"High Chancellor Azetbur has granted your request for an audience. Stand by to receive beam down coordinates. Admiral Kirk, you and you alone are authorized to beam down directly to the high council chambers."

The image of the Klingon disappeared from the view screen. Kirk addressed Mr. Spock:

"Well, Mr. Spock, it looks like you are not invited, I hope that doesn't disappoint you."

Spock replied:

"Disappointment is a human emotion I do not participate in, Captain."

Kirk replied:

"I figured as much. Very well then, I am off to the transporter room to beam down. Captain Sulu? Will you do us the honor of assuming command while I am gone?"

Sulu smiled and got up from his seat at the helm:

"I am delighted to do so, Captain!"

****

Ten minutes later Admiral Kirk materialized inside the Klingon high council chambers where he was surrounded by menacing looking Klingon council members dressed in full official Klingon garb. High Chancellor Azetbur was seated in a grotesque looking throne at the rear of the large hall. Two big Klingon soldiers took Kirk by the arms and led him to stand before Azetbur:

"Well, well, it's Admiral Kirk, coming here to claim my honorable debt of gratitude for saving my life no doubt!"

Kirk smiled and bowed in a gracious manner:

"Chancellor Azetbur, you owe me no debt for saving your life. I have come merely to ask you a personal favor."

Azetbur smiled at Kirk:

"A favor I shall be no doubt be inclined to grant you, isn't that so?"

Kirk returned the smile:

"It is only a small favor of little consequence to you and the Klingon Empire."

Azetbur waved her hands and the two soldiers at Kirk's sides departed.

"Very well, Admiral, what is the nature of this small favor?"

Kirk opened his arms and hands as if to receive a gift:

"Well, to be perfectly honest we need to borrow a cloaking device."

Azetbur seemed pleased, but she was curious:

"We have plenty of cloaking devices for you to borrow, how many do you need?"

Kirk put his arms behind his back:

"Only one. One will do nicely."

Azetbur smiled:

"Very well, you shall have one of our cloaking devices, but first I will ask you why you have need of one. It is well known the Federation ships are not allowed to be fitted with a cloaking device."

Kirk smiled:

"It's a long story, but a story that concerns the Klingon Empire."

Azetbur's curiosity was piqued:

"We have plenty of time to hear your long story. Be seated and refreshed with some Klingon blood wine and tell us your story."

Two Klingon servants brought forward an equally grotesque chair inviting Kirk to sit in it. Another servant brought out a bottle of blood wine and served Kirk a chalice full. Kirk disliked blood wine, but he figured when on Cronos do as the Klingons do, so he took a timid sip and ignored his involuntary feeling to wretch. Then Kirk outlined recent events bringing Azetbur and the rest of the high council up to date concerning the dire threat Gary Mitchell posed to the galaxy. Azetbur and the council members stood silent as Kirk told the story. Then Azetbur spoke:

"You mean to say you don't actually know if this godlike human Charlie Evans you plan to recruit to your cause will behave himself once you remove him from exile? Are you not inviting potentially a double threat of godlike humans to the galaxy?"

Kirk nodded his head "No":

"There is no other human being we know of who possesses similar powers to Gary Mitchell. I have assessed the risks and I have decided to take those risks. I recommend the high council place Cronos and all Klingon warships on high alert. The Klingon Empire must reckon with the fact that Gary Mitchell as a member of the Federation served in an age when the Federation and the Klingons empire were still hostile to each other. He may seek to destroy you all. There is no way to know what Gary Mitchell's intentions actually are, but we do know he considers himself to be a god and he views humanoids as being insects compared to him. I think there can be no doubt Gary's intentions are to conquer the entire galaxy by forces he now controls and by commanding other civilizations to submit to him just as he already conquered his home world  Earth."

Now the high council chamber was grumbling with discourse in Klingon. Azetbur stood up from her throne:

"Very well, Admiral Kirk. You shall have your cloaking device and I will amend your small favor by doing you another. I shall assign an armada of Klingon warships to escort you."

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