—- USS Luna, Counselor’s Offices —-

“I’ll take over here Torma,” Lieutenant Yuhiro Kolem said to her Assistant Chief Counselor who had spent the better part of forty minutes not making any headway with the Klingon First Officer who clearly found the idea of therapy both a joke and a personal insult. 

The Gideon woman nodded, rose and left the room allowing Kolem to take her seat and peer at the Klingon who wore a smile on his face.

”You find this amusing?” Kolem asked.

”I know when you are on a hunt and call in an expert, you a empath are here to find me crazy,” Klar said.

Kolem smiled, “Well that’s not exactly what we do here. Everyone on the ship talks with us, even the Captain.”

Klar nodded, “A Klingon ship would not have a head doctor like you.”

”Perhaps not, but let’s just talk okay. How are you liking being aboard the USS Titan?” Kolem asked.

”I was being punished, for standing up to a superior officer and protesting an attack on a lesser armed ship. They could not deal with me in the normal way, so they rewarded me by assigning me here,” Klar said, “However I am enjoying it more than I thought I would. Captain Cruz is, and interesting woman.”

Kolem nodded, “She is, but can you expand on what you mean?”

”I mean what I say,” Klar said.

”Empath remember,” Kolem said tapping her head, “Do you like her like her?”

”You just said the same word twice,” Klar pointed out.

”It’s a human phrase, one used by adolescents to indicate romantic feelings. You can like someone and then you can like them. Do you have the translation now?” Kolem asked.

”I find the Captain, honorable,” Klar said.

”And she finds you honorable, stop being a teenage boy and answer the question,” Kolem said, “Or are you not brave enough.”

”If a Klingon said that to me I’d have ripped your head off,” Klar said, “Maybe I still will.”

”Well that would be disappointing, you’d really need therapy then,” Kolem said, “so I’ll assume you said yes. If you meant no, please correct me now.”

Klar was silent.

Kolem nodded, “Captain Cruz is my friend, maybe my best friend.“

”Why are friends so important to humans, Cruz spoke of me as a friend,” Klar asked.

”Humans and other species value friendship. I trust Cruz to do what it takes to get me through anything the galaxy throws at us. She has my back and in turn I have hers,“ Kolem said, “Maybe we develop it through evolution and the need to survive, but friends are those we trust.“

”If I did like like someone how would I show this in an appropriate way? Klingon mating rituals are, vigorous,” he said.

”Well let’s explain consent,” Kolem said.

—- USS Luna, Ready Room —-

“We’re a few days out from Acamar we’ll show up, pretend we haven’t abandoned them and they’ll pretend they’re not hiding smugglers and then we’ll be on our way,” Captain Cruz said already bored by all the diplomatic nonsense that she’d have to do any all the lies she’d have to pretend to believe.

Klar looked out the window at space, “Why not be honest with them? Tell them the Federation does not visit enough but to stop the smuggling?”

”Well maybe I will, that certainly sounds more fun than the dinner I’ll probably have to attend,” Cruz said, “Kolem told me you saw her. Wouldn’t tell me anything about it, don’t worry they’re sworn to secrecy unless you tell her you are going to kill someone or blow the ship up.”

”She explained to me the human phrase ‘like like’,” Klar said.

Cruz eyebrow rose as if she were a Vulcan, “Oh? I did not expect that. Do you like like someone?”

”She also explained consent and asking a potential partner’s permission,” Klar said.

”Well you’re getting the full treatment,” Cruz said.

”I understand you have a partner on Earth, an Andrés,” Klar said.

”Oh no, he’s my half-brother we’re not, involved. I was dating, well sort of, a man named Ernesto but then I got sent to space for at least a year, and our plans to meet up again fell through and so did. Anyway no, I’m not, partnered,” Cruz said.

Klar nodded, “Then I wish to court you, if you allow it.”

Cruz nodded, “I see. This is not how I expected it, but okay let’s go down this road.“

”Is that a yes,” Klar asked.

”It’s a yes, but I’m your Captain, and on duty you need to respect me,” Cruz said, “Understood?”

”I understand that,” Klar said.

Cruz nodded, “Then proceed with the Klingon poetry I’ll get ready to throw furniture.”

”You are aware of our customs?” Klar asked.

”What girl hasn’t dreamed of throwing a couch at her lover?” teased Cruz tossing a PADD at him.