For Love of Honor

Note from the Author:

I wrote this story and many years ago for a newsgroup. I'm not sure if it's still on file anywhere, but it's a good bit of fun writing. Originally, it was written on a dare from a friend who didn't think that I could make such an unlikely coupling occur under any circumstance. If you know the Trek Universe well, you will know what I mean. If you're looking for a quick, erotic read then you will be disappointed. However, if you're looking for a good, solid Trek story with a strong erotic element along the way, you're in for a fun ride.

All characters are the property of Paramount Pictures/Television, but the story is mine and mine alone. I hope you enjoy the tale and, if you like it enough, please take a few brief seconds to vote.

"Sisko to Commander Worf."

Worf, Son of Mog, stopped cold in his tracks aboard the USS Defiant. He was enjoying his free time jogging around the decks and surveying the ship quickly for any potential flaws that might need some work. This call from Captain Sisko was both unexpected and untimely. But when duty calls, Worf is always ready. "Worf here, Captain."

Captain Benjamin Sisko's deep voice resonated from the comm badge through the halls. "Mr. Worf, please come to my office at your earliest possible convenience. I have something to discuss with you."

Worf glared. When Sisko called a subordinate to his office it was for one of two reasons: extra work or a reprimand. Since Worf felt that his performance had thus far been exemplary, he began to ready himself for more duty. "I'll be there shortly, sir. Worf out." And with that, he headed for his quarters to change. Showing up in the Captain's office in a sweaty jump suit would be the highest of errors for a Starfleet officer. A Klingon captain wouldn't think anything of it, but a Federation captain would see it as an insult to the uniform. And Worf would NEVER dishonor his uniform.

A short time later Sisko put the PADD on his desk and looked up at his door. He could see Worf's hulking frame through the translucent glass. "Come in, Mr. Worf." The door slid aside easily and Worf walked into the office.

Worf stood to attention. "You called for me, sir?"

Sisko leaned back in his chair. Something deep within his psyche told him that what he was about to lay on Worf was not going to be met with much enthusiasm. "I have a rather... unique mission for you, Mr. Worf. Actually, Starfleet has it. You were named specifically."

Commander Worf's chest jutted out proudly. "Me, sir?"

"Have a seat, Worf," Sisko said. "You probably won't like what I have to tell you."

Worf sat, puzzled. Why would he not like performing his duty to Starfleet?

"Worf, you are being called by Starfleet to make a diplomatic run. The Defiant will be placed under your command. If you need backup crew in a, frankly, unexpected situation, I am having Chief O'Brien set up a few holographic projectors on the Bridge. They will supposedly recreate a normal bridge crew for you, should you need extra hands. I doubt you'll need them. This mission should be kept as secret as possible, so you will be the only flesh-and-blood crewman aboard."

Worf's brow, as massive as it was, furrowed. "A SECRET diplomatic mission? Will I be briefed on the nature of this mission or will I simply be a means to an end?"

Sisko sighed. "Not to be rude, but to be perfectly blunt, Worf, both. You are to leave as soon as the projectors are online and not a word of this is to be breathed to anyone on Deep Space Nine- not even our senior staff. Officially you will be going to visit your son because of his official illness. The truth of the matter is, Alexander is fine. In reality you will be headed to Haven to pick up a diplomatic official."

Worf inwardly grimaced. He already saw it coming and Sisko could see the Klingon's discomfort. "No, sir," Worf pleaded. "Not her. Anything but her."

Sisko simply nodded apologetically. "The dignitary you'll be ferrying is the A Daughter of the Fifth House "

Worf began to shake his head as Benjamin continued.

"Holder of the Sacred Chalice of Riix "

Worf cut him off, "NO!!"

"Heir to the Holy Rings of Betazed."

"I will NOT 'ferry' that infernal woman anywhere! Surely someone else can take this mission?" Worf began to sweat. Visibly.

"I'm sorry, Worf," Sisko said, shaking his head, "but you were asked for by her. She feels more comfortable with you at the helm than anyone else. She trusts you."

"But I don't feel comfortable with HER," Worf whined.

Sisko was surprised at Worf's reaction. Never had he seen the Klingon show a modicum of fear or reluctance to take on a mission. What could she have done to him to make him feel so bad about her? "Come on, Worf. I've met her. She seems the paragon of kindness. I have never known her to be in any way abusive to anyone. A little arrogant and misguided sometimes, yes, but never abusive. Surely you can put your feelings aside and do this? After all, how bad can she actually be?"

Worf looked away, ashamed. "She calls me 'Mr. Woof' all the time." He felt that a Klingon's name was a symbol of his honor and for someone to mispronounce a name was the most grievous of gaffes.

Captain Sisko felt himself begin to laugh quietly. When he saw the look of shame in Worf's eyes, he thought better of it. The last thing he needed to do was make Worf angry. Of all the things he knew about this woman, not getting her way could be as colossal a mistake as mooring a ship into dock at warp speed. Not a good idea. "Worf, listen. Even I have been known to accidentally get a person's name wrong now and again. Don't think of it as an insult. It really isn't, I assure you. She honestly and truly asked for you. If she didn't like you, why would she ask you to be her chauffeur?"

"Her 'chauffeur'?" Worf blurted. "I may as well be her slave while I'm at it! She asked for me so that she may further humiliate me. Of that I am certain." Worf's glare sharpened, "She probably knows about my history with Deanna and wants to hurt me."

"Her hurting you, Mr. Worf, is not exactly a possibility I would even hope to entertain. She wouldn't stand a chance against you," Sisko said. He breathed deeply. Perhaps he was going about this wrong. "Worf, would you like to at least know WHY she needs an escort?"

"If it pleases you to tell me," Worf replied curtly. "However, I should warn you that I will NOT take this mission." It was singular that Worf felt he might have a choice in the matter, but Sisko didn't disabuse him of the notion just yet.

The Captain waved the comment aside. "There is a severe hostage situation in the Cardassian Demilitarized Zone involving the Klingons. The Cardassian government has asked Starfleet to send its most able diplomat to intervene and settle the problem. The Klingons have taken some very important people, artists I believe the Cardassians are officially calling them, as well as a rather useless planet along the Zone. Cardassia Prime has told Starfleet that the planet is an acceptable loss, but these 'artists' are vital to Cardassian history and their loss would be deeply felt. Starfleet considered the request and came up with her. And she chose you as her escort. For obvious reasons, of course."

"What obvious reason would she have picked?" Worf retorted.

"You tell me," Sisko replied. "After all, you're the toughest warrior I know and she seems to have gotten under your skin quite nicely. I dare say that you would do anything she asked just to get away from her."

Worf considered the Captain's reply. It did make sense. The more that Worf thought it over the more devilish his grin became. To send this woman to negotiate with Klingons could be the sneakiest move the Federation ever made against the Klingon government since tribbles. The Klingons dishonorably took his name and property as well as drove his late brother to suicide. This single mission might offer him the opportunity to get back at them for once. All his life he'd had to kow tow to the Klingon government's decisions where his family was concerned. Maybe now he could collect on some much-deserved personal honor. True, having to deal with her would drive him crazy, but think of what she could do to those who were unprepared for her unique talents. "Very well, sir. I'll take the mission. After all, if things go sour, who better to deal with Klingons, than a Klingon?"

Sisko smiled slightly. He knew very well that Worf's intentions were far from tactical in perspective. But since Sisko was never one to second-guess Worf, he accepted Worf's assent at face value. "My thoughts exactly," he said. "Here is a full rundown of the mission," Sisko handed Worf the PADD on his desk. "There shouldn't be anything left out, so if you have any questions, don't ask them because I won't have the answers. What you have is what Starfleet gave me. Look it over carefully and when Chief O'Brien is finished, I'll let you know. When I do, you should immediately get underway. Understood?"

Worf glanced at the PADD and looked up at Captain Sisko. "I understand completely, sir."

"Good," Benjamin replied. "Dismissed."

Worf got up and left the office, passing Lieutenant Jadzia Dax. "Hello, Lieutenant."

Dax took a doubletake at the Commander. "Worf," she replied cordially and confusedly. Worf left without another word and she faced Captain Sisko. "Captain?"

Sisko looked up at her pleasantly, "Yes, Old Man?"

"Did I just see that correctly?" she asked, pointing behind her. "Was that Worf... smiling?"

"Yes, Dax," he said, grinning. "He's leaving on the Defiant to visit his son, Alexander. There's an illness in the family."

Dax sat down. Now she was really confused, "And he's happy about it?"

"Well," Sisko said, "It has been awhile since he's seen the boy."

Dax was even more perplexed than ever. "I didn't realize that they were so close."

"When he gets back maybe you can ask him about it."

"I'll do that," Jadzia mused. "There seems to be more to him than I had previously thought. He must really love his son."

"I'm sure you're aware of the fact that Klingons are notoriously mindful of their family ties," he said dismissively. "There isn't anything a Klingon wouldn't do for a fellow Klingon in dire need." He eyed Dax carefully as she mulled his response over. He decided that giving her any more time to think about it might give her an opportunity to ask more questions. "Now, Lieutenant, what is it you came to me for?"

Worf sat in Quark's bar quietly reviewing the information on the PADD that Captain Sisko had given him. The Captain was right. Starfleet had offered plenty of data. Almost too much of it, in fact. He'd studied it for the last half-hour and felt that he was pretty familiar with everything. His prune juice was getting low and he was ready to be done with this mission as soon as possible. Almost as if on cue, his comm badge came to life, "Sisko to Worf."

"Worf here, Captain."

"O'Brien tells me that the Defiant is prepped and ready to disembark. The projectors are online and running just fine. He says that you can recreate anyone from the normal crew with 100% accuracy."

Worf's eyebrows raised. He hadn't expected the procedure to be completed so quickly. "Acknowledged. Sir, is Chief O'Brien aware of what they'll be used for?"

"No, Commander. As far as he knows you're going to Earth for a few days and you'll be testing the projectors for emergency situations. That's all he knows. So while you're out, you might as well give them a shakedown. Now, I suggest you get going, Mr. Worf. Time is of the essence."

Worf stood, "Aye, Captain. Worf out." He walked to the bar and paid his bill without even looking at Quark. Quark made him nervous in a very strange way. The small Ferengi had a way of looking into a person's eyes and somehow knowing their thoughts. It was eerie how he could ferret information out of people with just a glance. The last thing Worf wanted was to even risk jeopardizing this mission. He left Quark's and made his way straight to the Defiant.

Hours later Commander Worf sat on the darkened Bridge of the Defiant in the Captain's chair, looking at the main viewscreen gloomily. The ship was now in orbit of Beta Cassius, better known as Haven, and the face on the screen was one that he really preferred not to look at just then: the amicable visage of Lwaxana Troi.

"But why shouldn't I bring my full luggage complement, Mr. Woof?" Troi asked plaintively.

Worf sighed. He was close to losing his patience with this woman already. She had incorrectly addressed him 5 times so far and here it was only 2 minutes into the conversation. "Mrs. Troi, I understand that you like to travel prepared for anything. In fact, I find that quite commendable," Worf also found it quite painful, as well. Her luggage was notoriously massive and heavy. "But the truth of the matter is, I am the only one aboard this vessel at the moment and I cannot carry it to your quarters which are also very small. Please understand my situation. You will have to pack light."

Troi was visibly upset. "But I did pack light!" Worf looked at the scenery behind her where the luggage lay. It was true, it did seem smaller than usual, but there were six smaller bags. Troi continued, "I didn't even ask Mr. Homm to join me this time, and you know how I am about having my man servant wherever I go."

The Commander truly regretted that piece of news. He actually liked Mr. Homm. He was tall, imposing, and best of all, silent. But orders were orders. "That is all well and good, Mrs. Troi, but you knew very well that he wasn't going to be coming anyway. As for your luggage, I will give you a definite number: three. Hail me when you're ready. Defiant out." With that he cut the transmission and waited happily, reveling in the look on Lwaxana's face just before the screen went blank. She looked positively mortified.

A few minutes later, he was hailed. "Okay, Mr. Woof, I have done as you asked, and am bringing only three bags. You can bring me up now."

Worf smiled and replied, "Stand by for transport." He keyed in the transporter coordinates and energized. When he was sufficiently satisfied that Mrs. Troi was aboard the Defiant, he opened a comm channel to the transporter room. "I have sent your bags to your quarters, Mrs. Troi. If you like, you can examine them and then come to the Bridge or stay there until we arrive in the Demilitarized Zone. Worf out." He keyed in the autopilot for their destination, and instructed the computer to take them there at warp 6. At that speed the Defiant would arrive in about 18 hours. Even though they had a full day to get there, he figured that Mrs. Troi would be pleased to have some extra time on her hands to assess the situation and possibly begin negotiations early. Worf dearly hoped Mrs. Troi would stay in her quarters.

Moments later, Lwaxana strode imperially onto the Bridge. "Permission to enter the Bridge," she said.

Worf looked at her and inwardly whimpered. "Granted, Mrs. Troi. Since we're the only ones here, you don't have to stand on precedence, but please try not to disturb me."

Lwaxana merely blinked. "Of course, Mr. Woof." The Commander grimaced. "I see we're already on our way," she said, making her way for one of the science stations. "Not one for wasting time, are you?"

"No." Worf replied curtly. It was early in the day for the both of them and the thought of having to indulge in "idle chatter" pleased him about as much as having to take care of someone's tribble for a few days. "Mrs. Troi, I have much to do here. I do not have a full crew, so my job will be very hectic. I cannot engage in conversation as much as you would like."

Troi remained silent, so Worf took that as compliance. After about an hour Troi silently left for her quarters and when the turbolift doors closed, he heaved a sigh of relief. Worf glanced at the chronometer. 1700 hours. In three hours he would turn on the holographic projectors and go to his quarters for sleep. If he had to face other Klingons and Cardassians in any capacity, he wanted to be well rested and ready for anything. The last thing he wanted was to fail due to lack of rest and leave the Cardassians with no other option than a hostage rescue. Even though he liked the Cardassians even less than the "new and improved" Klingon Empire, the Cardassians were the Federation's allies and to let them down would be to let Starfleet down. And letting Starfleet down for any reason simply was not an option for Worf. All he concentrated on was keeping the Defiant on course and making sure Ambassador Troi got to the Demilitarized Zone in one piece.

Worf sat straight up. He'd been paged from the Bridge by the holographic simulation of Lt. Dax. "Report," Worf said.

The response was sort of eerie to Worf. Even though he knew the real Dax was back on Deep Space Nine, the voice and reply were patently her. "We've picked up a rather strange message on subspace from a ship directly in our path. Our long-range sensors tell us that the ship is running on relatively full power, but it isn't going anywhere. It's a Federation ship, Commander. The name of the ship is the 'Fuji', a Sydney Class transport ship." There was a long pause. "And, Commander? We aren't reading any life signs."

Worf looked at his chronometer. It read 0217 hours. Rest would have to wait. "Are there any other ships in the area that can investigate?"

Dax's response was immediate, "No, Commander. The closest ship is the USS Chicago... it would take them 20 hours to get there. We would reach the ship in one hour at this speed."

Worf gave the situation a moment's thought. It would be a simple matter of downloading the Fuji's recent mission logs to find out what happened, do a preliminary investigation, leave the information in a pod at the scene and let the Chicago take care of the rest. As much as he wanted to be early for the negotiations, he would have to settle for being right on time. Checking the Fuji out wouldn't take but a couple of hours. After all, it was his duty to investigate the deaths of the Fuji's crew. Even though it was a transport ship, they were Starfleet officers just like he was and deserved no less. "Hail the Chicago and tell them that we'll begin a preliminary investigation and leave the results in a pod, and that they should come to the scene and finish the investigation. I will be on the Bridge shortly." Worf felt that so far he was acting as an able ship's captain. For the first time in a long time he could understand how Captain Picard felt back on the Enterprise.

"Aye, sir," Dax's holographic double answered. "Bridge out."

Worf got into his uniform and headed for the Bridge.

When Commander Worf walked onto the Bridge he was comforted to see the representations of Dax, Major Kira, and Chief O'Brien. "I want to hear that message coming from the Fuji," he said as he made his way to the Captain's seat.

The computer worked for a few seconds and then the audio speakers kicked on and a man's voice filled the room. "Oh, come ON, Terry, put that thing down!" the man said jovially. "No, really. I mean it. I have to do this, okay? OKAY? Good. Hehehe... all right. Hey! Is this thing on? Oh.... yeah. Right. This is, um... Captain Lincoln Austin of the... what ship is this? Wait! I know... the Fuji! That's it! The Fuji," Worf's face contorted into sheer confusion. "We're, like, in some serious shit here, whoever can hear this. Sex, drugs... and something my First Officer here likes to call Rock and Roll. There's this HELACIOUS party goin' on here, and everyone's invited!! Come one, come all! Right here on the Fuji!! Terry!! I said, PUT THAT DOWN!! THANK YOU! Okay, now, where was I? Oh, yeah.. if any 'Fleeters get this, come on over and we'll jam or something. This thing is gonna repeat, 'cause I don't wanna miss out on all the fun sending this out, so see ya when we see ya! Austin, um.... out." And the message ended just as oddly as it began with phaser fire at different tones. Worf thought he recognized the tones to be the music from an ancient Earth symphony called "Fir Elise".