Commander Lataro sat on his couch staring at the ceiling with his cut lip and bruised back. It had been two days since the incident in the forward lounge, and he still wasn't quite sure what had happened. The only thing that he remembered was being backhanded by K'Lara and him flying through the air, then blackness. He remembered waking up in his quarters with Lt. Tomme and other members of the medteam hovering over him examining him for injuries. It was determined that Lataro had suffered a mild concussion and was to stay in his quarters to rest. Dr. Nori had stopped by earlier to see how he was doing and ordered him to quarters so that he stayed away from K'Lara for a little bit. Lataro obeyed the doctor's subtle orders.
Earlier that day, Captain Maruu had paid the first officer a visit. It wasn't necessarily a social call. In his ready room, the captain had told Lataro directly to handle the situation, but now he ordered him, "Take care of the situation, or I will jettison you out of the nearest airlock." Lataro was actually shocked, but this time realized that there was no joking to it. He had to do something about whatever it was and do it now. So against the doctor's orders he donned his uniform and headed for K'lara's quarters.
Inside K'lara's quarters, the beautiful mother-to-be was laying in bed as ordered by the doctor. She was feeling fatigued and was taken off of duty for a few days, because of the situation between Lataro and her. Her door chimes rang.
"Who is it?" she yelled from the bedroom.
"K'Lara. It is me, Jon. Can I come in?" Lataro said from the other side.
"No! Go away!"
"I am not leaving until you let me in."
"Then I guess you are going to be standing out there for a long time."
"We'll see. Computer. Command override Lataro Zeta Two."
The door slid opened.
"Jonathan Lataro! Get out or I will call Lt. Benton. I don't want to see you." Something in her voice was unconvincing.
"Look. I need to know what is going on. What did I do that made you so mad?" Through the darkness, Lataro could see the red glow that was emanating from K'Lara's eyes. It was almost frightening for him for he had never saw such intensity. Finally, he couldn't take it anymore. "Computer, lights. Low illumination."
"How dare you?! I can't believe that you would presume to play me as a fool!" K'lara shouted.
"What do you mean?" Lataro asked, shrugging his shoulders.
"What do I mean, Commander? I saw you with that young science officer the other night. I saw her go into your quarters."
"K'Lara. I am sorry, but I don't know what you are talking about. I remembered going to the bar and getting a drink, but nothing else. I woke up in my quarters, by myself, alone."
"A likely story." She turned away and headed for the replicator.
"It is true. I would never lie to you."
The fight went round and round for hours. Finally, an exhausted first officer plopped down on the sofa. He, then, remembered back when he was on Kronos, a time honored tradition of fighting for one's honor. It was a way for Klingons to prove their "righteousness", and this was a time that Lataro needed to prove his. Back when he lived on Kronos with his adopted family. He had had to fight numerous times and won every time for he was a good and honorable man. It was believed that the victor was the one telling the truth.
Lataro sat back and looked at K'Lara, who had a few tear stains down her cheeks. "K'Lara! I am telling the truth. As far as I can remember nothing happened, and I am prepared to fight for my honor. I will fight anyone you choose."
"What?"
"The Klingon tradition of B'Laknor: Fight of Honor."
"You are crazy!"
"Yes, about you. You don't seem to understand that."
"After what I saw I can't believe that."
"Fine! Let's go to Holodeck Two," Lataro said, grabbing K'Lara's wrist.
Practically pulling her along, they finally reached the holodeck. K'Lara fought the entire way, fortunately for Lataro, the holodeck was only a deck away. At the computer access panel, Lataro entered a few codes.
"Jon, you are crazy!" K'Lara yelled. The door opened and the holodeck was now an ancient arena. Klingon markings decorated the walls as did a few Klingons.
"Name your fighter," Lataro said, unzipping his tunic angrily tossing it to the ground.
"No!"
"Listen! If you think that I am going to go and continue with this idea that you think that I cheated on you, then you are sadly mistaken. Now choose your champion!" Lataro yelled.
"Fine! Him!" K'Lara said, pointing to a warrior half the size of Lataro.
"Okay. Computer, increase the body mass, intellect, and fighting abilities to match my own and disable safety protocols!"
"What?!"
<Warning: Disabling safety protocols...>
"I know, Computer. Just do it."
"Computer, belay that order!" K'Lara yelled.
"Computer, this is Commander Jonathan Lataro, First Officer. Ignore previous order and execute my previous command."
<Command executed.>
"Fine, Jon, go ahead and kill yourself."
"I won't be dying. I know I am innocent of all charges. So I will win!" Lataro said, entering the arena.
The Klingon entered and snarled at Lataro.
"Jon, you are crazy!" K'Lara yelled. She was slightly impressed that he would go through this to prove his innocence.
"I know."
The Klingon charged Lataro who wasn't expecting such an aggressive move, but as the Klingon came within a few feet, Lataro sidestepped him and elbowed him in the back. The Klingon was forced forward and regained his composure. Now he turned to face Lataro who was all ready squared off ready to fight.
"I, Kor, will have your head on my family's pennant!" the Klingon said.
"You will have to take my head from the grave," Lataro said.
Lataro quickly performed a side lunge kick into the Kor's midsection followed by a spinning round kick that connected to Kor's head. Rich red blood splashed on to the ground as it poured from Kor's mouth. Lataro began to get confident, which proved to be a weakness. Kor took advantage of it and drove a fist into Lataro stomach. The force of the blow, sent Lataro back a few feet and he gasped for air. Lataro now was on all fours as the Klingon approached him. Kor drove his boot into the back of Lataro's leg, causing a massive charley horse. The leg gave out, and Lataro was now on the his back.
"Ha! You are weak!"
Kor tried to stomp Lataro's face into the ground with his massive boot, but Lataro grabbed the foot and shot his other leg straight into Kor's groin. Lataro took this opportunity to get up and as Kor staggered backwards; Lataro doubled his fist and swung it like a baseball bat into Kor's midsection. Then, as he was doubled over, the makeshift weapon was driven upwards into Kor's face. He flew back and landed on the ground.
Lataro limped back as Kor rolled on the ground. When Kor finally reemerged, he was armed with his D'k tahg with the smaller blades fully extended. Lataro saw this and was taken by surprise. He realized that the intellect the computer was using was to win at all cost, but in the B'Laknor, weapons were not to be used unless both parties had one.
Kor attacked. The sharp blade sliced through the air and cut Lataro across the chest. Fortunately, Lataro had parried just enough to have a superficial 'scratch', but it was deep enough for the wound to bleed profusely. Kor then thrust twice; each time, Lataro moved out of harm's way. Finally, the armed Klingon tried to thrust again, but this time Lataro blocked the arm with his hand and turned inside to Kor and elbowed him in the stomach. Kor's arm was still outstretched as Lataro grabbed the armed wrist. He slid underneath the arm and twisted it upwards forcing Kor's elbow perpendicular with the ground. The pain that Lataro was inflicting was so intense that it caused Kor to drop the knife to the ground. The captured arm was now twisted so much that a loud snap was heard causing Kor to scream out in pain as Lataro now jerked the arm downward causing Kor to land face first into the mat. Lataro still held on to the now broken elbow, but twisted the arm even more, now breaking the wrist, and shoulder. The arm now was of no use to Lataro, and he threw it down.
The D'k takg rested a few feet from the Kor, and defeat was not an option to him, so he grabbed it with his other hand and swung backwards trying one last time to stab Lataro. This time, it caught Lataro off guard and the knife plunged into his left shoulder hitting the bone. Lataro yelped as the blade protruded from his body. He backed off of Kor, who was still on his stomach trying hard to get up, but Lataro quickly and painfully pulled the knife out with a jerk and plunged the knife into the back of Kor's head. Kor's body flinched like a fish out of water, then relaxed.
"Computer, end program!" Lataro yelled walking over to K'Lara slowly. She looked at Lataro and smiled.
"I guess you were telling the truth," she said after, looking at the wound.
"I have been telling you that all along." Lataro bent over and picked up his tunic and again grabbed k'Lara by the wrist and pulled her roughly along side him.
"Jon! Not so rough. I am coming."
Instead of saying anything, Lataro just kept tugging her along. He pulled her into a turbolift and put her to the back. "Bridge." The turbolift started.
"Jon. Why are we going to the bridge? You need to go to sickbay."
Again Lataro said nothing. Instead the door opened, and on the bridge were all the bridge officers. The only two missing were Lataro and K'Lara. Lataro pulled K'Lara alongside him and approached the captain who was sitting in his chair. Maruu was looking over something reports when he looked up to see his first officer, cut and bleeding, and his helmsman who was in tow.
"Commander, what the hell happened to you?" Maruu asked looking at Lataro's blood soaked gray undershirt.
"Sir I will tell you later, but I need to ask you something," Lataro said. "K'Lara, am I forgiven? I proved to you that I was telling the truth."
"Yes, Jon. All is forgiven!" K'Lara said. She reached out to hold him but Lataro turned back to the captain.
"Sir! Will you to marry us now?" Lataro said turning back to look at K'Lara who was in shock.