—- USS Luna, Bridge —-

“We are leaving Federation space and entering the Triangle,” said Chief Security Officer Claudia Jara. The Luna-class vessel was making its way after a brief spell baby sitting an Olympic-class vessel that had been deployed by the neutral zone. After a week of sitting around ensuring that nobody attacked the medical ship it was good to be going out to boldly go where no one (but Klingons) had gone before – deep within Klingon space.

”Yellow alert, Federation policy suggests that we be prepared for anything while here,” Captain Adriana Cruz said.

“Criminals and thieves live here,” Klar the First Officer said dismissively. He sat in the chair next to Captain Cruz but looked uncomfortable doing so, like he wanted to leap across the bridge and into combat. 

Having read up on the Klingon threats the House of Mo’Kai and the Hunters of D’Ghora Cuz could not blame him. Here lived two of the Empire’s existential threats, and it was no surprise that a Klingon military officer would want to leap into combat though there was nothing to fight. Space lay ahead of them, quiet and seemingly undisturbed. 

“How’s our speed Pr’Nor,” Cruz asked the helmswoman.

”We are steady at warp five,” the Vulcan reported double checking the figures on her console. 

At the science station Lieutenant Maria Cortez spoke up, “Ma’am I’m getting three strange readings. Possibly nothing but they’re following us, matching out speed. Spatial anomalies don’t usually do that.”

Cruz stood, and Klar joined her as she approached Cortez’s station, “Ships?”

”Possibly, cloaked. We have new sensors so it’s hard to tell what we can see and what we can’t,” Cortez reported.

Klar looked at the stats, “I’ll contact the Klingon Defense Force, see if they have sent a welcoming committee.”

”Not the high command?” asked Cruz.

”Do you call your Starfleet King every time you have a question?” Klar asked.

”Well he’s the Federation President, but point taken,” Cruz said, “Let me know what they say. Cortez monitor the readings, let me know if something changes.“

”Shall I increase speed Captain?” Pr’Nor asked.

”No point letting them know we might have seen them,” Cruz said, “We already have shields up, let’s just carry on as if we’re oblivious. Lieutenant Jara, tactical assessment, assuming it’s three Klingon ships what are we up against?”

”Unknown until we actually see them but a typical Klingon ship would be hard, three we would likely have to withdraw. We are faster than most Klingon ships, and durable,” Jara said.

”Okay, noted. Let’s see what Klar comes back with, carry on. Cortez let stellar cartography know we might need a hiding place soon,” Cruz said.

—- USS Luna, Ready Room —-

Klar entered. 

“So what did you find out?” Cruz said looking away from the Klingon and out the window.

”If there is Klingon ships out there they are not military ships. At least not with the KDF,” Klar said.

”So could be nothing, could be Romulan…” Cruz said.

”Could be one of the Houses sending their own ships. Could be the House of Mo’Kai or the Hunters of D’Ghor,” Klar added.

“Suggested course of action?” Cruz asked.

”Your seems most Starfleet like, but I would fire torpedoes at the suspected ships and see what scurried out,” Klar said.

”Well let’s try that later,” Cruz said, “On a different note thank you for the other night. When I was drunk.”

Klar nodded, “You like wine, I noticed you have a lot of it in your quarters.”

”Well apparently I own a winery now, I don’t know if my file mentioned that,“ Cruz said, “But you were honorable. I appreciate that.”

”This is a Federation ship, I will not gain command by physically disposing of you,” Klar noted.

”Probably not, though I’ve had some COs where that’s a possibility,” Cruz said, “But also you could have taken advantage of the situation in other ways, without beheading me.”

Klar considered this, “That would not have been honorable.”

“No, but we’re taught there’s limits to Klingon honor and to be careful in placing too much trust in it. Klingons are just as human as humans, if you forgive the expression,” Cruz said.

”You are frail and weak I want a woman who is a challenge,” Klar said.

Cruz smiled, “I’m not that frail or that weak. But thank you. If she liked men I’d suggest Lieutenant Jara for you.”

Klar laughed, “If I liked humans Captain.”

—- USS Luna, Bridge —-

When Adriana Cruz returned to the bridge a Klingon warbird was a K’Vort-class Bird of Prey. It was enough of a threat that though the USS Luna out classed it, they were not looking to tussle with it if they did not need to. 

“Where are our other two ghosts?” Cruz asked taking her seat. Klar went to stand behind the tactical console where Lieutenant Jara stood.

”They are behind us,” Cortez said, adding, “Still cloaked.”

”Hail the Klingons,“ Cruz said.

A toothy individual smiled at her, “Captain we were sent here to escort you, and to deliver a welcoming gift from the Klingon Empire.”

”Well it’s nice to have a welcome, but who do you represent? My first officer spoke with the Klingon Defense Force earlier and we weren’t expecting an escort,” Cruz said casually.

The Klingon seemed to notice Klar for the first time and frowned not expecting him, “Well perhaps his information is out of date. Martok himself insisted on a heroes’ welcome.”

”How kind of him, are you the only ship in the area?” Cruz asked.

”Of course we came as quickly as we could, it can be quite dangerous in this region,” the reply came swiftly.

”Of course well we’ll just lower our shields and you can beam our gift over,” Cruz said, “We’ll be a second.”

”He is not with the KDF,” Klar said when the feed was cut.

Cruz nodded, “Let’s try your plan. Jara fire a torpedo at both of our sensor ghosts behind us. Go to red alert. If there’s no ships there, we’ll just be launching torpedoes into nothingness if there is, then we’ve been lied to.”

The brunette woman nodded and with a few inputs into the console fired. She spoke up, “Both torpedoes collided with something. Two more War Birds decloaking. The one in front of us is readying to fire.”

The ship rocked with phaser fire. Jara gripped the console as did Klar. Cruz stumbled to her seat.

”Pr’Nor evasive pattern Cruz Alpha Niner,” Cruz said, “Jara target them all, give them Hell. Let loose everything.”

The pair of War Birds behind them had been caught unaware and with their shields down. The torpedoes had done enough damage that subsequent attacks were catastrophic. One began to pull away, disengaging from the fight while the other which was already poorly maintained simply seemed to collapse in on itself. It imploded and a fireball took its place.

”The third Bird of Prey is pulling away, warp two. The other is gone,” Jara confirmed.

”Hail our escort,” Cruz said, nodding to Klar she said, “That was a good plan. I like winning fights.”

The Klingon was now much more harried, “Fools, you will be defeated by the Hunters of D’Ghor.”

”Well now you seem pretty feeble to me,” Cruz said, which was the worst thing she could think to say to a Klingon, even more than all the Klingon cussing she’d picked up at the Academy. She smiled, “Next time you try to knife someone in a dark alley, make sure they’re not carrying a gun. Jara light his butt up.”

”Lighting his butt up, ma’am,” Lieutenant Jara replied firing several barrages of phaser fire at the Klingon ship. The screen returned to the view of the Klingon war ship for a moment then after several torpedoes struck it, it too was gone, leaving only wreckage in its place.

”Should we purse the other ship?” Jara asked.

”We’re not killers, besides let them tell the tale of how we came, we saw and we dealt with these so called Hunters of D’Ghor,” Cruz said, adding, “Pr’Nor resume course. Warp six.”

—- USS Luna, Ready Room —-

“Sushi?” Cruz asked her First Officer.

”That is raw fish is it not,” Klar asked, “If it is then yes I will toast our victory to the food of your people.”

”Well my people are more tacos and beans but sure, humans eat sushi,” Cruz said, supposing that in a way to a Klingon the difference between Asian cultures and South American ones was negligible. 

“I did not expect you to take up my plan,” Klar admitted stuffing a handful of rolls in his mouth.

”Well the thing is if we’re going to be around the Triangle awhile the best thing to do is to have a reputation. I think we went a long way towards earning one today,” Cruz said.

”That is not very Starfleet,” Klar noted.

”No, but then they gave me a Klingon First Officer. I’m also as you noted, nearly a former convict,” Cruz said, “On the street you get tough. Punch first when you see a fight coming. If we’d stood around waiting for them all to take a pot shot at us, well things might be different.”

Klar nodded, “Perhaps you are half Klingon.”

”That’s the nicest thing I’ve heard you say,” Cruz noted.

”You have brought honor to our ship, you are worthy of my praise,” Klar said.