Ship’s counselor’s log, supplemental, Commander James Troi, reporting: It has now been a week since I was transferred to the Asimov, and along with duties of chief science officer, I am also the ship’s counselor. As such I have decided to start my observations of the crew with the idea of co-writing a paper with the chief medical officer, Dr. Aquina Altara, on the effects of a crew assigned to a small vessel that does deep space missions.

“Oh no you’re doing that thing again, Cousin,” N’ka said with a sigh as he stood next the bunks of their shared quarters.

“Do you mean my job, N’ka?” James said with a grin, stopped recording his log and turned over in his bunk to face Gallagar.

“No, this whole chief annoying officer thing,” said N’ka, rolling his eyes, “Listen, I’m not saying it wasn’t funny when you were silently standing and ‘observing’ Twig for an entire hour, but you’re really playing with fire with the captain.”

“I’m not sure what you mean, N’ka,” said James innocently.

“This thing where you’re constantly needling her. It’s really getting on her nerves. I mean I swear at times I can see steam coming out of her ears.”

“You do the same thing.” said James, confused.

“Actually I don’t, but I guess I could see how the distinction between needling and joking could be confusing to the non-Klingon raised,” N’ka said smugly, “The jokes are fine, but it’s not fine how you’re subtly questioning her honor.”

“Questioning her honor?” James protested, “I did no such thing.”

N’ka sighed, rested his head in his palm and said, “Last night you said she looked tired.”

“She did look tired,” insisted James, “In fact, she was practically broadcasting it to the entire bridge.”

“Alright, I’ll admit your right,” N’ka said begrudgingly, “but James, do you know that for a warrior to be standing on the precipice, exhausted, but doing their duty is a very honorable thing?”

“I..I guess so,” admitted James.

“Well it is. To do your duty despite exhaustion is a very honorable thing,” pressed N’ka, “And yes our captain works long and hard days, but to point out how tired or stressed she is, well it points out her weakness, and for Klingons to point out another’s weakness is the weakest form of attack. So instead, if you are truly worried about her health or tiredness, find out what she enjoys and invite her to participate during her off hours. There is a reason why when we both work hard and yet when we get a chance, we let our bat’leths taste each other’s blood.”

“I don’t like the idea,” said James, shaking his head, “N’ka, there are safety protocols on the holodecks for a reason.”

“Yes and the reason for that is we’re on a Federation ship,” emphasized N’ka, “but for a warrior, the best way to relax is to accept the pain of battle.”

“Sometimes I worry about you, N’ka,” James shook his head again.

“Oh, go get a wife, already, James!” said N’ka in frustration.

“Pardon me, N’ka,” said a shocked James, “What did you say!?”

“You heard me, James, you with your Vulcan hearing,” said N’ka stormily, “I said get a wife, already!”

“How could me needing a wife possibly fit with this conversation?” demanded James, “Do you want me to find new quarters?”

“No, that’s not it at all!” N’ka nearly shouted, “It’s just clear you need someone to take care of and the crew of the Asimov isn’t enough. Face it Cousin, you’re lonely!”

“N’ka,” said Troi softly, “You are as lonely as I am, don’t deny it.”

“Well, yes,” said Gallagar, “But I would want a Klingon woman but seeing how things ended with the Klingons, I can’t see any Klingon females lining up to be with me, and though circumstances may change, I’m with Starfleet at the moment, and there just aren’t many choices to be had.”

“Well, what about Lieutenant Kahra?”

“Cousin, have you ever wondered why a Klingon is serving on a Starfleet ship? No, I’d want a real warrior woman.”

“Well, there is the captain.”

At this, N’ka burst into laughter, “McCoy!? PLEASE! I mean, she is my commanding officer! J’ashih and I were in different departments so were not in the same chain of command.”

“N’ka, she is the captain,” James pointed out, “She is everyone’s commanding officer, there are Starfleet ships where the captain is married to one of his or her subordinates.”

“Cousin, it’s not going to happen. She’s a great woman, and I’d lay down my life for her, but no, she’s not my type. But just because I’m lonely, that doesn’t mean you need to be lonely, too. So if you have your eye on someone, go for it.”

“Hey, I thought Deanna and I were the therapists in the family! When did you become Mr. Sensitive?”

“I do have a soft side, James. I just don’t show it to everyone. Now don’t turn this around. You are lonely, Cousin. How long has it been since Jemeli passed, eight years?”

“Ten,” said James softly.

“I fail to see how my love life is any of your business, N’ka,” said James a bit testily.

“Ah, ha! So you do have your eye on someone!” said N’ka who began to sing, “James is in lo-ove! James is in lo-ove!”

“Oh for Heaven’s sake, N’ka, stop being childish!” thought James.

“Oooo, it’s a secret!” thought N’ka with a chuckle, “Is the lucky girl a member of the crew?”

“N’ka, I have only been aboard the Asimov a week!”

“Hey, that’s more than enough time to fall in love! I knew J’ashih was the girl for me the moment we met and I know you felt the same way about Jemeli. We are two very different guys in many ways, but we both like same kind of woman—triple ‘S’ threat—short, smart and sassy!”

N’ka lay down in his bunk and smiled as he thought about his late wife and her remarkable resemblance, at least emotionally, to his cousin’s. As the two men lay resting, their minds drifted in tandem to when they were young men and shared the same bedroom and slept in bunk beds. They remembered together how James had helped his cousin learn to shield learn his mind from all the thoughts and emotions around him, that without even having to touch, their minds melded and their thoughts drifted together like a boat on the ocean of all the background “noise” of the minds around them. Each remembered how they felt a connection to the other that only their respective wives understood. Each recalled the love they held for their late wives, a love that consumed each of them, entwining them with the psyche of these ladies that captured their hearts. Suddenly, N’ka felt an awareness of tears on his face, but realized he was feeling tears on his cousin’s face and a mixture of grief and joy in his cousin’s heart.

“I never thought I could feel this way, again, I never thought there would be a woman who could stir my heart like that again, N’ka.”

In his mind, N’ka could see his cousin holding a delicate orchid and oh so gently caressing its blossoms and all of a sudden he remembered his rebuke to his cousin on the day he transferred to the Asimov, “The captain is a warrior, not an orchid!”

“But she is to me, Cousin!”

“So,” N’ka whispered, “You’re in love with captain!?”

“Yes,” James whispered back, “Leave it to you to help me see it.”

“Wow,” said N’ka, “This could get complicated.”

“Can you help me?” James nearly pleaded.

“Two suggestions, Cousin.”

“One, brush up on love poetry, preferably Klingon love poetry.”

“And two?”

“Learn to duck!” said N’ka firmly.

“But I don’t have any feathers, N’ka!”

“James!”

“I mean, N’ka, how can I ‘duck’ if I don’t have any feathers,” continued James, “I can’t waddle. I can’t even quack, so how I am I supposed to ‘duck?’”

“James!”

“Yes, N’ka.”

“You are hopeless, James, completely hopeless!” sighed N’ka, “Look! Do you want to kiss the captain or not?”

“Um, well, yes,” admitted James.

“Kiss her, what am I saying?” N’ka rolled his eyes, “I’ll bet you’re picking out baby names. I know how you think, James! Goodness, what a combination, human, Klingon, Vulcan, Romulan and Betazoid!”

“I think you’re being a bit premature, N’ka, I haven’t even asked her out on a date!”

“Okay, this is the first thing you need to know about Klingons, we don’t ‘date,’ we court. So you have to decide now if you are serious about the captain before you approach her romantically, if she doesn’t kill you first for questioning her honor.”

“You don’t think she would actually kill me, N’ka?” asked James incredulously.

“Well, this is a Starfleet vessel, James.”

James breathed a sigh of relief.

“So she would only maim you.”

Mr. Troi tensed.

“I’m kidding, James, Actually I wanted to see your reaction. Any man who is going to try to win the heart of one of our Klingon ladies will have to get passed me first, cousin, or no cousin.”

“You want me to fight you, N’ka?”

“I would want to see your intentions are honorable. Don’t think I’m not the same way regarding Twig. Don’t get me wrong, I like the twerp, but if I think he would bring dishonor to Kahra, I will deal with him myself.”

“Ever the big brother, eh, N’ka?”

“That’s how Klingons roll. Klingon males are expected to protect younger females’ honor, whether they are family or shipmates. Anyway, in the captain’s case, I don’t believe all the Klingon rules of conduct may apply. I mean, she knows what kind of treatment Kahra and I expect. But she was raised around humans and Vulcans. So, the best thing to do is get to know her as a person, through work.”

“Good,” James sighed, “That is actually a bit of a relief.”

“Really?” I thought you would be excited to fall in love again.”

“Unlike you, I don’t see courtship as another form of battle and conquest. Right now I just need to get used to the idea of loving another woman besides Jemeli.”

“Well, I admit that if I fell in love, it would take some getting used to, as well,” admitted N’ka, “but I wouldn’t, as the humans say, ‘let the grass grow under my feet,’ either.”

“Pardon me, N’ka?”

“I wouldn’t sit around too long, James, I would find a way to get to know the captain.”

“Say, N’ka, I think you might have hit on idea earlier,” brightened James, “Remember how you said the best way for me to help the captain relax was to find out what she likes to do and invite her to participate with me?”

“Ah, Cousin, now you’re talking! Very clever! You know where I would start?”

“Her service record?”

“That’s the ticket, James!” said N’ka, who jumped up and watched James looking up Amanda’s record on his padd.

Where should we begin, N’ka?”

“Go to her Starfleet Academy records, Cousin. Look up her extra-curricular activities!”

“Hm, let’s see…look at this, she was on the two-dimensional chess team!”

“Two-dimensional chess, do people still play that, Cousin?”

“I do. Uncle Ian Andrew taught me to play and I was on the chess team in school at and at the Academy.”

“Well, she was more than on the team, Cousin. She was the champion four years running at the Starfleet Academy versus the Vulcan Science Academy championship! I think you found your answer. Forget love poetry, brush up on your chess.”

“You keep a chess set with you?”

“Uncle Ian Andrew gave it to me,” James smiled, “I never know when I might find someone who knows how to play.”

“Well don’t let me stop you, Go get her, Romeo.”

“Considering how Romeo and Juliet ended, I am not sure I like being called ‘Romeo,’ N’ka!”

“Will you get out of here before I have to kick you out!?” N’ka nearly shouted.

Smiling broadly, James left the room.

James entered the bridge and scanning the officers, he approached Amanda, who turned toward him, looking tired and annoyed. James felt a profound tenderness in his heart, a deep desire to pick up and cradle the woman seated in front of him like an injured bird. He found he could barely breathe let alone speak.

“Yes, Mr. Troi,” said Amanda, “Did you need something?”

“Yes, Ma’am, may I speak to you in your ready room?”

“Yees,” Amanda answered slowly and got up, “Stevens, you have the conn.”

“Yes, Captain,” said Stevens, who sat down, looking curiously at James.

Once inside her tiny ready room, Amanda sat down, looking relieved to have had a reason to step away, she pointed at the seat in front of her and James quickly sat down.

“So, Mr. Troi,” she said briskly, “what can I do for you?”

“I believe I must apologize, Captain.”

“For what?” asked a clearly confused Amanda.

“My cousin told me you felt insulted when I said you looked tired last night,” he said softly, “he said I was questioning your honor.”

Amanda started howling with laughter at this and it was James’ turn to be confused. When Amanda stopped laughing she said, “I am sorry, I am not laughing at you! Your cousin is such a Klingon! I understand Klingons, I just don’t always think like a typical Klingon.”

“Then you were not insulted?” said James, clearly relieved.

“No, I was irritated, but only because you’re doing your job. I get irritated at Trevor and Aquina all the time for the same thing.”

“Oh, well I am glad you are not insulted, Amanda, I mean Captain,” James corrected himself.

“Oh, not at all,” smiled James, “I brought you a peace offering…Amanda.”

“Oooo, is it chocolate?” smiled Amanda.

“No, but I hope you like it as well,” and James pulled out and set up the chess set while thinking, “Chocolate, I will have to remember that!”

“Why, James!” she breathed, “I love it! It’s been ages since I played two-dimensional chess.”

“I am glad you like it…Amanda.”

Amanda tapped her comm badge, “Stevens.”

“Yes, Captain,” Stevens’ voice was heard.

“I am going to take an extended lunch, Stevens.”

“Oh, really, Captain?”

“Yes, really, Stevens.”

“All righty then, I will man the fort, Captain.”

“Thank you, Stevens,” said Amanda and turned to James, “Imagine, James, having a science officer who plays two-dimensional chess, how lovely.”

“Imagine having a captain who plays two-dimensional chess, Amanda,” smiled James, “lovely indeed!”

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