"Kooking With Klingons"

[Guest TParek]

"Kooking With Klingons"

Lt. T'Parek

June 18, 2156

 

Cooking a pineapple upside-down cake is a lot like serving on a Starfleet mission into Klingon space. You have an idea, or recipe, that you take as gospel. It's mixed together, and you get used to the flavor and feel of the idea. You've grown accustomed to its qualities, both how to achieve it -- the steps you must take to get there -- and the final end product, what you'll be getting out of it.

 

It's disconcerting when this information that you have accepted as fact is not only turned upside down (which isn't the end of the world, as every good pineapple upside-down cake-like idea is), but is also turned inside out, and is cut into repeatedly. Bake it towards a state of near completion, cool and serve to a confused crew.

 

All those same principles were applying to Challenger's current status. A mercy mission had been undertaken, and everyone had been prepared to rescue the fine crew of the starships Enterprise and Aldrin. So, naturally it would throw everyone off balance to learn that their gentlemen and damsels in distress were not the oppressed captives they were thought to be, but rather honored guests. So much for playing heroes.

 

It wasn't as if Enterprise was just another scoutship. That ship's crew was revered like idols upon pedestals, and not that they didn't deserve it. T'Parek wouldn't be surprised if they were household names by the 2200s.

 

A covert operation, perhaps? But why so secret? Certainly Starfleet would have nothing to lose by publicly allying with the Klingon Empire. Or would it?

 

Subterfuge ... politics ... diplomacy...

 

Cake-baking...