- SS ATLANTIS - NARNIAN CONTACT -
I.K.S. Pagh
Captain Kyan sat in his chair, his eyes squarely on the viewscreen. The image near the planet was superimposed to show two ships and he ordered sensors to do a full spread.
He rubbed his goatee then turned in his chair. "Report!"
"One vessel has been identified as Narqangan, the other . . . Tara'ngan." This intrigued Kyan more so. He expected the Narnians to send another ship after Kudek destroyed the first but the humans' involvement was a surprise.
Data on the Tara'ngan - the humans of Earth - was still spotty even after a month since encountering them. The Klingon Imperial Intelligence Service (KIIS) had been ordered to find out all it could but even now, the information was next to useless. All he really knew was that his task force easily outmatched the two defenders but then he was a thinker, a strategist.
Kyan was dressed in a tunic with black sleeves and collar and a green shimmering vest. His trousers were green-black, also of shimmering material. It was the uniform worn by the human fusions, those Klingons that resembled Earthlings except in anatomy and behavior. Supposedly the Imperial' Klingons, those that had the ridges, the true race, genetically altered to create spies since there were more human planets than Earth. Scalosians, Magna Romans, Halkans, Elasians, Zeon, Ekosians, the Fabrini, Gideons and Sigma Iotians were just a handful of human civilizations. Thier role had expanded over generations.
Imperials' held the reins of power. The High Council, the Chancellery and the Defense Force were all controlled by them but fusions did have enough influence to command warships, even crew entire ships, even command task forces. Some considered Earth, a human planet, as saving the fusions from future extermination because the Imperials still required them. Alas the Imperials thought of the fusions as lab experiments.
Kyan felt as Klingon as any Imperial but having the patience that few of them had. He studied the ships on his screen.
"Captain, Captain Kudek requests that we go into battle." Reported the Communications Officer.
Kudek, commander of the T'Ong, was an Imperial and his request' was as close to a demand as he would dare make.
The others on his Bridge waited to see if Kyan complied and the weapons officer was ready to bring his systems online.
"Tell Captain Kudek and Captain Kraf not to fire unless I ordered them to do so."
The Communications Officer nearly gulped, not wanting to convey such an order. As expected, Kudek requested' to speak to Kyan in private. Kyan stepped off the main Bridge to a secure Comm room.
"Yes Kudek?"
The Imperial, his hair full of curls and falling past his shoulders was in sharp contrast to the short cropped hairstyle that the fusion had. Kudek's anger was visible. [Why do we sit here like Pahtk! We should destroy them now and claim the planet for the Empire.]
Kyan, perhaps because of his genetic tampering, was calm, sitting in from of the monitor and almost appeared indifferent. When he spoke, his words were like daggers. "Listen carefully, I have given an order and it will be carried out or I'll have your entrails fed to a targ."
For all Kudek's blusteriousness, he knew the threat would be carried out. Fusion bastard. [My patience, HoD Kyan, is not as eternal as yours.]
The signal ended and the screen showed the Imperial trefoil. He sighed, finding it never easy to work with the old ones'.
He came back onto the Bridge and was immediately called upon by an officer.
"Captain, the Tara'ngan ship is of the same class as the vessel that returned Klaag to Klinzhai."
Klinzhai was the fusion word for the homeworld though never said in the company of Imperials who declared that Qo'noS was the only official name allowed.
"So what do these people want? The Empire never saw them until they returned Klaag and now we see them again, here."
"Perhaps the Tara'ngan are attempting their own conquest?" The officer offered as a possibility but Kyan only looked annoyed. The class of ship seen so far was not built for battle, supposedly lacked shields or even powerful weapons like their own disrupters. Not a ship one would send to conquer worlds yet he worried over exactly what role these people were trying to mold for themselves. Then there was the robot like Vulqangan that were known to be aboard these ships. He didn't fear them since their worse weapon was talking him to death with that insane logic' of theirs. The more he thought of it, the more he considered simply ordering the attack, finishing the mission and returning home. The problem was that since the spies of KIIS had no answers then this was the best opportunity to judge the Tara'ngan.
"The Tara'ngan ship is hailing us." Informed the Comm officer.
"Put it on the main screen." He barked then the image faded to reveal the Bridge with a man standing front and center. There was little Kyan could see of their control room so decided to hear what the human had to say.
[I'm Commander Cody Shepherd of the Starship Atlantis. We don't want any trouble but will defend ourselves if provoked.]
Cockiness was definitely a human trait, Kyan thought. Hadn't this Commander Shepherd looked at his own scans and see that he was outgunned? "This is the business of the Klingon Empire and has nothing to do with you but if you wish , we will destroy your ship too." He watched for a reaction, half expecting the human to hesitate and flee. Many species had done so in the past.
[We are willing to discuss this situation with you and the Narnians.] Shepherd crossed his arms, trying to look defiant.
Kyan grimaced. Diplomacy was a Vulqangan word and was little more than talk, talk, talk. He could easily gain possession of the planet without it. "Why would I do that when I can take it? Besides there is no need for negotiations. There will be no preconditions or compromises. Surrender or be destroyed." Again he watched the human, studying him.
[Yes, you could simply take it by force but being the honorable warrior that you are, wouldn't it be more practical to talk than to fight and maybe lose.]
Kyan couldn't help but smile. Cockiness indeed. "Very well, Commander."
[Then we will meet on the Narnian ship.]
S.S. Atlantis
"What gives? He didn't look like any Klingon we saw before." Vortsees declared.
Skaa soon found himself the target. "I....do not know."
"That must be a first." Snorted Vortsees.
"That's enough , John." Austin sighed, rubbing her hands through her red hair. "Okay Cody, you'll have to roleplay a little bit longer. Take Marc with you."
The Comm Officer pulled the receiver out of his ear, a smile unmistakably plastered upon his face. He was replaced at his station by a relief officer.
"I don't have to tell you to be careful." The Captain said as the two stepped into the turbolift.
"Keep the kettle on." Shepherd smirked then the doors closed.
******
Shepherd was at the controls of Pod 1, affectionately called Lagos' by N'Yango, as it detached from the docking arm, and headed toward the Tumnus. From this vantage point, everything looked mammoth, especially the Klingon battlecruisers. The XO half expected the Klingons to blow him away, helpless as he was in the pod.
Luckily for his nerves, the journey between ships was relatively short and an officer from the Tumnus directed them toward their own launch bay.
Once they had docked, a Narnian officer escorted them to the conference room that looked like it came directly from Versailles, with the amount of 17th century design put into the room. However, details of the 21st century were also apparent with monitors and computers.
Prince David Eric Millard and Master Major Simeon were already present, as were two red-coated soldiers standing at attention against the wall. Both held what looked like plasma rifles tightly against their shoulders. The royal insignia made of solid gold held a prominent position on one wall while what could have been the Millard family coat-of-arms was on another. Beside the royal insignia was a portrait of a man in an army officer's red coat with a silver star like badge over his heart and wearing a gold sash. Beneath the portrait was the words, Latin by the look of it, DEI GRATIA REX JORGE III. Probably their king.
"Welcome Commander." Millard said, extending his hand.
Shepherd took the offered hand then introduced Trudeau.
"You are the first to come aboard. I am surprised they agreed to this at all."
"Maybe it's a good sign." The XO tried to sound optimistic but was taking nothing for granted for the stakes were way too high for complacency.
"Again, I'd like to thank you for doing this."
"No problem, Admiral. Our mission is to meet new people."
The comm unit whistled. [Your Highness, the Klingons have arrived.]
Millard stiffened. "Very well. Have them escorted to the conference room."
[Should I have them disarmed?]
The Prince mulled that over. It would be better to do so but taking a weapon from a Klingon is like asking for his tibia. "No, just have guards on alert status."
"Amazing, I never expected to hear English spoken by another species." Trudeau was excited by this ad it showed.
"There are many things Lieutenant that may surprise you about my people. Language is but a small part."
But how is it possible for two distinct species separated by light years to both develop the same language?" Trudeau was not letting this bone go. It was just too intriguing.
Millard opened his mouth to speak when the door slid open. There were several Klingons, all armed, nine in total, six Imperials, three fusions.
Shepherd was still not used to seeing the Klingons in a different look. One of the humanoids spoke.
"I'm Captain Kyan."
"Commander Shepherd and my Communications Officer, Lieutenant Trudeau." The XO said, introducing them. "You brought a few more friends."
Kyan smiled. "Captain Kudek of the T'Ong and Captain Kraf of the Buruk." He didn't introduce the others. The two Imperial Klingons only glared when their names were mentioned as if neither came here willingly.
I am Prince David Eric Millard." The Narnian was not about to be excluded from these talks' and wanted to let the Klingons know that he wasn't a simple bureaucrat.
"Prince," Kyan spoke the title with contempt. "I don't know what you hope to achieve by this little get together unless you wish to negotiate the terms of your surrender."
"There are two million subjects of the crown on that planet, sovereign territory of the Seventh Kingdom of Narnia. You are violating interstellar law."
The Klingons chuckled but Kyan only smirked. "You wish to consider the actions of the Klingon Empire as illegal'. The Empire is subject to no one's law but ours. If we wish something, we seize it. I will not stand here and listen to nonsense about interstellar law."
"Then we're on the precipice of war." Millard looked the part in his Royal Navy uniform.
"We are ready but are you?" Kyan's tone was sinister. "Are the Earthlings the best you could do to defend your realm, Prince?"
"How can you justify the murder of thousands of people on the planet?" Shepherd asked then felt the Klingons watching him.
"Ethnic cleansing." Kudek answered to more laughter from his men.
"So Captain Kyan, is this what is meant by honorable warriors'? The killing of women and children, of unarmed civilians?" Shepherd wasn't letting this go, perhaps because of the arrogance of the Klingons and their total lack of remorse.
"Morality is defined by one's own kind. We consider it justifiable."
Millard joined in. "Sorry Commander but it seems these beasts only will understand once they are thrust through by my sword."
"Is that a challenge?" Kudek stepped forward, his adrenaline filling him up with the thought of battle.
The Prince unsheathed his sword. "Come on Klingon."
Shepherd placed his hands up, seeing how this was materializing into a very dangerous, possibly fatal conclusion. He couldn't blame Prince David for he probably would react the same way but getting himself killed won't solve Segovia's problem. "Hold it. Put the sword away, Admiral."
Millard slowly slid his blade back in its scabbard.
Kudek lowered his bat'leth and passed it back to one of his men. "Interesting allies you have, Prince. They cannot stomach battle, perhaps they are frightened by the sight of blood." Again his men laughed at the expense of Shepherd.
"Perhaps I have a higher sense of honor, knowing that this wouldn't solve anything." The XO turned to Kyan. "There has to be something that will satisfy you without uprooting those people?"
"Don't turn away from me, Pahtk! You are not even worthy to be food for my targ." Kudek seemed to enjoy humiliating the humans. He had never considered this meet of any significance and once aboard the T'Ong would get rid of the lot of them.
Trudeau held his UT and with the threats was wishing he had a laser because the harsh tones were not abetting.
"Were you looking to turn Segovia into a colony? An outpost? Perhaps the Narnians will be willing to allow a limited operation-."
Kudek had moved so quickly that Shepherd found himself gasping. The Klingon pulled out his d'ktahg from the First Officer's abdomen and unceremoniously wiped the blood on Shepherd's sleeve.
"At lease we know their blood is red." Kudek sheathed his knife and as the chaos began to take root, Kyan shouted at Kudek in Klingonese with the big Imperial also shouting back.
Trudeau didn't care what they were saying as Shepherd dropped to his knees then fell to the floor. The Comm Officer pulled out his scanner. There was still a pulse, very faint one. Millard was soon beside him and the Narnian soldiers had brought their rifles up, facing off against the Klingon warriors who were aiming their disrupters, a stand off.
The Québécois' hands were shaking as he unzipped a pocket on his right sleeve, pulled out his communicator and flipped it open. Its distinctive chirp at being activated did little to calm him down. "Mon Dieu." He whispered. "Trudeau to Atlantis."
[Austin here. What is it Lieutenant?]
"Capitaine . . . " He said in his French accent, one of the words that his mother tongue often wrapped around even when he was speaking English. "The Commander has been stabbed."
Millard was also at the comm panel, getting a Medical team ASAP.
[We're on our way.]
Trudeau nodded, something that the communicator could not convey to the other party. As he folded the device, he realized he was the only Atlantis officer still standing and as a result received the full glaring wraith from the Klingons. He was very uncomfortable and wished the hell he had a laser even more now.
White uniformed men arrived with a stretcher and the opposing sides parted enough to let them in. They hooked Shepherd up to a machine attached to the stretcher then wheeled him out.
"The Captain is coming over." Trudeau whispered to Millard.
"Commander Shepherd is in good hands." The Prince attempted to comfort his guest. He then turned his attention on Kudek. "I should throw you in the Brig." Emphasizing his words by pointing at him.
"Try it." The Klingon taunted, oblivious to the Narnian rifles pointed in his direction.
"Enough!" Barked Kyan. "We simply have a misunderstanding. There is no need to spill more blood, tell your men to stand down." He didn't fear the Narnian soldiers who were outgunned in this room but assumed Kudek would cause another incident is things didn't settle down.
Millard agreed and as his soldiers slowly lowered their weapons, so did the Klingons.
"We should leave, HoD Kyan or are we now to listen to the boy talk nonsense." Kudek waved his hand at Trudeau.
******
S.S. Atlantis
Austin took a deep breath, her heart racing at the news of Shepherd hurt, possibly dying. Turning to the relief Comm officer, she spouted orders. "Have Dr. Whittaker report to the Launch Bay and Commander Tanaka come to the Bridge ASAP." She stood up, trying to compose herself, realizing that having members of her crew wounded was nothing new; space exploration was extremely dangerous but Cody had been her soulmate for a number of years and she simply couldn't get pass that fact. "John, have a shuttlepod ready for immediate launch. Olabisi, you're coming too.
"I'll stop by the Armory, pick up some EM-33s." Vortsees mentioned as he headed to the turbolift. He preferred to take phase pistols but was grudgingly admitting that the Skipper might need time to acclimate to them.
"No weapons, John."
He stopped in his tracks, dismayed. "Surely Captain, after what happened to the Commander that we should be armed."
"You heard me. Now get going." Austin didn't want to argue about it and found herself facing her resident Vulcan. "Centurion, tell me you can contribute because I want you with me."
"Very well Captain." For once he didn't protest and as he headed to the turbolift, she couldn't help but be reminded, by Skaa's robes, of priests, of giving the last rites to the dying.
Relief personnel had already assumed Tactical and Helm when Tanaka appeared.
"Hiroshi, You're in charge. If you don't hear from me within the hour, you are ordered to take the Atlantis out of here."
Tanaka was technically Third-In-Command but never expected to assume the mantle so soon. "Understood, Captain." Only Qallab, a junior officer, was a familiar face as he looked around at the men and women at his disposal. As Austin and part of her boarding party departed, he sat in the Captain's chair a moment as if savoring it.
******
Pod 2, the "Abuja", dropped out of the Launch Bay and headed toward the Tumnus. Like the previous pod's journey, the occupants looked wearily at the three Klingon battlecruisers through the windows.
Whittaker was looking at his chronometer, wishing they could get to the Narnian ship faster. The Narnian doctors were efficient bunch but he wanted to judge the condition himself.
Austin simply sat in her seat, indifferent to those around her, lost in thought as memories surfaced of Cody, supposedly long since buried or she wouldn't have considered him for her Exec. Obviously she was a fool to think she could entomb her feelings for him as if she was a Vulcan. She only hoped the first mission she assigned him didn't kill him.
The "Abuja" docked not far from the "Lagos". A couple of blue coated officers were waiting for them.
"Who is the doctor?" One of them asked.
"I am." Replied Whittaker, carrying his medikit with him.
"Come with me."
The other officer motioned for the others and they were soon in step behind him.
"I feel naked without a piece." Declared Vortsees as he walked beside N'Yango. His dread increased when his eyes looked over the Klingon shuttles. Like the first team, they were only equipped with a communicator and a scanner each.
N'Yango didn't say anything but inside agreed. Their personal safety was obviously threatened but understood the Captain's delicate diplomatic tight rope she was on. Besides, Vortsees wouldn't feel fully clothed' unless he was carrying a bazooka.
Trudeau was relieved to see the Captain after having to endure being the sole Starfleet officer in the presence of the Klingons. He had been called a pahtk so many times that he assumed it was some sort of insult.
"I'm Captain Gillian Austin." She introduced herself and with hands on her hips, asked, "Which one of you attacked my officer?"
"Now it makes perfect sense. The humans are led by a woman." Kudek said Austin's gender as if it was a disease. "I don't answer to a woman but in this case, I will indulge you. I gutted the worthless worm."
"Kudek!" Kyan snapped. "An interesting deception Captain Austin but wise considering my culture's attitudes toward females." the human fusion was remarkably composed unlike his brothers'.
"I apologize Captain." Millard was sullen. "I should have foreseen this."
"Must we now listen to a woman?" Kudek snarled. "We will be doing the galaxy a favor by disposing these pahtk."
The American starship commander was still fuming and had to do everything in her power not to strangle Kudek whose arrogance was as bad as attempting to kill her Exec.
"Kyan, we should leave." Kudek insisted.
"Return to the T'Ong and await my orders." Instructed Kyan and when the Imperial was about to protest, he snapped words that the UT did not translate. Kudek grumbled as he left with his two men.
Kraf was no more pleased than Kudek that their senior captain was willing to entertain the notion of actually talking to the human female as if she could possibly be considered an equal. Talking at all seemed to have no reason when they could simply destroy the enemy. It only took a minute for him to excuse himself and with his men, returned to the Buruk.
Now only Kyan remained with his two men.
"It is in the best interest of both parties that an agreement in principle be achieved." Skaa stated, finally getting into the fray.
"Vulqangan, it is in your best interest but for me, it doesn't matter." The Klingon captain commented as he sat down, ignoring the Narnian soldiers.
"If that really was the case then you wouldn't have stayed." Austin also sat down so it wouldn't look as if she was talking down' to him. It still got some getting used to see a human Klingon but trying to appeal to his humanity' was unlikely to work.
"Don't put to much into it, Captain." Kyan looked to Millard. "What prevents me from laying the planet to waste, perhaps even taking my warships to Narnia itself?"
It was a pressure tactic and the Prince knew he was expected to either capitulate or compromise to the point that capitulation would be preferable. It annoyed him that the Klingon considered them the only options.
"The Seventh Kingdom of Narnia does not negotiate with terrorists." Millard told him, resting his hand on the hilt of his sword.
"It is unfortunate that you fail to understand your predicament. By being stubborn, you sentence your people to death." Kyan still seemed calm, very uncharacteristic.
"Your objective seems not to subjugate the local populace but to control the planet. There are no foreign powers except the Narnians in which it could serve as a logical base of operations but that would seem very unusual considering the superiority of the Klingon Defense Force." Skaa steepled his fingers together. "Perhaps it is not an imminent invasion of the Narnians but an internal matter of the Klingon Empire that is at the heart of this action."
"Didn't the return of Klaag mean there wouldn't be any civil war?" Austin asked though either Kyan or Skaa could answer. As she expected, the Vulcan knew more than he let on or was the best profiler in the galaxy.
Kyan showed the first sign of anger but quickly maintained his composure. "It is simply a brace, for the Empire can be a volatile place."
"Then the House of Duras still covets the chancellery. Fascinating."
"I am not going to discuss Imperial politics. Decide now, Prince. Surrender or die." Kyan had stood up and the Narnian soldiers nervously gripped their weapons tightly.
"You have my decision, Captain." Millard told him. "If we must die defending our freedom, then so be it."
The Klingon shook his head. "Fool. It will be your hands covered in blood." He turned to leave when Austin grabbed his arm. He turned his head to glare at her. His men grabbed their disrupters, the Narnians leveled their rifles and Vortsees wished he had his goddamn laser.
Then the room shook. Kyan toppled onto Austin, sending them both to the floor. He was perplexed and didn't immediately get off until her communicator chirped, then his. Millard was over at his comm panel as all three leaders were being filled in on what was happening.
Kudek's ship, the T'Ong had broken from formation and fired a few torpedoes at both the Atlantis and the Tumnus as it flew by them, heading for the planet of Segovia.
The Buruk also went into action, firing off her own volley that included a shot on the Pagh as it also headed toward the planet.
"Pahtk!" Kyan smacked his hand against the table.
"What's going on, why are your own ships doing this?" Demanded Austin.
"House of Duras." Skaa theorized. "Kraf and Kudek are not operating under orders from the Klingon High Council nor do I believe you were."
Kyan was now losing his cool and angrily demanded Millard to contact Kudek.
"Kudek, what are you doing?!"
[Completing our mission, something you obviously don't have the stomach for since you rather coddle the female instead.] Kudek ended communications.
"Hiroshi, you'll have to pursue the Klingon ships, stop them from bombarding the planet." Austin ordered, knowing there simply wasn't enough time to take the pod back.
[I can beam you back aboard.] Tanaka told her, knowing how frustrated she would be. After all, he was an engineer not a soldier.
Austin didn't dismiss it out of hand and as she looked at her officers slowly came to realize that she would have no choice. She had to stop Kudek.
Kyan had ordered his own ship to beam him aboard in order to stop Kudek but The T'Ong crippled her but not before the Buruk took a terrible pounding.
Austin's first sensation was a tingling then light headedness and as the room disappeared, she feared she had made a mistake and the image of being rematerialized as a blob on the transporter platform almost made her abort, but then it was already too late. She had turned down Vortsees' request to accompany her for she wasn't going to kill anyone else should it fail.
She had crossed her arms and was offered some modesty because of it as only she, not her clothes had rematerialized on the platform. Tanaka's eyes went wide then with embarrassment, he closed them.
"Captain . . . I . . . "
She was going to blast into Tanaka, telling him his blasted machine was junk as she stepped off the platform and went to the locker, pulling out a crewman's work jumpsuit. It was big on her but it was better than being butt naked. She slipped into it, cursing all the way as she finally zipped it up. Tanaka, humiliated almost as much as she was, tried to placate her. After all, the transporter did beam her back, molecule for molecule. He didn't dwell on the fact that the containment field had not done its job because the molecules that constituted for her clothes escaped. It could easily have been her arm or leg . . . or worse.
She stepped onto the Bridge but none made any mention why she was wearing a crewman's work uniform. "Helmsman, bring us about, set an interception course with the Klingon ship. Crewman Parkman," She addressed the relief Tactical officer. "Lock torpedoes and prepare to fire."
The Atlantis came in, was hit by a shot from the T'Ong while another went wide.
"Hull plating still intact." Reported the gunner.
"Do not destroy them, just cripple the sons of bitches." Austin ordered, holding on to her armrests as the navigator avoided another volley, barely. "Fire port and starboard tubes now, Mr. Parkman."
The torpedoes exploded against the T'Ong's shields in a brilliant display of red and yellow light.
As the Atlantis flew passed the battlecruiser, Austin ordered the aft tube fired as well.
The T'Ong's shields also held but the explosive energies, including those of the torpedoes from Pagh earlier had weakened them.
The T'Ong broke orbit and went after the Atlantis.
"The hull plating will not take another strike, Ma'am!" Exclaimed Parkman as lights began flashing on his board. Austin wished Vortsees was here now because she didn't need the crewman losing it.
"Bring us around Mr. Younker, heading 21 Mark 65!" She bellowed as the helmsman tapped in the command. The Atlantis banked hard to port, just avoiding a torpedo that, if it had impacted, would have hit the small engineering section situated between the nacelles, vaporizing it, possibly the nacelle struts and damaging the impulse drive. What a lucky shot that would have been.
The T'Ong was built for combat, the Atlantis was not and it was evident that given time, a Klingon torpedo would finish them off.
******
Tanaka had returned to Engineering and though seeing the Captain in all her glory - sans clothes - he tried to push aside what he accidently saw and get back to business. The ship had been hit at least three times though the polarized hull plating had taken the brunt, it wouldn't take another and there was just no power he could muster to change that fact. The few hits did damage some systems and he ordered out damage control teams then shouted at Ensign Riggs, one of his engineers. "Paul, make sure the interconnecting feed isn't getting phased protons and put a SRG on the Life Support nodes, we can't afford that to fail."
"Yes Sir." Riggs disappeared between the pipes and equipment.
The Comm unit chirped. [Chandra to Engineering.]
It took him a second to put the name to a face. It was the nurse. "Tanaka here."
[Power is fluctuating in Sickbay and I need to stabilize three patients.]
Tanaka looked at a monitor. Sure enough, there was a break in the fiberoptic cables at G-8 junction box. "I see the problem and I'll have a team on it." After briefing the team, another crisis was developing with the loss of artificial gravity on C Deck. Another red light, all the protein resequencers in the Mess were offline not that anyone had the time to eat right now. More damage control teams were sent out and he hoped that the damaged systems wouldn't hit the warp core.
******
The T'Ong was a wounded animal, adrift in a tight orbit around Segovia. Her forward tube mangled, scaring the lower portion of the command hull. As a result her forward disrupter bank was also twisted metal.
The Klingon battlecruiser held center stage as the Atlantis' bow cameras captured the images and displayed them on the main viewscreen. Parkman awaited the order to fire torpedoes but Austin didn't or wouldn't give it.
"Hail them, Crewman Yeltsin." She ordered the relief Comm officer.
"Universal translator is operating, Keptin. We have a signal." Responded Sergei Yeltsin.
"This is Captain Austin of the Starship Atlantis. Your vessel is damaged, your weapons gone." She tried not to say it as a triumph victor but it was very hard not too. Kudek had attempted to kill Shepherd and he deserved whatever pain he got. The Pagh had given the final blow that had left the T'Ong dead but that didn't mean she could trust Kyan.
Yeltsin played with his frequency modulation, thinking that the silence might have been in part to poor reception. After a few more seconds, the sound of static was interrupted by a booming voice speaking computer translated English.
[It is not over woman.] The signal abruptly ended.
Yeltsin informed her that the signal was terminated from the T'Ong.
"Damn they're stubborn." Austin sat back in her chair and for a fleeing moment considered ordering the salvo to blow her adversary from space. A satisfaction that left her afraid, afraid of what she was capable of deliberately thinking: taking life.
"Captain, I'm reading a high level of energy from the Klingon ship. Looks like a warp core breach." Qallab informed her.
A warp core breach in close orbit could, theoretically, wipe out the upper atmosphere and take them all with it. "That son of a bitch! Try hailing them."
"No response Keptin."
"Time to detonation?"
Qallab looked over her data. "Ten minutes."
"Get me the Pagh." Austin waited impatiently for the human looking Klingon to appear on screen. He had a cut above his eye but otherwise appeared unscathed. "I think Kudek has set his ship for a core breach."
[Serves him right.]
"Can you stop him?"
[Why would I do that? You are the caring race, defending the Narnians like faithful targs. I would hurry if I were you.] Kyan smiled then the transmission faded.
"The Pagh and the Buruk are retreating. The Tumnus is damaged and cannot leave the blast radius." Qallab reported, not telling what was obvious. The Atlantis was in that blast radius as well.
"Can't we fire torpedoes at it, destroy her before she detonates?" Asked Younker, the pilot.
"She's still low. The planet will suffer for it." Answered Parkman.
"Get me Chief Vortsees." The Captain snapped.
[Captain, everything okay over there?]
"Listen John. I don't have a lot of time. Kudek's ship is set to breach in less than ten minutes while in a tight orbit. Can the grappling hooks take the stress of towing it out?"
[Klingon battlecruiser is about . . . 470,000 tons. The cables may not hold, especially from the gravitational pull of the planet or their own engines if they chose to fight it. The drag quotient will be high. Do you want me to beam over?]
She didn't have to think on that. "Negative. Can the Tumnus get out of here?"
Millard's voice came over the speakers. [No Captain. Kudek's aim was true. My engines are offline. There are two million people on Segovia . . . ]
"I'm sorry Admiral but there is no time to evacuate." She didn't mean for it to sound as cold as she said it and wished the colonists' deaths were not to be the outcome of failure but it was.
After communications ended, she directed Younker to bring the Atlantis closer then motioned for Parkman to lower the grappling gun.
"Fire."
Two high strength titanium cables with magnetic locking hooks' were sent out, connecting with the aft of the wounded battlecruiser.
"Reverse quarter impulse. Keep the cables taunt." Austin ordered as she watched the events on the screen. If the cables snapped she had little choice but to destroy the T'Ong and hoped the radiation would dissipate before affecting the entire planet.
The battlecruiser was heavy and the cables showed the strain as the kilopascal reading on Parkman's console was climbing steadily, soon to be in the red. It was working however.
Then the T'Ong's impulse drive started up.
"Captain, the cables are not going to hold under that pressure!" The relief gunner shouted as tension gripped the Bridge.
"Fire a torpedo, disable their drive now, Mr. Parkman."
A torpedo soared from the port tube, impacting on the impulse drive of the T'Ong, a small explosion and the bright orange glow of an active engine, went dark.
"Move us back, Younker."
"Captain, we are running out of time." Qallab informed her, rather composed for telling her CO that they were all soon to die.
"Increase speed and turn the ship to port on her axis. We'll use the zero G environment to our advantage. Mr. Parkman, get ready to disengage the clamps." Austin turned in her chair to face Qallab. "Any chances of being able to beam any of the Klingons aboard?"
"No, Captain. Radiation is too high to achieve a lock."
Austin knew she liked that cold fact of reality. "Proceed, Mr. Younker."
The Atlantis increased speed than as if putting the brakes on, the ship turn to port on her axis. The battlecruiser, free of the planet's gravity was pulled along but the drag was there. The tight turn did swing the battlecruiser around.
One of the cables snapped and the T'Ong's momentum was more unstable but she did make the swing.
"Release the other cable!"
The T'Ong, now free of her feeble restraints, was now drifting away. After a million kilometers, the T'Ong exploded sending plasma fiery debris into space. Some pieces burned up harmlessly in the planet's atmosphere while the Atlantis' deflector was able to divert the fragments that headed her way. The Tumnus also survived.
******
Austin, now dressed in her own uniform, was waiting at the Launch Bay as both shuttlepods emptied of their occupants. Shepherd was placed on a stretcher carried by a couple of medics. Whittaker was at the XO's side.
"How is he?" She had held her breath, hoping for the best. Shepherd was unconscious so she feared the worse.
The Doctor nodded. "He'll make it, Captain. The Narnians are very skilled physicians. Had they not stopped the bleeding as quickly as they did . . . " He stopped but she understood.
"Then I won't keep you." She told him then watched as they disappeared from sight. She stopped Vortsees. "We'll need to repair the grappling hook. Work with Hiroshi and see what can be done."
She acknowledged Trudeau and N'Yango before facing Skaa.
"Congratulations Captain. You averted an ecological catastrophe that would surely have ended the lives of the Narnian colonists." Skaa stood there, hands laced behind him.
"The House of Duras. You mentioned it to Kyan."
"Yes, I believe that the actions of the Klingons were directed for the covert advantage of the House of Duras, a militant faction. There was no logical reason otherwise for Klingon involvement."
"You're holding out on me, Skaa." He was taller than she so even as upset as she was, still had to look up at him.
"Klingon politics are as volatile as their nature, Captain. Vulcan simply monitors the extremes of both."
They both started walking across the gangplank. "Why did Kyan help us, attacking the T'Ong as he did?"
"He did not act for us but in self-interest. I believe he understood my reference to the House of Duras and acted accordingly. He did not stop the T'Ong's destruction nor did he assist you in getting the battlecruiser to a safe distance." Skaa enlightened her. "Though your actions were honorable, it would have been more prudent to be more cautious when dealing with the affairs of others."
"We saved two million people, prevented the Klingons from taking their planet. I think we deserve a pat on the back, not a slap in the face." She growled.
"Then other species' values and customs are expendable if they conflict with your human sensibility?" He stared at her. "It would appear it is not Vulcans who should be labeled as arrogant, but humans." He continued without her, leaving her standing there.
******
The Narnians through a banquet for the Atlantis after a somber memorial service for all that had died during the Klingon attack. It was more diplomatic than festive.
Austin, like the other senior officers, was in her service uniform, telling her officers that they were ambassadors and to act accordingly. Vortsees surrendered his EM-33 after some protesting that there could still be Klingons lurking about.
Trudeau was in the company of a beautiful woman with pointed ears. She wasn't a Vulcan but a native elf who showed a lot of emotions. She even said the Comm Officer looked quite handsome in a suit. He blushed shamelessly.
Vortsees for his part was in a conversation with Master Major Simeon, talking about weapons while Tanaka was discussing the warp five engine with a centaur.
N'Yango was with First Colonel Saul Olin in a rather formal ball room style of dance.
Shepherd was still in Sickbay though Whittaker assumed a full recovery but stayed aboard to keep an eye on him. Skaa felt his time would be best served by doing up a report of the incident and Austin didn't object to it.
For her part, she was with Governor Selborne and Admiral Millard. The Governor wore elaborate, flowing clothes with a gold chain of office around his neck. He wore what looked like a top hat.
"I am very pleased that you helped us.' Selborne said for the tenth time. He had decided not to tell the populace how close to total destruction they had faced if the T'Ong had exploded in orbit.
She had accepted his thanks with modesty, again. Soon, Selborne was off with other guests and Millard and she was alone.
"Once the Tumnus is repaired, I am to return to Narnia to report to the Army of Aslan and the royal court. There are xenophobic elements in the government who believe their views are justified after the Klingon attack."
"The Klingons may return." She didn't want to dampen his mood but it was a fact.
"The extremists will use it to try isolating the Kingdom." He looked at the dancing couples in the ballroom of the governor's mansion. "You will be leaving now I guess. We'll we see you again?"
"The Atlantis' mission is to seek out new civilizations. We are explorers and my place is out there among the stars. I don't think you'll see another Earth ship in the foreseeable future but the Atlantis may swing by again." She smiled.
He grinned. "That would be nice. In happier times I would like to show you the many wonders of this Kingdom; an explorer like yourself would appreciate its beauty, I am sure." He slid out his sword and held it in the palms of his hands. "I want you to take this. It was smithed by Goldrith of the olden times, supposedly to slay the serpent of Fenwik."
"I can't possibly accept such a gift. It must mean a lot to you." She said.
"It is an honor to present it to you." He glanced out the balcony where he could see the city. The fire brigade had long put out the fires but the colony would still bleed from the pain of the loss of life. Though the Klingon responsible was dead, Millard still felt the need for vengeance. In time it would be tempered by reason. "Your Vulcan's strategy of divide and conquer was impressive."
"Oh?" Austin held the sword by the hilt, resting the tip of the blade against the floor.
"Pitting the long hairs against the human, referring to this House of Duras."
She hadn't thought of it as a strategy' until Millard spoke of it. Did Skaa say it to divide the Klingons? Such deviousness wasn't exactly a Vulcan trait though keeping secrets was more their norm. "Centurion Skaa is full of surprises." She tried to sound pleasant but then she was talking about her observer.
"We will have to reinenforce the navy, improve our weapons . . . " It appeared he was talking to himself but she suspected that he was hinting at some sort of trade. Giving the Narnians torpedoes and enriched plutonium to make a few nuclear capable didn't seem like the reason she was out in space. Besides Narnian weapons were not that different.
She handed him a gift, a book.
He read the stylized title. "Grimm's Book of Fairy Tales?"
She acted quickly as not to offend him. "On Earth, such beings as elves and centaurs are mythical, here they are reality."
He flipped through a few pages. "You say that there are no unscrupulous trolls or fire breathing dragons, that they are all myths?" He shook his head in bewilderment as if the very concept was hard to comprehend. He pointed out at the sky where three red dragons were flapping their scaling, bat-like wings as they flew over the city.
Austin went out onto the balcony, completely taken by the sight. Only in Sleeping Beauty' and St. George and the Dragon', stories read as a child, had she envisioned such beasts. Space truly was a remarkable place.
Looking back into the ballroom, she saw several dwarves talking to Tanaka. Somewhere in here, perhaps was a dark-haired woman in a white and blue dress? Snow White existed as fiction but her dwarves did exist somewhat as a species and not as short humans.
******
The Atlantis officers spent several hours until it was considered time to leave. All of her people seemed excited by what they saw and experienced, so was she.
They returned to the starship and after Austin changed back into her duty uniform, she stopped by Sickbay on C Deck. Dr. Whittaker was talking with an awake Shepherd who was still lying on one of the beds.
The Doctor smiled. "Commander Shepherd will recover. Luckily the Narnians repaired some of the tissue damage before I arrived or else he wouldn't be with us now. Seems the Klingon knife is three pronged, caused quite a bit of internal tearing."
"Yes, we are very lucky." She commented. Whittaker left them alone when he saw the two staring at one another creating an awkward situation for him.
"I'm fine, Gill. The Doc wants me to recuperate for a few days but I might talk him into cutting that down too less than a day so I should be back on the job before you know it." Shepherd was wearing one of those don't worry' grins but she knew better. He had just undergone surgery and painkillers were smothering any ill effects of it.
"Listen Cody, I want you to relax and allow yourself to heal properly. The Atlantis can survive without you for a few days and I think Hiroshi enjoyed taking command while we were both gone." Both laughed but Shepherd soon winced and he put his hand up to stop her from showing compassion.
"I'm okay, Gill, really."
"The Narnian, Admiral Millard, thought Skaa deliberately told Captain Kyan about this House of Duras connection to force a gap between him and the others."
"And you find it hard to believe that our resident Vulcan would do anything but complain?"
"Don't make me the bad guy here. You didn't want him anymore than I did." She paused, putting her hand through her scarlet curls. "Just when you think you have him pegged . . . bang."
He grabbed a hold of her other hand and for a moment their eyes simply gazed at the other. It felt like an eternity before she pulled away. "Have to get back to the Bridge."
He nodded and watched her go before lying back and letting out a deep breath.
She remained just outside Sickbay filled with mixed emotions, blaming it on Shepherd's near death experience than any resurgence of dormant feelings. She realized she wasn't alone but her Japanese engineer felt more uncomfortable, almost fidgety as he was going to pass her. She stopped him.
"Listen Hiroshi. I don't blame you for the transporter incident'."
He sighed. "I shouldn't have insisted. I really, truly am sorry, Captain."
"Okay, you saw more of me . . . than I would have liked but if you could forget it ever happened . . . "
"I don't remember a thing." He lied of course but was grateful to be forgiven'.
"Can't have my chief engineer running around depressed. Just one more thing, the transporter is off limits for life forms, that includes us until further notice."
Tanaka tried to hide his sadness over the decision but felt it was better than the Captain making it a permanent order. In time, with a little work, he could get the transporter humming perfectly. Who knows, it might end up being a practical form of transportation, eliminating the shuttlepods entirely. Well, N'Yango might not be happy with that.
Austin arrived on the Bridge with her senior officers now holding the key positions again. "Any sign of the Klingons, John?"
Vortsees shook his head. "No Ma'am put power output for polarizing the hull plating is back to full strength."
She sat in the center seat. "Olabisi, continue our heading warp four."
N'Yango pressed button on her forward positioned console. "Aye Captain."
"Proceed." Austin ordered and the Starship Atlantis broke out of orbit and with a flash of matter/antimatter energy release, was gone.
END CREDIT - Eric Millard, who created the Narnian race, assisted me in this episode.
- The Klingons of the Original Series are included as is the new look version featured in the movies, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager and Enterprise. The TOS version is a nod to the first series and a non-canon explanation is given for the two versions; also the use of strictly 'K' names for the Klingon characters was a TOS tradition. It is possible, since 'Enterprise' is still an active series, that future episodes might contradict something used or mentioned in this Atlantis story. The Marshall class starships (SS Tre Kronor) were created by FASA Corporation. Imperial and human fusion were the names given by FASA to the two versions of Klingons.