<0700 hours,> the alarm went off, and K'Tag rolled out of his bed. His room surrounded in Klingon manner.
[Lieutenant K'Tag, you have a priority message on channel 3.] He recognized the voice of the new ensign, Steven Parmley.
"Ensign Parmley, route the message to my quarters please," K'Tag responded as he walked towards the computer.
[Yes sir.] K'Tag sat down at his desk as the screen became lit with a familiar face.
[K'Tag, nice to see you again. I see a new pip on your collar. Nicely done!] It was Commander Worf. K'Tag had served under Commander Worf as part of the Klingon/Federation exchange program. Commander Worf was an inspiration to K'Tag, really the reason he joined the Academy.
"You too, Commander. I have missed your company. It is hard to be the only Klingon on the station..." K'Tag was cut off by commander Worf.
[Funny you say that, I have a personal request to ask of you.]
"Okay," K'Tag replied with an uncertainty in his voice.
[My ghojmok, or Klingon nanny, who served my house before the Khitomer Massacre, mated with K'mpec...]
K'Tag interrupted the Commander, with an awe in his voice. "K'mpec the former leader of the High Council?"
Commander Worf continued, [Yes, the very one. The two gave birth to a woman named Zetal who mated with a Simon Tarses aboard DS9. Their daughter, N'Garen continued to live with her father until she joined Starfleet Academy at a remarkable age of thirteen. Her father sponsored her on-site work and aided her in her schooling. Until, unfortunately, he was killed in a brawl with the Borg, this past year.]
"What are you asking of me, Commander?" K'Tag asked, interested in his response.
[This daughter of Zetal, N'Garen, is of fourth-generation of the family of Mogh. I cannot take the responsibility of raising another teenager aboard my post. I am asking if you would adopt this child and serve as her father. Make sure she gets the proper schooling she needs and deserves. She has no knowledge of her heritage, and she needs to understand who she is and where she has come from. Will you accept my request? There is no pressure, Lieutenant.]
"I will. I have recently lost my mother, and it will be nice to have another family member around."
[Remember, she is only half Klingon and she has no idea of her heritage.]
"I understand. I give my word to teach of her heritage and protect her."
[Thank you, K'Tag.] Commander Worf smiled as he responded.
"You're welcome, Commander." K'Tag took a deep breath, realizing what he just got himself into.
[We come from the same house now, we share a common link. Call me Worf.]
"Yes, Worf." As K'Tag finished he smiled, and he became startled by Worf's voice again.
[Your daughter will arrive in a couple days. Qapla!]
"Qapla!" K'Tag felt relieved and somewhat good deep inside, as the screen went black. He thought he would inform Captain Mallory after Zac's first combat lesson.
A young ensign came onto the bridge and relieved K'Tag. As K'Tag stepped off the bridge, he made his way to Captain Mallory's quarters. The captain was waiting for him.
"Captain, is your son ready?" K'Tag looked down at a young boy, probably eight years old. He was hiding behind his mother as a shield. He seemed scared. K'Tag assumed it was because of his booming size.
"Captain, there is an issue I would like discuss with you, perhaps when I bring Zac back to you."
"K'Tag, would you like to discuss this over dinner, with me and my family?" K'Tag was surprised, but accepted.
"Okay, Zac, we need to get going so we can make it back for dinner," K'Tag said, with a slight smile on his face. The two walked down the hall to the turbolift in silence. As they stepped onto the lift, Zac mumbled something under his breath.
"What, Zac?" K'Tag questioned.
"Oh, sorry sir, I just... I just... I just said I hope I don't get hurt."
"bIlujlaHbe'chugh bIQaplaHbe," K'Tag replied quickly.
"What does that mean?" K'Tag explained how to dissect the language. Zac seemed to be learning it very quickly.
"So... bllujlaHbe'chugh blQaplaHbe, means... um... If... you cannot fail, you cannot... succeed?" Zac looked towards the what seemed giant Klingon.
"That's correct. That is amazing you learned that so quickly."
The two stepped on the holo-deck, and K'Tag went right to work, teaching Zac very basic moves for defending himself. The two continued to practice for the next hour and a half. As the time on the holo-deck came close to expiring, K'Tag stepped back and pulled out a fierce looking blade.
"Wow! Is that a Kar'takin? Zac asked in amazement. K'Tag felt rage through his blood.
"No, a Kar'takin is a Jem'Hadar blade. This young Zac is a mek'leth. This blade is favored by most Klingons for close-combat situations. This blade is made of baakonite. The mek'leth is a lightweight and perfect sized weapon. It is for you, if you will promise me you will never use it to hurt someone, unless they have hurt you. It is a great honor, will you accept?"
"Yes, sir," Zac replied with big eyes.
When the two returned to Zac's quarters, Captain Mallory was waiting with dinner already on the table.
"Wow, Zac, what is that?" Captain Mallory asked as she saw the blade for the first time.
"It is a mek'leth, Mom. The Klingons use it in battle. Its size and weight make it a perfect close combat weapon. It is a great honor, Mom!" Zac spoke with an excited tone in his voice. As his mother looked towards K'Tag, with a smile like expression.
"I hope everything tastes okay. It's been a long time since I've made a meal for someone other than my family." K'Tag smiled, and looked at many different dishes on the table.
"bIlujlaHbe'chugh bIQaplaHbe" Zac announced to his mother. Again Captain Mallory looked to K'Tag for an explanation.
"If you cannot fail, you cannot succeed." K'Tag explained to his Captain.
Everyone sat down to dinner. As they ate, K'Tag explained Commander Worf's request and that he had accepted the request. He asked Captain Mallory if she would appoint his new daughter, N'Garen, to a duty station as part of her senior year cadet work. Captain Mallory was more than happy to help.
"I'll assign your new daughter first thing in the morning."
"Thank you, Captain."
"Do you think you're ready to raise a child on your own?" Just as captain Mallory finished Zac gave his two cents...
"bIlujlaHbe'chugh bIQaplaHbe" Zac finished and smiled.
"If you cannot fail, you cannot succeed," everyone said together.