Major Niravux felt out of place on the observation deck of the USS Kennedy. The only Reman in attendance, it felt weird being around so many Klingons, and even Romulans beyond her own crew. The few Starfleet personnel in attendance softened it a bit, but not nearly enough.
In her observations, she took note of a male Romulan in the corner who had been watching a gregarious female Romulan greeting others. So too did she notice the Orion in a Republic uniform. The Reman knew the name ‘Vorek’ had long since died out, yet here was the last remaining one. It had been suspicious at first, but then she realized they all had things they could erase. Gazing around the periphery, she spotted a Romulan and a Klingon in a rather passionate discussion, and then, looking towards the center, she saw a surprisingly sociable young Romulan move from person to person, talking with Romulans, Klingons, and Federation personnel alike. This experience was all rather foreign to her, and it was easier for her to remain on the edge, simply observing.
“Your surveillance will do little good here,” a female voice whispered from Niravux’s periphery, the words applied with methodical precision. “You watch them as if their masks might falter.”
Niravux turned, her eyes falling on a Klingon she did not know.
“Exercise caution, Major,” the Klingon continued. “Observe the Romulans with that intensity, and they will think you are sizing them up. Do the same to Klingons, and they shall start to hope that you are.” A wry smile spread across her countenance, followed by her introduction. “I am la’ Dovrah, of House Korvath.”
Niravux stared at her, a blank expression on her face as the Klingon spoke.
“Tell me, Major,” Dovrah continued, panning her head towards the Reman and tilted her head slightly, the motion slow. “Does a Reman feel more out of place among the Romulans who once usurped her people, or among the Klingons who would rather test her?” Her words carried the weight of someone who not only saw through disguises, but knew exactly which pressure points to leverage.
Niravux turned her face to her. “That would depend on the Romulan and the Klingon,” the Reman replied at last in a monotone. Who was this Klingon? Why had she invited herself to her corner? What was she getting at? She reasoned that whatever it was, it couldn’t be good.
“You carry yourself like a commando, and surveil the room like security,” Dovrah offered. “Diplomacy is an entirely different battlefield. A Klingon who cannot speak without conviction has already failed. We draw our blades only when words have reached their end.” She paused, then, allowing time for her words to settle. “You hear of our battles because those are the stories outsiders remember. You seldom hear of the negotiations that prevented them.” Dovrah stepped closer. “House Korvath has endured for one hundred and seven years because we know when to speak and when to fight.”
“Interesting words coming from a Klingon,” Niravux responded as she considered the words. “I would be cautious of such words around your kin. You might lose the ability to use such words if you’re not careful.”
“A Klingon who would silence another merely because her words displease…” Dovrah began to say.
But the Reman did not let her finish. “Why are you here, la’?”
Dovrah allowed the unfinished thought to die without protest. If the interruption offended her, nothing in her bearing betrayed it. “Because I was invited, and because people reveal far more at gatherings such as this than they ever would across a negotiating table.” Her gaze passed briefly across the room before returning to Niravux. “Who speaks to whom. Who avoids whom. Who watches the room as though expecting it to turn against her.”
Niravux didn’t respond, merely let Dovrah speak. Although on the outside she was silent, on the inside she was still trying to make sense of this Klingon.
Dovrah, though, offered no such explanation before her departure. “Reconnaissance is conducted face-to-face at diplomatic functions, not from the safety of a corner,” she simply said. “Step into the circle… or remain where the timid belong.”
