Summery: S &H meet Klingons, Vulcans and other Star Trek characters and really do go where no detective has gone before!
Rating: PG
Where No Detective Has Gone Before
He stood in one corner of the big room, his brown eyes wandering over the crowd. The room was filled with creatures from all over the galaxy. It was a sea of colors as many wore traditional clothing from their home world. The watcher saw an Andorian having a conversation with a Vulcan. To the side there were also some Tellarites talking loudly to each other. Then the person fixed his stare at another couple, a Human and a Klingon. He frowned as he kept looking at the unlikely pair, laughing and seeming to have a good time. "Traitor!' the watcher thought and shook his head in disgust, rage building inside him. It was up to him to restore honor.
The watcher walked closer to the Human and Klingon. He was keeping his eyes on his victim, waiting for the right time to close in on his prey. The Human wore a blue shirt and black pants. He was a Science Officer with the rank of Commander. The Klingon was decked out in a traditional warrior outfit. Finally the two parted and the predator followed the Human. The Science Officer walked to the hallway where he stopped for a moment to talk to another Human, this one wearing the golden shirt of a Captain. Then the Starfleet Officer walked on, not knowing he was followed. He turned around a corner and stepped into the restroom.
After looking both ways down the hallway the watcher also followed the victim inside. He was lucky. There didn't seem to be anybody else here but the Human and him as only one stall was closed. The watcher went into another stall, slowly pulling out a knife he had hidden under his tunic and waited until he heard the Officer coming out of his stall. Then the hunter slowly and quietly walked up behind his prey that was in the process of washing his hands.
The watcher lifted the knife just as his victim was looking up into the mirror. The Officer had his eyes wide open in surprise as he realized what was about to happen and the knife plunged into his back. The victim staggered for a moment before falling face down on the floor, gasping for air. But the knife was well placed and it didn't take long before the victim took his last breath.
Satisfied the hunter left the restroom, leaving the knife behind, protruding out of the back of his prey.
"Will you stop already?" Starsky yelled as he was running after Sonny Andrews, a small time fence. The first man, a slender tall guy, rounded a corner into an alley, followed by the Detective. A smile crossed Starsky's face and he slowed down a bit as he saw his partner coming down the alley from the other end. Andrews came to a sudden stop and started to turn around where Starsky was closing in on him. Panicked the crook threw his hand up in the air and gave himself up.
"What's the matter, Starsk?" Detective Hutchinson asked his partner who was panting hard in front of Andrews.
"Told you earlier not to eat that stuff," he continued with a grin and came up next to Starsky.
Before the banter could even start the scared perp spoke up.
"What do you want from me?" he asked. "You know I just came out of prison a couple of weeks ago. I'm clean now."
"That's not what we hear," Hutch said. "But actually we don't want to talk about that right now. We just want to know where Big Donny is," he continued.
"Word on the street is you could tell us," Starsky added.
Andrews looked nervously at his feet, like he had just discovered something very interesting about them.
"Your information is wrong," he finally said. "I didn't even know Donny is back in town."
"Come on," Hutch said as he grabbed the fence by the arm. "You really want us to arrest you? We know you are up to your old tricks. You'll go back to prison and this time for a very long time. So, what will it be?"
Andrews thought for a moment, weighing his options in his mind. They weren't very good. He knew these two Detectives wouldn't let him go before they were satisfied. And there was no way he wanted to go back to jail.
"You've got to promise me he won't find out it was me who ratted him out," he pleaded with the two Detectives, sweat running down the sides of his face.
"Cross my heart; he won't know it from us," Starsky answered, leaning against a wall. He was still trying to catch his breath. Maybe his partner was right this time and he really shouldn't have eaten that indiscernible food earlier. But of course he would never admit to it.
Andrews decided it was better to talk. "He's got a room at 'The Palace'. That's all I know."
"Well, thank you very much," Hutch said. "And you better get your act together or we'll take you in next time. Now beat it."
Andrews didn't need to hear this twice and hurried away down the alley while the two Detectives walked toward the red Torino that was parked not far away.
After seating themselves in the bright red car Starsky started the engine and they drove off towards the motel where Big Donny was hiding.
'The Palace' didn't live up to its name. The motel was old and rundown, broken shutters hung loosely at some windows. The sign proclaiming the grandiose name of the place was crooked with the writing barely visible.
Starsky and Hutch opened the creaking entrance door and walked to the reception desk next to a flight of stairs. A man in his forties was sitting behind the desk, reading a magazine. He looked up as the two men approached. Hutch showed his badge and introduced himself and his partner.
"In which room is Big Donny?" Starsky asked.
The man looked in his tattered book before he answered. "He's in number 24."
Starsky leaned over the counter and pointed a finger at his opponent. "You better don't give him a warning or we'll take you in for aiding a fugitive!"
The man had heard of these two Officers and knew it was better not to cross them. "I understand."
With that the Detectives made their way to room number 24.
Each man positioned himself on either side of the door and drew his guns. They exchanged a quick glance and then Hutch proceeded to knock at the door.
"Police! Open up!" he yelled.
After a few seconds and no reply Starsky kicked in the door and the two police officers saw Big Donny starting to climb out of the window.
"Hold it right there, big guy!" Starsky said and pointed his gun at the heavy man. Big Donny looked down the stairs of the fire escape and knew he couldn't get away fast enough. With a sigh he stepped back into the room.
The detectives made the arrest and called for a 'black and white'. Other police officer took Donny with them and Starsky and Hutch left 'The Palace'.
"Well that was easy. Let's go back to Metro and write the report. Until we're done it'll be six o'clock and we'll be off for the weekend," Starsky said happily.
It was Friday afternoon and a free weekend was just a few hours away. Both detectives looked forward to the days off. They had tickets to the Raiders game on Sunday and were planning to go there with two ladies.
After arriving at Metro the two men stepped into the squad room where Captain Dobey was already waiting for his Detectives.
"Come into my office," he ordered Starsky and Hutch gruffly. Hutch gave his partner a look that asked 'what did we do now'. Starsky shrugged and both walked into the office of their superior.
"What's up, Cap?" Starsky asked innocently.
"I need you two to go over to Wilson Hall. There was a murder today and this will be your case. A man was stabbed to death at a Star Trek Convention."
"A what?" Hutch asked.
"A Star Trek Convention. It's a big gathering of fans of the series," Dobey explained.
"I've heard of them," Starsky said. 'The conventions are all over the country. The people dress up like the characters from the show and even some of the actors show up to speak."
"That's right," the Captain continued. "Today was the first day and this convention is planned to go for over a week. Normally they are only for a weekend but this is a special one because of the new movie."
"Oh that's right," Starsky cut in. "Remember, Hutch? I told you last week I want to go see it. I loved the series. Are you going with me?"
"Starsky! Can we discuss this later?" Hutch shook his head and turned to Dobey. "Who's the victim?"
"His name is Larry Porter. He was 28 and married. His wife was also at the convention but she is in shock and had to go to the hospital. Nobody saw the killing. Another man found the victim in one of the bathrooms. It didn't happen too long ago. If you hurry the body might still be there."
The two detectives left immediately. "There goes the weekend," Starsky mumbled and the duo made its way to the police garage to take the Torino to the convention hall.
They arrived at Wilson Hall and walked into the building. A lot of people in different costumes were held inside the building and not allowed to leave. At the entrance a police officer was waiting for Starsky and Hutch and led them to the scene of the murder.
The coroner had arrived but the victim was still laying face down on the restroom floor. A large red stain was visible on the blue shirt and blood had pooled next to the body.
"This is the murder weapon," a young police officer told the detectives and held up a knife in a clear plastic bag.
"It's called 'Daqtagh' and is a Klingon knife. The Klingons are one of the races in Star Trek. The killer didn't leave any prints on it," the officer continued.
"How do you know that this is a Daq…, Daq…, whatever it's called?" Hutch asked.
"Well, I'm a Trekkie. Star Trek s one of my favorite shows," the officer admitted a little embarrassed.
"Let me take a look at it," the Blond said and was handed the bag. He took out the knife and inspected the 9 inch blade. Then he pushed a switch and two spring-operated secondary blades unfolded.
Hutch led out a low whistle and handed the weapon over to his partner who also took a closer look.
"Who discovered the body?" Starsky asked the young officer and the uniformed man pointed to a person just outside the door. It was a tall man whose whole face was colored in blue. Two knobbed antennae came from the top of his head.
Starsky and Hutch stared for a moment at the witness and after handing the knife back to the Officer walked outside to talk to the weird looking man. Both detectives introduced themselves and started with their inquiries.
"What's your name?" Starsky asked as he kept staring at the two antennae. He was fascinated by these to thin things and couldn't keep his eyes of them.
"My name is Joe Amerada," the man answered. "I found the victim and went for help right away."
"Did you touch the body or anything else in the room?" It was Hutch's turn to speak.
The blue man answered with a no and kept talking: "I can't believe this is happening. The people here are like family. This can't be anybody who is a Star Trek fan!" He shook his head and his antennae were wobbling slightly.
"Unfortunately a killer can strike anywhere," Hutch said. "Well, let me take down your address and number in case we'll have more questions," he added.
The man gave out the information and Hutch jotted it down on his little notebook.
Hutch gave his thanks and was about to walk back to the crime scene with Starsky when his partner turned back to the witness.
"Now I know," the brunette Detective said confidently. "You're an Andorian!"
"That's right. My race was a founding member of the Federation," the man proclaimed proudly.
Starsky smiled and before he could say anything else to the alien he was pulled away by his partner.
"How did you know that?" Hutch asked incredulously.
"I told you I used to watch the show all the time. Some characters you just never forget," the partner answered.
"That's for sure," Hutch mumbled under his breath.
The duo talked a little more to the Officer at the scene and got more information about the victim.
"What about all the people out there?" the young man asked. "Can we let them leave or should we question all of them?"
"There must be hundreds of people here. But let's try to get the name and address of all of them, especially the so called Klingons," Hutch said. "Call in more personnel to get this over with faster. We are going to the hospital to talk to Mrs. Porter." With that Starsky and Hutch left the room to go to their next destination.
Satisfaction filled him, as he was standing among the crowd in the hallway watching the police doing their job. He was proud of his work, having fulfilled his goal to bring back honor. Tomorrow he would come back to make sure no other dishonor would befall on the members of his organization.
After arriving at the hospital the two Detectives inquired about Mrs. Amanda Porter. The nurse told them she was ready to leave and was just waiting for a friend to pick her up. She showed the men to the right room and went back to her station.
Starsky knocked at the door and after being invited in the two men stepped inside the room. A slender, red-headed woman sat on the bed. Her eyes were puffy, a sign of recent crying. She wore a red short dress, obviously also a costume.
"Mrs. Porter, I'm Detective Starsky and this is Detective Hutchinson," Starsky said, waving toward his partner. "We are sorry about your loss and are here to ask you a few questions. Are you up to it?"
The woman nodded a yes and wiped her eyes with a tissue. "What do you need to know?" she asked.
"We understand you went to the convention together with your husband," Hutch started. When did you arrive?"
The woman dabbed at her eyes once more before she answered. "We got there at about 3 o'clock. After walking around together for some time we separated because Larry wanted to check out the items for the auction. About an hour later I heard that somebody was found murdered in a restroom. It was my first convention and I thought it was part of a show. I joined the crowed and looked into the restroom. That's when I saw him…"
The woman sobbed and covered her eyes.
"How did you recognize your husband? You didn't see his face, did you?" Starsky gently prodded.
"The shoes, he bought them a few days ago," Mrs. Porter replied.
"What did your husband do for a living?" This time it was Hutch who asked.
They found out that Mr. Porter was a gym teacher at a local Middle School with no apparent enemies. After finding out nothing more of importance Starsky left his business card with the woman and the two men left.
"So, what do you want to do now?" Starsky asked his partner.
"It's late. We should continue tomorrow and talk to some of Porter's colleagues in the morning," the Blond answered as they were walking towards their car.
"Let's get something to eat. Want to go see Huggy?" he continued.
Starsky agreed and the two of them drove to The Pits. They ate dinner there and asked their flamboyant friend about the convention events. But nothing new was learned.
It was 10 o'clock the next morning when Starsky and Hutch were once again in the Torino heading to the house of Alan Nicholson. He was also a teacher at Porter's Middle School and was waiting for the Detectives who had called ahead.
The house of Nicholson was in a quiet cul-de-sac. Starsky parked the car in the driveway and soon the two men were sitting on a couch facing the teacher.
The officers asked Nicholson about Larry Porter but again didn't gain any useful information. It seemed there really was no reason for the murder of Porter.
"Maybe it was just random," Hutch said to his partner when they were back in the car driving to Metro.
"You are probably right," Starsky added. "We should go over the file once more. Something new might have been added."
He couldn't believe his eyes: He was watching another alien couple having a lively conversation. One was a member of the Federation, the other a Klingon. Traitor! Rage was filling his body again. Was he surrounded by traitors? What was happening? He swore to himself that he would have to restore honor once more.
The Torino was turning onto 5th Avenue when a call from Captain Dobey came in through the radio. Hutch answered and they listened to what Dobey had to say.
"There was another murder at the convention. Go there right away and meet me at the scene!" their superior ordered them.
After Hutch acknowledged the call he put the mars light on the roof of the car. Starsky hit the gas and they made their way to Wilson Hall, the convention center. Once there Dobey was waiting for them outside.
"This time the victim was found in the elevator," the Captain started right away as they walked into the building. "He was also stabbed in the back with the same kind of knife."
"Do we know who he is?" the blond Detective asked.
Dobey looked at his notebook before answering. "His name is Michael Delmont, 21 years old, residing in Tulsa, Oklahoma. We don't know yet if there is any connection between him and the first victim."
By now they had arrived at the elevator that was roped of with tape. The three men stepped around the tape and into the elevator. The victim was lying on his side, the knife still in his back.
"Well, Mr. Star Trek. What is he supposed to be?" Hutch asked his partner as the two looked at the dead man. The victim wore a mask with a porcine-like snout and deep set eyes.
"This, my friend, is a Tellarite. Featured in one of my favorite episodes," Starsky answered proudly.
Hutch just rolled his eyes and shook his head in response.
Just then a uniformed officer walked in and over to the Detectives. "The guy who found the victim is waiting down the hall. You probably want to talk to him."
Starsky answered with a yes and he and his partner followed the officer out of the elevator to a man who was sitting on a chair that was leaning against the wall.
"Mr. Samson?" the Officer said to the man. "These are Detectives Starsky and Hutchinson. They would like to ask you a few questions." With that the policeman stepped aside.
Kevin Samson was a young man in his mid 20s. He wore a golden shirt and black pants. The man looked up at the Detectives and told them to go ahead.
"Tell us exactly how you found the victim," Hutch started.
"I was waiting for the elevator and when the door opened I saw the Tellarite on the floor. There's nothing more to it," the witness said.
"Was anybody else around when you were standing in front of the elevator?" This time it was Starsky who asked the question.
Samson shook his head meaning no and continued to speak. "The hallway was empty. I was the only one here."
The Detectives learned that the witness didn't know the victim and that he had been in attendance the day before, too. He was living in San Diego and frequently traveled to conventions around the country.
"One more thing," Hutch said. "You are supposed to be a Captain, right?"
"That's correct," Samson answered with a smile.
The two police officers thanked the witness and went looking for the convention organizer.
"I'm impressed, Blondie," Starsky said teasingly. "Seems you know something about the show, too."
"I've seen it a few times. Everybody knows the famous Captain Kirk. He wore also gold so I used my Detective sense and made the connection," Hutch said with a grin.
After asking a few people Starsky and Hutch finally were introduced to the convention organizer, a balding Asian man in his late 30s. His name was Ken Yamato and he too was wearing the colors of a Starfleet Captain.
"Mr. Yamato, we might have to shut down the convention," Starsky began.
"What? You can't do that!" Yamato said loudly. "There are so many people here and we expect a lot more next week. Then there are the celebrity appearances. This afternoon two writers and a director will speak. People paid a lot of money for this event," he continued.
"Sir, there've been two murders within 24 hours at this convention. The killer is probably still around here and maybe looking for another victim," Hutch said. "We'll have to talk this over with our superior."
"Please, don't disappoint so many people," the organizer pleaded. "At least keep the convention going for another day."
"Like my partner said, Mr. Yamato, we'll have to discuss this with the Captain. Then we'll get back to you," Starsky said.
The two Detectives left and went looking for Dobey. They found their superior next to the elevator, barking orders to a red-faced rookie. Starsky and Hutch grinned at each other and then walked over after the young Officer left in a hurry.
"Did you find anything out?" the Captain said in a low voice.
The two younger men knew that Dobey was in a bad mood, apparently frustrated with the murders.
"Nothing of use," Hutch answered. "Do we know more about the victim?" he added.
"Not really. There seems to be no relation to the first murder. We don't think the men knew each other. The only thing they have in common is that they were murdered with the same kind of weapon," the black man said with frustration in his voice.
"That means there's a nut out there, randomly killing convention attendees," Starsky spoke. "And the knife is the common thread."
"Since it is a Klingon knife, it could have been a person dressed up as such a character. That way it might not be suspicious when he carries it around." This time it was Hutch who was talking.
"You might be on to something," Dobey said. "Didn't you tell me the weapon has a special name?"
"It's called 'Daqtagh' and we were told it is the weapon of a Klingon warrior," the brunette Detective answered. "What do you want us to do? Should we shut down the convention?" he continued.
"It might be our only option to keep the killer from murdering again," came the reply from the Captain.
"But it would also diminish our chances of finding the murderer. I think we should go in undercover and see if we can find the killer," Hutch suggested.
Dobey thought about that for a moment.
"Hutch is right, Cap, we might catch him if we are snooping around," Starsky said in support of his partner's idea. "If we cancel the event the killer might vanish with it."
"Alright, I let you go in. But you better make sure you catch the guy before he can find his next victim. The press is already at our heels." Dobey gestured with his head to the end of the hall were a group of reporters were held back by other police officers. "They are like hyenas."
"Let's grab some lunch and discuss how we'll disguise ourselves," Starsky said to his partner. This could actually be fun!
They invited their Captain to come along but he declined. So the two Detectives left Wilson Hall to find a place to eat.
Starsky and Hutch found a small Diner three blocks away from the convention. It was a cozy little place and since it was around lunch time the place was quite busy. The two Detectives had to wait a few minutes for a free table and after they were seated both men looked over the menu. It didn't take them long to decide what to eat and after their food arrived the men discussed their undercover assignment.
"What do think, Hutch?" Starsky started. "What character should we be?"
"Well, at least one of us should go as a Klingon. Since we suspect the killer to be in such an outfit it might be a way to get close to him," Hutch responded.
"Oh, I'll be a Klingon!" Starsky said excitedly. "That ought to be fun."
Hutch shook his head.
"We are not there to have fun! We are there to find a killer," the Blond cut in.
"I know, I know. It's still a little exciting," his partner said.
"Okay then, you'll go as a Klingon. What's my character?" Hutch asked.
"You could be an Andorian," the other man said with a laugh. "I'd like to see that! As would everyone else at Metro!" he continued laughing.
"Don't even think I'll paint my face or any other part of my body blue!" Hutch said annoyed. "I will definitely not dress up as a walking blue TV antenna!"
Starsky still smiled at the thought of his partner all in blue. "Then how about a Vulcan? You could be Mr. Spock!"
Hutch thought about it for a moment.
"No, that wouldn't work. I need something where I can hide my gun. How am I supposed to do this in these tight outfits?" he said. "And I also don't have the right hair color!"
Now it was Starsky who was thinking again about a character for his partner. Then he had an idea.
"Hey, I saw a couple of previews of the movie and you know what? Spock was wearing a black robe or something in them. Maybe you could do that. This way it would be easy to hide your Magnum! And we could find a Vulcan wig at the convention," Starsky said, once again excited.
"That might work," Hutch spoke quietly to himself.
The two Detectives decided to go back to the convention hall after lunch and look for costumes there. They had seen quite a few sellers who were hawking outfits for all kinds of characters.
It was later in the afternoon and Starsky and Hutch were getting ready for their undercover assignment in Starsky's apartment. Starsky was dressed up as a Klingon warrior. It was the newest outfit on the market, not of a Klingon from the old TV series he had watched many years ago but of a Klingon from the new movie which he was eager to see in the near future. The brunette now wore a rubber head piece and make-up on his face.
His partner probably wouldn't be recognized by anyone they knew either. With his pointy ears and black Vulcan wig the only thing giving him away were his blue eyes.
"Man, you guys look fantastic!' Huggy said. He had helped his two friends with the costumes.
"So do you, Hug!" Hutch was saying. "But I think we'll have to call an ambulance for you after a short time. You'll have a heat stroke in that thing!" he continued as he looked Huggy over.
The slender black man was dressed up from head to toe in a bulgy furry outfit. After hearing of the two Detectives' plan to go undercover he also wanted to attend the convention.
"I'll be fine," the fur ball answered. "There are tiny air holes all over this costume. I will probably be unique!"
"That's for sure." Starsky said with a laugh. "I don't think I've seen a Tribble while we were at the convention. Then again I was also too busy to pay much attention."
The three men checked their costumes for each other one last time and then went off to Wilson Hall.
Once the trio arrived at the convention they went their separate ways. Starsky was looking for fellow Klingons and whenever he found some started a conversation.
Hutch on the other hand walked into one of the celebrity speeches. One of the writers was just wrapping up his speech and after he was done there was a standing ovation and thunderous applause. Now people had the opportunity to meet the writer on the stage and get his autograph. Hutch left the room and almost ran into a Gorn. The reptilian alien had green, leathery skin with silvery eyes. It growled and Hutch apologized before walking on.
A Talosian came up to Hutch and held up his hand to make a 'V'. "Live Long and Prosper," he said to Hutch and the Detective responded with the same saying although he was unable to do the hand gesture this unprepared. The two fingers just wouldn't separate as easy as the alien made it look!
About ten feet away he saw Kevin Samson looking at photos of actors from the series. He was the 'Captain' who had found the second victim.
'Let's see if he will recognize me,' Hutch thought and walked over. This time he prepared the Vulcan hand gesture in advance and held it up to the Human. "Live Long and Prosper," the Detective said and the other man responded with a greeting of his own.
After chatting for a while Hutch was satisfied that he wasn't recognized and he moved along.
On the other side of the room Huggy the Tribble was the center of attention. Several people surrounded him and wanted to talk to him and Huggy was enjoying every minute of it.
Starsky on the other hand was having a little trouble. The Klingons he encountered seemed to be a grumpy bunch with few laughs and serious expressions. He explained that this was his first convention visit and inquired about the Daqtagh but didn't learn anything new about it.
It was almost three hours later when the convention closed for the day and Starsky, Hutch and Huggy met at the Torino. They exchanged what they had found out but realized that so far nothing seemed to point to a suspect. They decided to meet up again tomorrow and planned to be at Wilson Hall as soon as the doors opened.
The next morning went pretty much like the afternoon before. Hutch felt like he said 'Live long and prosper' for a thousand times in one hour alone as everyone seemed to say it to him.
This time it was Starsky who was listening to a celebrity talking. The Detective was standing close to the stage, just to the right. Midway through the speech a shrill shriek sounded through the room originating from behind the curtain on the stage. For a moment there was total silent in the room before several people hurried backstage, Starsky one of them. There a woman in green make-up and a skimpy outfit was kneeling next to a Talosion. The man's eyes were open in an empty stare, he was obviously dead. A Daqtagh was sticking out of his chest.
The man was leaning against a wall, breathing hard. This one was close. That stupid Orion girl almost caught him in his act. Fortunately he heard her and could make his escape just in time. He would have to be more careful the next time.
"Everybody move back!" Starsky ordered. "Somebody call the police."
He didn't want to reveal yet that he was a police officer, too. It wasn't much later when uniformed police arrived, followed by Hutch who came running into the room. He looked at the victim and pulled his partner aside.
"What happened?" the blond Detective asked Starsky discreetly.
The other man told him what he knew which unfortunately wasn't a lot. Just then Captain Dobey came walking in the room. He went straight up to his two men and asked the same question Hutch had just spoken a moment before. Starsky once more retold what he knew.
"Any suggestions?" Dobey said after the Detective was finished.
It was Hutch who answered first. "I'd say we hold everybody who is dressed as a Klingon since we all still think it is probably one of them. Check them all out thoroughly and from the rest of the attendees we get again at least their names and addresses."
The Captain and Starsky agreed and Starsky went with the other Klingons who were told to go in one of the other rooms.
A police officer walked up to Dobey and Hutch to tell them the name of the victim.
"His name is Salvador Garcia. According to his license his age is 41 and he lives in San Francisco. We don't know yet if he came her alone or was with family or friends."
The Captain thanked the Officer and told him to keep him informed if anything else was found out.
"Let's recap," Hutch said. "The victims are probably not related and were all killed with the same kind of weapon in the same manner. Also, each victim was dressed up as a different character. So maybe the killer is out to kill one of each 'race'."
"That could be. But there are so many different costumes. How do we know who is next on the killers list?" Dobey was saying.
"Are you saying we'll continue with the undercover work?" Hutch asked.
"I don't think we have any other choice," his superior answered. "We'll increase the presence of other police personnel and hope to finally catch the killer before he can strike again."
The two discussed their strategy some more and then parted their ways.
It was several hours later when the last attendee had given his personal information. The convention was cancelled for the rest of the day and everybody hoped for a better tomorrow.
The next morning the two Detectives met up with Huggy again to get ready for the convention. It was sunny and promised to be a hot day.
"Hopefully you'll catch that creep today," Huggy said as he put on his furry costume.
Hutch agreed while he was helping his partner with the rubber headpiece.
"How can these actors stand such things?" Starsky complained since he regretted volunteering for the Klingon character by now.
"They get paid for it, Starsk. That makes it a lot easier,' Hutch answered with a smile.
The 20 minute drive through Bay City to the convention was quiet. All of them hoped that this was the day the killer would be caught.
Like the day before the trio separated once they reached their destination. Hours passed with no leads forming and Starsky and Hutch met every once in a while to exchange information.
The hunter fixed his stare at his next prey. He had been watching this person for some time and had seen him talking to a Klingon earlier. Another traitor! The man shook his head. Once again it was up to him to restore honor! His victim was now talking to an Orion girl. Her beautiful skin was all green. He was sure it was the same girl who almost discovered him the day before. She was laughing with his prey and then his victim left the room.
Starsky was thirsty. His mouth was dry from trying to match the other Klingons deep voices. The Detective stepped out in the hallway to find a concession stand. There were several of them and he started to read their signs to see what they had to offer. The selection was big, touting drinks with alien-sounding names. Hutch passed him and they both made eye contact. 'No new lead' was what both communicated.
Starsky watched his partner walking towards the restroom, then went back to his task of choosing a drink.
Captain Dobey was sitting at his desk, looking over some paperwork. He was getting frustrated at the lack of pace this case was going. Just a half hour ago the large man was on the phone with the mayor. Needles to say, that call increased the pressure on Dobey and his men.
A knock was at the door and another Detective stepped into the office. "We've got a break!" he announced enthusiastically and waved a small folder in his hand. "All the murder weapons were purchased at a memorabilia store in Watts. The buyer was on a security camera and here is his picture," the Officer said and pulled a photograph out of his folder, handing it to his Captain. Dobey whispered a short prayer and hurried out of the room, folder and picture in hand.
The restroom was deserted when Hutch walked in. He was glad for that and for a moment leaned against the cool wall with his eyes closed, enjoying the quietness of the room. But then the door to the room opened and the Detective rubbed his eyes with a frown. So much for peace and quiet! Hutch didn't see who had entered but saw that one stall was now occupied. He turned to stand in front of the sink to wash his hand and rinse his face. Just as he was pulling on the paper towel from the dispenser he looked back into the mirror and saw a man closing in on him, an alien knife in hand. The Detective turned around quickly but not fast enough. His right side suddenly felt like it was on fire when the Klingon weapon plunged in.
Starsky had finally decided on a drink and was sipping on blue liquid. The name of the drink was what made him chose it: Deltan Pleasure Drink. Hopefully it lived up to its name! As the police officer was lifting his cup for another sip he saw his Captain running in to the convention hall, followed by several other Officers. Starsky walked to his superior and asked for any news.
"We know who the killer is," Dobey said while catching his breath. He held up the picture. "His name is Kevin Samson."
Before he could say more Starsky snatched the photo from his hands. "That's the guy who found the second victim," the Detective cut in. "I just saw him a couple of minutes ago. He was walking over there to…damn!" The undercover officer started to run towards the restroom, Dobey and the other policeman just behind.
Starsky tore the door open, his gun at the ready taking in the scene before him. The Captain was right behind his Detective and then turned to the other Officers to order that the hallway was to be cleared and an ambulance to be called.
Hutch was fighting his attacker who held the knife in one of his hands. But he felt himself getting weaker from the loss of blood and knew that he would need help soon. Both men were on the floor.
"Traitor!" the attacker yelled hysterically as he swung the Daqtagh once more but missed.
"Traitor, Traitor!" His eyes were wide with a wild look in them and his golden tunic was splattered with blood.
"I'm a police officer!" Hutch said as loud as he could.
"No! You are a Vulcan traitor! You must die. You must all die! I will save the Federation!" the mad man shouted.
Suddenly the door to the room opened with a crash and Hutch could see his partner standing there, his gun drawn. But Samson was fast. He kneeled behind the blond Detective, holding the knife against the others' throat.
"Put the knife down now!" Starsky ordered as he looked over his partner. Because of the black robe he couldn't really tell if Hutch was injured but he looked hurt.
"No!" the killer screamed once more. "I know that he conspired with the likes of you! You must kill me first, damn Klingon! But I still will die a hero! Leave the Federation space and go to your Klingon friends! Don't ever come back," he shouted and pressed the weapon closer to Hutch's throat. A small amount of blood slowly started to trickle down.
Starsky knew he had to do something fast. He introduced himself, telling Samson that he was a Detective, not a Klingon.
"Liar! You can't fool me! I'm a Starfleet Captain! Don't you think I know a Klingon when I see one?" was the reply.
The brunette Detective ripped his headpiece off and threw it on the floor. He did the same with his Klingon top, now standing in the doorway wearing a T-Shirt and his Klingon pants.
"See! I'm just dressed up!" Starsky spoke gently to the mad man. The Detective knew he couldn't afford to make a mistake. His partner's life was at stake and the man in front of him was mentally unstable for sure. Then he had an idea. "I'm a spy for the Federation. I was on a mission in Klingon space," he continued.
Samson was confused. He didn't know if he should really believe what this man said. He looked from Starsky to Hutch and back to the first.
"But this one is a traitor," the killer said almost pleadingly. "He must die! I saw him talking to a Klingon." The mad man got agitated. Why wouldn't his fellow Starfleet Officer believe him? He must see that this Vulcan was a danger to the Federation.
"We need him alive!" Starsky spoke up. "He might have information that is of value to us."
Kevin Samson seemed to think about what the Detective had just said. Maybe the Vulcan really could be of interest to Starfleet. And he, Captain Samson, caught him! "I would be a hero!" he whispered more to himself but still loud enough for Starsky to hear it.
"Yes! Yes!" the police officer said. "You'd get a hero's welcome! People all over the galaxy would know your name!" Starsky hoped he was finally getting through to the killer. He knew he was close, he just had to make sure not to say the wrong things.
The mad man's eyes took on a dreamy look. He had finally made it. Soon he was going to be mentioned in one breath with the likes of April and Kirk. His decision was made. He slowly stood up, stepping aside from Hutch who was still sitting on the floor, clutching his right side.
Starsky hurried to his injured partner, followed by Dobey and other police officers who took the knife away from Samson and led him away. The paramedics rushed in and started to tread the blond Detective on the ground.
Starsky and Hutch left the theater walking among the crowd of fellow viewers who also had watched the first Star Trek movie. It was two weeks after the incident at Wilson Hall and the two men were upbeat.
"That was pretty good!" Starsky said happily. He had looked forward to seeing the film for some time now and was glad he finally was able to do so. Although Hutch hadn't been too enthusiastic about it before the convention killings he couldn't say no to his partner after he was released from the hospital.
"Yeah, it was alright," was his response as they walked to a restaurant nearby.
"Maybe we should go to one of these conventions again sometime," Starsky said excitedly as they reached the place where they wanted to eat dinner. But before he could continue his partner chimed in adamantly. "I don't think so! Starsk, you must admit that that place was weird, grown men and women dressing up as aliens."
"Oh come on. I for one enjoyed the Orion girls. They were kind of hot," the dark haired Detective answered with a big grin as they sat down in a booth.
Hutch rolled his eyes as he took the menu from a stand on the side of the table. "Is that all you ever think about?" he asked.
His partner smiled before he replied. "Logically!"
The End
January 2005
I looked up some of the Star Trek information at the following
According to one of the sites the 'Daqtagh' appeared in episodes of TNG and DS9, not the original series. But nevertheless I chose it because I found it interesting!