The 2005 Miss Klingon Empire Pageant began with a bagpipe memorial to James Doohan (“Scotty,” Star Trek, 1920–2005) that left the capacity crowd in an unusually emotional and receptive mood that carried through the entire event. Although the pageant featured nine consistently snarling and passionately combative lovelies, audience reaction ranged quixotically from reverent silence to patriotic cheering to rhythmic swaying in time to a contestant’s heartfelt ballad. Even battle-hardened Klingon warriors displayed their softer sides as they posed for waiting fans and announced a Florida pageant for Klingon males.
Even though the crowd and the Klingon warriors were surprisingly peaceful, the nine rival competitors proudly exemplified the traits of courage, strength, and honor that make the Miss Klingon Empire pageant truly unique. Each of the worthy contestants refused to leave the stage when they were told by emcee Eric L. Watts (looking resplendent as always) that they had been ignobly defeated by pageant winner Senior Ambassador Kita’ septai-Juriss (Rita Howard). Ambassador Kita’ septai-Juriss won over the already overwrought fans with her Klingon operatic performance of “Today is a Good Day to Die.”
Animal action was not monitored by the Klingon Humane Society (if such a group exists). The crowd grumbled ominously when Lt. Commander K’naDz sutai-Veska (Joyce E. Young) brought a small pack of furry, Klingon-hating tribbles onto the stage. The grumbles quickly became cheers when the fur-clad sutai-Veska juggled the tribbles by slinging them from chains and then quelled a near-rebellion by stomping them flat, dead, and quietly cooperative. This exhibition left more than one observer wondering if the bright, lightish-red on sutai-Veska’s furs might not have been tribble blood shed in a prior performance.
Lt. Commander K’naDz sutai-Veska, Commander Di’Lath vestai-Dokmarr (Diana Krummel), Captain Kora T’ac (Stacey Hamm), Pa’Tra kel, House of La’Qan (Cece Busse), CommanderKeela sutai-Septaric (Lelia McMichael), L’Sha Mor (Lesley H. Moore), and K’Tal (Linda Voronetsky), all await victory another day and were last seen pelting the pageant winner with dead tribbles as she exited the Regency Ballroom.
Celebrity judges were Robin Curtis (Saavik, Star Trek VI: Undiscovered Country), Connor Trinneer ( “Trip” Tucker, Enterprise), Max Grodénchik (Rom, Deep Six Nine) and Autumn Sky Booth (beauty queen and certified Miss America Pageant Organization certified judge; “Happy Birthday, Autumn Sky”)
