"Temporary Truce"

[Kansas 0]

10.09.07

USS Agincourt NCC-81762

"Temporary Truce"

 

 

Master Chief Petty Officer Keltex walked with long strides down the corridor toward the main sickbay. His duties had prevented him from visiting the Kitten until now; the security department was on alert with regard to the tactical positioning of the Selshan Fleet outside, and the internal investigation that continued with regard to the training accident in the NNC.The silver haired Klingon nodded politely to three medical technicians as they exited the medical bay, and then he walked in; after he had cleared the threshold, the enlisted officer stopped dead in his tracks.

 

Worlds would burn. Stars would collapse in on themselves.

 

Atmosphere would be stripped away.

 

People would rebel. Children would cry. Governments would fall.

 

There would be chaos in the known universe as they knew it.

 

Lieutenant Commander JoNs and Petty Officer Third Class Kreval were playing….cards. Together. Unsupervised. And there was no bloodshed. The female Caitian was calmly sitting cross legged on the biobed, tail swishing idly as it hung over the edge of the bed, and the male Tellerite occupied a chair set near the bed; both were staring intently at their current cards.

 

Keltex, Son of Lokan, seasoned veteran of more then forty years service in the Klingon Defense Force and the Federation Starfleet, reacted to this sight before him with the upright bearing of a senior enlisted officer. He placed a hand on his craggy forehead in disbelief and stated, "What the hell is this?"

 

Kreval answered the query, without looking up from his cards. "This is poker Master Chief. Care to sit in for a couple hands?"

 

The big Klingon merely held up one meaty finger in a 'wait' gesture. He walked back outside into the corridor, and then re-entered the sickbay. Nothing had changed; if anything, the Kitten and Kreval were now looking at him a bit oddly.

 

"….I thought perhaps that…maybe I had somehow entered an alternate universe…or something…"

 

JoNs purred. "If this was an alternate universe Master Chief, we'd all be packing way more weapons," she pointed at Kreval, "I would have had him assassinated by now," her paw went to Keltex, "you would be some type of bad ass enforcer," she then pointed her paw at her own chest, "and I would have taken over the ship by now in a carefully planned and exquisitely maneuvered mutiny." A good natured leer exposed the feline Second Officers' fangs.

 

Keltex still hadn't moved from where he stood. "But you two can't stand each other."

 

"Have no fear Master Chief," the pig-like Petty Officer shuffled the cards in his hoof-hands as he spoke, "…the commander and I went into our usual shtick – that is the correct human term, right? – upon my arrival. I walked in, bellowed at her for getting hurt and how stupid and young she was to have gotten hurt in the first place…"

 

"…at which I told Mister Kreval to stuff it, and ordered him to get out of my face…"

 

"And then, logically, we both settled in to play cards with the deck I had brought. Care for a hand Master Chief?" Petty Officer Kreval held the newly shuffled deck aloft. "Your cut. We're playing for holo deck ration time."

 

The feline lieutenant commander silently indicated the pile of credit sticks in the middle of her bed with a claw.

 

This was a strange universe, indeed. But then again, who was he to pass up a card game with good comrades? A slow smile spread across Keltex's weather beaten features, revealing his jagged teeth. "Very well lady and gentleman…deal me in."

Edited October 10, 2007 by Master Chief Keltex