Qapla'
Posted on Thu Mar 12th, 2026 @ 3:33am by Captain Maho Takahashi & Kyoko Takahashi & Commander Ichika Misono & Lieutenant Commander Kurumi Ebisuzawa & Lieutenant Commander Brennyn Scott M.D. & Lieutenant Ami Rori & Lieutenant JG Jane Sinclair
1,820 words; about a 9 minute read
Mission:
The Breen
Location: En route to Breen Space
Timeline: March 18, 2397
Captain's log, Maho Takahashi:
The Myogi, Oorai, and Alita have been making steady pace for the Breen border whilst waiting for our Klingon allies to catch up. The latest update is that the Klingons are expected to intersect our course within the hour, and based on their trajectory relative to ours, likely to keep going if we maintain our current speed.
As such, I have ordered our own speed increased so that we may keep pace with the Klingons. It seems they, just as much as we, are ready to take the fight to the Iconians...
End of log:
Maho had returned to the bridge, with the arrival of the Klingons imminent, it was important that she be on hand in case their allies had any "special requests."
"Status of the Klingon ships?" Maho asked after having resumed her seat.
“Flight control map reads the immediate vicinity empty, safe for our ships,” Jane reported. ”Doesn’t mean much when looking for Klingons, of course.”
"There's a possibility that they might also be cloaked?" Chisato speculated.
“Even if they are, I’d say we have a better than even chance of detecting them.” Ami said from her station, “Now that I’ve had a chance to get good close-in readouts from the cloaking device we’ve got, I’ve been refining the sensors to detect similar cloaking fields. Oh sure, different harmonics and power feeds, but at least it’s a start.”
At that moment, an alarm went off on the Ops console.
"Captain, I'm picking up seven vessels decloaking on our port, starboard, and aft flanks. All Vor'cha class cruisers."
Within seconds, the three Starfleet vessels suddenly found themselves in the company of seven Klingon Vor'cha class cruisers.
"We're being hailed from their command ship; there's a General Vro'LakH on board that wishes to speak to you, Captain."
"Put it through:" Maho nodded.
The viewscreen switched to the bridge of one of the Klingon vessels. In the command chair sat a familiar Klingon man. Maho hadn't spoken with him since before the attack on Starfleet Headquarters, but the decorated Klingon General before them was indeed the Empire's ambassador to the Federation. Evidently, he had taken up arms once again at the outbreak of war:
"Captain Takahashi:" Vro'LakH spoke. "I bring you greetings from your allies in the Klingon Empire."
"We appreciate the assistance, General." Maho replied, almost referring to Vro'lakH as 'Ambassador' instead. "Is there something I can do for you?"
"Does your yaS wa'Dlch (First Officer) always tremor like a tribble?" Vro'lakH suddenly asked. "Or is it the war getting on everyone's nerves?"
Maho looked over and noticed that Ichika was looking rather uncomfortable in the presence of the Klingon General, formerly the Amabassador.
"Commander?" She asked.
Ichika glanced up and flashed her commanding officer a reassuring smile. "I'm fine, Captain; I've just got a lot on my mind right now."
With a nod, Maho returned her attention to Vro'lakH.
"General, I'm sure it's been a long time since you last sat in that chair." Maho began. "And I'm also sure you didn't get there to begin with if you lacked imagination. There's a lot to do as First Officer, and sometimes that requires thinking a few steps ahead."
"I see..." Vro'lakH snarled, seemingly accepting Maho's explanation. "Well, keep those cloaking devices I convinced the High Council to loan intact, and we shall have a glorious battle indeed! Qapla' (Success!)"
Without further word, the connection was severed, and the viewscreen reverted back to the previous view of the stars whizzing past.
"Well, shit." Ami said into the silence as she tapped a few more keys on her screen, "Back to square one on detecting them, I guess."
“You’ll get there,” Jane said, assuringly.
Kurumi smiled from Tactical. She had been keeping an eye on the Klingon ships too.
"Well, let's send out a reminder to the fleet for radio silence once we cross the border." Maho ordered. "All essential ship-to-ship communications should be encrypted."
"Preparing message, in both Federation Standard and Klingon." Ops replied. "Message sent."
"Captain. We're approaching the border. We should cross in ninety seconds at current speed." Kurumi reported.
From her place on the bridge, Bree exhaled slowly and quietly outward. It was important. She remained a calm presence for everyone on the bridge, but she couldn’t deny she was working hard to corral her own butterflies.
Maho knew what had to be done next: An attack fleet crossing the Breen border uncloaked was too much of a risk. The only way they could get across the border would be to slip past unseen.
"All ships:" Maho ordered. "Cloak!"
Within a matter of seconds, the Myogi, Alita, Oorai, and their seven Vor'cha class allies vanished as their cloaking devices activated.
"I've never flown a cloaked ship before," Jane mused aloud as the lights on the bridge went dark.
"The Khourani system is still two days' travel away." Maho said as she rose from her chair. "From this point on, all non-essential ship-to-ship communications shall cease. Only essential communications are to be sent out on an encrypted frequency."
Maho turned to Kurumi standing at the Tactical station above the command pit.
"Miss Ebisuzawa; the bridge is yours." She said, turning back to Ichika. "Commander Misono, can I speak to you in my ready room, please?"
"Of course, Captain," Ichika nodded. "After you."
Maho led Ichika across the bridge into the ready room. Once Commander Misono had crossed the threshold, Maho keyed in a command on the door's keypad, and a sharp click indicated that the doors to the ready room were now locked.
"Commander, I don't think either of us needs a higher education to know that I covered your ass in front of the general." Maho explained as she lifted Kyoko from her crib . "I know you've spent most of your tenure convincing me to be a more open officer, and I think it would be hypocritical if I allowed you to carry secrets in turn."
Ichika sighed. "Was I that obvious, Captain?"
"Considering the general asked me over an open comm channel if you always 'tremor like a tribble', I'd say the evidence is damning." Maho said as she rocked Kyoko.
"Well, seeing as you have the right to know," Ichika began. "Yes, I was admittedly uncomfortable in front of the General, but this is an instinctive reflex for all Inuto. Granted, we don't regard ourselves as a "hateful" people- I certainly don't, because I know for a fact I wouldn't be in the command tract today if I didn't accept the fact that I'd have to be flexible- but after nearly a century of ruthless subjugation by the Klingon Empire, the Inuto people have adapted themselves to be... apprehensive in the company of Klingons."
A long, uneasy silence fell over the ready room, punctuated only by Kyoko's soft cooing.
"If it is indeed an involuntary biological reflex, perhaps it'd be in your best interest to speak with Commander Scott on ways you can curtail it." Maho suggested. "As a command-level Starfleet officer, you'll have to work with people you don't like more often than you care to think. Starfleet is going to understandably think twice about giving the center chair to an officer who 'tremors like a tribble' at the first sight of Klingons."
Ichika, for once, seemed to have been offended by Maho's remark; one glance into her eyes made that sentiment as clear as day. And of course, it should be known that Ichika was far from the type of person who got angry at slights such as these, so to see her riled up like this was unusual, to say the least. However, what thoughts may have crossed her mind were wisely kept to herself, lest she lash out at her Captain and friend in front of said friend's infant daughter.
"I think you misunderstand me, Captain," she began calmly. "I am not afraid of the Klingons; the Inuto are not afraid of the Klingons; we stopped being afraid of them a long time ago, and we have Starfleet to thank for that. We are not inherently malicious towards the Klingons by our nature, and if they are willing to respect our sovereignty, then we will be more than willing to host them with cordiality. That being said, our distrust of them is not something so simply waved away with a magic wand; it is an evolutionary association, much like Man's apprehension of a bumblebee. Much like a Man learns to assess the imminent threat a bee poses before adjusting his behavior to coexist with it, so too does the Inuto measure a Klingon by the threat level it poses to our individuality."
Maho had heard a similar story before; from Commander Chihc in regards to his own people's apprehensions of the species from which the Hebitians were an offshoot.
"If it is something that cannot truly be controlled, like the Hebitians' distrust of the Cardassians, or even man's distrust of the bumblebee, then no amount of counseling will ever be able to resolve it." She sighed. "I've learned from very early on as a Command-level officer that sometimes, it's better to turn the other cheek. If this is something that you can confidently say you don't need counseling on, then I will leave things right here. It's not my business to order an outcome that is simply impossible."
"We have coexisted with Klingons in the past, if they have earned our trust," Ichika assured Maho. "As a matter of fact, one of Starfleet's first Inuto Captains, Captain Kaoru Amane, once had two Klingons serving under her, once she felt comfortable in the fact that they viewed her as an equal. And I will endeavor to do the same with General Vro'Lakh and his men, provided I am not treated as a lesser."
"General Vro'lakH did not rise to become Ambassador to the Federation by simply being a typical Klingon Officer." Maho assured Ichika in return. "He may act typical on a surface level, but at his core, he believes that there are more ways to achieve glory than just through battle. Namely through cooperation with other spacefaring civilizations, including the Federation."
"And that aspect of his character, I shall respect, regardless of my inclinations," Ichika conceded. "Thank you again for your understanding, Captain."
"Computer, unseal doors:" Maho ordered the computer, the computer in turn beeped in acknowledgement, and the doors clicked once again, indicating that they were now unlocked. "Dismissed.
A Mission Post by
Captain Maho Takahashi
Commanding Officer
USS Myogi
Commander Ichika Misono
Executive Officer
USS Myogi
Lieutenant Commander Kurumi Ebisuzawa
Chief Security/Tactical Officer
USS Myogi
Lieutenant Commander Brennyn Scott
Chief Counselor
USS Myogi
Lieutenant Ami Rori
Chief Engineer
USS Myogi
Lieutenant JG Jane Sinclair
Chief Flight Control Officer
USS Myogi
Kyoko Takahashi
Civilian Child
USS Myogi
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