The captain paced around the observation lounge after his outburst at Special Emissary R'Dalla, while his Betazoid first officer, Commander Cecilia Yilaan, sat and watched him, her hands folded on the table. The Emissary sat with her hands clasped in front of her and stared straight ahead.
"Emissary, tell me this has all been a misunderstanding. Tell me that we aren't actually helping this man escape. Tell me that we are not interfering in the internal affairs of the Klingon Empire," the captain said finally, as he stopped pacing and looked the Emissary in the eye.
"You ask me to lie to you Captain," the Vulcan R'Dalla responded. "That is something I will not do."
The captain let out an expletive under his breath. "This is wrong!"
"This was authorized by some of the highest officers in Starfleet. This dissident is a man of peace," R'Dalla began.
"Who brutally attacked three of my officers!" Captain Freeman shot back, interrupting the Emissary.
"This dissident," R'Dalla began again, emphasizing her first few words slowly and carefully, "is a man of peace. Certain people felt it necessary to help him. After all, you know as well as I do that there are several individuals and several powerful families within the Empire that feel as though they've surrendered to us with this treaty. They are extremely dissatisfied. Without men like K'Tarran, men of peace to set an example, the people might well give in to those leaders that prefer conquest to coexistence."
"And how does it look that the Federation interferes and provides him assistance? It looks like we're interfering in their affairs to further our own interests. We certainly wouldn't tolerate it if they did the same thing to us," said the captain.
"You have your orders Captain," the Emissary said simply. She then stood up and left the lounge.
The captain stood and stared at her empty seat as Commander Yilaan came over and stood by her captain. "Aye," he said softly, "I have indeed."
The captain and first officer returned to the Bridge. After about ten minutes, Lt. O'Shea, who was manning the tactical and communications station, spoke. "Captain, there's an incoming transmission. It's Admiral Kily from Starfleet."
The captain leaned over to Yilaan and whispered, "R'Dalla works fast doesn't she?" He then turned to O'Shea and said, "On screen please Lt."
The viewscreen lit up with the irritated visage of Admiral Kily. "I have heard of your dissatisfaction with your present situation Captain," she began dryly. "However, I'm sure as a Starfleet Captain, with many years of experience, you understand the importance of following orders."
The captain clasped his hands behind his back. "I do, Admiral," he replied.
"And I'm sure you understand that, in certain circumstances, things go on that lower ranking officers aren't informed of."
"Yes Admiral."
"Would you have your crew question every order, or would you have them carry it out, because you're the Captain?" Kily asked.
"Carry it out."
"Good. Your orders Captain, are to escort the Emissary and your guest back to the Starbase. If you are attacked en route, you are authorized to defend yourself. Have I made myself clear? Because if not...," Kily said.
"You're quite clear," the captain inserted, interrupting her.
"Good luck Captain. Kily out." The image of Admiral Kily faded from the viewscreen.
The captain sat back in his chair and brooded briefly over the dressing down he just received, and about what to do next. He knew Kily and R'Dalla and whomever else supported them were wrong, but he didn't know what to do about it.
"What is our status Ensign Gates?" the captain said finally, after several minutes of silence.
"We are headed for Starbase Ten, at warp eight. We should arrive within five and a half hours," Gates reported succinctly.
"Slow to warp five Ensign," the captain ordered.
She glanced back at the captain, puzzled, but obeyed the order. "Aye sir," she said, "Warp five."
The captain stood up, "I'm going to have a talk with our guest in the Brig; you have the Bridge Yilaan."
Commander Yilaan nodded as the captain left the Bridge.
The outer door to the Brig slid open as the captain entered, startling the young Ensign on guard duty within the room. "Sorry Ensign," the captain apologized. He then proceeded over to the doorway of the cell which contained the Klingon stowaway.
"Captain," the Klingon said. "How are your officers?"
"Those you injured you mean? They're recovering nicely. I didn't come here to discuss them, however," the captain answered.
"No, I wouldn't imagine you did. You want to know who I am, and just what is really going on here. You want to know," the Klingon paused. "You want to know what eternal war is all about. You want to know what a life of embracing violence and death is like? All the pain; all the friends lost, the family forgotten and shamed at the slightest twinge of fear in a man."
The Klingon dissident K'Tarran paused and watched the captain, who stood attentively and listened as he continued, "My people embrace this 'warrior' spirit. They are a warrior race, such as few have known. Even now their stomachs churn at this treaty of peace between you and I, Captain. There are those who have chosen to find their glory in other battles. However, there are also those who would have the stain of human blood on their hands again." K'Tarran paused again, then continued, "I am not one of them Captain, and there are many others like me. For many years I was able to speak freely because my father held a seat on the Council."
"But?" asked Captain Freeman.
"He has recently died, mysteriously. I am entitled to a certain amount of the position that was his, and there are many on the Council that would see me dead before I could claim it. Many, many people see my ideas of peaceful coexistence as dangerous to the Empire. A few even feel it to be blasphemous in a fashion, and would deny me my heritage." K'Tarran, the dissident, struck his chest, "I am a Klingon, Captain. Though I have come to realize there are few others like me."
The captain sighed. "Now I see why certain people in my Command felt it necessary to violate the very treaty you seek to protect, by helping you escape your feared execution. Kind of ironic, isn't it?"
The Klingon K'Tarran didn't respond.
"If you're such a peaceful Klingon at heart, why the violence in the cargo bay?" the captain asked.
"Despite everything, I am still a Klingon, Captain," K'Tarran reiterated. "I was born a Klingon, raised a Klingon, and trained a Klingon. I reacted like a Klingon in your cargo room. As with most species, self-preservation is an instinct few overcome. I thought I was in danger. I didn't know where I was. I am truly sorry Captain."
The captain nodded, "I'll see about getting you some quarters, K'Tarran."
The Klingon smiled, "Thank you Captain." Freeman turned to leave, and K'Tarran called after him, "One more thing. No more blood must be spilt on my hands."
The captain gave him a half-smile, and left the Brig. He contacted security and arranged quarters for K'Tarran, assigning him a twenty-four hour guard 'for his own protection.' As he tended to do when moody or lost in thought, the captain began to pace around the ship. He nodded to several crewmen as he passed them in the corridors. Captain Freeman was about to get on a turbolift when a sudden raucous laughter grabbed his attention. He back-tracked a few steps and glanced in one of the ship's recreation rooms. Lt. Reiv was in the midst of telling a story to a small group of people, who were laughing. The captain smiled faintly and was about to continue on his way, when he heard the voice of the chief medical officer. "Reiv, tell us the part about the hippo again!" she called out, mirth in her voice. The captain stayed and watched the scene unnoticed for a few moments before heading up to the Bridge.
Captain Freeman exited the turbolift and saw, with pleasure, that Lt. Ivanovna was back at her station. He went over to her, smiling, and patted her on the back, "Good to have you back, Lt.!"
She nodded and uttered a simple "Sir!" in response.
The captain walked around the tactical station and took his seat in the command chair. "Lt. Hathaway, ship status?" he asked.
"We are twenty five hours away from Federation space at present speed set to warp five, sir," the young Lt. at the conn responded. He then got a puzzled look on his face, "Captain I'm getting a strange series of readings, coming from all around us. The strongest is located directly in front of us."
"Focus the viewscreen on that position," the captain ordered.
The viewscreen was focused as ordered. "See that?" Hathaway said, pointing at a pattern of slightly distorted stars. The captain was about to respond when Ivanovna spoke, with urgency clear in her voice.
"Captain," she said. "We've got company."
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