Chapter 5 part 1

By Oberon

Beta by Entilza

Klingon Raider:
1500s C.E. exact date unknown.

"I write this now in the hopes that it will one day find its way back to the Empire. For the honor of my house and that of those under my commander, I will tell the tale so that you will know of our honor and our glory. I am Martok, son of Kiltarc of the House of Martok. Know that I am no coward or fool or dishonored failure. By order of the Emperor Ka'ar I was given a fleet of 260 ships to raid the No'on homeworld. The No'onians were rich and arrogant, and we found their defenses unprepared and slow to act. We attacked mercilessly. Many honorable deeds were performed that day. We slaughtered their warriors,killed their women and children, took everything our cargo bays could hold, and burned the rest. It was truly glorious.

On our return journey we spotted a No'onian ambush. With our hulls full of bounty and our weapons depleted, I gave the order to alter course. We headed into uncharted territory and soon found ourselves caught in a spatial phenomenon. Our ships were sent hurling into the void at unimaginable speeds. The rough currents in the anomaly damaged our systems. We could not break free, and for nine helpless days I watched as the ships under my command were torn apart one after another. Then, as suddenly as we had entered, we were spat out like targ spit. We found ourselves tens of thousands of light years from the Empire with barely functional ships.

I do not know how long we will last, but know that we are not cowards that ran from the battlefield. Our mission was a success; there in no honor in throwing lives at an enemy needlessly. My only regret is that we did not die in honorable combat or by the hands of an enemy, but at the whim of some anomaly.

For the honorable among us, we will see you in the halls of Sto-vo-cor."

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Klingon Settlement:

The howling scream of a Klingon was one of joyous pain. Komex stepped forward, shaking and almost falling but standing his ground.

"The battle is mine!" he screamed. "I crave only the blood of the enemy." He stepped forward once more.

His fellow Klingons, two on each side, thrust their pain sticks at the young warrior's rib cage. Again Komex screamed. They pulled away, leaving Komex panting and almost on his knees. In the haze of the pain he saw his parents and friends waiting for him. Komex was stubborn; he stood up and held his ground.

He took another cautious step. Another pair of Klingons now stood on either side.

"The Blood of the enemy flows through my hands." With these words the two Klingons took their cue and thrust forward with their pain sticks. After the screams there was silence. Komex collapsed on the ground. The Rite completed, the honor satisfied, the others took their leave while family and friends helped the exhausted Komex to his feet.

By now, Martok was an elderly Klingon with a full head of iron gray hair. He was proud of his son's achievements this day as he wrapped his arms around the younger in a hug. "Son, you make the House of Martok proud."

"Net yet father, but I will." It was a promise, Komex stood - proud and assured. In his heart he longed for battle.

The elder Martok waved off the boy's mother. They had a private matter to discuss.

"Son, come. Let me show you something."

Martok led his son to the center of the settlement where the oldest buildings stood. Komex had been here may times before in his youth, this was where they had build their education center and told glorious stories of their fathers. "What are we doing here father?" Komex asked.

"Patience, boy. Patience." Martok entered a nondescript building. They found Jodmos, son of Lieutenant Kor'j, one of the first warriors born in the settlement.

Jodmos saluted Martok as he came in. "Governor, I was not aware there would be an inspection at this time."

"At ease warrior, just taking Komex to see what we have been doing the last few months."

"Very well, make sure to put on protective gear. I heard they're still cleaning up from the accident last night." Jodmos let them pass.

Martok took his son down to the sublevels. "Accidents father?" the boy asked. "I was not aware we had an accident."

"Tell no one of what you see this night." Martok warned. "What you will see… well, you'll understand once you see it," they continue to walk down the stairway until they reached a room marked with the number five. Martok led his son to the far wall. "This way," he said before disappearing into the wall.

"A hologram," it occurred to Komex.

"Yes, now hurry up. We do not have all night." His father urged from beyond the fake wall. "That woman, you don't want her to be angry if we're late for dinner."

"Mother is not unreasonable." Komex protested. He hesitated and followed his father into the wall. They walked for what seemed like miles through underground tunnels dug in solid rock, their way illuminated by dim orange lights that lined the walls. At last they emerged into a large cavern. Komex looked up. The ceiling was a meshwork of girdles and camouflage nets. "We're in the mountains to the south." He realized.

They were in a platform overlooking a deep pit in the hollowed up mountain. "Yes, but that is not important. Look there," Martok pointed to the pit. Below them was the bird like hull of a Klingon vessel, perfectly intact and still predatory even after all this time. She was worn and tired but still held herself proudly.

"It will be awhile before she'll fly again but soon… soon…" Martok drifted off, his thoughts went back to the past. The sight of the old ship brought back painful memories. Many under his command had not survived the journey here.

Komex was at a lost for words. He had been told all the ships had been dismantled and used for raw material or parts in the construction of the settlement.

"Some day this ship will take us back to the glory of the Empire," Martok looked deep into the dark eyes of his son. He could see the fire in his soul burn more fiercely. "And she'll need a crew."

"I will not disappoint you father," Komex pledged.

"Good, now let's go home before that woman decides my head will be better served as a foot stool."

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Jewel of Minbar, Worker Cast Prospector:

The Great War had left its mark on the Minbari people. The lesser races had fallen to the terror of the Shadows, but the Minbari had triumphed over the darkness and would soon be uplifted, for the Vorlons had promised them thus. The Minbari now stood united and proud.

But Felik Mazik sculled the thought of such nonsense. The Minbari did not deserve enlightenment for turning their backs to Valen, the greatest of them all. He was there when it happened. He was a young man then, not yet wise enough to know good and evil. He and others liked him had feared the pollution of the Minbari line. He had believed this with all his heart then, he believed the words of his leaders. When the call came to drive away Valen's children, he had answered. He was proud then, but no longer could he look in the mirror and not wince and turn away from the shame which he wore constantly. Mazik had a sullen face devoid of pride and replaced with guilt.

Like anyone who realized they had made a mistake, Mazik worked to make up for it. He devoted what remains of his life to heeding the call of Valen. That meant preparing for the day Valen had prophesized. Many more warships must be built, but to do that the Minbari people needed a rare element found only in few places of the known space – an element named Quantum 40.

One of his Var'nemm walked up to him. "Two weeks in hyperspace and we find this retched planet."

"Patience, Tulann." Mazik chilled. "We are of the worker cast, we do not seek honor like the warriors or power like the religious cast. We serve, no matter how long it takes."

Tulann bowed to his much older Felik. "Of course, I will take your wisdom to heart."

"Have we detected signs of the element on the surface?" The Felik inquired.

"We're coming up to the other side of the planet now." After a moment the Var'nemm shock his head in failure. "It would seem this planet does not have what we want."

"Very well, launch a beacon then make preparations to go under way."

"Wait." Tulann had seen something on their sensors. "I am detecting a fifth planet. It appears to be habitable."

It was a valuable find. Habitable planets are always sought after as it could mean another colony or military base.

A few hours later, the Jewel arrived in orbit around the fifth planet.

"It appears we arrived a few years too late," Mazik commented. Sensors had detected a settlement on the central continent.

"They are in our space. We have every right to claim this planet as a protectorate and do with it as we please." Tulann countered.

"Certainly, Tulann, you're not suggesting we return to the old ways and turn our backs to the teachings of Valen?" Mazik looked into the young Minbari. He showed great promise, for a warrior. He even got their arrogance which spewed forth with every word he spoke.

"My apologies, Felik, I let my passions get ahead of me."

Mazik turned away. "Conduct a full scan of the planet."

"As you wish." A moment later Tulann came running back to the Felik. "In Valen's name, look at the size of that deposit." Mazik was stunned by what he saw - a huge find of Quantum 40.

"Enough to build a fleet of ships." Tulann stared at the readings in awe.

"Perhaps, look at where it is located. The site is less than a day's walk from that settlement."

Tulann was taken back by his Felik's words. "You're not suggesting we abandon it just because some primitives might object. They don't even have jump technology!"

"Of course not, but perhaps we can negotiate with the natives and establish a mutually beneficial arrangement."

"If that is your wish, we should first learn their language."

Mazik agreed. "Very well, we will begin by monitoring their communications."

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Komex stood vigilant watch over the Klingon colony. It was a menial task often involving his blaster and some wild animal that wondered too close. Komex's lips curled angrily, he scowled. "This is not a fitting assignment for a warrior," he murmured to the empty darkness. But tonight was too quiet, his heart yarned for blood – even if it was only target practice on some unfortunate creature. Even the critters refused to amuse him this night.

He stood in his post uneventfully for another fifteen minutes, bored out of his skull. He took to walking around the small guard tower to keep his mind sane. Around sunrise the radio, which had been silent all night, crackled with static. Then Komex heard the voice on the other end, Jodmos the guard of the eastern tower, was screaming for him.

"Komex, get up you lazy p'tahk." Jodmos's revolting voice was pissing Komex off. "There is something coming down from orbit."

Komex ran to his sensor display. "I see it." The object was coming quickly; already it was through the outer atmosphere. "It's a shuttle," Komex exclaimed.

"I do not recognize the design."

"I am attempting to communicate," Komex signaled with his subspace radio. "They are not answering."

"The shuttle is only minutes away from the settlement. I am locking on weapons."

Komex saw the shot. It missed.

"Ghuy'cha'!"

"Your eyes must be rotten from the bags of Jinlar weed your mother smoked while giving birth." Komex laughed. "My turn, I'm locking on." Komex focused all his attention on the targeting display until the loud roar of his blood became silent. Then he fired. Flame erupted from the underside of the shuttle. "Success!"

In this distance the shuttle took an uncontrolled dive toward the ground. Its landing rockets had been shot out. Now it was just a free falling piece of debris.

"You got lucky," Jodmos growled over the radio.

"You ko'tal! You dare to question my skill?" Komex was about to arrange a knife fight to settle this matter when the two were interrupted.

Governor Martok's voice came over the static. "What is going on here?" He demanded. Both guards instantly snapped to attention at the sound of Martok's angry voice.

"Sir, we just shot down an unidentified hostile heading to the colony from orbit." Jodmos replied before the other had a chance to say anything.

"What the tu'HomIraH is trying to say is that: I shot down the hostile." Komex recounted the events. "Jodmos took the first shot but missed. He alerted the enemy and the bIHnuch tried to run. But I locked on; he was not able to escape my sight."

As Jodmos was going over the events, Martok was having trouble controlling his anger. When he finished Martok lashed out. "You fool!"

"Sir?" both guards asked.

"Check the orbital sensors," Martok commanded.

They saw nothing.

They were confused. "Sir, there is nothing their."

"Of course not fool, the mother ship left orbit right after you destroyed their shuttle. They are long gone." Martok growled.

"Good, let the cowards run." Komex boasted his latest accomplishment. He was pleased with himself.

Martok shook his head in disappointment. "And when they come back with warships what will we do then?"

"Then we will strike fear of Klingons into their hearts as well."

"Enough, we'll search for any survivors and see what we can learn from their shuttle. Martok, out." The radio was silent. Komex looked defiantly at his post. His blood still roared with lust for more.

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Grey Council flagship Valen'tha:

A single Minbari stood in the light surrounded by darkness. He was Nareen of the Religious Cast, he who stood between the light and the darkness. He stood in his position proudly, but in his advanced years he found it more and more of a challenge. The harsh light glared in his eyes and he found it too bright, almost painful.

"We gather here because of a situation which is developing as even as we, of the Grey, argue over petty issues. Five days ago one of our explorer vessels found a pre-space civilization within our own territory. We attempted to make contact, but the natives killed our ambassador in his shuttle." The elderly Minbari surveyed the room, the others had not responded thus far. "I call forth Var'nemm Tulaan, who bore witness to the incident."

"Wait," interrupted another of the grey. With a loud clang the spot light lit over the form of Laneth, of the Warrior cast. "I know of the incident you speak of. I do not believe the testimony of the worker is warranted or required."

Nareen, leader of the council, studied the warrior. Laneth was reputed to be the greatest pilot of the previous generation, now the prestige of his position had made him fat. "I thought I would never see the day when the warriors would be secure enough to overlook such an insignificant threat." Nareen taunted the warrior. He saw the barely suppressed anger on the face of Laneth.

"The warrior cast will not stand for such insult from such primitives. It is obvious what our course of action should be." Laneth, of the warrior cast, explained.

"And what should we do, Laneth? Would we destroy them?" Nareen, the leader, continued to prod.

"Of course, they deserve nothing less for their insolence." Laneth, of the warriors, said proudly.

The others murmured at the warrior's callous suggestion. It was repulsive to many that such a crime to the universe was suggested, and yet, many among the council found themselves agreeing with the rash Laneth. And for this reason many among the council found themselves torn.

The warrior cast was always quick to anger; Nareen found them predictable in their hostility. This was exactly the response the wise Nareen had wanted.

"Let us hear what the Var'nemm has to say before we decide on a course." Selise, of the religious cast, suggested.

Nareen, leader of the council, regarded Selise. She was playing the great moderator as always. An apt role for one with such charisma, Nareen thought. "Bring forth Tulaan." He ordered.

"I am Tulaan of the worker cast. Let me recount the events that led to my mentor's cold blooded murder at the hands of these animals…"

Tulaan spoke and the council listened.

"These animals gunned down Felik Mazik while he was trying to make first contact." The worker spoke animatedly, every word and gesture conveying his hatred and disgust toward the inhabitants of that world. "We had no weapons and none of us were trained in the ways of the warrior. Fearing for our lives I ordered the ship to leave orbit immediately and to report back to this council."

Nareen looked to the young Minbari. "You may leave us now, Talaan."

Before Talaan took his leave he had one last emotional plea. "These savages are animals. The worker cast demand that the blood of one of their own be revenged!" His outburst was met with approval by the Warriors and various murmurs in the council.

"Know your place young one. Leave us." Nareen was much more forceful this time around.

The young Minbari bowed then disappeared.

"I sense a great darkness in these creatures." Spoke Valinnar. Nareen gasped - such presumptuousness coming from one of his own cast members.

"We know nothing of these people. We should not be so quick to judge." Nareen tried to take the debate down another path and hopefully to a less bloody conclusion.

"No," Benaar of the Warriors spoke up. "I too can feel the taint of the shadows in them."

Shakhan, leader of the worker cast, decided it was time to step up. "The worker cast knows not whether these creatures had been touched by the darkness. We only know that our blood demands these Klingon creatures be made to suffer."

"Then we are in agreement, as odd as it seems." Lenath, of the warrior cast, said. "I suggest we put this to a vote. Who here is in favor of punishing these Klingons?"

Things were moving faster than Nareen could control. Atop the leader of the Council's objects, the others moved one by one into action. They agreed with Laneth's suggestion and a vote was taken from the 9 members of the council.

Only Nareen and his protégé, Seline, voted against.

"It is decided then," Shakhan, of the workers, proclaimed. "Now, all that need to be decided is the form of punishment."

Laneth, of the warrior cast, again suggested a course of action. Though it greatly shocked many present. "These Klingons should be exterminated from the face of the universe!"

"Hear me," Banaar the leader of the warriors spoke out. "Think for a moment what would happen when we do not discipline them harshly. They would continue in their ways and in a thousand years what would become of them? At the time Valen had prophesized the enemy will find an all too willing pawn right here in the heart of our territory. We must remove them now before they become too great a threat."

Seline was outraged by warriors' attitude. "The religious cast will NOT support this atrocity." She stood with defiance and stared Banaar in the eye.

"May I make a suggestion?"

Nareen, the leader of the Council, was wondering when Salnir of the worker cast would make his move. Salnir was the youngest of the council and the most ambitious.

"The Klingons need to be punished. But they do not deserve death for one mistake." Salnir looked to Nareen. "Violent as they may be, they are still young and could be educated to the ways of the light."

Nareen knew he had lost the battle but at least some of the Klingons would survive. "What is it that you suggest?" Nareen asked.

"Just as we gained enlightenment in the service of the Vorlons, so too would these Klingons be made to labor for the Minbari – and in doing so, be uplifted beyond their primitive nature."

"An intriguing idea," Banaar told the worker. "Very well, we will spare their lives, but first they must be made to pay for their insult against us."

"We would demand nothing less," Salnir agreed. "But may I make one more suggestion?"

"Yes, what is it?" Banaar became irritated by the small Minbari. He was much too timid for the warrior's liking.

"While the warriors deal out the punishment, the workers should be ones supervising their reeducation. It is through physical labor that the young truly learn, and who better to mentor these Klingons than we of the worker cast?"

Banaar boasted once more. "We warriors have no interest in babysitting these animals. You may do with them as you wish after we make them see the error of their ways."

His words only made Salnir of the worker cast smile a hidden smile.

Nareen took the chance to have the last word. "Banaar, I trust you will be a merciful and fair disciplinarian?"

"Aren't we all?"

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Klingon Colony:

The bombs had been falling since the early morning. They struck without warning and in the first salvo all the ground based artillery the Klingons had setup were obliterated, the screams of the warriors manning those positions were never heard.

Martok and Komex watched in horror as beams from orbit laid waste to the village. Klingons tried to seek shelter but were vaporized as they ran. The buildings collapsed and fire spread through the dry forest. They had been hunting large game and escaped the fire.

Just as suddenly as it started the attacks stopped. The son, Komex, had taken the opportunity to climb a nearby tree. The elder Klingon tossed his son the scope. But he did not need to see to figure out what is going on. The burning trails of the aliens' landing crafts flying through the atmosphere made it apparent.

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It did not take long to level the settlement. In the few hours since the Minbari had arrived they had turned to ash what the Klingons had spent decades building. The few survivors were rounded up, mostly women, children and a few young warriors. Some put a fight when the pale skinned aliens showed themselves, but the Klingons were outnumbered. The resisters were quickly killed. The Minbari placed the survivors in the center of what was once their village, now burning buildings surrounded them.

"We are the Minbari," one of the pale creatures spoke in perfect Klingon. "For your crimes against our people, the Grey Council had judged you guilty. You will be punished." The Minbari spoke. He made a motion with his hand and two of the Minbari guards brought up a badly injured Klingon. He was one of the younger warriors, like many it was his first battle. The guards made the half-dead Klingon warrior kneed before the Minbari in charge.

"This one," he pointed to the kneeing Klingon – beaten to within an inch of his life and eyes swollen shut. "He killed two of his betters in a most dishonorable fashion." The Minbari leader pulled a pistol from his holster and shot the young warrior in the head. The warrior slumped on the dirt, dead. "Make no mistake," he told the few Klingons who were still conscious. "Service means life. Resistance will not be tolerated. In time you will thank us for bringing the light of enlightenment to your barbaric souls."

Hearing these words the remaining Klingons roared. "We are Klingons, we serve no master!"

It was a suicide charge that ended in slaughter.

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Komex looked down the hill with his scope. "A party of the pale skins is coming this way."

Martok's face twisted into a visage of a raging storm. "Come son. We must leave. Our ship is their only hope." He held down his hate and let it brood, saving it for the moment when he would strike down these cowards.

"Father, I-" Komax began.

"Your actions have brought this upon us, but there is no time to discuss it now. We must leave and bring word of this to the Emperor," Martok replied. He and Komex turned their backs even as their village continued to burn.

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Five hours after leaving the village Martok and Komex were near the base of the Kil'deja Mountains. Suddenly they heard the sonic boom of an incoming fighter. They looked up to see two blue fighters swooping down, firing their green beam weapons. The two Klingons dove into cover as the Minbari passed over, one of the fighters releasing a clutch of bombs that sent fire gushing through the valley.

After the fighters moved on, Komex pushed rocks off him. He was badly bruised, and several of his ribs felt broken. "Father!" He called out, blood spilling from his mouth. Several meters away the rubble shifted. Komex rushed over and dug his father out. One of his legs had been pierced by a falling shard of rock, and blood spilled out.

"I am fine. Hurry, we must get to the ship before they return." Martok tried to get to his feet, but his injured leg collapsed under him.

"I will help," Komex said, holding one arm around his father's shoulders and together the two Klingons entered a large cave. They walked for nearly an hour, stopping several time for Komex to dress Marok's wound with a strip of cloth he tore from his tunic. Finally they reached a large chamber opened to the sky. The restored Bird of Pray awaited them.

"Come, we must make our escape," Martok said, and the two Klingons stumbled up the ramp of the Bird of Prey.

Continue in Chapter 5 part 2

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