Chapter 2

After a major refit the 'Cavell' has been ordered to patrol the Federation/ Klingon border to prevent the Klingon civil war spilling over into Federation space

Standing beside Captain N'Avelle, Commander Hilti Silverleaf looked out across the stations on the bridge to the Andorian seated at the helm. Things remain chilly between them; Hilti longed for that friendship that had been sundered by a stupid decision. She sighed; at least Corspa still spoke to her if it was only on duty related matters.

"Captain?" Lieutenant Commander Bri Norton's voice carried over the background hum of the ship.

"Bri?"

"Picking up a ship on the long range sensors."

"Identification?"

"It a appears to be a Klingon vessel."

"Yellow alert, go to impulse!"

Hilti watched Corspa comply there was a slight tremble as the Cavell dropped out of warp. "Lieutenant Azenarr to Tactical, Ensign Jovan to the helm." She said with a nod to the captain.

"Carry on Number One."

"Aye Captain."

Corspa took up the tactical station one eye on the console the other on the main screen ready to react when needed. "Tactical ready!"

It was a tense situation as the 'Cavell' closed in to the Klingon vessel.

"It appears to be drifting?" Corspa said her attention on the tactical displays.

"I'm reading no life signs." Bri remarked. "Systems have been powered down but life support is still functioning."

"Helm take us in one circuit of the vessel then stand off at transporter range."

"Aye Captain." Ensign Jovan replied.

Corspa's tactical console indicated the weapons had been powered down. "Weapons are offline."

The Cavell did a circuit of the of the Klingon ship.

"Bird of Prey, K'Vort class." Corspa remarked examining the information on her console.

"Thoughts Number One?"

"I'm getting a real uneasy feeling about this!" She said to Captain N'Avelle and was rewarded by an imperceptible nod from Corspa.

"That's why you and Lieutenant Azenarr will head an away team."

Corspa looked at the Captain and Hilti. "Sir?"

"Don't hang around Number One."

Corspa stopped her outside in the corridor. "Commander?"

"Lt Azenarr, there a problem?"

"No sir! Permission to draw my disrupter from the armoury?"

"Granted I'll draw weapons for the whole away team."

Corspa cast an eye over the team as them gathered in the transporter room ready to beam out to the Klingon ship. Of all of them besides Hilti she only recognised Lieutenant Revett Kala the Bajoran medical officer. The others introduced themselves. Ensign Tula a Vulcan from the science department, Ensign Chin-We from security and Ensign Codie from engineering both humans.

"Energise!" Hilti ordered the Transporter officer.

There was always a moment of disorientation for Hilti as the tingling feeling of the transporter beam faded away. Quickly she gathered her thoughts. The rest of her team were waiting for her.

"Tula, Codie. Head to engineering." She paused and considered her next move. "Lieutenant Revett, Chin-We search for life signs."

"And me?" Corspa asked.

"You and I will head for the bridge."

The team split up and headed for their assignments.

"First?" Hilti asked Corspa as they walked down the corridor. "Your thoughts?"

"First, what do you mean by that?" Corspa asked sound faintly puzzled.

"You are my First Officer. I just want to hear what you think about the situation?"

"I think…" Corspa's brow furrowed. "I think we should be very careful here something is very wrong."

"I agree First." Hilti was going to say more when the chirp of her combadge interrupted her. She tapped her badge. "Yes?"

"Tula here!"

"Go ahead Ensign Tula."

"Commander you need to see this. It is most illogical."

"Heading to engineering. Hilti out!" She glanced across to Corspa. "You ok to precede to the bridge?"

"Affirmative commander." Corspa replied.

With one last look to Corspa, Hilti headed towards engineering.

Ensign Tula examined the console in front of her deep in thought. The last thing she expected to see on a Klingon vessel was a Romulan console. It wasn't some war trophy from a battle with the Romulans but something that was attached to power couplings of the warp core. Flipping open her tricorder she scanned the panel it was definitely active even if the warp core had been powered down. "Fascinating." She remarked not sounding in the least fascinated. The door to engineering slammed open. Ensign Tula did not even look up from her scans.

"Commander look at this!"

Hilti stared. "Is that what I think it is?"

"It is a Romulan engineering console aboard a Klingon vessel."

"I recognised it."

"Then why ask what it is commander, that is illogical."

"No matter what. What is it doing here?"

"That I'm endeavouring to ascertain."

"Can we power up the warp core?"

"That would be inadvisable commander."

"How so?"

"This console is tied directly to the core. I cannot predict what will happen if the core was active without further examination."

Hilti looked around. "Where's Ensign Codie?"

Tula closed her tricorder. "Over there." Pointing to another door. "I'll take you to him."

Ensign Codie was staring at a device in one corner of a room. He straightened up on seeing Hilti. "Commander I was just about to call you."

"Ensign Codie?"

"I can't believe they would abandon this, a fully functional cloaking device."

"You sure?"

"Aye commander. This whole this reminds me of the story of the Marie Celeste?"

"Marie Celeste?"

"If I may commander?" Tula interjected. "The Marie Celeste was an earth sailing vessel found drifting at sea. Another ship spotted her to find her crew missing and everything in place even the tables set out for a meal yet no sign of the crew or any idea of what happened to them. The mystery was never solved."

"You think this the same?"

"I am at a loss what to think."

Hilti considered her options she tapped her combadge. "Away team to Cavell." All she could hear was static. "Away team to Cavell?" She glanced to the others. And repeated it again. "Away team to Cavell!" She frowned. "Commander Silverleaf to Away team report in!" She breathed a sigh of relief as all members of her team reported in. "Away team report to the bridge." Then called Corspa.

Corspa scrutinised the bridge of the Klingon Bird of Prey her nose wrinkling at the smell. A scent of unwashed bodies and something else she couldn't identify. Lights flickered on the console panels as she checked every station. Suddenly she straightened up as Hilti's voice came over her combadge.

"Lieutenant Azenarr reporting in."

"Corspa see if you can find the communications console." Hilti's voice floated over the badge.

"Oh great!" Corspa muttered. "Not everyone reads Klingon." And began to search for something that looked as if it was a communications console.

Lieutenant Revett and Ensign Chin-We reached the bridge first.

"You know what's going on Corspa?" Revett asked her.

"Your guess is a good as mine but Hilti did sound anxious." She waved her hand around the bridge. "Any guess which one is the communications console?"

" Sir I've studied Klingon bridge layouts as part of my security training." Chin-We piped up.

"And the console?"

"Over there I think." Indicating an area on the other side of bridge opposite to where Corspa stood.

"This one." Corspa enquired pointing to the console beside her

"Environmental controls I think?"

"Thank you ensign." Then added. "Can you read Klingon?"

"No sir wasn't part of our training."

"Well I hope someone does."

Hilti entered the bridge, ensigns Tula and Codie close on her heels.

Ignoring her companions. She strode over to a console the one Chin-We had guessed was the communications console. Corspa was surprised she knew where it was without asking. "Learned to read and speak Klingon when I was little." She said to Corspa's unasked question. "Away team to Cavell!"

The system crackled into life. "Cavell… Under attack!" and the static returned. Weaving her way past her stunned team she crossed to another console and touched a symbol on its surface. Suddenly the main viewer lit up revealing the scene of a battle. The Cavell was in combat with another Klingon Bird of Prey.

"We got to do something!" Codie wailed.

"Ensign pull yourself together!" Corspa snapped. "Commander?"

"Corspa take Tactical." Hilti remarked pointing to one console. "Ensign Codie the helm." Directing him to that console. "Chin-We prepare to repel boarders in case they beam a crew to here."

"Aye commander!"

"Tula see if you can bring the warp core online."

"That can be achieved from this console."

"Revett help Codie with the helm."

Quickly she seated herself on the captain's chair. "Ready crew."

"Tula have we got power?"

"Negative commander it will take time for the core to power up. We do have limited impulse and the weapons are fully charged. There are no shields."

"It will have to be enough." Hilti said through gritted teeth.

"Transferring weapon power to console." Tula stated.

"Three symbols just lit up on this panel." Corspa responded.

"Two will be the disrupters the third will be the photon torpedo." Hilti told her.

"Corspa the two symbols above them should be the targeting lock. When the Klingon vessel comes into range press them." She looked to Codie and Tula who had replaced Revett at the helm.

"There was nothing more I can do there. This was the logical choice I am familiar with Klingon systems."

"Do so. Codie take station with Ensign Chin-We."

"The Klingon vessel is swinging around to take another run at the Cavell." Revett said tension clear in her voice.

"I have a lock." Corspa remarked the coolness in her voice in contrast with the others tension the only one to match her with that coolness as Tula.

"Fire!" Hilti shouted.

Corspa pressed all three symbols together. She saw the twin beams of the disrupters hit the Klingon vessel amidships followed by a hit from the photon torpedo.

"I think we have their attention now." Tula stated. "One hit from a torpedo and we are gone."

"We can worry about that when it does." Corspa replied. "Weapons recharging." She looked at the console two symbols where blinking the third remained dull. "Disrupters only.

"No!" Revett shouted. "Three Birds of Prey de-cloaking."

Hilti found herself looking to Corspa who was regarding her with the same intensity. "I am sorry."

"I'm sorry to." Corspa replied and fired again the shots going wide.

"It seems the three newcomers are firing on the other Bird of Prey." Tula said her hands on the console trying to get the ship turn. It was very slow to respond.

Suddenly there was a flash of light. And the original attacking Klingon vessel vaporised.

"Any sign of the Cavell?" Hilti asked anxiously at the three vessels converged on theirs."

"We're being hailed sir?" Ensign Codie told her.

"On screen Ensign."

The face of a Klingon officer filled the screen. "That ship is the property of the Klingon empire all Federation will vacate it."

"DaHjaj neH Hegh!" Hilti replied.

Corspa stared at her friend seeing her in a new light. "What is she say?" She whispered to Tula.

"Something about the weak dying." Tula raised an eyebrow her only indication of surprise.

The Klingon captain began laughing it seemed to break the tension. "I'll have to remember than one Federation."

"We'll leave as soon as the Cavell comes into transporter range. Away team to Cavell."

"Cavell here." A voice responded.

A vast sigh of relief issued from the away team.

"Six to beam up!"

A smell of burnt plastic and metal greeted the nostrils of the away team as they beamed back to the Cavell. Chief Engineer B'Ekarr was waiting for them as the stepped down off the transporter pad.

"Welcome back." She beamed slapping both Hilti and Corspa hard on the back. "The captain wants to see you two in the conference room then to their companions. "The captain wants a report from each of you. Take and break and get something to eat but the captain wants those reports as soon as possible."

"How are things aboard the ship?" Hilti asked.

"Things got a little hairy and we lost some good people. If you hadn't kicked them up the rear things would have been worse."

Corspa noted the captain looked weary as they entered the conference room the other department heads were already there. She wondered why she had been summoned. Taking a seat she found herself sitting with Hilti.

"Commander Silverleaf and Lieutenant Azenarr have the crew's gratitude for their prompt and selfless action." Captain N'Avelle said.

There were nods from around the table.

He turned to Doc Merrill. "Casualty report."

"Thirty-seven dead, eighty-three wounded, seventeen serious but stable. I think they'll make it once we reach Starbase 234."

Captain looked thoughtful. "Chief what's the state of repairs."

"On going. If we're careful I think we can get Warp 6.2 out of the engines. Although I can't guarantee what will happen if we push it past that."

"Noted Chief." Captain N'Avelle replied then turned to Bri. "Comms?"

"Comms fully functional. Starfleet have been informed. Admiral Hastur will rendezvous with us at the Starbase."

"Your report Number One?"

"We never had the time to do a through investigation. The Klingons put paid to that. I have been speculating on the presence of the other three ships."

"Speculating?"

"Yes sir. I reckon they were there all along just hiding out of range and cloaked."

"Interesting?" Captain N'Avelle looked thoughtful.

Hilti glanced to Corspa. "I reckon they engineered this whole affair. Looking on while we fought it out. In the hopes it would drag the Federation into their civil war."

Corspa picked up on Hilti's train of thought. "They only intervened when we opened fire. They knew the ship would be a draw for a federation vessel. When it looked like their ship was going to destroyed they acted." She returned Hilti's gaze. "What we still don't understand was why there was Romulan equipment on board that ship?"

"That's something Starfleet intelligence wants to talk to you about."

Corspa winced she had heard rumours about Starfleet intelligence and none of them good.

"If that's all. Dismissed." Then as Corspa and Hilti rose. "Not you two." Captain N'Avelle smiled at them. "I've recommended the both of you for commendation."

"Thank you captain." Corspa found her words echoed by Hilti.

Both smiled at each other. The frost of the past year had melted slightly both knowing that there was still a long away to go and with what was going on plenty of time to heal what had been torn asunder.