Beneath the Skin Summary . Morning on Qo ' noS , K ' ahlynn attacks her grandfather , Kahnrah , with her Bat ' leth , but she has underestimated his speed and strength . He brings up the conversation from the prior day about espionage , and tells her that they can both learn a lesson from the " " tale of Gralmek , and the mistakes that led to his own dishonor . . . " " Gralmek was a distant cousin of the family , born a mach ghott , a " small fish " , small in stature and strength . He tried his best to fit in and stand his ground , but he was too weak . When the opportunity came to prove himself on a dangerous and painful mission , he was the first to volunteer . Due to the interference of the Organian s in their previous encounter , expansion of the Empire could now only be gained through peaceful means . As such , the next step of the Klingons is to try sabotage . Gralmek ' s forehead ridge and brow were sanded down , his skin dyed with acid , holes drilled in his forehead , and spinal ridges shaved , all to better simulate the Human anatomy . His recovery took eight weeks , and during that time , he discovered that it was not reversible . The next phase was to teach him to act like a Human , and to brief him on his mission , to assume the identity of Arne Darvin , a member of Starfleet , and poison a shipment of grain just before it is delivered to Sherman ' s Planet . After finally encountering the real Darvin aboard the ship , Gralmek kills him , refusing to stab him in the back , stating in his log that " " one has a right to look his killer in the eyes . " " When the ship finally arrived at K - 7 , Gralmek met his new commander , Nilz Baris . Over time , he began becoming loyal to the man , despite his being an irritant . However , when Baris discovered that Klingons were nearby , he issued a Priority One Alert , calling in Federation support . A ship arrived almost immediately , the " Enterprise " , complete with its overconfident , pompous , and reckless captain . Gralmek liked the captain , Kirk , despite himself , because he held no respect for Baris . With the increased security presence , it would making poisoning the quadrotriticale a bit more difficult . A frontal route to the grain was no longer possible , but Gralmek had been studying the plans of the base in detail , and with his position , had security access everywhere . He arrived at the grain container , and quickly poisoned it , before returning to his quarters . Three days later , the ruse was uncovered due to the reaction of the tribble s , brought aboard the station by an itinerant merchant , Cyrano Jones . The Klingon captain that had arrived at the station , Koloth was an unfortunate party to defusing the charade , as the vermin responded to him in the same manner as Gralmek . When the ruse was up and Dr . McCoy discovered that Gralmek was truly a Klingon , Gralmek gave himself up , almost immediately . Koloth was forced to depart the station in humiliation , but was assured that no fault laid with him . At that moment , he discovered that his ship was infested with tribbles . Meanwhile , Gralmek spent time in a Federation prison before he was returned to the Klingons . After a debriefing , he was taken to the Great Hall and chastised for his actions . He asked if he would be sent to Rura Penthe , but the cost of a barge would not be worth the time , but was discommended instead . Kahnrah explains to his granddaughter that Gralmek was never seen or heard from again , and that the age of espionage ended as soon as it began . Kahnrah was still at a crossroads when it came to the vote though . Memorable quotes . " " All hail Gralmek of the Klingon Empire . Defeated by vermin . " " " " What could possibly be learned from a coward ? " " " " You remain so closed - minded granddaughter . Despite his small stature and his disfigured form , Gralmek was still a Klingon , and yet , he found himself growing loyal to a Human commander , and admiring a Human adversary . Perhaps . . . perhaps Klingons and Humans are not so different as we would like to believe . " "