Kotheme went aboard the carrier to meet Blyre and Kadh. When told how they had arranged the command structure, he glowed blue with amusement. "As it was in combat," the Tholian said, "despite the unusual choice of battlefied, I still win the wager with my aide. I calculated the likelihood at just under one-hundred percent. Fortunately he does not know either of you well."
Kadh laughed and would have slapped the Tholian on the back, but Kotheme's encounter suit made the gesture pointless. "Come with us. Your diplomatic abilities far supersede ours put together. The look he got from Blyre was not complimentary, but he knew the human agreed with him.
"My people require my skills here," Kotheme answered. "Besides, no one negotiates with Andromedans. They are the one uncompromising enemy that I have encountered." The crystalline figure paled and Kadh knew he was remembering the Seltorians. Blyre apparently did as well.
"Are there any concessions required of us to pass through Tholian territory?" the human asked.
"A course has been laid out for you," Kotheme explained and passed a datapad to him. "You must conform to the speeds and directions listed here. No Tholian ship or base will intersect your path. We will not be required to lie to your Federation when they ask if we have seen you."
"What about you?" Kadh asked.
The color returned to Kotheme's body. "We are in the neutral zone. Officially, I am here to tell you that your request to pass through Tholian space has been denied. My ship will be leaving shortly after this meeting to give us the necessary separation so that your crossing the border will not be detected."
Kadh laughed. "We should just conquer this galaxy between the three of us and then send an unbeatable armada against the Andromedans." Blyre chuckled politely but then sighed pointedly.
"I have considered that possibility as well," Kotheme responded. "It is unlikely that our combined genius would be defeated in such a war. Given time to prepare. With the current situation we would have a lesser chance, but the odds favor success by fifty point nine percent. That is not worth the risk. Even if it were, there is a ninety-six point two five percent chance that you would attempt a takeover after the victory. It is in your Klingon nature."
"I am what I am," Kadh said. "Shall we forget our plans of dominance then and have a glass of bloodwine to celebrate the onset of our great undertaking?"
"It would boil away before I could drink it," Kotheme responded while Blyre answered "I would prefer to leave out the blood and just have wine."
Kadh summoned his aide, who produced two bottles and an insulated container. "One bloodwine, one French wine with some long complex name that no doubt means I paid too much for it, and one container of something even more unpronounceable that does remind me of the squeal of a tar chop. Drink up gentlemen for we three will never meet again."
"I am impressed," Kotheme said and Kadh noted his color change again to amusement. From inside his encounter suit, two bottles appeared and he handed one to Kadh and one to Blyre.
"This is ridiculous," Blyre said, trying to maintain a straight face. He reached down beside the briefing room table for his own collection of potables. "We will be unable to move by the time we finish this stuff. How about a bottle a year on this date? We can start with Kotheme's since he's leaving soon."
For the last time, the three old soldiers drank together.
Topic: Derelict (Read 10356 times)