Chapter Eight: Koltarn's Commandos
Mission
A small group of Alliance commandos has been dispatched to the desert-like moon of Delpox II. There they are ordered to break into a Romulan supply compound and take one of their cloaking devices. Once they have achieved this objective they must survive until a ship comes to evacuate them.
Mission Date:
78th day in the 2369th of Molar
Sweat poured from his face down onto the scorched earth. The dry heat was enough to squeeze the perspiration from anyone who dared ventured into the bright rays, but being chased by a group of Romulans sporting disruptor rifles didn't help things any. Slowly he counted down the distance in his head. It was an ever dwindling amount until he reached the safety of camp, which wasn't much, but was always better then running for your life.
A sudden searing hot beam of energy flew past him, nearly hitting him in the shoulder. Distracted by the near miss he almost didn't hear the second shot which was followed by the dying scream of a comrade. The combination of both events quickened his pace towards the sanctuary.
'Not going to make it', he said to himself as more shots flew past him. His mind let the world fade around him and the only thing he was aware of was the frantic thumping of his heart and the exhaustion that beat down on him from all over. The weariness in his bones ached him nearly to the pain of giving up. A most dreadful thought crept its way into his head; one of giving up, of being defeated by his foe. Inside his mind he fought such a concept for he was Klingon and he would never surrender to either the enemy behind him or the one inside.
For awhile he knew only that he was running and to where was nearly lost. A thick brownish haze floated in the air making it hard to see very far ahead. In the distance though a form began to take shape. It appeared to be a sand dune at first, smooth and dome-shaped in design. As he got closer though the object's grayish stone pigment shone and proved that it was no mere dune. Slowly the image grew larger in size and its features grew more distinct. His heavy feet trudged through the soft, loose dirt until he was at the structure's entrance. In a blind leap he dove through the tall rectangular doorway and hit the structure's floor with a loud thud.
"Commander Koltarn!" came one of the door's guards. Quickly he rushed over to help the sprawled Klingon up to his feet.
As Koltarn stood up he looked at the guard then at the other one who was busy laying down cover fire for the other troops as they rushed into the building. "Lieutenant Turax, I want you to secure the device as soon as Lukshn brings it in."
"So you succeeded in retrieving it sir?" The two exchanged glances as three other soldiers made their way through the entrance. Two of them were carrying a heavy case between them and the third had his hand on a dark spot of wetness over his left side.
"Where's Noktle? And Zor'kat?" the other guard asked as he looked over the party.
"Noktle was killed back at the base, trying to buy us time to escape. Zor'kat must have been shot in the back while we were en route here." Slowly Lukshn dropped his edge of the case to the floor and turned around to look out the doorway which he just entered.
"Alright people. We got the device but we aren't through yet. Turax I want you to secure the device in back with the supplies. Lukshn, you and Tamarak are on guard duty. There were a couple Romulans who followed us and they may be out there getting ready to strike. Burmek I want you to look over Charg's wound. Meanwhile I'll be trying to order that evac we were promised." Everyone nodded and proceeded to their assigned tasks.
Koltarn made his way to the back of the small bunker and entered one of the two rooms placed in the structure's rear. There was only one thing in there but it was the one thing he needed. Placed along the far wall was a small wooden table where various communications equipment was. With a slight grunt Koltarn pulled out a chair from under the table and sat down in it. He cracked his knuckles and surveyed the equipment before trying a message.
"This is Commander Koltarn. My team has completed our mission on Delpox II and are ready for immediate evacuation. Any Alliance vessel receiving this message please respond." After recording the message he pressed the send button and told it to auto repeat it every five minutes. Slowly he eased back in his chair and placed his feet on the table. A deep sigh was let out as he closed his eyes and thought of the mission he had just finished.
It had been a simple task, so said the politicians in charge. Sure, just walk into a heavily guarded Romulan base and steal a piece of their most valuable technology. Not like anything could go wrong there could it? But it almost very nearly had. If it hadn't of been for Noktle the whole team would have probably been killed, or worse yet captured.
The image vividly played over again in his mind. Charg and Zor'kat had stayed at the base's entrance to ensure it was safe to exit when the rest returned. Lukshn and Burmek were busy loading the device into a crate when suddenly an alarm went off, a warning to the Romulans that enemies were nearby. Suddenly as he had turned to face Noktle a disruptor blast struck the soldier in the chest. At first Noktle stumbled a little, coming into the room where he and the other two were. Then as shouts from a Romulan attack group became audible Noktle turned and ran towards them, killing three with his phaser before taking on the others in hand to hand combat. Before the Romulans were able to take him out he had killed two thirds of the force, leaving it small enough to be finished off by Koltarn and Lukshn.
The moment the last Romulan dropped in death Lukshn ran over to check the body of his teammate. Though Koltarn couldn't see his face through his thick soldier's helmet he knew that his face must have displayed a mix of anger and sadness. Both Noktle and Lukshn were among the best soldiers in the Breen army and they had become very good friends over the years. For a moment Lukshn lowered his head and muttered something which Koltarn neither heard nor understood. Then as if someone had flicked a mental switch in him he stood up and went back to help Burmek. For a Breen Noktle had been a fine warrior, and Koltarn would make sure he had an honorable burial ceremony when they returned back to Alliance territory.
Footsteps coming into the room caused Koltarn to open his eyes, but he didn't move anything else. A worried look was displayed on Burmek's face as he walked over to the commander, ready to give his report.
"Sir, Charg's wound is pretty severe. The disruptor blast punched a hole right through his body, breaking at least three ribs and puncturing a lung with it. I bandaged it up tightly but...." He paused for a moment trying to find the right words to go next. "But I'm not a field medic sir. I've done the best I can do."
Koltarn rose up from his chair and walked over to the Cardassian soldier. He looked deeply at him trying to find the right inspirational words they both were in need of. "That is all you can do Burmek, your best. As long as you do that no one can look down at you or think of you as a failure. Besides, Charg is a Klingon warrior, and Klingon's don't go so easily."
A small weary smile came onto Burmek's face. "Of course sir. What would you ask of me now?"
"Go and get something to drink for you and Charg, I bet we are all a little thirsty after running almost four kilometers in the searing heat. Then go help Lukshn and Tamarak guard the entrance."
"Yes sir." Burmek zealously said before walking out the door.
The Alliance had given Koltarn a commando team mixed with the three strongest members of the Alliance. There had been three other Klingons besides himself, two Cardassians, and two Breen. At first the thought of having to command any soldier that wasn't Klingon didn't appeal to Koltarn. He hadn't had a high opinion of soldiers from their allies' armies but these were the best troops of their race, and Koltarn had to admit they were good at their job.
He looked over at the communications equipment and saw that there was a faint transmission coming in. A bit of hope took strength in Koltarn as he flipped a switch which would allow him to listen to the message being received.
"This is the IKS Korrd to Commander Koltarn. We received only a brief message identifying yourself before the transmission was cut. Please repeat your message so that we may receive a full status report and can properly plan the mission's next phase."
"IKS Korrd, mission is completed and the team is ready for retrieval. I repeat, mission is completed." Koltarn waited for a moment to see what the ship's commander could offer him. A few anxious moments passed before another transmission came through.
"This is the IKS Korrd to Commander Koltarn. We received only a brief..." The same message as before repeated through the communications speakers. Apparently the Korrd had not only failed to receive his entire message before but was also unable to receive any further messages he might transmit. Only one possibility as to why this was could shape in the Klingon commander's mind; a Romulan scrambling field. One which would prevent anyone to receive messages from the surface. With a touch of irritation Koltarn flipped the equipment off and tossed the chair aside as he left the room.
After a brief survey of his team he headed over to where the wounded Charg was carefully propped against a wall. As he knelt beside the warrior he looked over his wound. "Look's like they got you pretty good Charg," he said with a slight smile.
"Aw its nothing but a minor flesh wound," Charg responded with a hint of pain in his voice. "I'll be back up and ready to save your butt in no time, sir."
"See that you do Charg. Just one thing though, mind stop bleeding for a moment? You're going to stain your outfit and you know how those politicians hate to spend money for new ones," Koltarn said placing a hand on his comrade's shoulder.
This provoked a small laugh out of Charg. "Don't worry sir, I won't get it too messy."
As Koltarn rose up from his crouch he was approached by Turax. Though there wasn't a command structure in the group, aside from Koltarn being the leader, Turax had been unofficially declared the second in command. He had several leadership qualities in him but had never been given the proper chance to display them. Turax had been given a lot of Koltarn's respect on this mission and he had been pleased to see that the respect had not been misplaced.
"Were you able to get through sir?" Turax asked with slight concern.
"Only a partial message was able to get through before the Romulans put up a scrambling field," Koltarn said in a low voice so no one besides Turax could hear. "No one will be coming to pick us up as long as that scrambling field is in place."
A slight noise came from Turax as he started to pace slightly. Koltarn wasn't sure if the noise was a grunt or a sigh but he was certain that it was a sign of his distress. Though he was a good soldier Turax often made his thoughts, and feelings, about situations quite clear. Normally Koltarn would put a subordinate in line for such an action, but Turax was different and he let the little habit slide.
"We can't stay here sir," Turax finally declared the blatantly obvious. "There is an entire contingent of Romulan troops stationed here and I doubt they would let us leave with one of their cloaking devices." His gaze shifted towards Charg for a brief moment as he lay wounded on the floor. "And Charg won't make it if we can't get him to a medical bay and soon."
As he sifted through the facts that Turax had just given him, facts he was already well aware of, he tried to come up with some solution. Turax was right about the Romulans. There weren't any Romulans attacking their small bunker at present, but for how long that would remain the case was anyone's guess. Only one thing could come to his mind, one conceivable option that they should take. But the option was a dangerous one and Koltarn didn't feel right making it alone.
From the storage room he pulled out a metal chair and sat in it as he looked over his attack squadron. "Turax, Burmek please sit down. Lukshn and Tamarak, stay on guard but be sure to devote part of your attention over here. We have things that need discussing."
Burmek and Turax hesitantly looked at each other before sitting down, not quite sure what to expect. After a wary moment of silence Burmek decided to be the first to speak. "Might I ask what exactly needs discussing?"
A quick glance from Koltarn was shot towards the Cardassian, but it remained for only a moment before fading away. "Well Burmek, I think everyone should be made aware of all the details at hand before we proceed with the mission."
Satisfied with the answer Burmek folded his arms against his chest and leaned back into the chair, awaiting the supposed information that was about to be divulged.
"I'm afraid to report that my attempts to contact an ally vessel were unsuccessful," the commander said, feeling like he had let his team down. "Apparently the message that I sent was picked up by the IKS Korrd, but was cut off briefly. I can only conclude that the Romulans have put up a scrambling field to prevent us from getting outside help."
Lukshn turned from the door for a moment to look at Koltarn. The expression he wore underneath his helmet was a mystery to all except him, but his posture gave a hint of concern in his being. There was a momentary pause where he stood as still as a statue before finally turning back to face the harsh wild outside.
"Then we are basically stuck here right?" This time it was Tamarak who chose to express his opinion rather loudly before the group.
"Well as long as the field is up we won't be able to send a request for retrieval..." Koltarn wandered off in his words as though his mind was busy wandering down a path to some solution that could be of use.
"So basically we need to take out that field's generator," Lukshn said over his shoulder. "I mean that is where you were going, isn't sir?"
Not quite knowing how to respond the commander sat there for a moment in an almost awed silence. Though he opened his mouth he didn't speak for a lasting few moments of thought. "I don't see any other way that we could get retrieval."
"Won't they come after us eventually anyway?"
Sitting across from him Turax gave the Cardassian an odd look and silently wondered what type of question he had just asked. "No they won't, Burmek. If they don't hear from us then we will be considered dead and they will move on to their next mission."
"Well that's not very stoic of them, leaving men behind when they don't know whether they are alive or not."
"Stoic or not that is what we Klingons do. We have neither the time nor the resources to search for every soldier that might be missing. Besides which, we aren't afraid to die in combat."
"Are you implying that Cardassians are cowards?"
The two continued fighting back and forth for a few moments until Koltarn stood from his chair and gave them both a strong, stern look which proved very successful in deterring them from continuing. "The situation is this people, they won't come unless we send them a message. As long as the field is up then we won't be able to send a message. Basically, as long as the field is up we are stuck. So that leaves only one option in my opinion."
"Destroy the field's generator," said the unmoving Breen statue guarding the door.
"Do you know how many Romulans they must have stationed at that base? Not to mention the fact that the generator won't exactly be placed right out front for anyone to take out. Frankly, I don't think we will be able to pull it off and get back out alive."
"And what would you have us do instead Burmek? Wait here until the Romulans come for us anyway? No, I think we should attempt to take out that generator. It's the only hope we have of leaving this moon alive."
Burmek was about to object when suddenly the hand of his Breen comrade was placed on his shoulder. Without making a single sound Lukshn had been able to come up behind the Cardassian before anyone had known he had moved at all.
"Think about this before you make your decision Burmek. Think about Noktle and Zor'kat who died here today. Who died trying to make sure that our mission was a success. If we don't at least try to destroy that generator, try to complete our mission, then they will have died in vain. Is that what you want Burmek? Do you really want to have them died for a hopeless cause?"
The small speech spoken by Lukshn had an apparent effect in the Cardassian soldier for his face soon displayed a look of one in thought. He could see the faces of the two soldiers before him, see them before the mission had begun back when they were happy to do something to help benefit the Alliance. For a moment he wondered what they would say given the chance. How they would suggest to proceed.
"What is your opinion Burmek? Do you believe we should proceed?" the commander asked of the Cardassian.
Slowly Burmek began to nod his head. "Yes, I believe we should. If not for us, if not for the Alliance, then surely for our fallen comrades Noktle and Zor'kat."
"So there is a soldier in you after all Burmek," Turax commented.
"Very well. Everyone prepare to leave in one hour for the Romulan base. Our goal; destroy the generator or die trying."
"Sir," came the sickly sounding voice of Charg. "You aren't planning on leaving me here are you?"
Koltarn looked over the wounded Klingon and searched for the right words to say. "Charg," he started, trying to make his words sound free of anything which might be taken as pity. "You're not in a good enough condition to leave, let alone be in a combat situation."
"Sir," the wounded soldier said looking into his commander's eyes. "I may not be in good shape but you can't leave me here to slowly die alone. We both know that I may still be of some use to this mission, if even a small one. Even if I don't make it through the attack then I will of died in battle with honor, which is what all of us truly want."
For a silent moment Koltarn sifted over Charg's words in his mind. Though his body might have been wounded his mind was still intact, and it was a mind of a true Klingon soldier. "Alright Charg, you will not be left behind. You will be given the chance to go down in a blaze of glory."
"Thank you sir," he replied having trouble saying the words.
"For now rest though, let your body strengthen itself. We will let you know when it is time to leave."
As Charg dozed into sleep Koltarn went to the supplies in the rear of the bunker. There he found a small flask of bloodwine which he had brought along with him. Slowly he unscrewed the container's lid as not to spill any of the precious liquid. After a brief sip he tightly screwed the lid back on and placed it in a small box. Usually bloodwine was only to be drank after a victory, but Koltarn had found a strange feeling of calm every time he had some and for this reason he had drank quite a bit as of recent.
The next hour passed surprisingly quick as they prepared for the task before them. As they packed the needed gear everyone was aware of the high chance that most if not all of them would surely be killed on this near suicide mission. It was what needed to be done though, the Alliance needed that cloak if they were to win this bloodshed. After gathering a few things of his own he half reluctantly left the back storeroom and prepared himself to lead his troops into doom.
As the commander stepped back into the large front room of the bunker Lukshn approached him. "I've just double-checked everything sir, we are ready to go."
"Well it's not quite been an hour but there isn't much of a reason to wait, is there?"
"None that I can see, sir."
"By the way Lukshn, thanks for that speech you gave back there. I think it helped all of us out, not just Burmek."
"It was nothing sir," he said modestly. "I only said what I felt, what I knew we all felt deep down."
"Still, they were good words." Koltarn said placing his hand on Lukshn's shoulder. "Let's just hope that we will be able to repeat those words to our fellow soldiers."
Lukshn stood there looking if he was about to say something, but merely nodded his head. Though he was a brave and capable fighter he too knew the peril they were about to undertake.
"Is everyone ready then?" the commander asked of his troops.
"Looks like it sir," Turax replied.
"Very good then. Let me just get Charg ready to go and we will be off."
"You aren't serious about bringing him along are you?"
"Of course I am Burmek. I gave him my word that he would be able to fight, and die, alongside us and my word is one thing that cannot be broken. If you have a problem with that then I suggest you get over it; quickly."
For a moment Burmek looked a little shocked by the words, but he quickly overcame them and scoffed them off. "Bring him, but don't expect me to drag him along."
For a brief moment Koltarn glared at Burmek as he increasingly lost patience with the brash Cardassian. "Charg, wake up. It's time to slay some Romulans." As he walked towards the slumbering Klingon he shouted at him several times, thinking of how sound of a sleeper he was. It wasn't until he reached Charg that he realized he wasn't sleeping, not anymore.
Quickly Turax noticed that Koltarn was standing silently still over Charg. As he approached the two the realization of what had occurred began to hit Turax. All he could do in response was stand still next to his leader and almost silently mutter of how pitiful of a way to die it was.
"Are we going or not?" Burmek said to the two Klingons, before taking a step towards them. Suddenly though a gloved hand was placed on his shoulder and held him back for a moment.
As his hand held back his Cardassian comrade Lukshn stepped towards the two Klingons. Slowly he spoke, making sure to choose his words as delicately as possible. "Burmek is right, if not untimely rude. If we are to indeed attempt this then we should act as quickly as possible while we still have a chance at success, which is what we truly need. Not only for those that have died but also for those who have yet to."
Lukshn's words shook Koltarn from his trance as he suddenly came back to the world. After one more long glance at Charg's slumped body he merely placed his hand on Turax's shoulder before the both of them quietly exited the bunker, followed soon after by their three comrades. For the sake of Charg, Noktle, Zor'kat, and all the others who he had watched die this mission would be completed, or else let him fall down to the ground in death.
The trek back to the Romulan outpost was a solemn one. Very few words were spoken amongst the group as their feet grew tired and the sun dimmed and faded behind the lunar horizon. It seemed to take double the time for them to reach the installation. Whether this was merely in Koltarn's head or whether it really did take the extra time no one could be sure.
"So do you have a plan for getting in there, sir?" Tamarak asked, not quite sure of what to do next.
Looking over the front of the base Koltarn tried to come up with one of those amazing tactical strategies that make their creator a legend, but none came to him. Night had fallen and it was growing hard to see anything clearly. He knew that there was at least three disruptor turrets stationed on the building's roof, but whether they were currently manned only the Romulans knew. The building's main entrance was only a short sprint from the rock cropping where they were, but there was plenty of time for those turrets to pick them off. He just didn't know what to do.
"Sir, we can't just sit here and stare at it. Is there a problem we should be aware of?"
"Well they are nearly impossible to see in this light, Turax, but there are three high energy disruptor turrets on the compound's roof. If we were to go charging up to the gates with them manned then I doubt any of us would make it."
"Well then we will just have to make sure they don't know we are down here, sir."
"Do you think they installed any sort of security devices after we left? I mean they do know we are here on this moon."
"There's a strong chance of it, though I can't imagine any such devices could be fully activated already."
"The longer we sit here the more chance they will have to activate any sort of device. I'm going on ahead. You can follow me if you want." Cautiously Burmek got up from his hiding position amidst the rocks and, crouching low to the ground, began to make his way towards the compound's door. After he had halved the distance he got up from his crouch and turned to gesture his comrades to follow.
Everything slowed to a crawl in an instant as the Cardassian waved the others on. He stood there with a smirk of defiance on his face as he looked back toward the rest of them. A bright light flashed from somewhere behind him and a high energy sound followed it. Neither Burmek nor any of the others immediately registered what had happened as Burmek's smirked face changed and his body collapsed onto the rocky earth.
"Burmek!" Tamarak shouted as he scrambled to get over the rocks and to the side of his fallen brother in arms. If it wasn't for the quick action of Lukshn then the other Cardassian would have surely met the same fate as several disruptor blasts flew directly over the two.
"Sir, in this darkness the turrets can be seen with each blast."
"Well noted commander had I not of noticed that already. All units open fire at the turrets the moment they become visible." What ensued after that order was a tense fight that could have been seen for miles around had there been spectators. Two of the soldier's shots impacted on a turret and caused it to explode in a brilliant flash of light; sending its operator flying skyward and thumping hard against the ground. Seconds later another explosion followed from the compound's opposite corner.
"I have to get to Burmek sir!" Tamarak shouted over the loud blasting fire. A look of helplessness flashed in his eyes and Koltarn knew how much he wanted, needed, to go.
"Go Tamarak, we'll cover you. Lukshn and Turax, concentrate your fire on that middle turret."
Leaping over the rocks Tamarak went into a crouched sprint the moment his feet touched the ground over to where the body of his fallen comrade lay sprawled on the ground. Carefully he picked up and cradled Burmek's broken body, oblivious to the weapons fire taking place above his head or the final explosion which signaled the end of the Romulan threat. What he was aware of was the life draining from Burmek through a blast wound located between his shoulder blades.
With the last of the three turrets destroyed Koltarn gave the order to approach the two Cardassians. Slowly the three soldiers made their way across the soil, none really wishing to approach the scene before them. From their vantage it was difficult for them to assess the situation, but it was obviously grim at best.
As the three soldiers approached Tamarak lifted his head to face them, all the while doing his best to fight back tears. Turax opened his mouth for a moment as if to say something but changed his mind at the last moment. All Tamarak could do was slowly shake his head back and forth before turning his attention back to his fallen friend.
A few sudden coughs signaled to the others that life still coursed through Burmek's veins, though how much only he knew. Feeling the immense pain in his back he winced a bit then looked up at the faces hovering above him. "What...." was all he could manage.
"You've been shot in the back Burmek," Tamarak managed to spit out as the others silently stood over him, not sure of what to say. "It's okay though, we made those Romulan scum pay."
"Good," Burmek coughed out. He felt the sharp pain in his back and the blood seeping from the wound but it wasn't until he saw the look on Tamarak's face did he understand the seriousness of his condition. "I'm not going to....make it am I?"
"No, of course you are. You just need a little rest and..."
"Don't lie to me Tamarak," Burmek abruptly interrupted. "We have known each other far too long. Just promise me one thing will you?"
His emotions started to get the best of him as Tamarak coughed slightly and a few tears went down his face. "Of course my friend. Anything."
Suddenly several gurgled coughs came from Burmek's throat but he used all of his remaining will to force his last request out. "Don't......fail...." was all he managed to say before he took a final breath and collapsed limply into Tamarak's arms.
Knowing nothing better to do Koltarn placed his hand on Tamarak's shoulder as he began to cry while he clutched his friend's dead body. "Don't worry Burmek. For your sake, for the sake of Charg, Noktle, and Zor'kat. For the sake of all those who have died and those yet to, we won't." Once he felt that he had spent enough time on the saddening scene Koltarn slowly turned and solemnly made his way to the compound's entrance.
After giving Tamarak a moment to grieve Lukshn reluctantly picked him up and dusted off his leather outfit. "Tamarak, it's time to go. It's time to finish our mission so that we can finally bring these Romulans to their knees." The words would have tasted horrible in his mouth had words had any flavor to them at all, but he knew the words were needed to convince Tamarak to press on.
Slowly Tamarak was able to tear his gaze off of the body of his friend and was able to place it on his Breen comrade. "Yes," he said quietly forcing the word out, "we must press on. No matter what happens we must continue so that this tragedy can come to an end."
Without giving it a thought Lukshn padded his hands on Tamarak's shoulders before waving his hand in the direction of their waiting comrades. A cool breeze began to blow in the dark night and deposited a thin layer of earth on Burmek's cold body as Lukshn and Tamarak turned away from the remains of the soldier with whom they had served with and headed in the direction of their waiting Klingon comrades.
"Are you two ready to take down some Romulan pa'tahqs?" Turax said with a bit of enthusiasm, but not too much as to take away from the scene which was still too recent.
"Ready? Turax I don't care who I face or what I know them to have done I will never be ready to kill them, ever. At least, to this I hope to be true."
"Suit yourself," the Klingon shrugged off
"Will you two be quiet? Do you want the entire platoon of Romulan soldiers stationed here to be aware of our presence?"
"Don't you think they already know sir?" the Cardassian soldier asked half looking at the turret remains smoldering on the compound's roof.
"I'm not sure. I don't hear any sort of alarms going off so I believe we are still safe. Either way we must go in or leave knowing that our mission was for nothing."
"That I simply cannot accept good sir."
"Very well, let's proceed then." All four of them slowly nodded to each other before Koltarn opened the door and they entered with notable caution.
"About how far is it to the field generator?"
"I'm not exactly certain. If I am correct the room with the generator isn't too far from the storage room where we got the cloaking device. So we have a little distance to cover before we get there, but it shouldn't be a problem as long as we don't run into any Romulan guards."
"I wonder how many guards the Romulans post during this time of the night," Tamarak whispered to himself.
"Well the Romulans aren't as dedicated soldiers as we are!" boasted the Klingon lieutenant. "I doubt that they have many on guard at such a late time at night."
"Are you forgetting our less then subtle entry? I don't care how dedicated their troops are, no one would be able to ignore fiery explosions big enough to shake the building they're in. Not to mention the weapons fire which was less then silent."
"We get the point Tamarak. Whether Turax's comment is true or not we still haven't heard anything to signal that they know we are here."
As if by some cruel twist of fate a loud blaring sound suddenly rang out through the corridors. "Attention all troops. A group of Alliance soldiers have infiltrated the facility. It is not known how many there are but they are considered armed and dangerous as they were able to take out the stationed disruptor turrets before entering. Stop them at all costs, capture if possible and kill if necessary." A loud and authoritive Romulan voice stated over an intercom.
"Well so much for that little touch of fortune," Tamarak said hoping to make it a joke, but quickly saw that this was no time for jokes. "What should we do now sir?" After a momentary pause he looked at Koltarn hoping for some daring answer.
In one sweeping glance the commander took in the faces of his three subordinates and quickly determined how desperately they needed a daring answer from him. His mind raced for second upon second but only one thing came to him and he blurted it out with all his force. "Run!"
Turax was the first to turn and head down the hallway, followed quickly by the others. Though he led the pack he quickly opted to slow for a moment to let Koltarn in front. After all he was their leader, and probably the only one among them who knew where the generator's most likely location was.
Being at the end of the pack made Lukshn the most likely of the four targets, but it was only a flicker in his mind. All he could think about was getting to their destination in one piece and that stayed his only thought until a disruptor blast shot by him, barely missing his right shoulder. "Sir, we've got company!" he shouted as a group of Romulans opened fire behind them.
"I think we can see that Lukshn!" the Klingon said as he turned his head and fired a shot back at their aggressors. "Don't stop for anything men! We have to make it to the generator no matter the cost," he said hoping to give them the morale boost that they needed to make it.
The next few moments seemed like nothing but a wild blur. Hearts thumping and feet pounding against the hard metallic flooring the four Alliance commandos ran with all their might. From seemingly everywhere came the shouts of threats and commands spoken by Romulans and disruptor fire seemed to fill the corridor. Throughout the trek the four soldiers fired several shots to take down Romulan aggressors en route without missing a step. After crossing down untold lengths the group's commander veered right and dove into a small room, followed quickly by the other three.
"Is this the right room sir?" Lukshn asked but quickly withdrew his question when he saw the massive generator against the room's side directly opposite of him.
"Turax, you and Tamarak guard the door and take out any Romulans that get within sight."
"With pleasure sir!" Turax zealously replied before taking his post.
"Lukshn, you will help me take this generator out."
"Will do sir. Let me just have a look and see what we have to work with." For several minutes Lukshn studied the Romulan generator's components for a means to take it out. As he did so a barrage of screams and phaser fire noise came flooding in, making it hard to concentrate. After a thorough once over Lukshn turned to face Koltarn who anxiously stood next to him. "We have a problem sir."
"A problem? What kind of a problem?"
"Well the generator is made of a trilunium alloy, which means..."
"Which means our weapons won't even make a dent in it," the Klingon abruptly broke in.
"Exactly sir."
Koltarn let out a sigh as he looked over the Romulan generator which seemed to mock the two. "See if you can shut it down. We'll just have to hope that we will be able to send out a message before the Romulans can reactivate it."
"Very well sir. It will take a little bit of time though."
"Time is not something we have in abundance Lukshn. Do whatever you have to take this out as quickly as possible."
"Of course sir," Lukshn said before turning back to the generator. He knew that the success of their mission now rested entirely on his shoulders, and he was determined not to fail them. They had already lost so much in this war. So many voices had gone silent, so many faces were no longer able to smile. From his four comrades who wouldn't make it home from this mission to so many others he had seen die throughout his tour of duty. He knew that if they could bring this small piece of technology home it would change the face of this war, for the better.
With all his focus he studied the generator for some solution. Using the knowledge learned so long ago at the training academy back on the home world he looked over every inch of the towering machine, desperate to find its weakness. Though he tried it was hard to fully concentrate on his task with so much chaotic noise in the background. After a brief moment he determined that it would be near impossible to focus with such a thing happening mere feet behind him. "Hey do you think you guys can be a little quieter? You're making it hard for others to do their work," Lukshn yelled over his shoulder trying to make a point.
"Sure Lukshn. We'll just tell the Romulans to be a bit quieter in their screams of death. Or perhaps we can convince them to stop all together? Would that help you?" Tamarak said with an obvious note of sarcasm. He turned his head and shook it as he looked at the two standing by the generator. He would have let out a laugh were it not for a small round object which suddenly tapped against his left boot.
"Tamarak look out!" The Klingon lieutenant tried to shout, but it was too late. A huge explosion erupted from the tiny sphere and sent both of the guards flying off of their feet and into the corresponding walls behind them.
Reacting without a thought Koltarn ran over to the doorway, but quickly ducked back inside through the thick smoke. "Our time's up Lukshn. I need that generator down now!" The commander ordered as he stepped beside the Breen soldier once more. The moment he did several Romulan soldiers came through the doorway and took only a moment to survey the scene before opening fire. Koltarn quickly retaliated, trying to protect Lukshn as he finished his work.
Pain rushed to his head as Turax opened his eyes. Across the room he could see Tamarak leaning against the wall bleeding and unconscious. He didn't know if the Cardassian was dead or alive, but that was of little concern as he quickly noticed a small contingent of Romulan soldiers that was flooding into the room. In a flash he took in the entire scene; the Romulans coming into the room, Lukshn frantically trying to deactivate the generator, Koltarn furiously taking down as many enemies as he could. His disruptor was no where to be found but he reached back and took out his other weapon, a trusty dk'tahg blade.
Without any notice Turax lunged at the Romulans, blade in hand, and proceeded to slash away at the enemy soldiers with a true warriors passion. With a stab he gutted one of the foes, a slice made a deep gash into another's neck. As more and more of his foes fell a green liquid began to coat the entire area. The dead bodies of enemies piled up at his feet and Turax let out a victorious roar and flashed his sharpened teeth in delight as he continued to cut and slice away at his enemies flesh. This continued seemingly forever until he turned to face his commander in a salute of tribute. That salute fell short though as a disruptor blast struck the fierce Klingon's chest. His expression suddenly changed in the same fashion as Burmek's had done earlier before Koltarn's eyes as Turax slumped to the floor and his body joined those of his slain enemies.
The sight of his comrade falling in death enraged Koltarn and he wanted to slit each Romulan's throat and shout some justification as they lay dieing at his feet. Deep down he knew though that blind rage wouldn't do him much good, nor would it do any good for Turax. While his friend was dead he knew that for his sake the mission must be completed. Quickly he glanced over at Lukshn who was still frantically working on bringing down the generator. It was hardly worth doing now. Koltarn knew that neither he nor Lukshn would survive; that they would soon meet the others fate. Perhaps though there was still a bit of hope. The cloaking device they had stolen earlier was still tucked safely away back at their bunker, and perhaps maybe the Alliance could retrieve it before the Romulans did. His only hope, and he was desperate to cling to it and to do whatever it took to make it a reality.
As the Romulans started to enter the small room Koltarn fired shot after shot from his phaser and downed enemy after enemy almost the second they came into view. The dead began to pile up at the room's entrance as Koltarn took step after step towards it, all the while not letting up in his attack. In an almost cinematic fashion the scene played out, Koltarn continuing to fire and the Romulans continuing to pile up dead. When the commander reached the spot where his comrade fell in death he slowly bent over and picked up the dk'tahg blade which was still clutched in Turax's hand. With this in hand he let flood all the rage and passion that boiled inside him, which in turn gave his assault a new awesome fearsomeness which mimicked Turax's, but clearly surpassed it. He sliced and cut all the while continuing to fire, slaying dozens of Romulans. Throughout the fierce chaos one thing was clear; Koltarn enjoyed it. In fact he reveled in the bloodbath he was creating. More and more enemies fell and with more bodies at his feet the more he became entwined in it. An almost primal energy coursed through his veins as he fought in near god-like fashion. To his detriment though was the fact that he became so involved within the fight, within himself, that he failed to notice a Romulan soldier sneak up behind him and was completely oblivious to the enemy soldier until he felt something metallic hit him hard in the neck. By then though it was to late. His legs began to give out and he stumbled to the ground. With all his strength he tried to continue the fight, to try and give Lukshn the chance needed to complete this most crucial of missions. Unfortunately for him will alone could not prevail as he closed his eyes and slipped into unconsciousness.
With all his attention focused on the task Lukshn was still vaguely aware of what was happening behind him. He heard the small explosion and the bodies of the two guards being tossed aside. He knew of the fate of Tamarak and knew the fierce attack from Turax which ended in his death. And also he was vaguely aware to the fate of his Klingon commander. Through all this though he stayed committed to his task, not wanting to fail his comrades as they fell in death around him. Taking down the generator was impossible, this Lukshn knew quite well. However in his rushed but thorough study of the machine he had found a way to piggyback an Alliance transmission out on one of the Romulans subspace courier waves. Hopefully someone would be listening and all this senseless chaos would not have been in vain.
Suddenly the disruptor fire died and was replaced by a Romulan, probably the platoon leader, ordering Lukshn to cease. Immediately he ignored the order from his enemy and continued on his task. He was so close now, so close to being able to send out the Alliance's last and best hope for winning this bloodbath. A feeling of success washed over him as he finalized the setup. Now all that was needed to send out the message of hope was one final button to be pressed. Underneath his standard issue gray helmet he flashed a smile as he reached for his prize. A loud electric sound and a sharp pain would rob him of his prize though. The disruptor blast had hit him in his back and the pain from it caused him to fall upon the ground. As he looked up a tall Romulan stood over. He cursed something at Lukshn in his alien tongue then spit onto the visor of Lukshn's helmet. This he could not, would not accept. He refused to accept defeat in this mission. So he did the one course of action left in his darkening mind. With all of his remaining strength he kicked the Romulan's leg, forcing him to stumble forwards into the machine and into a glowing red button. Quickly the angered Romulan got up and retaliated with a swift kick to Lukshn's helmeted head. Darkness came to the Breen soldier's eyes, but he knew it was too late. The message had been sent and the Alliance had a chance to defeat their enemy once and for all. This was his hope and it was all that was on his mind as he fell into the awaiting abyss.
Mission
A small group of Alliance commandos has been dispatched to the desert-like moon of Delpox II. There they are ordered to break into a Romulan supply compound and take one of their cloaking devices. Once they have achieved this objective they must survive until a ship comes to evacuate them.
Mission Date:
78th day in the 2369th of Molar
Sweat poured from his face down onto the scorched earth. The dry heat was enough to squeeze the perspiration from anyone who dared ventured into the bright rays, but being chased by a group of Romulans sporting disruptor rifles didn't help things any. Slowly he counted down the distance in his head. It was an ever dwindling amount until he reached the safety of camp, which wasn't much, but was always better then running for your life.
A sudden searing hot beam of energy flew past him, nearly hitting him in the shoulder. Distracted by the near miss he almost didn't hear the second shot which was followed by the dying scream of a comrade. The combination of both events quickened his pace towards the sanctuary.
'Not going to make it', he said to himself as more shots flew past him. His mind let the world fade around him and the only thing he was aware of was the frantic thumping of his heart and the exhaustion that beat down on him from all over. The weariness in his bones ached him nearly to the pain of giving up. A most dreadful thought crept its way into his head; one of giving up, of being defeated by his foe. Inside his mind he fought such a concept for he was Klingon and he would never surrender to either the enemy behind him or the one inside.
For awhile he knew only that he was running and to where was nearly lost. A thick brownish haze floated in the air making it hard to see very far ahead. In the distance though a form began to take shape. It appeared to be a sand dune at first, smooth and dome-shaped in design. As he got closer though the object's grayish stone pigment shone and proved that it was no mere dune. Slowly the image grew larger in size and its features grew more distinct. His heavy feet trudged through the soft, loose dirt until he was at the structure's entrance. In a blind leap he dove through the tall rectangular doorway and hit the structure's floor with a loud thud.
"Commander Koltarn!" came one of the door's guards. Quickly he rushed over to help the sprawled Klingon up to his feet.
As Koltarn stood up he looked at the guard then at the other one who was busy laying down cover fire for the other troops as they rushed into the building. "Lieutenant Turax, I want you to secure the device as soon as Lukshn brings it in."
"So you succeeded in retrieving it sir?" The two exchanged glances as three other soldiers made their way through the entrance. Two of them were carrying a heavy case between them and the third had his hand on a dark spot of wetness over his left side.
"Where's Noktle? And Zor'kat?" the other guard asked as he looked over the party.
"Noktle was killed back at the base, trying to buy us time to escape. Zor'kat must have been shot in the back while we were en route here." Slowly Lukshn dropped his edge of the case to the floor and turned around to look out the doorway which he just entered.
"Alright people. We got the device but we aren't through yet. Turax I want you to secure the device in back with the supplies. Lukshn, you and Tamarak are on guard duty. There were a couple Romulans who followed us and they may be out there getting ready to strike. Burmek I want you to look over Charg's wound. Meanwhile I'll be trying to order that evac we were promised." Everyone nodded and proceeded to their assigned tasks.
Koltarn made his way to the back of the small bunker and entered one of the two rooms placed in the structure's rear. There was only one thing in there but it was the one thing he needed. Placed along the far wall was a small wooden table where various communications equipment was. With a slight grunt Koltarn pulled out a chair from under the table and sat down in it. He cracked his knuckles and surveyed the equipment before trying a message.
"This is Commander Koltarn. My team has completed our mission on Delpox II and are ready for immediate evacuation. Any Alliance vessel receiving this message please respond." After recording the message he pressed the send button and told it to auto repeat it every five minutes. Slowly he eased back in his chair and placed his feet on the table. A deep sigh was let out as he closed his eyes and thought of the mission he had just finished.
It had been a simple task, so said the politicians in charge. Sure, just walk into a heavily guarded Romulan base and steal a piece of their most valuable technology. Not like anything could go wrong there could it? But it almost very nearly had. If it hadn't of been for Noktle the whole team would have probably been killed, or worse yet captured.
The image vividly played over again in his mind. Charg and Zor'kat had stayed at the base's entrance to ensure it was safe to exit when the rest returned. Lukshn and Burmek were busy loading the device into a crate when suddenly an alarm went off, a warning to the Romulans that enemies were nearby. Suddenly as he had turned to face Noktle a disruptor blast struck the soldier in the chest. At first Noktle stumbled a little, coming into the room where he and the other two were. Then as shouts from a Romulan attack group became audible Noktle turned and ran towards them, killing three with his phaser before taking on the others in hand to hand combat. Before the Romulans were able to take him out he had killed two thirds of the force, leaving it small enough to be finished off by Koltarn and Lukshn.
The moment the last Romulan dropped in death Lukshn ran over to check the body of his teammate. Though Koltarn couldn't see his face through his thick soldier's helmet he knew that his face must have displayed a mix of anger and sadness. Both Noktle and Lukshn were among the best soldiers in the Breen army and they had become very good friends over the years. For a moment Lukshn lowered his head and muttered something which Koltarn neither heard nor understood. Then as if someone had flicked a mental switch in him he stood up and went back to help Burmek. For a Breen Noktle had been a fine warrior, and Koltarn would make sure he had an honorable burial ceremony when they returned back to Alliance territory.
Footsteps coming into the room caused Koltarn to open his eyes, but he didn't move anything else. A worried look was displayed on Burmek's face as he walked over to the commander, ready to give his report.
"Sir, Charg's wound is pretty severe. The disruptor blast punched a hole right through his body, breaking at least three ribs and puncturing a lung with it. I bandaged it up tightly but...." He paused for a moment trying to find the right words to go next. "But I'm not a field medic sir. I've done the best I can do."
Koltarn rose up from his chair and walked over to the Cardassian soldier. He looked deeply at him trying to find the right inspirational words they both were in need of. "That is all you can do Burmek, your best. As long as you do that no one can look down at you or think of you as a failure. Besides, Charg is a Klingon warrior, and Klingon's don't go so easily."
A small weary smile came onto Burmek's face. "Of course sir. What would you ask of me now?"
"Go and get something to drink for you and Charg, I bet we are all a little thirsty after running almost four kilometers in the searing heat. Then go help Lukshn and Tamarak guard the entrance."
"Yes sir." Burmek zealously said before walking out the door.
The Alliance had given Koltarn a commando team mixed with the three strongest members of the Alliance. There had been three other Klingons besides himself, two Cardassians, and two Breen. At first the thought of having to command any soldier that wasn't Klingon didn't appeal to Koltarn. He hadn't had a high opinion of soldiers from their allies' armies but these were the best troops of their race, and Koltarn had to admit they were good at their job.
He looked over at the communications equipment and saw that there was a faint transmission coming in. A bit of hope took strength in Koltarn as he flipped a switch which would allow him to listen to the message being received.
"This is the IKS Korrd to Commander Koltarn. We received only a brief message identifying yourself before the transmission was cut. Please repeat your message so that we may receive a full status report and can properly plan the mission's next phase."
"IKS Korrd, mission is completed and the team is ready for retrieval. I repeat, mission is completed." Koltarn waited for a moment to see what the ship's commander could offer him. A few anxious moments passed before another transmission came through.
"This is the IKS Korrd to Commander Koltarn. We received only a brief..." The same message as before repeated through the communications speakers. Apparently the Korrd had not only failed to receive his entire message before but was also unable to receive any further messages he might transmit. Only one possibility as to why this was could shape in the Klingon commander's mind; a Romulan scrambling field. One which would prevent anyone to receive messages from the surface. With a touch of irritation Koltarn flipped the equipment off and tossed the chair aside as he left the room.
After a brief survey of his team he headed over to where the wounded Charg was carefully propped against a wall. As he knelt beside the warrior he looked over his wound. "Look's like they got you pretty good Charg," he said with a slight smile.
"Aw its nothing but a minor flesh wound," Charg responded with a hint of pain in his voice. "I'll be back up and ready to save your butt in no time, sir."
"See that you do Charg. Just one thing though, mind stop bleeding for a moment? You're going to stain your outfit and you know how those politicians hate to spend money for new ones," Koltarn said placing a hand on his comrade's shoulder.
This provoked a small laugh out of Charg. "Don't worry sir, I won't get it too messy."
As Koltarn rose up from his crouch he was approached by Turax. Though there wasn't a command structure in the group, aside from Koltarn being the leader, Turax had been unofficially declared the second in command. He had several leadership qualities in him but had never been given the proper chance to display them. Turax had been given a lot of Koltarn's respect on this mission and he had been pleased to see that the respect had not been misplaced.
"Were you able to get through sir?" Turax asked with slight concern.
"Only a partial message was able to get through before the Romulans put up a scrambling field," Koltarn said in a low voice so no one besides Turax could hear. "No one will be coming to pick us up as long as that scrambling field is in place."
A slight noise came from Turax as he started to pace slightly. Koltarn wasn't sure if the noise was a grunt or a sigh but he was certain that it was a sign of his distress. Though he was a good soldier Turax often made his thoughts, and feelings, about situations quite clear. Normally Koltarn would put a subordinate in line for such an action, but Turax was different and he let the little habit slide.
"We can't stay here sir," Turax finally declared the blatantly obvious. "There is an entire contingent of Romulan troops stationed here and I doubt they would let us leave with one of their cloaking devices." His gaze shifted towards Charg for a brief moment as he lay wounded on the floor. "And Charg won't make it if we can't get him to a medical bay and soon."
As he sifted through the facts that Turax had just given him, facts he was already well aware of, he tried to come up with some solution. Turax was right about the Romulans. There weren't any Romulans attacking their small bunker at present, but for how long that would remain the case was anyone's guess. Only one thing could come to his mind, one conceivable option that they should take. But the option was a dangerous one and Koltarn didn't feel right making it alone.
From the storage room he pulled out a metal chair and sat in it as he looked over his attack squadron. "Turax, Burmek please sit down. Lukshn and Tamarak, stay on guard but be sure to devote part of your attention over here. We have things that need discussing."
Burmek and Turax hesitantly looked at each other before sitting down, not quite sure what to expect. After a wary moment of silence Burmek decided to be the first to speak. "Might I ask what exactly needs discussing?"
A quick glance from Koltarn was shot towards the Cardassian, but it remained for only a moment before fading away. "Well Burmek, I think everyone should be made aware of all the details at hand before we proceed with the mission."
Satisfied with the answer Burmek folded his arms against his chest and leaned back into the chair, awaiting the supposed information that was about to be divulged.
"I'm afraid to report that my attempts to contact an ally vessel were unsuccessful," the commander said, feeling like he had let his team down. "Apparently the message that I sent was picked up by the IKS Korrd, but was cut off briefly. I can only conclude that the Romulans have put up a scrambling field to prevent us from getting outside help."
Lukshn turned from the door for a moment to look at Koltarn. The expression he wore underneath his helmet was a mystery to all except him, but his posture gave a hint of concern in his being. There was a momentary pause where he stood as still as a statue before finally turning back to face the harsh wild outside.
"Then we are basically stuck here right?" This time it was Tamarak who chose to express his opinion rather loudly before the group.
"Well as long as the field is up we won't be able to send a request for retrieval..." Koltarn wandered off in his words as though his mind was busy wandering down a path to some solution that could be of use.
"So basically we need to take out that field's generator," Lukshn said over his shoulder. "I mean that is where you were going, isn't sir?"
Not quite knowing how to respond the commander sat there for a moment in an almost awed silence. Though he opened his mouth he didn't speak for a lasting few moments of thought. "I don't see any other way that we could get retrieval."
"Won't they come after us eventually anyway?"
Sitting across from him Turax gave the Cardassian an odd look and silently wondered what type of question he had just asked. "No they won't, Burmek. If they don't hear from us then we will be considered dead and they will move on to their next mission."
"Well that's not very stoic of them, leaving men behind when they don't know whether they are alive or not."
"Stoic or not that is what we Klingons do. We have neither the time nor the resources to search for every soldier that might be missing. Besides which, we aren't afraid to die in combat."
"Are you implying that Cardassians are cowards?"
The two continued fighting back and forth for a few moments until Koltarn stood from his chair and gave them both a strong, stern look which proved very successful in deterring them from continuing. "The situation is this people, they won't come unless we send them a message. As long as the field is up then we won't be able to send a message. Basically, as long as the field is up we are stuck. So that leaves only one option in my opinion."
"Destroy the field's generator," said the unmoving Breen statue guarding the door.
"Do you know how many Romulans they must have stationed at that base? Not to mention the fact that the generator won't exactly be placed right out front for anyone to take out. Frankly, I don't think we will be able to pull it off and get back out alive."
"And what would you have us do instead Burmek? Wait here until the Romulans come for us anyway? No, I think we should attempt to take out that generator. It's the only hope we have of leaving this moon alive."
Burmek was about to object when suddenly the hand of his Breen comrade was placed on his shoulder. Without making a single sound Lukshn had been able to come up behind the Cardassian before anyone had known he had moved at all.
"Think about this before you make your decision Burmek. Think about Noktle and Zor'kat who died here today. Who died trying to make sure that our mission was a success. If we don't at least try to destroy that generator, try to complete our mission, then they will have died in vain. Is that what you want Burmek? Do you really want to have them died for a hopeless cause?"
The small speech spoken by Lukshn had an apparent effect in the Cardassian soldier for his face soon displayed a look of one in thought. He could see the faces of the two soldiers before him, see them before the mission had begun back when they were happy to do something to help benefit the Alliance. For a moment he wondered what they would say given the chance. How they would suggest to proceed.
"What is your opinion Burmek? Do you believe we should proceed?" the commander asked of the Cardassian.
Slowly Burmek began to nod his head. "Yes, I believe we should. If not for us, if not for the Alliance, then surely for our fallen comrades Noktle and Zor'kat."
"So there is a soldier in you after all Burmek," Turax commented.
"Very well. Everyone prepare to leave in one hour for the Romulan base. Our goal; destroy the generator or die trying."
"Sir," came the sickly sounding voice of Charg. "You aren't planning on leaving me here are you?"
Koltarn looked over the wounded Klingon and searched for the right words to say. "Charg," he started, trying to make his words sound free of anything which might be taken as pity. "You're not in a good enough condition to leave, let alone be in a combat situation."
"Sir," the wounded soldier said looking into his commander's eyes. "I may not be in good shape but you can't leave me here to slowly die alone. We both know that I may still be of some use to this mission, if even a small one. Even if I don't make it through the attack then I will of died in battle with honor, which is what all of us truly want."
For a silent moment Koltarn sifted over Charg's words in his mind. Though his body might have been wounded his mind was still intact, and it was a mind of a true Klingon soldier. "Alright Charg, you will not be left behind. You will be given the chance to go down in a blaze of glory."
"Thank you sir," he replied having trouble saying the words.
"For now rest though, let your body strengthen itself. We will let you know when it is time to leave."
As Charg dozed into sleep Koltarn went to the supplies in the rear of the bunker. There he found a small flask of bloodwine which he had brought along with him. Slowly he unscrewed the container's lid as not to spill any of the precious liquid. After a brief sip he tightly screwed the lid back on and placed it in a small box. Usually bloodwine was only to be drank after a victory, but Koltarn had found a strange feeling of calm every time he had some and for this reason he had drank quite a bit as of recent.
The next hour passed surprisingly quick as they prepared for the task before them. As they packed the needed gear everyone was aware of the high chance that most if not all of them would surely be killed on this near suicide mission. It was what needed to be done though, the Alliance needed that cloak if they were to win this bloodshed. After gathering a few things of his own he half reluctantly left the back storeroom and prepared himself to lead his troops into doom.
As the commander stepped back into the large front room of the bunker Lukshn approached him. "I've just double-checked everything sir, we are ready to go."
"Well it's not quite been an hour but there isn't much of a reason to wait, is there?"
"None that I can see, sir."
"By the way Lukshn, thanks for that speech you gave back there. I think it helped all of us out, not just Burmek."
"It was nothing sir," he said modestly. "I only said what I felt, what I knew we all felt deep down."
"Still, they were good words." Koltarn said placing his hand on Lukshn's shoulder. "Let's just hope that we will be able to repeat those words to our fellow soldiers."
Lukshn stood there looking if he was about to say something, but merely nodded his head. Though he was a brave and capable fighter he too knew the peril they were about to undertake.
"Is everyone ready then?" the commander asked of his troops.
"Looks like it sir," Turax replied.
"Very good then. Let me just get Charg ready to go and we will be off."
"You aren't serious about bringing him along are you?"
"Of course I am Burmek. I gave him my word that he would be able to fight, and die, alongside us and my word is one thing that cannot be broken. If you have a problem with that then I suggest you get over it; quickly."
For a moment Burmek looked a little shocked by the words, but he quickly overcame them and scoffed them off. "Bring him, but don't expect me to drag him along."
For a brief moment Koltarn glared at Burmek as he increasingly lost patience with the brash Cardassian. "Charg, wake up. It's time to slay some Romulans." As he walked towards the slumbering Klingon he shouted at him several times, thinking of how sound of a sleeper he was. It wasn't until he reached Charg that he realized he wasn't sleeping, not anymore.
Quickly Turax noticed that Koltarn was standing silently still over Charg. As he approached the two the realization of what had occurred began to hit Turax. All he could do in response was stand still next to his leader and almost silently mutter of how pitiful of a way to die it was.
"Are we going or not?" Burmek said to the two Klingons, before taking a step towards them. Suddenly though a gloved hand was placed on his shoulder and held him back for a moment.
As his hand held back his Cardassian comrade Lukshn stepped towards the two Klingons. Slowly he spoke, making sure to choose his words as delicately as possible. "Burmek is right, if not untimely rude. If we are to indeed attempt this then we should act as quickly as possible while we still have a chance at success, which is what we truly need. Not only for those that have died but also for those who have yet to."
Lukshn's words shook Koltarn from his trance as he suddenly came back to the world. After one more long glance at Charg's slumped body he merely placed his hand on Turax's shoulder before the both of them quietly exited the bunker, followed soon after by their three comrades. For the sake of Charg, Noktle, Zor'kat, and all the others who he had watched die this mission would be completed, or else let him fall down to the ground in death.
The trek back to the Romulan outpost was a solemn one. Very few words were spoken amongst the group as their feet grew tired and the sun dimmed and faded behind the lunar horizon. It seemed to take double the time for them to reach the installation. Whether this was merely in Koltarn's head or whether it really did take the extra time no one could be sure.
"So do you have a plan for getting in there, sir?" Tamarak asked, not quite sure of what to do next.
Looking over the front of the base Koltarn tried to come up with one of those amazing tactical strategies that make their creator a legend, but none came to him. Night had fallen and it was growing hard to see anything clearly. He knew that there was at least three disruptor turrets stationed on the building's roof, but whether they were currently manned only the Romulans knew. The building's main entrance was only a short sprint from the rock cropping where they were, but there was plenty of time for those turrets to pick them off. He just didn't know what to do.
"Sir, we can't just sit here and stare at it. Is there a problem we should be aware of?"
"Well they are nearly impossible to see in this light, Turax, but there are three high energy disruptor turrets on the compound's roof. If we were to go charging up to the gates with them manned then I doubt any of us would make it."
"Well then we will just have to make sure they don't know we are down here, sir."
"Do you think they installed any sort of security devices after we left? I mean they do know we are here on this moon."
"There's a strong chance of it, though I can't imagine any such devices could be fully activated already."
"The longer we sit here the more chance they will have to activate any sort of device. I'm going on ahead. You can follow me if you want." Cautiously Burmek got up from his hiding position amidst the rocks and, crouching low to the ground, began to make his way towards the compound's door. After he had halved the distance he got up from his crouch and turned to gesture his comrades to follow.
Everything slowed to a crawl in an instant as the Cardassian waved the others on. He stood there with a smirk of defiance on his face as he looked back toward the rest of them. A bright light flashed from somewhere behind him and a high energy sound followed it. Neither Burmek nor any of the others immediately registered what had happened as Burmek's smirked face changed and his body collapsed onto the rocky earth.
"Burmek!" Tamarak shouted as he scrambled to get over the rocks and to the side of his fallen brother in arms. If it wasn't for the quick action of Lukshn then the other Cardassian would have surely met the same fate as several disruptor blasts flew directly over the two.
"Sir, in this darkness the turrets can be seen with each blast."
"Well noted commander had I not of noticed that already. All units open fire at the turrets the moment they become visible." What ensued after that order was a tense fight that could have been seen for miles around had there been spectators. Two of the soldier's shots impacted on a turret and caused it to explode in a brilliant flash of light; sending its operator flying skyward and thumping hard against the ground. Seconds later another explosion followed from the compound's opposite corner.
"I have to get to Burmek sir!" Tamarak shouted over the loud blasting fire. A look of helplessness flashed in his eyes and Koltarn knew how much he wanted, needed, to go.
"Go Tamarak, we'll cover you. Lukshn and Turax, concentrate your fire on that middle turret."
Leaping over the rocks Tamarak went into a crouched sprint the moment his feet touched the ground over to where the body of his fallen comrade lay sprawled on the ground. Carefully he picked up and cradled Burmek's broken body, oblivious to the weapons fire taking place above his head or the final explosion which signaled the end of the Romulan threat. What he was aware of was the life draining from Burmek through a blast wound located between his shoulder blades.
With the last of the three turrets destroyed Koltarn gave the order to approach the two Cardassians. Slowly the three soldiers made their way across the soil, none really wishing to approach the scene before them. From their vantage it was difficult for them to assess the situation, but it was obviously grim at best.
As the three soldiers approached Tamarak lifted his head to face them, all the while doing his best to fight back tears. Turax opened his mouth for a moment as if to say something but changed his mind at the last moment. All Tamarak could do was slowly shake his head back and forth before turning his attention back to his fallen friend.
A few sudden coughs signaled to the others that life still coursed through Burmek's veins, though how much only he knew. Feeling the immense pain in his back he winced a bit then looked up at the faces hovering above him. "What...." was all he could manage.
"You've been shot in the back Burmek," Tamarak managed to spit out as the others silently stood over him, not sure of what to say. "It's okay though, we made those Romulan scum pay."
"Good," Burmek coughed out. He felt the sharp pain in his back and the blood seeping from the wound but it wasn't until he saw the look on Tamarak's face did he understand the seriousness of his condition. "I'm not going to....make it am I?"
"No, of course you are. You just need a little rest and..."
"Don't lie to me Tamarak," Burmek abruptly interrupted. "We have known each other far too long. Just promise me one thing will you?"
His emotions started to get the best of him as Tamarak coughed slightly and a few tears went down his face. "Of course my friend. Anything."
Suddenly several gurgled coughs came from Burmek's throat but he used all of his remaining will to force his last request out. "Don't......fail...." was all he managed to say before he took a final breath and collapsed limply into Tamarak's arms.
Knowing nothing better to do Koltarn placed his hand on Tamarak's shoulder as he began to cry while he clutched his friend's dead body. "Don't worry Burmek. For your sake, for the sake of Charg, Noktle, and Zor'kat. For the sake of all those who have died and those yet to, we won't." Once he felt that he had spent enough time on the saddening scene Koltarn slowly turned and solemnly made his way to the compound's entrance.
After giving Tamarak a moment to grieve Lukshn reluctantly picked him up and dusted off his leather outfit. "Tamarak, it's time to go. It's time to finish our mission so that we can finally bring these Romulans to their knees." The words would have tasted horrible in his mouth had words had any flavor to them at all, but he knew the words were needed to convince Tamarak to press on.
Slowly Tamarak was able to tear his gaze off of the body of his friend and was able to place it on his Breen comrade. "Yes," he said quietly forcing the word out, "we must press on. No matter what happens we must continue so that this tragedy can come to an end."
Without giving it a thought Lukshn padded his hands on Tamarak's shoulders before waving his hand in the direction of their waiting comrades. A cool breeze began to blow in the dark night and deposited a thin layer of earth on Burmek's cold body as Lukshn and Tamarak turned away from the remains of the soldier with whom they had served with and headed in the direction of their waiting Klingon comrades.
"Are you two ready to take down some Romulan pa'tahqs?" Turax said with a bit of enthusiasm, but not too much as to take away from the scene which was still too recent.
"Ready? Turax I don't care who I face or what I know them to have done I will never be ready to kill them, ever. At least, to this I hope to be true."
"Suit yourself," the Klingon shrugged off
"Will you two be quiet? Do you want the entire platoon of Romulan soldiers stationed here to be aware of our presence?"
"Don't you think they already know sir?" the Cardassian soldier asked half looking at the turret remains smoldering on the compound's roof.
"I'm not sure. I don't hear any sort of alarms going off so I believe we are still safe. Either way we must go in or leave knowing that our mission was for nothing."
"That I simply cannot accept good sir."
"Very well, let's proceed then." All four of them slowly nodded to each other before Koltarn opened the door and they entered with notable caution.
"About how far is it to the field generator?"
"I'm not exactly certain. If I am correct the room with the generator isn't too far from the storage room where we got the cloaking device. So we have a little distance to cover before we get there, but it shouldn't be a problem as long as we don't run into any Romulan guards."
"I wonder how many guards the Romulans post during this time of the night," Tamarak whispered to himself.
"Well the Romulans aren't as dedicated soldiers as we are!" boasted the Klingon lieutenant. "I doubt that they have many on guard at such a late time at night."
"Are you forgetting our less then subtle entry? I don't care how dedicated their troops are, no one would be able to ignore fiery explosions big enough to shake the building they're in. Not to mention the weapons fire which was less then silent."
"We get the point Tamarak. Whether Turax's comment is true or not we still haven't heard anything to signal that they know we are here."
As if by some cruel twist of fate a loud blaring sound suddenly rang out through the corridors. "Attention all troops. A group of Alliance soldiers have infiltrated the facility. It is not known how many there are but they are considered armed and dangerous as they were able to take out the stationed disruptor turrets before entering. Stop them at all costs, capture if possible and kill if necessary." A loud and authoritive Romulan voice stated over an intercom.
"Well so much for that little touch of fortune," Tamarak said hoping to make it a joke, but quickly saw that this was no time for jokes. "What should we do now sir?" After a momentary pause he looked at Koltarn hoping for some daring answer.
In one sweeping glance the commander took in the faces of his three subordinates and quickly determined how desperately they needed a daring answer from him. His mind raced for second upon second but only one thing came to him and he blurted it out with all his force. "Run!"
Turax was the first to turn and head down the hallway, followed quickly by the others. Though he led the pack he quickly opted to slow for a moment to let Koltarn in front. After all he was their leader, and probably the only one among them who knew where the generator's most likely location was.
Being at the end of the pack made Lukshn the most likely of the four targets, but it was only a flicker in his mind. All he could think about was getting to their destination in one piece and that stayed his only thought until a disruptor blast shot by him, barely missing his right shoulder. "Sir, we've got company!" he shouted as a group of Romulans opened fire behind them.
"I think we can see that Lukshn!" the Klingon said as he turned his head and fired a shot back at their aggressors. "Don't stop for anything men! We have to make it to the generator no matter the cost," he said hoping to give them the morale boost that they needed to make it.
The next few moments seemed like nothing but a wild blur. Hearts thumping and feet pounding against the hard metallic flooring the four Alliance commandos ran with all their might. From seemingly everywhere came the shouts of threats and commands spoken by Romulans and disruptor fire seemed to fill the corridor. Throughout the trek the four soldiers fired several shots to take down Romulan aggressors en route without missing a step. After crossing down untold lengths the group's commander veered right and dove into a small room, followed quickly by the other three.
"Is this the right room sir?" Lukshn asked but quickly withdrew his question when he saw the massive generator against the room's side directly opposite of him.
"Turax, you and Tamarak guard the door and take out any Romulans that get within sight."
"With pleasure sir!" Turax zealously replied before taking his post.
"Lukshn, you will help me take this generator out."
"Will do sir. Let me just have a look and see what we have to work with." For several minutes Lukshn studied the Romulan generator's components for a means to take it out. As he did so a barrage of screams and phaser fire noise came flooding in, making it hard to concentrate. After a thorough once over Lukshn turned to face Koltarn who anxiously stood next to him. "We have a problem sir."
"A problem? What kind of a problem?"
"Well the generator is made of a trilunium alloy, which means..."
"Which means our weapons won't even make a dent in it," the Klingon abruptly broke in.
"Exactly sir."
Koltarn let out a sigh as he looked over the Romulan generator which seemed to mock the two. "See if you can shut it down. We'll just have to hope that we will be able to send out a message before the Romulans can reactivate it."
"Very well sir. It will take a little bit of time though."
"Time is not something we have in abundance Lukshn. Do whatever you have to take this out as quickly as possible."
"Of course sir," Lukshn said before turning back to the generator. He knew that the success of their mission now rested entirely on his shoulders, and he was determined not to fail them. They had already lost so much in this war. So many voices had gone silent, so many faces were no longer able to smile. From his four comrades who wouldn't make it home from this mission to so many others he had seen die throughout his tour of duty. He knew that if they could bring this small piece of technology home it would change the face of this war, for the better.
With all his focus he studied the generator for some solution. Using the knowledge learned so long ago at the training academy back on the home world he looked over every inch of the towering machine, desperate to find its weakness. Though he tried it was hard to fully concentrate on his task with so much chaotic noise in the background. After a brief moment he determined that it would be near impossible to focus with such a thing happening mere feet behind him. "Hey do you think you guys can be a little quieter? You're making it hard for others to do their work," Lukshn yelled over his shoulder trying to make a point.
"Sure Lukshn. We'll just tell the Romulans to be a bit quieter in their screams of death. Or perhaps we can convince them to stop all together? Would that help you?" Tamarak said with an obvious note of sarcasm. He turned his head and shook it as he looked at the two standing by the generator. He would have let out a laugh were it not for a small round object which suddenly tapped against his left boot.
"Tamarak look out!" The Klingon lieutenant tried to shout, but it was too late. A huge explosion erupted from the tiny sphere and sent both of the guards flying off of their feet and into the corresponding walls behind them.
Reacting without a thought Koltarn ran over to the doorway, but quickly ducked back inside through the thick smoke. "Our time's up Lukshn. I need that generator down now!" The commander ordered as he stepped beside the Breen soldier once more. The moment he did several Romulan soldiers came through the doorway and took only a moment to survey the scene before opening fire. Koltarn quickly retaliated, trying to protect Lukshn as he finished his work.
Pain rushed to his head as Turax opened his eyes. Across the room he could see Tamarak leaning against the wall bleeding and unconscious. He didn't know if the Cardassian was dead or alive, but that was of little concern as he quickly noticed a small contingent of Romulan soldiers that was flooding into the room. In a flash he took in the entire scene; the Romulans coming into the room, Lukshn frantically trying to deactivate the generator, Koltarn furiously taking down as many enemies as he could. His disruptor was no where to be found but he reached back and took out his other weapon, a trusty dk'tahg blade.
Without any notice Turax lunged at the Romulans, blade in hand, and proceeded to slash away at the enemy soldiers with a true warriors passion. With a stab he gutted one of the foes, a slice made a deep gash into another's neck. As more and more of his foes fell a green liquid began to coat the entire area. The dead bodies of enemies piled up at his feet and Turax let out a victorious roar and flashed his sharpened teeth in delight as he continued to cut and slice away at his enemies flesh. This continued seemingly forever until he turned to face his commander in a salute of tribute. That salute fell short though as a disruptor blast struck the fierce Klingon's chest. His expression suddenly changed in the same fashion as Burmek's had done earlier before Koltarn's eyes as Turax slumped to the floor and his body joined those of his slain enemies.
The sight of his comrade falling in death enraged Koltarn and he wanted to slit each Romulan's throat and shout some justification as they lay dieing at his feet. Deep down he knew though that blind rage wouldn't do him much good, nor would it do any good for Turax. While his friend was dead he knew that for his sake the mission must be completed. Quickly he glanced over at Lukshn who was still frantically working on bringing down the generator. It was hardly worth doing now. Koltarn knew that neither he nor Lukshn would survive; that they would soon meet the others fate. Perhaps though there was still a bit of hope. The cloaking device they had stolen earlier was still tucked safely away back at their bunker, and perhaps maybe the Alliance could retrieve it before the Romulans did. His only hope, and he was desperate to cling to it and to do whatever it took to make it a reality.
As the Romulans started to enter the small room Koltarn fired shot after shot from his phaser and downed enemy after enemy almost the second they came into view. The dead began to pile up at the room's entrance as Koltarn took step after step towards it, all the while not letting up in his attack. In an almost cinematic fashion the scene played out, Koltarn continuing to fire and the Romulans continuing to pile up dead. When the commander reached the spot where his comrade fell in death he slowly bent over and picked up the dk'tahg blade which was still clutched in Turax's hand. With this in hand he let flood all the rage and passion that boiled inside him, which in turn gave his assault a new awesome fearsomeness which mimicked Turax's, but clearly surpassed it. He sliced and cut all the while continuing to fire, slaying dozens of Romulans. Throughout the fierce chaos one thing was clear; Koltarn enjoyed it. In fact he reveled in the bloodbath he was creating. More and more enemies fell and with more bodies at his feet the more he became entwined in it. An almost primal energy coursed through his veins as he fought in near god-like fashion. To his detriment though was the fact that he became so involved within the fight, within himself, that he failed to notice a Romulan soldier sneak up behind him and was completely oblivious to the enemy soldier until he felt something metallic hit him hard in the neck. By then though it was to late. His legs began to give out and he stumbled to the ground. With all his strength he tried to continue the fight, to try and give Lukshn the chance needed to complete this most crucial of missions. Unfortunately for him will alone could not prevail as he closed his eyes and slipped into unconsciousness.
With all his attention focused on the task Lukshn was still vaguely aware of what was happening behind him. He heard the small explosion and the bodies of the two guards being tossed aside. He knew of the fate of Tamarak and knew the fierce attack from Turax which ended in his death. And also he was vaguely aware to the fate of his Klingon commander. Through all this though he stayed committed to his task, not wanting to fail his comrades as they fell in death around him. Taking down the generator was impossible, this Lukshn knew quite well. However in his rushed but thorough study of the machine he had found a way to piggyback an Alliance transmission out on one of the Romulans subspace courier waves. Hopefully someone would be listening and all this senseless chaos would not have been in vain.
Suddenly the disruptor fire died and was replaced by a Romulan, probably the platoon leader, ordering Lukshn to cease. Immediately he ignored the order from his enemy and continued on his task. He was so close now, so close to being able to send out the Alliance's last and best hope for winning this bloodbath. A feeling of success washed over him as he finalized the setup. Now all that was needed to send out the message of hope was one final button to be pressed. Underneath his standard issue gray helmet he flashed a smile as he reached for his prize. A loud electric sound and a sharp pain would rob him of his prize though. The disruptor blast had hit him in his back and the pain from it caused him to fall upon the ground. As he looked up a tall Romulan stood over. He cursed something at Lukshn in his alien tongue then spit onto the visor of Lukshn's helmet. This he could not, would not accept. He refused to accept defeat in this mission. So he did the one course of action left in his darkening mind. With all of his remaining strength he kicked the Romulan's leg, forcing him to stumble forwards into the machine and into a glowing red button. Quickly the angered Romulan got up and retaliated with a swift kick to Lukshn's helmeted head. Darkness came to the Breen soldier's eyes, but he knew it was too late. The message had been sent and the Alliance had a chance to defeat their enemy once and for all. This was his hope and it was all that was on his mind as he fell into the awaiting abyss.