Kind of a long way to go to kill someone, don't you think? All first contacts require a little leap of faith. I used to think Tranya tasted like Hawaiian Punch when I was a kid. The colors must have been slightly off in those old syndication prints. Or maybe it was the family tv?

I think Bailey was just relieved he had a new career path after cracking like an egg on the bridge in a crisis situation. It was either hang with Balok, or likely be reassigned to waste extraction on the lower decks. ;)

You have to put mini me Balok into perspective. Except for the nervous Mr. Bailey, seasoned Starfleet officers encounter a lot more frightening life forms than a short bald guy. Sometimes it's even a fellow crew member.