#1 Party,par'Mach, and Alliances

Posted on Fri Jul 19th, 2024 @ 8:17pm by Captain Taavis & Commander Kehlani & Lieutenant Marz & Lieutenant JG Gavin Lasso

Mission: FINAL JUDGEMENT
Location: M-69
Timeline: Current

ON:

Lasso was casually walking through corridors to get to the Promenade, but as he got closer he began to hear loud, raucous voices and laughter. Exiting his particular passageway, arriving in the area known as Shadow Way by the local business owners, Gavin's eyes widened a bit at the sight before him. Several Starfleet Security people stood around at each end of Shadow Way, watching over the crowd of Klingons who were the reason for the boisterous voices and laughter. Lasso could see that the main blood clot of Klingons were centered around the entrance to Kehlani's business; The House of gaH. From there they were in groups of twenty as each group stood around barrels of bloodwine that had been placed on the walkways leading all the way to Club Bliss, where there still even more Klingons just outside the club, and within it. He could see citizens turning corners or coming around bends towards Shadow Way, seeing and hearing the Klingons, and then hastily steering their children and loved ones in another direction. The only good thing about this many Klingons in one place was the fact that they all appeared to be in good spirits and happy.

Making his way through the Klingons, careful to not jostle any of them too terribly, Lasso was able to make it inside Club Bliss. Upon entry to the club he now understood why all the Klingons were present. Matriarch, as well as Commander Kehlani, was in the middle of the club's sitting area, where she was singing Klingon songs with those around her and downing copious amounts of bloodwine. This was obviously a celebration of some kind, and from past experiences, it seemed to be a victory celebration. A victory over what he could not guess, but it had been quite a success by the way the Klingons were partying. Seeing Taavis over behind the bar, assisting Manny and a few other servers, he made his way over there and went behind the bar since the entire front of it was blocked by burly Klingons. Again, there were barrels of bloodwine scattered intermittently around the club.

"What, pray tell, has them all jacked up?" Lassos asked Taavis as he got in beside her, having to raise his voice enough to be heard over the cacophony of Klingon voices.

"Kehlani handed me a PADD with all their data on it, for Starfleet and the Federation. Klingons do not forget who their allies are and she has upheld her honor in that." Pausing her beverage making for a moment she leaned over and gave him a quick kiss. "Good to see you. I haven't read the after-action report she just gave me..." She got tapped on the shoulder by another of the Bliss employees, nodding and chinning that they would take over. Taavis gave a nod and grin of thanks and quickly moved out of the way so her employee could take over. She led Gavin to a quieter area behind the bar, taking up the PADD the Klingon Matriarch had provided.

Lasso was keen to know what had transpired. "It's gotta be something big, Taav. Klingons don't party this hard just for taking down a single vessel."

Taavis gave him a wry expression. "I am well aware, love. Not my first rodeo, as you Humans like to say." She began tapping at keys and inputting her passcodes for description. It took a few minutes while her beau continued to look around the club at all the happenings.

***

Over with her warriors, Kehlani saw Marz shoulder his way through his comrades to approach her position. Her body immediately signaled her want for this man and, try as she might, she could not completely ignore the physical attraction she had for him. The chemistry was in motion within her and Kehlani let it do as it would. There was no sense in trying to hide it since, with Klingons, it was the olfactory system that alerted males to the fact that a female was in the 'mood' to mate. She looked forward to that battle but, for now, it was high time to drink and carouse. Upon his approach she reached out and grabbed his collar, pulling him in toe to toe as she placed her mouth along his chin, giving nibbles to it through his whiskers and making sure her hot breath was felt. Just as quickly as she had pulled him in, she separated. It was her way of letting every male in the vicinity know that she was ready to mate, but that she had already chosen the one to which that honor would be given.

Marz had been surprised by the sudden affections brought on by Kehlani, but as with any Klingon male, he played it cool and allowed her to do so. It showed other females that he had accepted the first moments of intimacy from Kehlani, and that he was now off limits to all but her. Marz had caught her scent and it got his blood pumping, her pheromones denoting her lust for him. Letting his libido settle for now, Marz made sure to stand near to her even as a young bekk stepped to the other side of a circular table between him and the Tactical Chief. Kehlani smiled at his exuberance, seeing in the younger Klingon a warrior with great potential.

"Lieutenant Marz!" The bekk said aloud, those around him able to hear him. "I challenge you to B'aht Qul!" That caused the whole crowd around them who could hear his words to stop what they were doing and turn to look that way. The bekk placed his arms on the table as he waited for Marz to accept.

The B'aht Qul challenge is a Klingon ritual, similar to Terran arm wrestling, practiced to demonstrate physical strength. The rules call for the two opponents to face each other and extend their arms. A referee, in this case being Kehlani due to her rank and position, decides which opponent will place their arms between the other's, crossed at the wrists with the back of the hands facing outward. Kehlani stated that the challenger must place their arms on the inside so it was done. The task of the challenger is to try and spread the other's arms out, while they try to push yours together. Once the match begins, you keep going until one of them wins. Victory is declared if one is able to spread your opponent's arms out to their sides, or touching the flat surface in this case, whereas the other wins if he causes the opponent's forearms to touch, or touch the flat surface. The referee's decision is final, with the loser buying the bar a round of drinks. In this case, due to the celebration, it would be an honorable loss for an honorable challenge. Breaking, dislocating, or severing a limb constitutes a win (or a loss if you are the one with a snapped arm).

Marz stood still for a few minutes as he and the bekk continued to push against the arms of the other, trying to gain territory in their pursuit of victory. The match went back and forth for about twenty minutes before Marz was able to force the bekk's forearms to the table, with the crowd roaring their approval for the challenge. Both Marz and the bekk were clapped on their backs and shoulders for a good match, with the bekk handed a goblet of bloodwine for his efforts. Kehlani would remember his face and make sure to check his record. Klingons with that much gall usually turned out to be excellent officers. "Well done, Marz!" She gave him a hug, which he returned in kind. Others around them chuckled and gave nods of acceptance for the two new par'Mach'kai.

As they stood there Marz and Kehlani raised their right arms and fists, with each sniffing the other's. Then, once the scent was locked in, they each, in turn, gripped the other's right hand so hard as to cause bleeding as their own nails dug into their palms, aided by their par'Mach'kai. Here, now, in front of all who could see, they had announced their intent to be mated for life. They were now sworn to each other until death.

***

Taavis had watched the interplay, being glad for Kehlani and the male she had claimed. But, she leaned in to Gavin as they put their backs to the rest of the room to keep their conversation between themselves. "The Klingons sacked a stolen Nor class station ran by the Orion Syndicate. In the Malakor system. According to this report the Malakor system is now Imperial territory, with the Klingons liberating all the slaves and making them citizens of the Empire."

"That could be good, or bad, depending on point of view." Lasso said.

"Need I remind you that if not for the Klingons the Alpha Quadrant would be in the hands of the Dominion," Taavis snapped back, a little bit of angst in her voice. "DS9 would have been lost and they would control the wormhole to bring in reinforcements at their leisure. Commander Kehlani is offering an area on Malakor III for the Federation to build a facility for mining the dilithium veins there."

Lasso felt embarrassed at having said what he said. "Apologies, Captain. Was not my intention to insult."

Taavis calmed down once more, knowing that Gavin was not one to say anything without good reason. "It's alright. Too often people jump to conclusions about the Klingons. If they did not trust us they would not make an offer such as this. We need to remember that and trust them in return." Tapping the proper keys and encoding it again, Taavis sent the report to Commander Wallace, Captain Callaghan, and Commodore Sureth. She marked it URGENT/CLASSIFIED just before sending it off. M-69 needed resources out here and the Klingons were willing to provide a way for that to happen.

The Klingons once more broke into drinking songs and began to drink steadily. It was going to be a loud night along Shadow Way.

OFF: