ZENITH, PART II
Volume 1, chapter 2
Published: 29 September 2014 (revised: September 2018)
Word count: ?
A/N: I'm in the process of implementing much needed and long overdue updates to chapters 1-3 to fix continuity, dialog, story flow, and grammatical errors, among other things. Chapter 4 may be just around the corner as well. Stay tuned!
Chapter 2 completion: 5%
Jean-Luc Picard, Miranda Kadohata, Geordi La Forge, and Beverly Crusher watched helplessly from the bridge of the IKS GhIqtal as its gunner prepared to destroy the USS Enterprise.
"Wait!" Crusher shouted.
Kardok turned to her. "What?" he asked, disappointed by the unexpected delay.
"Don't you have any regard for life? Surely there must be some way for—"
"Doctor, it has already been decided. The Enterprise is a casualty of war." He raised his hand to signal Maglus, the tactical officer, to open fire on the Enterprise.
"You're nothing but a coward," Miranda Kadohata spoke up. "A disgrace. You bring shame to your father."
Kardok signaled for Maglus to close communications with the Enterprise. He then glared at Kadohata. "You will be quiet!"
"No, I won't. I'll do whatever it takes to stop you from doing this."
"You will also not speak against my father."
"Was he as dishonorable as you, or did you rebel against what he taught you as a child?" she taunted.
Growing increasingly agitated by her persistence, Kardok punched his armrest. "My father was a great warrior."
"And that great warrior has been brought low by the misdeeds of his offspring."
In a fit of rage, Kardok stepped over to Kadohata and grabbed her by the neck, slamming her up against a wall. "petaQ! I will cut out your tongue!" he screamed.
Picard finally stepped in. "Kardok! Enough of this nonsense. I am the one you want; you said that yourself. I ask you, please let my crew go."
Kardok pondered for a moment whether to wring Kadohata's neck or let her go. He finally released her from his grip.
He stared at Picard. "What you ask is difficult, captain."
"I realize that it was part of your mission to destroy my ship, but surely there must be another way. You have already crippled her. What would be said of the Klingon warrior who destroyed a disabled Federation starship?"
Kardok mulled over his options. "Their weapons and shields are still down?"
"Aye, captain," Dagan, the operations officer, responded.
"And what about their engines?"
"Their warp drive is completely inactive, and the core has been damaged."
Kardok turned to Maglus. "Stand down from battle stations."
"Sir?" Maglus questioned.
"You heard me. Nen, prepare to take us out of the system."
"Sir, shall I destroy them?" Maglus inquired, confused.
"No, we are leaving."
"But sir, our orders were clear. We must complete our mission."
"We have done enough. Besides, when they reactivate their main power, they may have a surprise waiting for them in their engine core."
"Sir!" Maglus lowered his tone slightly. "With respect... we cannot take the chance that they will be able to repair the damage and send word to their fleet."
"And what if they inform their puny fleet? We will be long gone, and we already have what we want."
Maglus crossed his arms. "Captain, I cannot allow you to do this."
"Are you challenging me for command, then, Maglus?"
Dagan stood and faced Kardok. "Actually, I am, captain. You are no longer acting in the best interests of this vessel or her crew, and I wish to... relieve you of command."
"You?" Kardok laughed. "You wish to challenge me, Dagan? Very well."
"Are they really doing this?" La Forge asked no one in particular.
"It's customary on Klingon ships to challenge the commander if he is thought to be incompetent," Picard responded. "Even though they are not all Klingons, it would seem this crew still honors that tradition."
"Whoopee for us," Crusher remarked sarcastically.
ACT ONE
On the bridge of the USS Enterprise-E, the crew was growing suspicious by the sudden hesitance of the Zenith crew to destroy them.
"What are they waiting for?" Dina Elfiki questioned.
"Mr. Worf, hail them," Martin Madden said.
"No response, sir," Worf replied.
"Well, that's a tad peculiar," Joanna Faur said.
"Yes," Worf agreed. "Perhaps the captain was able to stall them."
"How long until we can restore main power?" Madden asked, sensing an opportunity arising.
"In just a few minutes, sir," the stand-in ops officer responded.
"Continue monitoring them closely, Mr. Worf," Madden said, watching the GhIqtal intently on the viewscreen.
Worf nodded. "Aye, sir."
...
Kardok and Dagan face each other on the bridge of the GhIqtal, about to duel for command of the vessel.
"Before we begin, let it be known that if I am victorious, all of you shall follow my orders without further questions," Kardok states plainly.
"Understood, sir," Maglus replies.
"And let it be known that if I win, you will take orders from me, the first of which will be to toss this fool out an airlock," Dagan says, referring to Kardok.
Kardok laughs. He unsheathes his d'k tahg blade, Dagan following suit. Kardok swings his blade at Dagan, tauntingly. Dagan watches his every move carefully. Kardok takes another swing, causing Dagan to stumble backwards.
"What's wrong, Dagan? Are you giving up already?"
Angered, Dagan lunges at him, grazing Kardok's arm. This elicits a grin from Kardok.
"That's more like it."
Kardok responds with a blow to Dagan's ear. Dagan cries out in pain.
"You will die for that!" he shouts.
With that, he pounces on Kardok, pinning him down, their blades clashing, only inches from Kardok's neck. Dagan attempts to push the two blades into Kardok's neck, and at first, it appears he might succeed, but Kardok overpowers him, tossing him off. Kardok jumps at Dagan, but is met with a blade to the gut. He looks at the knife surprisedly and stumbles backwards, falling to the floor.
"I have won," Dagan proclaims, standing.
He heads for the captain's chair, but before he can reach it, a blade pierces his upper back.
"What...?" he asks, in shock.
He turns as he slides to the floor in agony. Kardok has returned to his feet, and is standing over him.
"You were a most worthy opponent, Dagan. Your valor will be noted in my log."
Kardok sits in his chair, and signals for Maglus to remove Dagan from the bridge.
"What was it you were going to have them do to me? Toss me out an airlock? A most...interesting method of garbage disposal." Kardok grins.
"No, no, please, captain! Don't kill me!" Dagan pleads, realizing his soon approaching fate.
Kardok simply waves his hand, telling Maglus to proceed. Picard stands to his feet.
"Kardok, enough. You have beaten him and proven you are the champion. There is no reason to continue with this," he says.
Kardok frowns. "Had he been the victor, he would be doing this very thing to me. Would you still plead for my life so easily?"
"Absolutely. I believe all life is sacred, even if the individual is not necessarily deserving of it."
"You are too compassionate, Picard. It is your one major weakness."
"On the contrary, I like to think of it as a strength."
Kardok sighs. "Throw him in the brig."
Maglus hesitates.
"Are you losing your hearing, Maglus?" Kardok asks impatiently.
"Very well, captain," Maglus complies.
He drags Dagan off the bridge.
"Helm, take us out of the system," Kardok orders.
"Aye, captain," Nen responds.
The GhIqtal goes to warp.
...
"Main power is back online, sir," Worf reports.
The ops console beeps.
"Sir, internal sensors are detecting several minor fractures in the warp core's dilithium casing. We have a breach in progress!" the ops officer yells.
"Eject the core!" Madden says, terror in his voice.
"Trying, sir." He presses several buttons. "Core is ejecting."
"Miss Faur, take us to full impulse!" Worf commands.
"Aye, sir."
Faur accelerates the Enterprise to full impulse power. Only seconds later, the warp core destabilizes and explodes, the ensuing shockwave shaking the Enterprise.
"Whew," Faur exclaims.
"Good job, everyone," Madden says. "Now, to contact Starfleet..."
"Sir, we are receiving a hail from Admiral Janeway herself," Worf reports.
"I'll take it in the ready room, Mr. Worf."
Madden enters the captain's ready room and sits down. He turns on the captain's computer.
"Jean-Luc?" Admiral Kathryn Janeway asks, concerned.
"No, admiral, this is Commander Martin Madden."
"We received your distress call. What happened to the captain?"
"He was abducted by a Klingon named Kardok. His ship is very powerful. It can be made to fool others into thinking it is disabled, and within a few minutes, it is fully active again."
Janeway seems a bit disturbed by this. "Well, I've already dispatched a ship to your location to assist you with anything you may need."
"Thank you, admiral. Um...if you could also send a warp core, it would be appreciated."
Janeway chuckles. "Of course. I will contact you later, once I have looked into this matter further. Janeway out."
"Captain's personal log, IKS GhIqtal. We left the Denab system almost four days ago, and are proceeding at high warp to our home base. I have succeeded in apprehending Captain Picard, as well as several of his officers. Xolor will be most pleased."
Kardok stands up to leave the bridge of the GhIqtal. He turns to Picard before exiting.
"Captain, would you care to join me for dinner?"
Picard purses his lips. "Well, I certainly have nothing better to do."
"Thank you, captain. I most appreciate it."
They leave the bridge.
"I don't like this Kardok one bit. He gives me the creeps," Crusher comments.
"I don't like him either, but he did spare the Enterprise. Hopefully the captain can reason with him some more," La Forge replies.
...
Picard and Kardok both take their seats in Kardok's quarters. Picard eyes the room curiously.
"I know it is not very elegant, at least by your standards, but it serves me well," Kardok says, referring to the lackluster decor of his quarters.
"It's actually quite inventive, in its own way," Picard replies, returning his gaze to Kardok.
"I have been reading your personnel file, captain. Quite an impressive record," Kardok comments.
"Thank you."
"Born 13 July 2305. Ah, your birthday was three days ago." Kardok raises his cup. "Many happy returns."
Picard smiles slightly, then stares at him for a moment. "What do you really want from me, captain?"
Kardok chuckles. "I want nothing from you, Picard. It is Xolor who wishes to see you."
"Xolor?" Picard questions. "Is that this 'master' of yours?"
"Yes."
"Who is he? Where is he from? What is his purpose for..."
"Captain, captain. All of your questions will be answered by Xolor himself when we reach him."
Picard seems somewhat content with that answer. "Very well."
"Something is troubling you, Picard. What is it?" Kardok asks, head tilted to the side.
Picard gives him a knowing look. "You attacked my ship, disabled it, took me and my away team hostage, and threatened to destroy my ship and everyone onboard, so, yes. Something is certainly troubling me."
"I was simply following Xolor's orders. Do you doubt his motives?"
"I doubt the motives of anyone who would destroy one civilization to build up another," is Picard's concise reply.
Kardok grins. "I like you Picard. I'm beginning to feel that sparing your ship was the right decision. When Xolor first told me that he wished to bring the Federation to its knees to allow the Empire to expand, I went with him wholeheartedly, but now, I feel that the Empire can benefit from Humans like you."
"You still trust him, after all he has done?"
"And what has he done? He has given me command of a vessel of immense power, a fine crew, and you to share my journey with."
"Is he Klingon?"
Kardok ponders this question for a moment. "No, he is not."
"What species is he then?"
"I do not know. I have heard rumors from others in the order that he is an alien from another galaxy like our own, and that he wished to leave there to discover new worlds..."
"And to conquer them?" Picard inquires.
Kardok seems taken aback by this. "Has the Federation not conquered worlds and integrated them into your collective body of star systems?"
"No, Kardok. We welcome new worlds freely, without force, and only when we feel those worlds are ready to join us. There is no war or conquest involved."
"Now where is the fun in that?"
"Don't you see what he's doing to you, Kardok? He has you convinced that tearing down a society is no different from pulling a troublesome weed from your garden. There is more going on here than you realize."
Kardok begins to look annoyed. "Come, there is something I'd like you to see."
They leave Kardok's quarters.
"First officer's log, stardate 56959.7. It's been four days since Captain Picard, Dr. Crusher and Commanders La Forge and Kadohata were abducted by the Klingon captain known as Kardok. Starfleet has dispatched a support vessel to assist us in repairs, as well as supply us with a new warp core. With a four day head start, the Klingons will be hard to track. I...I hope we can find the captain and our away team before it's too late."
Madden is sitting in the mess hall, drinking a cup of coffee, awaiting a report from the bridge that they can get underway. Hegol Den, the ship's new counselor, approaches him.
"Is everything alright, commander?" the Bajoran asks.
Madden looks up at him with an empty look on his face. "Uh, yes...I was just thinking..."
"About?" Den asks, taking a seat across from Madden.
"About this whole mess we're in. How are we even supposed to find that ship? They're long gone by now, and we couldn't even detect them when they were cloaked right next to us."
"Well, if it's any consolation to you, the crew has confidence in your ability to command, and so do I."
"Thanks, but that's not gonna bring the captain back."
"No, but it sure can't hurt."
"What would you do if you were in my position?" Madden inquires.
"First, I'd start by trusting in myself to be able to make the right decision. Second, I'd pray for some divine intervention, because this ship is gonna be hell to track."
Madden chuckles. "Yeah, thanks."
Den stands. "Don't mention it." He pats Madden on the shoulder. "Have confidence in the captain. This wouldn't be the first time he's had to get himself out of a tricky situation."
...
Kardok and Picard enter a large, brightly-lit room, with several work stations and a rather large device at the middle of the room.
"Captain, do you know what this is?" Kardok asks, pointing to a large red sphere at the center of the device.
Picard examines it for a moment. "I've never seen anything like this. What is it?"
"It is called red matter. A single drop is sufficient to destabilize a star."
Picard's eyes grow wide. "Where did you get this weapon?"
Kardok chuckles. "That is the best part of it, captain. I'm sure you would suspect something of this power to have been brought to us by Xolor."
"The thought had come to mind."
"How wrong you are, captain. In fact, it was created by one of the planets in your Federation, quite recently. It was still in the prototype stages when we...acquired it."
"What?" Picard asks, eyes wider than before. "This can't be. You are lying."
"I am not! It is the truth, Picard. It would serve you well to listen to me."
"Doesn't this all seem a little bit odd to you, Kardok? A mysterious alien lifeform from beyond our galaxy comes here to stir up trouble, and all he needs is this device, this...red matter."
"He is not interested in destroying whole planets. If he was, he would have done so already."
"Then what is this thing doing here? Does Xolor simply wish to strike fear into the powers of the galaxy by parading this around on his flagship?"
"Ah! Now you understand, Picard! That is what this is about. Fear—it is an inexorable ally to someone who wishes to exploit it."
"This weapon will spell dire consequences to anyone involved with its creation or deployment, I can assure you."
Kardok sighs. "Perhaps I was wrong about you, Picard. You allow this inexplicable trepidation to grip you. It clouds your judgment."
"Are you even listening to me?" Picard asks, gesturing with his hands. "When does it become wrong, Kardok? No one should be given such power to create or destroy. Xolor is, in fact, playing God. He seeks to control what he doesn't understand, through force—and I fear—mass genocide."
Kardok once again becomes impatient, tightening his fists.
"You know what I'm saying is true," Picard says softly. "He's lied to you, Kardok. He doesn't want to restore the Empire to its former glory. His initial plan may not be to use this weapon, but he ultimately will."
"He promised me! He said he would help me restore my father's lost honor!"
"I wonder how many others on this ship were promised the same thing," Picard muses. "Did he inform you that he would be helping them restore the glory of their empires as well?"
"No, initially I believed that he was recruiting Klingon warriors to seize control of the homeworld, and begin reshaping the Empire. I joined him without hesitation, something I am now beginning to regret. One question remains, what is his real plan?"
"I don't know, but it certainly isn't to help your people."
Kardok stares at Picard for a moment. "I am still hesitant to disobey his orders. He is very powerful, and has many followers much more loyal than me on this ship. If word of my sudden misgiving reaches him..."
Picard interrupts. "No one needs to know what we've discussed here...not yet."
"But what can we do? The plan is already in motion."
"Is there any way we can get a message to the Enterprise?"
"It will be difficult."
"Is there anyone you can trust enough to help us without arousing suspicion?"
"Maglus will no doubt question my decision, but he is very loyal. I believe I can convince him to help. Perhaps Nen as well. He is very good at hiding any emotion from his persona, and can fool even the most skeptical person into believing a lie."
"Thank you, Kardok. I believe you're making the right decision."
"I hope so, Picard, for all our sakes."
Picard and Kardok return to the bridge.
"Captain! Are you alright? We started to worry..." Kadohata starts.
"I'm fine, commander," Picard responds.
Kardok sits in his chair. "How long until we reach Zenith Prime?" he asks.
"Four hours, sir," Nen responds.
"Understood." Kardok turns to Maglus. "Can you send a message to the Enterprise without anyone noticing?" he whispers.
"Sir?" Maglus puzzles.
"Answer the question."
"I would need to send it over a secure channel, but...why would I, sir?"
"It's...part of my new plan. I am going to lure the Enterprise into our space so we can capture her."
Maglus ponders this.
"Imagine if we had the Federation's flagship in our arsenal...Xolor would be unstoppable."
"So your intention was to capture the Enterprise? Why not just send a team over to take control and follow us to Zenith?"
"Because, Starfleet would send more ships after the Enterprise. As it stands now, only they will come," Kardok states confidently.
"You seem quite sure of this, sir."
"Indeed. Now, can you do it?"
"Yes. Give me some time."
"You have until we reach Zenith, Maglus. No longer."
Maglus leaves the bridge.
...
"First officer's log, supplemental. Twenty-two hours have passed, and we have yet to pick up any sign of the Klingon vessel, even after searching seven star systems. Its cloaking device appears to be fool proof."
"Anything here, lieutenant?" Madden asks.
"Nothing, sir," Worf responds. "No antiprotons or any other residual particles, just as before."
Madden sighs. "Keep looking."
"Sir, this is odd...I'm getting a hail over subspace on a secure channel..." Worf suddenly speaks up.
"Admiral Janeway again?"
"No, sir. It is not a Starfleet transmission. It has a different wavelength."
"O-onscreen," Madden stutters.
"Audio only, sir."
"Put it through."
"Commander? Are you there? Commander Madden?" the all-too-familiar voice of Captain Picard asks.
Madden jumps up from his chair. "We read you captain. What's your status?"
"We are fine for the moment, but I don't know how long it will last, so listen to me very carefully."
"Understood, sir."
"I have gained the trust of the GhIqtal's captain. He has agreed to help us, and he has told his crew that he is revealing your location so that he can lead you into a trap, but in reality, he is seeking to expose his master, Xolor."
Madden makes a face. "But, sir, how do you know he can be trusted? What if he actually is leading us into a trap?"
Picard chuckles. "I think you will be walking into a trap regardless. The intention, however, is to spring the trap."
"Captain, are you absolutely certain that we can trust Kardok?"
"No, but he is our best hope of getting out of this situation."
"Funny that he was the one to get us into this."
Picard pauses for a moment. "Yes...on the other hand, had he not captured us, we would still be unaware of Xolor's plans."
"And these plans are?"
"I-I...can't tell you any more at the moment. I am sending a coded signal with the coordinates of the planet we are being taken to. Good luck, commander."
The transmission ends.
"I have the coordinates, commander. Routing them into the navigational computer," Worf announces.
"This doesn't feel right, sir..." Elfiki trails off.
"No, it doesn't...but we can't let the captain down," Madden responds.
"Course laid in for the system, sir. It appears to be in an uncharted region of space," Faur reports. "Shall I engage?"
Madden sits back down. "Take us out, lieutenant."
Picard ends the transmission with the Enterprise.
"Very good, captain. Well spoken. Now, let us proceed with the plan," Kardok says.
"Which is?" Maglus asks.
"I already told you. We are luring the Enterprise into a trap."
Picard looks surprised. "But we had a deal, Kardok."
"Foolish Human! You honestly thought I would allow the Enterprise to foil our plans?"
"You are going back on your word!"
"My word? Did I give you my word?" Kardok chuckles. "Your little ship will meet a most unsavory end, I'm afraid."
"I suppose I was wrong about you, then, Kardok."
Kardok grins. "Maglus, get back to the bridge. Notify me when we reach Zenith."
"Aye, captain."
Maglus leaves the room.
"Well played, Picard. We now have Maglus fully convinced that the Enterprise is falling into a trap. When we reach Zenith, I want you to send them this," he says, handing him a small data chip.
"What is it?"
"It contains the positions of our patrols in the system. The Enterprise will be able to maneuver through the patrols and send a team down to the planet. What you do from there is up to you. I myself will confront Xolor. No doubt his wrath will be harsh, but I am a Klingon warrior, bred for the fight."
Picard puts his hand on Kardok's shoulder. "You won't have to face him alone, Kardok. You have proven yourself to be quite an honorable ally, and perhaps even a friend."
"A friend?" Kardok ponders this. "Intriguing people, you Humans."
Unbeknownst to them, someone has been listening in on their whole conversation. The crewman quietly retreats from the room.
...
The crewman heads to the bridge to inform Vana Aleksandrov of what he overheard.
"What?" she asks him. "You're sure of this?"
The crewman nods.
"Then my suspicions were correct. Kardok is aiding the enemy. Don't tell anyone you know about this, understand?"
"Aye, sir," he responds.
Aleksandrov enters the brig, where Dagan is being held. She lowers the force field.
"What are you doing?" he asks.
"We have a common enemy, Dagan," she responds.
"Oh?" He raises an eyebrow.
She steps in closer. "Kardok."
"He did spare my life..."
"Only because that Human, Picard, intervened."
Dagan ponders her words. "What do you want me to do?"
"It's simple, really," she says, now sitting next to him. "I need you to kill Captain Picard. He is trying to stir up trouble among the crew, and ruin the Master's plan."
"And w-what will we tell the Master?"
She strokes his ear with her finger. "Leave that to me." She teases him, pretending to kiss him, then backs away. "Can I count on you?"
"Of course," he manages.
"Good, now go. I'll handle Kardok," she smiles.
Picard enters the quarters given to him and the rest of the away team.
"Jean-Luc, where have you been? We were worried," Crusher asks.
"I was...busy performing."
"Performing?" La Forge inquires.
"Kardok and I had to convince his crew that he is actually luring the Enterprise into an ambush."
"Captain, I don't mean to question your decisions, but how can we trust Kardok? He is, after all, the one who got us into this mess in the first place," Kadohata says.
"I believe he has realized his error in joining these terrorists, but it's still up to him to make the next move. That said, I trust him."
"Well, if you ask me..." Crusher begins.
Suddenly, Dagan and a security team barge into the quarters.
"Captain, it's time," he says to Picard.
"Time for what?"
"For you to die!" he shouts, pulling out a knife and lunging at Picard.
La Forge and Aleksandrov try to help Picard, but the security officers hold them back. Picard backs up to the wall, and ducks when Dagan thrusts the knife at his head. Dagan struggles to free the knife from the wall. Picard hits him on the spine with his fists.
"Ah!" Dagan groans. "I will kill you, Picard!"
"Why are you doing this?" Picard asks.
"You are disrupting the working order of this ship."
Dagan gives Picard a palm to the face, knocking him on his buttocks. He is about to kill Picard when Kadohata breaks free from her captor. She wraps her arms around his neck, choking him. He manages to hold onto the knife, thrusting it through her stomach, causing her to fall backward.
"Miranda!" Crusher shouts, running to her side.
"Captain...I..." Kadohata trails off.
Picard uses Dagan's distractedness to his advantage, knocking him down and holding the knife to his throat.
"Call off your men," Picard demands.
Dagan waves them away.
"Sir?" one of them asks.
"Can you not see he has a knife to my throat? Put down your weapons."
"Sorry, sir, I can't do that."
With that, La Forge grabs his captor's weapon and knocks him on the floor. He shoots the other two, and the one on the floor stumbles away.
"Who told you to kill me?" Picard asks.
Dagan laughs. "I'll never tell you, Human scum."
"Very well." Picard punches him in the face twice, knocking him unconscious.
He walks over to Crusher and Kadohata. "How is she, doctor?"
"Not good, Jean-Luc. If I can't treat her wounds soon, I'm going to lose her."
"Geordi, find the sickbay and get some medical equipment. I'm going to the brig to free the rest of our people."
"Aye, sir," La Forge replies.
Picard and La Forge leave the room.
"Hang in there, Miranda," Crusher says softly. "It's going to be alright."
...
Kardok enters the bridge and walks over to his chair.
Aleksandrov stands and faces him. "You are hiding a dirty little secret, captain."
"Oh?" Kardok raises an eyebrow.
"I know you are helping the Starfleet mongrels to gain access to our space, so they can help you overthrow Xolor."
"What? Captain, how could you?" a crewman gasps.
"Miss Aleksandrov is only telling you a half-truth. I am bringing the Enterprise here so we can capture her. She is of more value than Xolor realizes."
"Enough of the lies, captain. We know what you've done. There's nowhere to run now, so please, drop the façade," Aleksandrov says with a smirk.
"I am disssappointed in you, sssir," Graal says. "I thought you to be a great leader. Perhapsss I was wrong."
"And who would all of you follow, her or me? Was it not I who recommended each of you for promotion? Have I ever given you reason to doubt me? I am telling you now, Xolor is not who he appears to be. He has deceived us," Kardok protests.
Some of the crew whisper among themselves.
"Nonsenssse!" Graal disagrees. "The Massster is going to lead usss into a new age of prosssperity."
"Indeed, and I am fully loyal to Xolor, unlike our captain. All who join me will share in the spoils of the galaxy," Aleksandrov announces.
Most of the bridge crew step forward, showing their allegiance to her.
"Make a record in the ship's log. I am taking command of the GhIqtal. By my personal judgment, I see Kardok as unfit for duty," Aleksandrov says, taking a seat in the captain's chair.
"Fools! You will burn in Gre'thor!" Kardok yells.
"And you will be tortured without end in the dungeons of Zenith when I tell Xolor about your little plan."
Maglus grabs Kardok from behind. "I'm sorry, sir."
Kardok scowls at him, then turns back to Aleksandrov. "I am a Klingon warrior. I will fight to my last breath!"
"I'm sure you will. Nen, take us out of warp," Aleksandrov orders. "Xolor is expecting us."
To be continued...
A/N: If you enjoyed this chapter, please leave a review! Find out more about the story at federationlegacy. wikia. com.
NEXT CHAPTER: "Zenith, Part III"