CHAPTER VI
THE WAR BEGINS: PART I
After a nice, long sleep, Kirk finally announced his decision to his crew- he was going to be the one to raid the Tholian base. Most captains would've arranged a farewell party, but Kirk knew he wasn't going to die on that mission, since he knew in his heart that he would die alone and there were Tholians in the base, so that wasn't necessarily alone. McCoy and the other officers made no comments about the decision, but there was a look of sadness on all their faces. The only one who didn't seem particularly sad was Decker, and Kirk could understand why. He took his command away from him, and Decker was about to get it back. But Kirk had a hunch that Decker wouldn't be overjoyed by his death, just not saddened.
Once Kirk made his decision, the Enterprise crew, the Klingon crew, and some workers at K-10 (who were grateful for Kirk's destruction of the Klingons) helped repair the damaged nacelle in a matter of days. After that job was completed, Kirk ordered Sulu to warp to the Tholian system, and he followed that dreadful order. The next few hours were silent and somber, for all the crew knew of the danger Kirk would face in the mission.
"Captain", said Sulu. "We have reached the Tholian system."
"Full stop", said Kirk.
"Aye, aye captain", said Sulu quietly. Kirk then walked of the bridge into the turbolift.
"Transporter room", said Kirk to the turbolift. The turbolift then took him to the transporter room, where he walked in and the whole senior staff was there- including Decker.
"This is a mission, not a funeral", said Kirk.
"We just want to say good-bye", said Uhura.
"It's not as if I was to die or anything", said Kirk. "There's no such thing as a no-win scenario".
"But you might die and win in the process", muttered McCoy.
"Just be me down, Scotty", said Kirk.
"Aye, sir", said Scotty. He then beamed Kirk down over to the Klingon ship, where Ksia was waiting for him.
"Good", said Ksia. "You will wait here until we reach the Tholian base."
"Can I at least take one last look at my ship?" asked Kirk.
"Fine, fine", said Ksia. He then walked up to a control panel, pushed a few buttons, and on the screen was the Enterprise. Kirk then movie closer to the screen and watched the Enterprise move slowly across space until the yellow-and-black grid of the Tholian Web enveloped her. While Kirk knew he would die alone, he didn't know if she would die without him.
"Happy now?" demanded Ksia.
"I'm fine", said Kirk. He then sat down and waited, waiting for the cloaked ship to go around the field and into the Tholian base. After an hour of waiting in the transporter room a loud beep rung, and Ksia walked up to Kirk.
"We are within range of the Tholian base", said Ksia. "You might want to have this". He then gave Kirk a large Bat'Leth, decorated with fancy gold plating. "This Bat'Leth has been in the Duras bloodline for thousands of generations. May it serve you well."
"I will guarantee that it will", said Kirk. He then walked onto the transporter pad. The Klingon then transported Kirk to the Tholian base as the Klingons de-cloaked. Kirk then held his breath and felt a sharp, burning pain- and then silence.
Captain Akecheta McArthur of the U.S.S. Arizona was pacing around on the bridge, eager for the day to be over. His first name meant 'fighter' in Sioux, which was exactly what he was doing that day. Jake Thomas had picked him to be the lead ship in the 30-ship blockade of the Klingon homeworld Kronos. He knew that Admiral Nogura had been a part in this, for Nogura had an acid tongue that dripped its deadly spittle all over the president, but Akecheta would not complain and do his duty. He didn't know why Nogura found it all necessary for him to order a blockade of the planet, but Akecheta wouldn't mind reducing a few turtleheads to space dust.
"Captain", said D'Nogra Ki, his Andorian navigator. "We have crossed the Klingon neutral zone."
"Take us out of warp", said Akecheta. "Full impulse".
"Aye, sir", said D'Nogra. The Arizona then went out of warp, and so did the other thirty Constitution class ships assigned to blockade the planet.
"Bechara", said Akecheta to his Hermat communications officer, Bechara 1071. "Send this message to all Federation ships in this blockade- Circle around the planet in formation Tango Foxtrot Foxtrot, with my ship, the Arizona, in the lead. You guys know your numbers. Good luck."
"Aye sir", said Bechara. S/he then sent the message to all thirty ships in the fleet. Shortly after that, there was a beeping noise on Shir console. "We're being hailed".
"On screen", said Akecheta. Then, a gruff, dirty Klingon came up onto the screen with smile on his face.
"This is P'Lo of the Klingon Flagship Bane of Kahless", said the Klingon. "I have heard from your message that you are the leader of this little campaign."
"That is correct", said Akecheta. "And?"
"I demand that you order this blockade to retreat", said P'Lo.
"Now why would I do a thing like that?" teased Akecheta. "You only have five ships, including yours. I have thirty. What makes you think that you will win?"
"Because of this", said P'Lo. He then motioned one of his officers to do something and the communication was broken off. Then the Bane of Kahless, which was larger, sleeker, and more ornate than the other warbirds, fired a stream of purple lightning bolt-like things out of its phaser bay and hit the U.S.S. Monticello. The bolts went through the Monticello like a phaser through paper, and then the ship exploded. Akecheta couldn't believe it. His brother was Chief Medical Officer on the Monticello, and his twenty-eight years of living had come to a bloody but swift end.
"The ridge-headed son of a bitch", yelled Akecheta. "Grachama (the Reptilian Xindi security officer of the Arizona), go to red alert and fire at will. Bechara, tell all the blockaders to do the same thing."
"Yes sir", said Bechara and Grachama at once. Then, once that order was given out, twenty Klingon Birds of Prey de-cloaked and scattered themselves around the battlefield. The Arizona flew past a few of them, firing photon torpedoes at their wings, but two torpedoes hit the back of the ship.
"Shields down at 56%", reported Grachama. Then, another Klingon ship zoomed past the Arizona, which gave it a stream of phaser fire. The Arizona weaved its way around two ships, but one damaged Klingon ship came spiraling out of nowhere and crashed into the Arizona. There were violent tremors all over the ship, and several officers flew out of their seats.
"Shields are gone!" yelled Grachama. "Warp drive is gone! Impulse power is at minimal!" Akecheta then got off the floor and looked up to see a Klingon cruiser coming on a collision course towards the Arizona. Fortunately, the U.S.S. Beethoven fired it's torpedoes in time for the Klingon ship to explode, but shortly after that encounter, purple lightning bolts came sputtering out of the Beethoven and exploded in a big white flash.
"Sir", said Grachama. "It's the Bane of Kahless!" Akecheta looked up to see the immense Klingon cruiser zoom towards the Arizona, with its torpedo bays glowing purple.
"BRACE FOR IMPACT!" yelled Akecheta. The Bane of Kahless then grew a lighter purple, and then the onslaught began.
THE WAR BEGINS: PART I
After a nice, long sleep, Kirk finally announced his decision to his crew- he was going to be the one to raid the Tholian base. Most captains would've arranged a farewell party, but Kirk knew he wasn't going to die on that mission, since he knew in his heart that he would die alone and there were Tholians in the base, so that wasn't necessarily alone. McCoy and the other officers made no comments about the decision, but there was a look of sadness on all their faces. The only one who didn't seem particularly sad was Decker, and Kirk could understand why. He took his command away from him, and Decker was about to get it back. But Kirk had a hunch that Decker wouldn't be overjoyed by his death, just not saddened.
Once Kirk made his decision, the Enterprise crew, the Klingon crew, and some workers at K-10 (who were grateful for Kirk's destruction of the Klingons) helped repair the damaged nacelle in a matter of days. After that job was completed, Kirk ordered Sulu to warp to the Tholian system, and he followed that dreadful order. The next few hours were silent and somber, for all the crew knew of the danger Kirk would face in the mission.
"Captain", said Sulu. "We have reached the Tholian system."
"Full stop", said Kirk.
"Aye, aye captain", said Sulu quietly. Kirk then walked of the bridge into the turbolift.
"Transporter room", said Kirk to the turbolift. The turbolift then took him to the transporter room, where he walked in and the whole senior staff was there- including Decker.
"This is a mission, not a funeral", said Kirk.
"We just want to say good-bye", said Uhura.
"It's not as if I was to die or anything", said Kirk. "There's no such thing as a no-win scenario".
"But you might die and win in the process", muttered McCoy.
"Just be me down, Scotty", said Kirk.
"Aye, sir", said Scotty. He then beamed Kirk down over to the Klingon ship, where Ksia was waiting for him.
"Good", said Ksia. "You will wait here until we reach the Tholian base."
"Can I at least take one last look at my ship?" asked Kirk.
"Fine, fine", said Ksia. He then walked up to a control panel, pushed a few buttons, and on the screen was the Enterprise. Kirk then movie closer to the screen and watched the Enterprise move slowly across space until the yellow-and-black grid of the Tholian Web enveloped her. While Kirk knew he would die alone, he didn't know if she would die without him.
"Happy now?" demanded Ksia.
"I'm fine", said Kirk. He then sat down and waited, waiting for the cloaked ship to go around the field and into the Tholian base. After an hour of waiting in the transporter room a loud beep rung, and Ksia walked up to Kirk.
"We are within range of the Tholian base", said Ksia. "You might want to have this". He then gave Kirk a large Bat'Leth, decorated with fancy gold plating. "This Bat'Leth has been in the Duras bloodline for thousands of generations. May it serve you well."
"I will guarantee that it will", said Kirk. He then walked onto the transporter pad. The Klingon then transported Kirk to the Tholian base as the Klingons de-cloaked. Kirk then held his breath and felt a sharp, burning pain- and then silence.
Captain Akecheta McArthur of the U.S.S. Arizona was pacing around on the bridge, eager for the day to be over. His first name meant 'fighter' in Sioux, which was exactly what he was doing that day. Jake Thomas had picked him to be the lead ship in the 30-ship blockade of the Klingon homeworld Kronos. He knew that Admiral Nogura had been a part in this, for Nogura had an acid tongue that dripped its deadly spittle all over the president, but Akecheta would not complain and do his duty. He didn't know why Nogura found it all necessary for him to order a blockade of the planet, but Akecheta wouldn't mind reducing a few turtleheads to space dust.
"Captain", said D'Nogra Ki, his Andorian navigator. "We have crossed the Klingon neutral zone."
"Take us out of warp", said Akecheta. "Full impulse".
"Aye, sir", said D'Nogra. The Arizona then went out of warp, and so did the other thirty Constitution class ships assigned to blockade the planet.
"Bechara", said Akecheta to his Hermat communications officer, Bechara 1071. "Send this message to all Federation ships in this blockade- Circle around the planet in formation Tango Foxtrot Foxtrot, with my ship, the Arizona, in the lead. You guys know your numbers. Good luck."
"Aye sir", said Bechara. S/he then sent the message to all thirty ships in the fleet. Shortly after that, there was a beeping noise on Shir console. "We're being hailed".
"On screen", said Akecheta. Then, a gruff, dirty Klingon came up onto the screen with smile on his face.
"This is P'Lo of the Klingon Flagship Bane of Kahless", said the Klingon. "I have heard from your message that you are the leader of this little campaign."
"That is correct", said Akecheta. "And?"
"I demand that you order this blockade to retreat", said P'Lo.
"Now why would I do a thing like that?" teased Akecheta. "You only have five ships, including yours. I have thirty. What makes you think that you will win?"
"Because of this", said P'Lo. He then motioned one of his officers to do something and the communication was broken off. Then the Bane of Kahless, which was larger, sleeker, and more ornate than the other warbirds, fired a stream of purple lightning bolt-like things out of its phaser bay and hit the U.S.S. Monticello. The bolts went through the Monticello like a phaser through paper, and then the ship exploded. Akecheta couldn't believe it. His brother was Chief Medical Officer on the Monticello, and his twenty-eight years of living had come to a bloody but swift end.
"The ridge-headed son of a bitch", yelled Akecheta. "Grachama (the Reptilian Xindi security officer of the Arizona), go to red alert and fire at will. Bechara, tell all the blockaders to do the same thing."
"Yes sir", said Bechara and Grachama at once. Then, once that order was given out, twenty Klingon Birds of Prey de-cloaked and scattered themselves around the battlefield. The Arizona flew past a few of them, firing photon torpedoes at their wings, but two torpedoes hit the back of the ship.
"Shields down at 56%", reported Grachama. Then, another Klingon ship zoomed past the Arizona, which gave it a stream of phaser fire. The Arizona weaved its way around two ships, but one damaged Klingon ship came spiraling out of nowhere and crashed into the Arizona. There were violent tremors all over the ship, and several officers flew out of their seats.
"Shields are gone!" yelled Grachama. "Warp drive is gone! Impulse power is at minimal!" Akecheta then got off the floor and looked up to see a Klingon cruiser coming on a collision course towards the Arizona. Fortunately, the U.S.S. Beethoven fired it's torpedoes in time for the Klingon ship to explode, but shortly after that encounter, purple lightning bolts came sputtering out of the Beethoven and exploded in a big white flash.
"Sir", said Grachama. "It's the Bane of Kahless!" Akecheta looked up to see the immense Klingon cruiser zoom towards the Arizona, with its torpedo bays glowing purple.
"BRACE FOR IMPACT!" yelled Akecheta. The Bane of Kahless then grew a lighter purple, and then the onslaught began.