Joshua walked through the hatch that opened onto the bridge of the Long Distance Runner, the slashes on his back from the Trandoshan claws now healed by MU-SO 1. Mala and Nani sat one of the work stations watching the Federation and Klingon ships. They were amazed at the accelleration of the ships. Ano and Melee at the other. Melee was matching the jump coordinates supplied by the navacomputer with the figures that Ano had done in her head. They matched perfectly. "Padawan." Ateia Marelli, his Jedi teacher called to him from where she stood with the very pregnant Pehn Orell, and Peenk Montal. "Be ready to go to the hanger bay when we make the jump to hyperspace." "Yes Mistress Ateia." "Josh?" Mala called over her shoulder. "We are being hailed by the big Klingon ship." "It's name is Fist Of Kahless, Mala." Kirk crossed the bridge and stood behind the pair. "Open a channel." "Do what?" Nani asked, confused. "Let me speak with him." The face of Gond appeared on one of the monitors, his wife and first officer, Zanat, behind him. "Brother! It's good to speak to you once again. We've been watching you on the holonet with great interest. You are a big deal. We especially like last nights fight with the lizards." "That was fun." Kirk said with a big grin. "It was just like my days with Ericsen. Well, except for the drinking part. I wasn't old enough to drink." "Then you didn't drink that bottle of Blood Wine my father sent you when you accepted command?" "You know I did!" Joshua laughed. "You hand delivered it, and helped me drink it! Best Blood Wine I've ever had, too." "My father felt you deserved it. He said it was the least he could do to honor such a great warrior." "Ha!" Kirk interrupted his friend. "Your father paid me the ultimate honor when he attended my graduation ceremony." "True." Gond nodded in agreement. "No Starfleet cadet had aver had a Dahar Master as a guest. And you my brother, had all three there!" "I don't know who was more excited about those three being there." Zanat told Joshua. "You, or your parents." "Well, it was nothing new for my mother. They were there when she graduated." "Yes, that's true." Zanat replied. "But then again, your mother attended the Andorian and Klingon Imperial War Academys. She didn't go to Starfleet Academy." Peenk, who'd been listening put her hand on his shoulder. "We need to talk." "It appears your woman is not happy about something, so I'll let you go." Gond nodded with a small smile. "I just called to tell you that all ships leave when you are ready." That transmission ended. Peenk gave Melee and Ano the ok to make the jump to hyperspace. "Tell me why you lied about your mother attending Starfleet Academy." Peenk demanded. Joshua sighed. "My mother was forbidden entry to the Academy." "Why? You mother must be a very good officer if she's about to take command of Starfleet." The man shook his head slowly. "She was denied entry because both her parents were Followers Of Singhe." "And they felt she was not trustworthy?" Tiberious, who'd just stepped onto the bridge asked. "No. They felt she'd been contaminated by her exposure to their ideology. The same for her sister Cynthia." Joshua looked away angrily for a second before turning back to Peenk. "My mother had to fight every day to prove herself to be the best." He said. "Hell, the only reason Starfleet let her join was because the Klingons told them that if they were going to be stupid and pass her up, they would place her on the Chancellor's command ship." "That's why your mother is known as the Dictator." Melee said from where she sat. "That's right. She couldn't show any weakness." "What happened to her birth parents?" Mala asked. "Mother and her sister killed them." He said as the ships entered hyperspace to begin the return to the Federation.