ILLUMINARRPG: (5- 0925) Ambassador Quentin McKenzie

[Al Muir]

Mission:  For Honor

Day: 5

Stardate: 2446.04.28


(Qo'nos - Diplomatic Quarters - Ambassador Quentin McKenzie - 0925)


“You don't know the need for this?" the Klingon asked him.   "And yet, you are a diplomat to the Klingons here on Q'onoS. Intriguing. Still, you MUST know that ALL Klingons consider themselves warriors, though of course not all of them are. Warriors are typically armed. Anyone who isn't is probably an assassin intending to engage in less than honorable but no less lethal 'battle.' To be unarmed upon arrival in a socially tense circumstance implies nefarious intent."


McKenzie grew irritated with this woman’s assumptions and “better than you” attitude. Apparently, in her mind, if you’re not Klingon then you have no right to represent the Federation in Klingon matters.


“Let me be clear,” McKenzie said, pulling himself up to his full height. His age had shortened his spine somewhat, but if he made an effort he could still stand up to his 6 foot 2 inch frame, “I offered your blade back to you because it held more interest to you than it did to me. You stated it’s significance to yourself. That blade holds no such significance to me. Do Not assume that I have no knowledge of Klingon culture,”


This Lanista went on to describe how her skills at fighting were, apparently, far superior to the security forces that had been assigned to the, including that of the Chief of Security. T’Mur was, by far, not nearly as physically intimidating, but he had no doubt that she would do what was necessary to defend the ambassadorial contingent   She bragged of her first kills, which was a part of Klingon culture that he found distasteful.


Granted, MacKenzie did not have “benefit” of growing up Klingon, however this woman had absolutely no idea of his background, nor his own considerable military experience and how many he had killed in his time. It was not something he cared to pompously boast of now.


"To observe the Way of the Warrior in a Starfleet uniform could necessitate violating Starfleet protocol. The terms of engagement, so to speak," she concluded her diatribe.


"But the Klingons have a word for someone who fights according to 'terms of engagement.' Do you know what that word is?"


He did, indeed know but it seemed he was not able to respond fast enough as she had already blurred out the answer before he had a chance to take a breath.


"The word is 'dead.' If there are lines you will not cross, you cede an advantage to your adversary. Wherever two or more of those lines intersect, you may find yourself backed into the corner formed by them. You might not consider that 'honorable' but the Klingons do. They always have, and they probably always will."


“There is much,” McKenzie said, “that I find lacking honor in many of the Klingon ways. But do not assume that I am unwilling to do what is necessary in the heat of battle. We are NOT in that situation at this moment.”


However, it was as if his words fell on deaf ears. She had made up her mind on his lack of qualifications to be part of this team and continued on as if he hadn’t spoken a word.


"Is it lamentable, for example, that I had to kill 3 of my crew-mates aboard my father privateer vessel? Possibly. Would I have died if I hadn't defended myself? Yes. Did I fight in any way 'fairly?' Certainly not. What's the Terran expression? Oh, yes: 'forgive me father for I have sinned.' Well, I imagine it's difficult to repent when you're dead. So … did you want the qutluch back, or did you not?"


McKenzie rolled his eyes and turned to Sekal, “Is this what you bring us to advise us?  Someone who clearly has no idea of the reason we are here?”  Then he turned back to the woman. “Someone who blithely disregards protocols and agreements that we have already made with the people we are negotiating with and then castigate me because I do not want to hold onto her personal weapon?”


He paused for a moment but before she could reply he added, “I also notice that you have not made a similar offer or cast similar doubts to our Vulcan and Betazoid members of the team. Am I to assume then that this is some prejudice that you hold towards humans?”


Then he turned and stepped away, “ No, I do not believe that I will hold onto your weapon and break our agreement with the Klingon Council. That is what I consider honorable.  I have neither offered forgiveness for nor care about the method by which you have killed. I’m certain, by your standards, that you considered them most honorable. That is between you and your own conscience.”


Sekal intervened, "I do not believe the Ambassador has an interest in martial weaponry nor would be conversant with the wielding of it. I might also add that wielding a weapon or being seen to wield one would make the Ambassador a target in the event our hosts turned against us."


"Perhaps not. Do`Ha`," Lanista’s response was almost dismissive, of both McKenzie and Sekal.  The woman seemed to know no bounds of respect.


Sekal then deferred to Lt. Lanista’s presence as an authority of Klingon mindset.  He offered up her expertise in Klingon matters.  However, before he could ask any questions, unsurprisingly, she was already speaking.  She, apparently, had an agenda to fill.


"My father's people aren't given to deadlock. Nor to stalling,” she said. “When Klingons believe they have the upper hand, they act accordingly. That doesn't mean their assessment is accurate. It doesn't mean mistakes cannot be made. But an unexploited advantage tends to evaporate. Deliberate delay implies that the Chancellor is not convinced of victory in this contention. Or he feels YOU in fact have the upper hand and he is merely forestalling his admission of that. Nothing interferes with compromise more than pride. If it were up to me, then, I'd press him on his acknowledgments of the facts … without stepping on his ego, of course. Face-saving may be the most applicable weapon here."


"Alternatively, you might just make him angry. Deliberately. In Klingons, anger focuses the mind. Your challenge would be to sharpen his insight, though, without appearing to be insulting him. Nuance. Subtlety. They're capable of it, it just presents differently than it does in non-Klingons."


“This is what I’ve been talking about,” McKenzie cried out.  “We need a more aggressive posture.  These Klingons are not taking us seriously because we are being to passive.”


Suddenly the woman gestured for the captain to move away from the group, “Captain, a moment of your time?”


They stepped into a corner to have a private conversation.  Quentin had always had a sixth sense about some things.  That was the secret to his success in battle, as well as being an ambassador.  He knew when something was wrong, and he was getting that feeling right now.  His eyes narrowed as he watched the conversation between the two officers.


He could see the Vulcan’s body language disagreed with what the woman was suggesting.  That gnawing feeling in the back of his mind was saying that this was going to be a problem.  He guessed he’d have to wait to hear the result of the conversation he had been excluded from.


(reply Sekal, Lanista)

(posted by Al Muir)

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