybe she's toying with you."
Shones turned to face the young lieutenant, her brow creased in frustrated query. "Meaning what?"
DeSornia sighed, holding her PADD close as she answered. "It is a known fact that you…have a certain affection for the Captain," she said, considering her words carefully. "A Dahar master of M'Zetta's experience would pick up on that, not to mention her being a Ferasan - increased sense of smell, and all that. She's flirting with the captain, not out of genuine interest - well, maybe not entirely - but mainly to see how far your own interest goes."
Shones stared at the young lieutenant for a moment, before finally giving her answer. "Just get back to work."
On the other end of the room, the Starfleet officers were being observed."Our mistress seems to have already found not only her prey, but a challenger as well." Said J'Var to Dreg and S'kar as they set up turret control on one of the local consoles, all of them speaking an obscure dialect of Klingon that had yet to be translated.
"Fifty slips of latinum says that the Aenar breaks in an hour and tries to kill the captain." said Dreg from his spot lying on the floor, his upper body completely inside the console as he hooked up the wired connections from the turrets.
"I give her two hours. Aenars are pacifists by nature and she may need to get past that mental hurdle," Was S'kar's assessment as he worked on the turret's cyber security suite. "I will say that the human will most likely break first before the Aenar and yield to our mistresses…charms, for lack of a better word." This last statement was said with just the smallest hint of a sneer.
With both crews working efficiently, the temporary headquarters was set up and the expedition team was ready to move out. M'Zetta was at the head of the group, her warriors standing beside her and prepared for battle. In the middle were Ameilia and her fire team's weapons and various countermeasures were armed and ready. Watching their backs was S'Kar and his mixed unit of Starfleet and Klingon officers, eyes peeled for traps and surprises left by the Solanae and sneak attacks from the Voth.
The team slowly made their way through the cavernous hallways; the purple, carapace-like walls, and the dark lighting made the already alien space that much more sinister and foreboding. With M'Zetta focused on any threats that might attack in front of the expedition team, this gave the lone Aenar of the group the chance to have a talk with her captain.
"I don't like her."
Amelia sighed with exasperation, turning to glare at Shones. "What is it now, Shones? You've been acting like a Grishnar cat that hasn't had its saucer of milk since we got here."
Shones raised an eyebrow at her Captain. "A 'grishnar cat'?" she asked suspiciously. "Not a common expression among non-Klingons. Our host rubbing off on you already?"
"No, Shones," Amelia answered, her tone suddenly sombre. "I…picked it up somewhere. And why do you say 'rubbing off' like that? Do you have to turn everything into a crass comment?"
"Oh come on, Captain!" Shones hissed as quietly as she could. "Can't you see she's been sniffing around you since we got here, prowling and making comments like-"
"Like you do?"
The comment stopped Shones in her tracks, and Amelia stopped to face her completely. "Are you talking about this because you're actually concerned about me, or is it just because you're jealous that someone else is taking my time?"
Shones was silent, unsure how to respond to the direct confrontation. It was hard enough when the object of her affections pushed her away; harder still when she was forced to examine what those 'affections' truly were.
"That's what I thought," Amelia answered into the silence, and began walking again. "I appreciate that you worry about me, but please don't assume you have a monopoly on my attention."
With a weary heart, Shones sighed and began following her captain once more.
On they went, encountering little to no resistance, and only in the form of automated turrets and drones. None were a challenge against the combined might of both crews and they soon found themselves at the halfway point, Dr. Sha'vee and DeSornia directing the officers and warriors on where to place the medical equipment while the two away teams relaxed.
The air was less tense than the first meeting a few hours ago, but there was still a charge in the air, and it wasn't just because of Shones and M'Zetta. "I am curious, Captain," J'Var said, setting down the canteen he was drinking from. "Why is it that you wear the sash of a Klingon warrior? Is it a trophy? Is it one of many that you have collected from the many of my kind you killed in the war?" His voice was calm, one might even say it was callous, but there was still an acidic burn to the elder Klingons words.
M'Zetta thought of reprimanding the old fool, but she was curious herself. She had read the Captains record, but the details pertaining as to why she wore that sash were little to nonexistent. She would hear what the beautiful young women would say and then she'd knock some sense into the old snake.
Amelia took a deep breath, her gaze devoid of emotion as she looked at J'var.
"I wear it to honour a true warrior," she said steadily, "one of many among your kind. I would gladly share the story, but it's my understanding that tales of heroes are best shared over a barrel or two of Bloodwine." She turned away dismissively, seeing to her own crew to ensure they were performing as expected.
J'Var looked on as the human walked off, going over what he got out of that little conversation, when he felt a sharp pain in his back. "...Ah, m-my….third lung…oddly kind of you…Mistress." J'Var choked out, quietly so as not to alert the Starfleet officers. Seamlessly, the warriors around them moved so they were out of direct sight, giving them privacy. "I-I had to…gather the infor…information we didn't ha-!" A twist of the dagger stopped J'Var cold. To his credit, he didn't make a sound.
"We were ordered not to antagonise the Federation, you senial taHqeq." M'Zetta said in perfect ancient Klingon. She didn't yell, not even a whispered yell, she just whispered and for the first in a long time J'Var was afraid. The Dahar Master was never reluctant to make her fury known, but when she got quiet was when her crew started to worry about their lives coming to an end. They were Klingon and they were old, they did not fear death, but they feared how M'Zetta would send them to the next life when her usual roar was replaced with this whisper that promised agony.
"I-I have failed you, Mistress, I… see that now." J'Var said quickly, already seeing spots in his vision and feeling his lung fill with fluid. "I deserve death, but if you allow me to live, I will not do so again."
M'Zetta glared down at her subordinate for a full minute, before she let go of the dagger and hissed. "Go see the doctor, you scheming pataq."
Dr. Sha'vee, proving his pointed ears weren't just for show, appeared at J'Var's side and examined the dagger still inside the old Klingon. "Our mistress is being quite lenient today." He said as he prepared a hypospray casually, not feeling the need to rush. "She didn't pull the dagger out, proving my dear J'Var that you have won your life back."
"Just heal me, you green blooded todash!" J'Var growled, not looking at the Romulan.
The doctor raised a single eyebrow, much as his distant Vulcan cousins might, and dropped the hypo back into his bag. "Damn, I left my hypos on the ship. I'll just have to heal you without an anesthetic." He then roughly pulled out the blade and started his work on the old man, taking the smallest joy from his grunts of pain.
With the medical outpost ready, the allied teams continued on their way. This time they did encounter some resistance; a handful of drones descended on them and fired beams of energy at them. Fortunately, the engineers got the shields up in time, but some of the security forces were hit. Not dead, thankfully, but injured. After the drones were dealt with, the injured were sent to the medical outpost with a three man security escort that would catch up with the main group as they kept going.
On alert now, they were prepared for the next drone ambush and summarily defeated them without injury to their team. "What in Kahless' name were these contraptions guarding so fervently?" M'Zetta growled as she kicked one of the drones closer to Shones and Dreg, "Open this one up. I have a feeling you will find it's been tampered with."
Shones scanned the device as the Orion picked it up, his skilled hands finding purchase in its shell as he finally pulled it open. "You're right, Dahar Master," Shones said, double-checking her readings. "Looks like it's been reprogrammed to defend a specific- wait, this isn't right…if I'm reading this right, this has been modified with Voth technology." Dreg nodded, pulling out the parts that had been added by the Voth and showing them to M'Zetta.
"Captain," she called out, and Amelia strode over to her over to her medical officer.
"Report."
"Voth tech inside a Solanae drone," Shones told her succinctly. "They've been reprogrammed to guard an area…over here," she said after checking her findings, and leading the way to what appeared to be a plain wall. "Lieutenant DeSornia, you should be picking up an advanced form of cloaking device here," she said, and the younger officer appeared beside her, tricorder in hand.
"Yes ma'am, I believe if I…make some adjustments…" DeSornia focused, her tongue poking out between her lips as she did, before giving a squeak of joy as the cloaking field shimmered and vanished.
As Amelia led the officers into the smaller, hidden room, Shones put a hand against M'Zetta's chest, stepping in front of the Dahar Master despite the Ferasan's warning growl. "Quick word, between you and me, Dahar Master," she said quietly, keeping close to M'Zetta. "What are you playing at with my Captain, hm? I'm not an idiot, I can see you - in my own sort of way - drooling over her like she was seared Krill-beast steak. So what's your game here, huh?"
"'Game'? Do you think I am like those Earth felines that play with prey? 'Cat and mouse' I believe the humans call it." She took a threatening step closer to the Aenar, and while Shones couldn't see her face, she felt the hint of menace coming off her. "I am a Dahar Master and too old to play such foolish games, especially over someone who would not appreciate being reduced to some kind of trophy...but if I did play such games? I'd play to win." The smirk was clear in her voice as the Aenar felt the cat woman step back. "You know Shones," the Dahar Master's tone was more conversational now, "there's an easy way to get me to stop flirting: stake your claim in a way that not even your captain can deny you."
Shones scoffed. "I don't understand why people seem to think I have some kind of…infatuation with Am- Captain Cobham," she said, her annoyance clear. "Yeah, sure, she's a beautiful, competent, amazing woman, but it's not like I'm in love with her anything!"
"No, of course you're not." M'Zetta said, sarcasm positively dripping from her words. "You've only destroyed several pieces of equipment every time I've flirted with your captain and are giving her so much emotional distress it's giving her a headache!" M'Zetta hisses, discreetly pointing at Amelia, who was massaging her head with a face full of pain. M'Zetta got in close enough to whisper. "Stop being a coward, admit to yourself the truth, and tell. Her. How. You. Feel."
Shones swallowed nervously, subconsciously taking a step back from the tough Ferasan.
"I-I-I'm sure I don't know…what you m- you know you smell incredible," she stammered, unsure what was happening - both in her current situation, and with herself.
M'Zetta rolled her eyes, but smirked "Oh the stupidity of youth. I am not your mother, so figure out your feelings before you give your captain an aneurysm." She leaned in to whisper into Shones ear. "Just know, when you do? I'll happily join you two. I understand Andorians and Aenar practice polyamory." She blew a little in her ear to get her point across and then turned and walked away, her tail swishing in what Shones was oddly thinking was seductive.
As M'Zetta walked away, Shones leaned back against a wall, wondering why her legs suddenly lacked the ability to hold her up, her heart pounding in her chest as she released a pent-up breath.
"By all that's sacred, that woman is so cruel it's sexy."
Amelia looked up as M'Zetta rejoined the group, giving her a pained smile as she continued kneading her temples.
"Forgive me, Dahar Master," she said, closing her eyes. "With such a large, mis-matched group full of strong emotions, it kind of…gives me headaches," she explained. "I'm a quarter Betazoid," she finished.
Shones moved towards her, a medical tricorder held ready, but as soon as she moved closer, Amelia winced and tried to back away.
"Not...you, Shones, please," she said, raising a hand to halt the tall medical officer. "Lieutenant DeSornia can see to me."
"Wha- why her?" Shones asked, clearly pained. "I'm the Chief Medical Officer, it's my job-"
"She practices Vulcan meditation," Amelia stated, "meaning her emotions aren't likely to make my headache worse."
Shones looked as if she was about to protest, but finally relented, passing the tricorder to her subordinate.
DeSornia quickly scanned her Captain, then administered a hypospray before turning to M'Zetta with a short bow. "With respect, Dahar Master, I would like to suggest that we make camp. Perhaps a change of mood would enable the captain to…re-centre herself."
"I just need a chance to meditate, if we-"
"Shush, Captain, I'm speaking with the Dahar Master," the younger officer said, without looking away from M'Zetta. "As I was saying, in my opinion as a medical officer - junior as I may be - it is my recommendation that we make camp."
M'Zetta gave the human an arched look, before smirking. "You have sharper teeth and wits than I thought, human. I agree. We will inform our ships of the situation and make camp here so that we may all rest and reflect on the events of the day before going further." She cut her eyes to Shones when she said this, before giving her whole attention to Amelia. "It's for the best, Captain. For you and the crew."
Amelia sighed. "Well I'm certainly not about to argue with an officer with more years of experience than I've been alive," Amelia muttered, then straightened to address her team. "Okay people, you heard the Dahar Master, let's get everything secured and prepare to make camp, it's been a long day and we could all use some rest."
The combined crews got to work and set up bed rolls. The spire was climate controlled, so heating wasn't necessary and neither were tents. After some debate, it was decided that M'Zetta would take the first watch. In actuality, M'Zetta had told them she was taking first watch and they decided not to argue. It was better for everyone that way.
Amelia shifted uneasily on her bedroll, unable to sleep or rest. Despite the comfort of knowing a fierce warrior like M'Zetta was watching over he- them, she still could not settle. It had been hard enough contending with the wild emotions, but there had been a confusing array of her own as well. Too much for her to fully understand at the present.
Not to mention that meeting another Ferasan, for only the second time in her life, brought back another, wholly different set of emotions, ones which were altogether too easy to understand.
"I'm quite certain the accident-prone human told you to rest, captain." M'Zetta said from her place a few feet away. She was sitting cross-legged, eyes closed, a disruptor pistol at her side and Kur'leth sitting in her lap. She almost looked like she was meditating, and in a way she was: Meditating as a warrior does before battle.
Amelia sighed, getting up and walking over to the older warrior, sitting down beside her. "Having trouble resting," she said wearily. "I've…got a lot on my mind."
They sat in silence for a few moments, Amelia breathing steadily to try and calm herself. "How you keep your eyes closed all the time while meditating is beyond me."
"Decades of practice." M'Zetta said with a throaty chuckle. "I found meditation can be useful besides centering oneself. I shut my eyes to keep their deception and distractions from my mind, allowing me to focus and know what is around me." She pointed to where her people were sleeping. "Dreg is muttering binary code in his sleep, J'Var is wheezing in his sleep, telling me he is still pained from his…accident earlier today," Her ears swivelled to the left. "A Solinea drone is flying through the vents- don't be alarmed." M'Zetta said quickly when Amelia almost got up to alert the others. "It's going down a different path. It must have a pre-programmed route." She took a deep breath through her nose and let it out slowly. "I can smell the Rigelian eucalyptus cream DeSornia uses on her hands and burnt fur from S'kars blaster wound from earlier. I can even taste the dust in the air, meaning the Voth have not been to this store room for about a week.
"This is a technique I perfected with my battle brothers: Kang, Kolath, and Kor." She chuckled then, "Mind you, Kor would always fall asleep halfway through, Kang, Koloth, and I would just ignore him, his snoring made the training more challenging." The smile she had died on her lips as she opened her eyes then and they held a lifetime of sadness in their depths. "As the years pass, I find that I miss them more and more, even my idiot, womanising, drunkard of a blood brother."
Amelia gave her a half-smile, lowering her head. "Yeah, it seems like there's a lot of…remembering the fallen going on tonight," she said sombrely, staring into nothingness as she lapsed into her own memories, subconsciously resting a hand on her Klingon sash.
"I should apologise for J'Var." M'Zetta said as her eyes flicked to the sash. "He is old enough to remember that mementos of war are not always used as trophies." M'Zetta reached out and fingered the fringe of the sash. "He must have meant a great deal to you or made quite the impression."
Amelia suppressed the urge to flinch, knowing that M'Zetta had more respect than the many Klingons who had tried to take the sash from her in the past. "It's my understanding," she said, forcing some humour into her voice, "that when speaking of the honoured dead it's customary to toast their memory with copious amounts of Bloodwine." She gave M'Zetta a look that almost seemed genuinely amused. "And I know for a fact that every Empire vessel carries at least a few barrels."
M'Zetta let out a purring chuckled, the sound zipping right up Amelia's spine pleasantly. The Dahar Master pressed a set of buttons on her wrist comm and seconds later, a bottle of bloodwine and two metal mugs materialized between them. "We can share a barrel some other time, when there is no work to be done and I have you in my quarters." M'Zetta poured them both a mugfull. "Tonight, we will simply be and talk of honoured warriors of the past." She raised her glass in a toast. "Qapla." And took a languid sip.
Amelia was less restrained, draining half her mug in a single swig, and sighed with relief as she held the mug close. "I told you before you are only the second Ferasan I've ever met," she said, her eyes unfocused, her tone soft and sombre. "Her name was T'Neka. T'Neka Kirios." She took a more reserved sip of her drink before continuing. "Before I got the Cleo - before I even made Captain - I served as second-in-command and Flight Ops Officer for the Lightbringer, and we spent a while deployed against the Breen in the Alpha Quadrant. During these operations, we clashed with a group of Empire warriors - they saw us, and instantly they were on us. God they fought hard! But…while we clashed with them, the Breen took advantage and attacked both parties."
She paused again, sipping more of her bloodwine, and taking a deep, steadying breath. "The Klingons stopped attacking us, and we tackled the Breen together. Fighting side by side, for what felt like hours, we ended up bonding - and when the fight was over, we tended each other's wounded, toasted our survival."
Amelia's eyes seemed to darken, and she made no move to stop the tears that began to spill down her cheeks. "That night, while we camped, we, uh…we were attacked again. Apparently the Breen had retreated, waiting until we were all most vulnerable. T'Neka…took a shot meant for me. She died in my arms - it sounds so damned clichéd, I know - but afterwards, her captain gave me this." She gestured to the sash she wore.
"It had belonged to T'Neka, and he said I should wear it to honour her - he had seen us become close, I guess. So I do, and I toast her memory every chance I get."
She refilled her mug, raising it in toast. "To the fallen heroes of the Empire," she said firmly, "may they fight on in Sto-vo-kor."
"And may Feklar ever be in fear of their might." M'Zetta responded as she drained her cup and poured more. "T'Neka was always noble that way, had been ever since she was a cub." Catching the surprise on Amelia's face, she just nodded. "Yes, I knew T'Neka. I was among the first non-Klingons to join the KDF and the only one so far to become a Dahar Master, so I keep an eye out for the aliens among the KDF, especially Ferasans." She was quiet for a moment after drinking some more wine, pouring a little more into her glass, she spoke up again. "I had heard her death was honourable, so I didn't look more into it…wish I had, we may have met and drunk my good bloodwine sooner." She gave a small chuckle at that, and it was different than the other times. This one was bitter sweet and sounded more genuine than her others, like her shields were down.
Amelia surprised them both by moving closer to the Ferasan, resting her head on M'Zetta's shoulder as she sipped her wine.
"Her death was honourable, certainly…but much too soon for a warrior - and a woman - of her quality."
"Death always comes, especially when it seems too soon." M'Zetta said, laying her head on top of Amelia's. "But those that we lost live on through us: through our deeds, through our joy, and through our stories. You would not be here if T'Neka had not saved you, and I would not be here if I had not beaten Kor bloody, forging a bond that lasts even after his death. They live in us, so we must live the lives they never will." Almost unconsciously M'Zetta slipped her arm around Amelia's waist and drew her in closer, privately enjoying how they fit together so well.
A pleasant silence fell over them, as they each reminisced and drank their wine. Eventually, Amelia took a deep breath and said, "you know, if you're attracted to me you can just say so." She looked up at M'Zetta, a playful smirk on her lips.
In a fast and fluid motion, M'Zetta changed their position with Amelia on her back and leaning up on her elbows and the Dahar Master looking over her, arms on either side of her waist and left knee almost at the apex of her thighs. "And here I thought I was being subtle." She said in a purring laugh going in to nuzzle the human's cheek and blow in her ear.
"Wouldn't matter if you were," Amelia answered, making no attempt to get out of the situation. "If you've seen my file - and given your position, I assume you have - you know I'm a quarter Betazoid. And as disciplined as you are, your emotions are just…stronger than most others."
M'Zetta moved from Amelia's ear to her throat. Not kissing it, but lightly dragging her whiskers up it, sending pleasant tingles through the other woman. "Oh I am very aware of your heritage, so you should be able to enjoy this." Amelia was hit with a stream of pure pleasure and images from the Dahar Master, all of them detailing what the Ferasan wanted to do to the human, gently so as to not cause her another migraine. One of these she actually played out, as she lifted her head back up to face Amelia - who was ostensibly her human - and kissed her.
Amelia gave no resistance, surrendering herself to the feline woman's passion, pulling M'Zetta closer as she fiercely returned the kiss. All notion of propriety and deference was gone, her mind swamped with the emotions from M'Zetta and herself, moving almost on instinct as she wrapped her arms around the Ferasan's shoulders.
Suddenly, M'Zetta released a growl as she grabbed her disruptor and pointed it at a very embarrassed and now very scared ensign. "I-I was just going to th-the replicator to get some water." Said the ashen faced Trill. He was stopped from saying more by a blaster bolt hitting him in the chest. The blast didn't come from M'Zetta's weapon, however.
"We're under attack!" The Ferasan roared, waking everyone and prepare for a fight. M'Zetta scanned the field, cursing herself by letting her libido get in the way of the mission. 'I'm no better than Kor.' She thought with a groan, looking for her attackers. She knew that the Voth had superior cloaking tech, so it was hard for her to pinpoint their location even with the hail of weapons fire coming from both sides. Their weapons wouldn't do much anyway, Voth armor and shields were too tough, even the personal ones that Voth officers used. The only thing that could was- M'Zetta didn't hesitate, she turned and called out to her side. "Cover me! I have an idea on evening the odds. Shones and S'kar, with me!" She yelled out as she sprinted to the Voth armoury.
The chaos in the area must have triggered a defense system, as drones started to come out of the vents and open fire on both sides. M'Zetta dodged and fired back at the incoming drones, not even stopping her sprint as she made her way. Meeting the Aenar and her fellow Ferasan at the door M'Zetta ordered Shones. "Open it, we'll keep them off your back." She turned to her Security officer. "Shall we?"
"I shall follow your lead as always, Mistress." Drawled the cat man as they both turned and fired on the incoming horde of robots as the rest of the two crews kept the reptiloids at bay.
"What do you mean, 'open it'?!" Shones snapped, "I'm a doctor, not an engineer!"
"I've seen your file, Shones!" Amelia called back, snatching up a phaser rifle and ducking into cover. "I know what you did before Starfleet, now shut up and do as your told!"
As the Aenar swore to herself and began working on the door, Amelia issued orders to her people while snapping off shots of amber energy.
"T'vev, take two officers and flank right, we'll catch them in a crossfire! Aroyla, give us a cover shield with a quantum mortar deployed behind it, hit them hard and keep them on the back foot. DeSornia, give them a dampening field and stay back to provide healing and react to immediate injuries. Get to it, people!"
The Starfleet officers acted as a smooth, co-ordinated unit, their shared trust in their captain obvious as they followed her orders without hesitation. T'vev led his small team around to the right, timing his squads's fire to hit as Amelia ducked behind cover again, keeping the drones and hidden Voth off-guard while Aroyla set up her shield and quantum mortar. Once the miniature artillery piece was deployed, it began hurling its explosive payloads over the shield, and into the killzone that had begun to form.
The Klingons assisted where they could. J'Var ordered half of his warriors to head left, enacting a pincer manoeuvre with the Starfleet forces, while the rest were covering the front. The old Klingon welded his spear rifle like a master as he spun, slashed, and stabbed with it, firing blasts of red energy at the enemy as he did. Dreg set up disruptor turrets to thin out the drones forces and assist with cover fire while Sha'vee was showing his skill as a combat medic and healing downed soldiers and getting them back in the fight.
"We are losing ground!" M'Zetta said before she jumped up into the air and bisected a drone and shooting two more down before she was back on the ground. "Tell me you are almost through Shones!"
"If you stopped fucking SHOUTING AT ME, I could get it done quicker!" Shones snapped back, pulling the casing off of the door panel and working on the wiring.
"If you don't get it done, Shones, there won't be anyone left to shout at you, now work faster!" Amelia commanded, the Captain's words seeming to spur the tall medical officer onwards. "Aroyla, reinforce the Dahar Master's position!"
Aroyla moved quickly to where M'Zetta was fighting, deploying a second cover shield device before dropping a phaser bolt turret beside it. "Do you need medical assistance,ma'am?" Aroyla asked, as her bolt turret began firing on the enemy.
"No, but these honorless lizards soon will!" M'Zetta growled, bringing down two more drones with her disruptor. "If you don't hurry, Aenar, I will have to tell Klingon Intelligence you are not as skilled as your file implies!"
Shones paused, looking at the Dahar Master - not in shock, but in awe. "Wait, KI has a file on me?!" She whipped back to the panel, hurriedly made a few modifications, and suddenly the door began sliding open. "Next time you should see what I can do with a bobby pin and a champagne cork," she laughed, ducking as weapons fire spattered the wall beside her.
"That will pale in comparison to what I do now with this!" M'Zetta purred as she jumped through the doorway when the opening was big enough. The sound of something powering up could be heard next, followed by the heavy sounds of metallic feet stomping and the slow sliding doors was bashed open when Voth Ceratopsid-Class Exosuit charged through, denting and warping the metal doors. "Hear me, Voth scum! I am M'Zetta, Daughter of None, first and only of my House, Huntress of hunters, blood and battle sister of Kor, Breaker of warriors, Culler of weakness, and Dahar Master of the Klingon Empire! I claim this weapon for my own and I claim your lives in the name of Kahless and the Empire!" M'Zetta roared through the suit's speakers, as she focused the suits weapons on their Voth attackers, able to target them directly thanks to the suit letting her see through their cloak.
Twin beams of Antiproton energy was fired from the suits cannons as mortar fire was launched from the launchers in the back of the suit. The Voth superior shields were nothing against their own weapon and many died instantly when the onslaught hit their team, the few that survived were quickly picked off as the aligned forces closed in.
As the last of the Voth fell along with the final Solinea drones, J'Var slammed the butt of his spear into the ground before raising it high into the air with a shout of "Qapla!" The rest of the Klingons and even the Starfleet officers joined in the traditional war cry of victory. For they had won this battle together and celebrated as the brothers in arms that had become on this mission.
After the battle with the Voth, the two factions had made short work of the other floors of the Spire and were now brought together back at the top where they had set up the command center where Republic, Starfleet, and Klingon support staff were beaming in from the ships that had just arrived after getting the all clear from the away team. They had come to help purge the systems of Solinea and Voth control and take over command from the original team. There had been a slight argument on who should take custody of the Voth exosuit, but that was soon dropped when it was clear the Dahar Master wouldn't relinquish it without a literal fight to the death.
The Cleo's senior staff from the away team stood to attention when Admiral Zevil and the ever present Lieutenant Commander Six of Nine appeared in a shimmer of blue lights. The Hades had brought the support staff from the main command Spire and for an in-person report. "Dahar Master, it is good to see you again." Zevil said with a slight bow to the old warrior.
"I am glad to see that your injuries no longer make you a stooped cripple." She replied with a farel smile, which only grew as the Starfleet officers paled and gaped at her, her new girlfriend no exception and even out doing her crew with a barely audible squeak.
"And I'm pleased that senility has not yet dulled your mind or sharp tongue due to your very old age, most venerated master." Zevil replied, his pleasant smile and tone not wavering in the face of the Dahar Master's light barb or her crew's own pale and gobsmacked looks. The looks on both team's faces turned to confusion as both high ranking officers laughed and clasped arms in a warriors handshake.
"I really must meet your clan's Matriarch and congratulate her on raising a warrior with such courage!" M'Zetta said with a laugh as she clapped him on the shoulder, her crew's respect for the Admiral growing when he only barely winced from the force of the gesture.
"I'll warn my mother that Granny will soon have company." He said with a chuckle of his own. He turned to Amelia, his face jovial but with a professional edge as he ordered, "Report, Captain Cobham."
Amelia straightened immediately, despite her fatigue from the battle, delivering her report with confident clarity.
"We rendezvoused with the Dahar master and her crew as instructed, deploying to the Spire to join forces and combine our expertise and skills. After setting up a number of checkpoints, we were ambushed by a large Voth assault team, which together we were able to fend off, largely thanks to the Dahar Master's acquisition of a Voth exosuit."
She steadfastly did not mention her and M'Zetta almost being vapourised due to a moment of passion, as she was still trying to figure that whole ordeal out herself. Instead, she held her straight posture for as long as it took for Zevil to be satisfied.
Zevil stared at her for a moment, feeling there was more to the story, just from the swirl of emotions and surface thoughts coming off the usually very calm and collected captain. "Leave it, boy." M'Zetta said in his mind.
Zevil was tempted to ask anyway. He trusted the Dahar Master and especially Amelia, but it was his duty to make sure everything and everyone under his command were safe and performing their duties to Starfleet standards. However, he knew that if he really needed to know, Amelia would tell him.
"Very good Captain, you and the Dahar Master have done well here." Zevil said eventually, choosing to not push after all. "I'll speak to joint command about a new assignment, but in the meantime, I want the Cleopatra to remain here to bolster the defences and whatever else is needed."
"I'm sure we can manage that, sir," Amelia told the Admiral with a pained smile. "If you don't mind now, sir, I need to see my doctor and then sit down with the Dahar Master and figure out what our next steps are."
There was a hidden intention to her words - Zevil didn't need to be psychic to work that out - and taken with the other clues he could make an educated guess as to what was going on. But, with no infractions of protocol - and Amelia frankly needing to 'let her hair down,' as her kind would say - he decided to let the matter lie.
"Your place or mine?" Asked M'Zetta, a growling purr in her voice as she came up to stand next to her human as the Admiral walked off to oversee the permanent setup.
"Mine, if it's all the same to you," Amelia said, still forcing her voice to project the strength she did not feel. "I wasn't lying when I said I needed to see my doctor. Besides, having a Dahar Master on board will bring some prestige to my humble vessel," she finished with a strained chuckle.
God, but she ached. She hadn't faced ground combat like that since fighting the Breen, and the physical pain brought fresh waves of the emotional as her memories of that time - and T'Neka - surfaced once again. She would not cry again. Not now, not here, not in front of the Dahar Master with whom she had shared a moment of passion…not unless they were to be anything more than they were.
She led M'Zetta to her team that were returning to the ship, and tapped her commbadge.
"Cobham to the Cleo, six to beam up."
The whole team and M'Zetta vanished in a haze of blue light, rematerializing in the Cleopatra's main transporter room. A small - and flustered - honour guard stood at attention, phaser rifles held across their chests in a show of respect for M'Zetta's position.
Before Amelia could give any further orders, she seemed to sag as she stepped off the transporter pad, Shones and DeSornia rushing forwards to catch her before she fell, but neither of them were as fast as the ancient Dahar Master, who caught the human captain easily and held her with gentleness her strength belied.
"She's exhausted, mentally as well as physically" Shones announced, reading the display of her medical tricorder. "Let's get her to sickbay immediately. Lieutenant, you'll be responsible for her care."
The young medical officer stared at Shones for a moment, astounded that she was making such a call, before nodding firmly. "Yes ma'am. I'll keep you informed of the Captain's condition." DeSornia turned to M'Zetta, gesturing to the door. "If you'll follow me, ma'am."
Amelia awoke to a silent sickbay, its lights down low. She attempted to sit up, wincing at the pain flaring through her muscles, and she remembered the battle she'd been involved in. Movement to her right caused her to turn, and she saw-
"Dahar Master!" She attempted to get up and off the bed, her fatigue causing her to stumble into M'Zetta's waiting arms, and the huge Ferasan simply placed Amelia back on the bed. "I am…so sorry you have to see me like this, ma'am," she said regretfully, her cheeks heating.
"Never call me 'ma'am', I think we've moved past that and you need to stop acting like a foolish Starfleet Captain and take your health seriously." M'Zetta growled, but her ire was softened by the concern Amelia could hear in the other woman's voice. "Humans, you can be as thick headed as Klingons. There is no weakness in asking for aid, even for a Captain." She gently took Amelia's hand in hers, surprisingly tender given the Ferasan's personality. "I have lived too long to see what that does to people and I will not have someone I care for be that stupid." Centuries seemed to pass in those feline eyes, and Amelia knew that M'Zetta saw every person she had ever lost, as if she was brought back to the moment she lost them.
"Okay then…M'Zetta," Amelia said slowly, the Dahar Master's name sounding strange after so much formality. "I have to admit, it's…it's a little unnerving, hearing you say you care for me. Not only do you have centuries of experience I lack, you are also a Dahar Master, one of the most revered ranks any warrior of the Empire can attain. I'm just a simple Captain, and a mere human at that - well, quarter Betazoid, but who's counting." She heaved a deep sigh, staring at her feet. "Shones was right before, you do make me nervous. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a stranger to romance, I just…haven't made a lot of time for it."
She paused, blushing darkly. "Unless I just really misread this entire situation," she finished with a weak chuckle.
"My age and rank aren't important, not when it comes to my affection and attraction to you." Not even bothering to check if any medical staff were about, M'Zetta stood up and climbed into the bed with Amelia, getting a squeak of surprise from the Captain as the other woman straddled her hips. M'Zetta leaned down close and Amelia could not only hear but feel Ferasan's puring as she spoke her next words quietly. "You are not simply anything other than magnificent, and there is nothing 'mere' about humans. I once fought a human to a standstill in my youth, till she beat me soundly with a mean uppercut, and she was just one of those red shirts Starfleet used as cannon fodder."
Amelia smirked. "Thank god we got past that attitude. It's the yellow shirts now," she said with a laugh, but even then she knew she was trying to distract herself. She took a deep breath, resting her hands on M'Zetta's waist, savouring the intimate closeness of the Ferasan. "M'Zetta…I'm afraid. People in the KDF mate for life, but what if I don't meet your standards? What if your people don't accept me because I'm human? What if-"
She was silenced as M'Zetta pressed a finger gently to her lips.
"In order: First, Klingons mate for life, they're fond of absolutes, but that's not true for everyone in the Empire. I have no plans to lose you, but if at some point we decide we are not destined to be together, I will respect that choice." A hungry look came to her eyes suddenly, it promised murder and violent slow ends. "Second, if anyone is stupid enough to voice their opinion in any way about who I spend my time with and how, they won't be voicing it for long." She slid her finger off Amelia's lips and cradled her cheek instead. "Now, stop talking and thinking. Just be here and kiss me." Knowing when to listen to her elders, Amelia threw caution, and a little of her Starfleet decorum out the proverbial airlock, and kissed her new girlfriend right there in sickbay.
"I've never kissed a Ferasan before," she said with a hungry smile when they finally parted. "It will take some getting used to." She grinned, giggled slightly, and pulled M'Zetta back into the kiss.
Unbeknownst to the two lovers, they had an audience. Shones had come into check on her Captain, but when she was about to walk into sickbay, her abilities both psychic and sensory kicked in and she heard the women's conversation. Shones pressed her back into the bulkhead by the door and slid down it as she finally admitted something to herself. She had feelings for her Captain, feelings that went beyond lust, and now she was too late to act on them. "Fuck." She whispered into the empty and lonely hallway.