Kahless - Michael Jan Friedman [100]
“Empty?” Gowron echoed, eyeing Worf.
The lieutenant nodded. “Empty.” he confirmed.
“Completely,” Kurn added for emphasis.
“Though no emptier than Unarrh’s head,” Kahless laughed-wincing at the pain his quip brought on, but determined to ignore it.
Gowron’s eyes narrowed as he tried to puzzle it out.
“But you did visit the relay station, did you not?”
“That we did,” the captain agreed. “And we downloaded the accumulated data, just as we described. However, the computer files were damaged in the melee. The parts we were interested in were wiped out, obliteratedthough we didn’t discover that until it was too late.”
The council leader grunted-a sign of admiration, apparently. “Then it was all a deception. You had no incriminating evidence at all.”
“However,” Worf remarked, “Unarrh and the others didn’t know that-so they provided the evidence themselves.”
“Indeed,” Gowron commented. He looked at the chip again. “And this is your only copy of what you downloaded?”
“It is,” the lieutenant confirmed.
“Good,” said the council leader. Dropping the chip in the dirt at his feet, he ground it beneath the heel of his boot. “Defense Force data is still Defense Force data. It is not,” he remarked pointedly, “for public consumption.”
Gowron might have dismissed them at that point. But he didn’t. Apparently, he wasn’t done with them yet.
“Needless to say,” he remarked, “there is still a great deal of work to be done before we can identify the rest of the conspiracy-some of which may be closer to home than I would like.”
“Needless to say,” the clone echoed.
“However,” said Gowron, “I want you to know you have my gratitude for what you have done. My gratitude and that of the Empire.”
Picard grunted softly. Gratitude wasn’t something one associated with the council leader either.
Kahless elbowed Worf in the ribs. “Tell our esteemed companion the Empire is quite welcome. However, its council leader could have ended this a long time ago, simply by heeding its emperor’s concerns.
Gowron gazed at Kahless. But if he was angry, he didn’t show it. In fact, the captain thought he saw a hint of admiration for Kahless there, no matter how well the council leader tried to conceal it.
“Perhaps,” said Gowron. “Perhaps.”
“Well,” Picard interjected, “Lieutenant Worf and I would love to stay and chat. Unfortunately, we have other duties-that’s the way of Starfleet. And Governor Kurn has been good enough to offer us a ride to the Neutral Zone.” He eyed the most powerful Klingon in the Empire. “I’m glad everything worked out, Gowron.”
The council leader inclined his head ever so slightly-a sign of respect. “No more glad than I am, Picard.”
With that, Gowron crossed the courtyard and exited through the gate in the wall. The captain watched him go, knowing the man still had his share of battles to fight.
One could not sit where he sat without looking over one’s shoulder now and then.
Picard just hoped the pressures surrounding Gowron would never turn him against the Federation. The last thing he wanted was to cross blades with the son of M’rel.
For a moment, the courtyard was silent except for a rising wind. Then Kahless spat on the ground.
“He has the tongue of a serpent,” said the clone. “If I were you in the Federation, I’d be wary of Gowron’s gratitude-almost as wary as I would be of his enmity.”
The captain silently noted the similarity between the Klingon’s views and his own. “I will remember that,” he promised.
“On the other hand,” said Kahless, “you have nothing to fear from my gratitude. And I am grateful indeed.” He turned to Worf, to Kurn, and back to Picard. “It was because of you three I was able to rescue the Empirenot to mention the ethos of honor that is its foundation.
My namesake would have been proud of you.”
“I think I speak for all of us,” the captain replied, when I say we were happy to be of service.”
The clone eyed Worf. “I am indebted to you in particular, son of Mogh.”
The lieutenant looked at him. “Me?” he echoed.
“Yes. It was you who made me see the truth-that it