Aperokei

Aperokei Tai-Rensa, commonly referred to by the nickname, 'Proke', is the communications officer of the IKV Fire Blossom. The youngest of the crew, he is an avid fan of Terran `film noir': Alfred Hitchcock, Humphry Bogart, Orson Welles, the like.

Captain Kaden Vestai-Operai stated that the eagerness in Proke's voice was enough to put ice in one's blood.

The Fire Blossom's encountered the prospector ship, Jefferson Randolph Smith, in orbit of Pi Pharosi 2, Direidi, which had detected vast amounts of cha'puj (Dilithium). The prospector ship launched an escape pod to the planet surface, carrying Captian Tatyana Trofimov, Tellihu, and Science officer T'Vau, then proceeded to tear away from planet orbit at breakaway speed..

The Klingon vessel eventually encountered the USS Enterprise NCC 1701, which was engaged in an exercise using Deployable Practice Targets - inflatable starship mockups... one of which was pierced by the Jefferson Randolph Smith as it attempted to dock with the Enterprise.

Proke sent an odd message to the Enterprise, quoting Shakespeare's Macbeth, "Knock, knock! Who’s there in th' other devil’s name? Faith, here's an equivocator, that could swear in both the scales against either scale, who committed treason enough for god's sake, yet could not equivocate to heaven: O come in, equivocator!"

Kaden wasn't amused. Maglus caught Proke by the throat, his hand atop Proke's head, looking remarkably like someone about to open a bottle. Kaden ordered Maglus to release Proke, who informed Kaden that the message was meant to put their Federation opposites at ease. Kaden understood, and complimented Proke, telling him that he may expect rewards - which terrified Proke.

On Direidi, Proke met up with Uhura, speaking perfectly flawless English, in fact using 20th Century slang when ordering breakfast. "Waiter! I want Adam and Eve on a raft, sink 'em, and a cup of hot joe!" (Basted eggs and coffee).

He and Uhura went shopping together, where they found an antiques shop where she eventually purchased a small harp, after an amusing bit of `haggling'. The harp was 1140 in Direidi currency, but two credits in Federation currency, which the shopkeeper insisted on haggling on, until he talked himself down to a tenth-credit, or, "Brother can you spare a dime?"