Orphans - Kevin Killiany [12]
Shabalala smiled. “Understood, sir.”
CHAPTER
8
Kairn looked about with interest as the Federation vessel’s transporter room materialized around him. He was careful to betray no excitement, of course, emulating the weary professionalism of Captain Kortag. The captain made this seem completely routine, which, as far as Kairn knew, it might be.
Not so Langk, ostensibly second in command of the engineering team Kairn led. Head and shoulders taller than the others, Langk stood like a chieftain taking possession of a prize.
Langk was of the powerful House of K’Tal and destined for greater things—chief engineer of the Sword of Kahless within the decade, to hear him tell it. He obeyed as a warrior should, but let no one forget his social status. Where Kortag’s uniform was supple with years of service, Langk’s was polished to high luster, squeaking with his every movement.
Kairn hoped that whenever the young warrior managed to make a complete fool of himself, he’d do it without dishonoring the Empire.
For his own part, Kairn wore more cloth than leather, his only badge of status the Master’s dagger across his heart.
Facing them now were four humans, one male and three female.
The captain was instantly apparent; though not as grizzled as Kortag, he was just as gray. The practice of giving nursemaid tasks to senior warriors whose honored prime was past seemed common to both cultures.
The gray human surprised Kairn by speaking in precise, if heavily accented, Klingon. “I am Captain Gold. The da Vinci is my ship.”
“Kortag, captain of the Qaw’qay’, ” Kortag answered. Then, not to be outdone, he continued in the Federation’s language. “Commander Kairn, leader of the engineers, and Lieutenant Langk, his second.”
Kairn nodded in acknowledgment; Langk raised his chin a notch.
Captain Gold indicated the darker-haired female, then the golden one. “Commander Gomez, leader of the S.C.E. team. Lieutenant Commander Corsi, chief of security.” Then he indicated the woman behind the transporter console. “And Transporter Chief Poynter.”
That surprised Kairn; a mere technician would never be introduced to officers. Kortag grunted in unsurprised acknowledgment, evidently familiar with human custom. Langk turned his shoulder to the technician.
“If you will accompany us to the observation lounge,” Captain Gold was saying, “we can discuss strategy.”
As he stepped from the transporter platform behind his captain, Kairn stole a quick glance at the light fixtures and another at the fit of the control console. The technician caught his eye and smiled, recognizing the professional appraisal.
Kairn cocked an eyebrow, engineer to engineer, before falling into step with the human engineer.
As they walked side by side behind the captains and ahead of Langk and the security officer, Kairn was very aware this was the first time he had been so close to a human. He clasped his hands behind his back to avoid accidental contact, content in her apparent decision to walk in silence.
His senses heightened by stress, he noted the air lacked the scents of a living ship. Shifting his eyes but not his head, he saw an overabundance of ventilation fixtures, though he felt no breeze. His fingers drummed idly on the hilt of his Master’s dagger as he calculated the volume of air they must be moving.
Behind him Langk cursed. Kairn turned to see the warrior staring, his hand on the hilt of the d’k tahg at his hip. A huge blue arachnid stood on the threshold of a cross corridor. However, Kairn noted that a Starfleet communicator was attached to the apparition’s upper body. The beast must be a member of the crew.
“I have heard of Nasats,” Kortag’s voice carried from behind him. He and Captain Gold had also turned at the sound of Langk’s curse.
“Pleased to meet you, too,” said the creature in a voice like crystalline bells.
“This is P8 Blue,” Commander Gomez introduced.“She’s our structural engineering specialist.”
Langk compensated