Aleria was a human woman, a singer and keyboardist at BItuHpa on Balka in the 24th century.
Biography[]
Aleria used to carry a disruptor to protect herself and other customers in the bar, in case some bad events happened. Her tips werentt enough to feed a wheeze beetle and sometimes Meska neglected to give her pay.
One day, the bar was visited by Klingons. Gowron complimented her singing, and asking for a request, he ordered Klingon opera; she started with a line from tlhIngan jIH, surprising Gowron, and causing cheers from the Klingons and then the rest of the bar. She was approached by Gowron who noted that few humans understand Klingon opera. She touched his leg, which Gowron returned, and she explained she tried to be harsh with the tonality, in the otherwise simple melody. The bar agreed to hear the opera again, and with that, Pok broke a chair to show his appreciation, to which Gowron compensated with a bar of latinum.
The singer was surprised with this value and wondered if he wanted anything else; Gowron asked for information, making Aleria wonder about Klingons buying information; he said he would take it for free, as the latinum was for the chair. Aleria's eyes showed fear, and she stepped away when Gowron asked for a weapons dealer, producing a Romulan assassin probe. Aleria denied any knowledge but Gowron grabbed her arm, insisting she could have seen something. With that, Meska ordered his thugs to stop him, but they were neutralized by Pok and Gowron's guards. The bar froze. Eventually Aleria said that people go to make business with Meska, and Gowron tossed her aside.
Gowron nodded at her just at the moment they were beamed back to their ship.
Delaying the Klingons[]
It was only a few hours later when more Klingons returned, this time fully armed. Aleria told them they were too late, as Meska had left for an unknown destination, and that he'd deserve a slow death for keeping her pay for 3 weeks. She believed that one of his connections might know his whereabouts. The Klingons decided to wait, but Aleria demanded that again they hand their disruptors to the bar patron.
As they sat, Aleria continued with more Klingon opera, again garnering applause. Because of her predicament, Aleria directly asked Gowron some money, humorously promising that she would break something of value later, according to their custom. The Klingon T'lak was told to pay her, and he pulled two Acta crystals; he didn't know that Gowron had paid their drinks in their first visit with them, and had marked them beforehand, thus proving his connection to Meska and the assassin probe affair. The other Klingons held him fast, but T'lak managed to pull out a hidden disruptor against Gowron; Aleria killed him with her own.
Gowron thanked her, and on his body the Klingons found a credit slip which Aleria recognised as Galorine; as Gowron didn't know that planet, Aleria offered to guide them, as an oportunity to leave Balka, promising to not interfere. Gowron was reluctant, but considered he owed her his life.
After Meska[]
On the IKS Tagana, Aleria gave coordinates for Galor and stood out of the way of those working, as promised. The navigator, ChaqI, reported that they were 3 hours away to Galor, considering the coordinates were correct; feeling it a challenge, the sassy singer confirmed they were, hoping his own navigation was as good, causing Gowron to laugh. She ensured Gowron that Meska's ship was no match for Gowron's. Not long after, Pok announced a ship within sensor range and described its configuration, and confirmed that it was Meska.
The arms dealer hailed them, but defiantly did not respond to any threats. Gowron was puzzled and looked at Aleria, who shrugged, repeating that Meska's weapons were useless from that distance. Meska mentioned having someone on the Tagana, whom Gowron thought as T'Lak, who had managed already to sabotage the ship. Then a detonator was activated and a loud beep came from a hidden place of the bridge where Gowron and ChaqI ran. The sound was loud and Gowron guessed that its purpose was to be found after activated. Indeed, this gave Aleria time to go to ChaqI's console and lower the shields. It was Pok who noticed it, and although Gowron shouted to stop her, Meska had time to beam her on his own ship before Pok and D'cIq could do anything.
Double-crossing[]
Aleria was now standing next to laughing Meska, showing her true colors. Gowron was determined that he would take their lives for revenge no matter his own fate. The Tagana closed in and took Meska with a tractor beam. Aleria said that this would not change his fate, but she would give the disarming sequence for the detonator if he'd let them go. Gowron tried to determine what he should do, as Aleria reminded him over the viewscreen that time was running out and she was the only one who could save them. Then the tractor beam was released, momentarily relieving Aleria, only to have the Klingon's disruptors locked on them.
Meska, still smiling, tried to calm her down believing he was bluffing, but he did not know or understand Klingons as much as Aleria. Panicked, she tried to bargain for her life by saying that it was a Klingon from an ancient house of Taganika while Meska still laughed, saying she embarassed herself. She was ready to reveal a name, but Gowron said that it was a matter of blood oath to kill all responsible for the Romulan probe, even if it meant they would die together by the detonator, as Aleria in vain reminded him. With a drop of his hand, the Tagana fired and Meska's ship exploded. (TNG novelization: Klingon)
Appendices[]
Background[]
In the interactive movie Aleria was played by TNG and DS9 extra Annette Helde.
Her name isn't heard in dialogue, nor cited in the novel, but appears in the credits of the interactive movie.