All the cell doors were open.
There was silence as SuD looked into one of them then shook her head looking back toward the captain.
"Baktag!" Voq swore, hitting the wall with a fist.
"HoD?" Commander Doq said. Captain?
Voq turned toward Doq and the large group of Klingon warriors.
"Duj batlh je tlhap wItI'nISmo' maH!" Voq said. We take back our ship and our honor! "Tlhlngan MaH. taHjaj!" Remain Klingon!
The klingons raised their disruptors in the air repeating the chant as their voices echoed down the corridor making a disturbing chill in the air.
The last Culber recalled was flying among a web.
It was like a spiderweb in the shape of a tunnel.
The bright blue intensity was all around him.
Culber knew which web that he had to bring the Discovery toward.
It was like he was flying without any asteroids in the way, the great barrier, planets, or gas planets for that matter alone habitable moons. It was as though he was the only person in there piloting a roller coaster going exactly the same speed he was and everywhere he looked there were tracks. Except, the ship was his tether that he was guiding. Then came the impromptu crash landing that was like a hard thud against the pavement. The ship was no longer connected to him and he was free to take his time. The first thing he sensed was warmth. It was coming from his hand.
"Paul?" Culber asked, softly. His eyes slowly opened.
"Hugh," Stamets said, squeezing Culber's hand as a smile grew on his partner's face.
"Did everyone make it?" Culber asked. Culber rubbed his forehead. "Felt like I crashed."
"All one hundred thirty-four," Stamets said. "We are well on our way of fulfilling the mission."
"Good," Culber said, relieved as he lowered his hand.
"Just leave the next glorious sacrifice to me, will you?" Stamets asked.
"It wasn't a glorious sacrifice," Culber said. "It was a lovely sacrifice."
"It wasn't lovely, Hugh," Stamets said, as Culber leaned up on to the biobed.
"If I can't be there then the next sacrifice won't be from me," Culber said, cupping the side of Stamets's face with his right hand. "I just hope the next sacrifice from one of us won't be fatal."
"On the continued growth of my mushrooms: it won't be," Stamets said, Culber combed his hand through the blonde man's hair. "I guarantee you."
SuD lead the third Klingon team down the corridor.
The small group heard sounds of running.
Each time they turned the running came to a stop.
It was frightening to say for the least.
In a hall that was mostly occupied by Klingons, there were sounds but the source wasn't there. It sounded like there were thousands of people were marching. The Klingons warily resumed their trek through the corridors. The doors were left open to the cells. A few of the Klingons looked into the cells with their disruptors on ready to vaporize them. SuD was looking in both directions. Voq wanted the starfleet captain brought to him, alive, and the rest to be given death or being beaten up. The misery of the Starfleet officers were what the prisonship was brought out of its former retirement.
"NuqneH!" SuD greeted, holding a fist up signalling the group to a halt.
"I am giving you a chance," Tyler said. "Who's side are you on?"
"tlhIngan maH!" SuD replied. We are Klingons!
"Figured," Tyler said, with a shrug.
"Heghlu'meH QaQ jajvam!" SuD said, as the Klingons aimed at the human. Today is a good day to die!
"All right," Tyler said, with a whistle.
By Tyler's sides appeared two star fleet officers holding a phaser.
"nuqjatlh?" SuD said. Huh? As two more officers filled in the gaps holding daggers.
Tyler waved his free hand back.
"Today is a good day to die," Tyler said, taking out a disruptor from behind his back. "I heard Gre'thor has a open slot, Doctor SuD." with the press of the trigger, jets of green light flew toward the large Klingon group.
Nurse Travis slipped and fell then looked over his shoulder. Doq's group was ganging up on them. Travis limped his way from the scene. Doq dropped the Andorian officer to the floor barely alive. He snapped his fingers summoning two officers behind him. Travis's dagger was on the floor. As another Yeager crewmember fell to the floor with a cry of pain. Doq was ganging up on Travis then lunged. Travis jumped out of the Klingon's way coming to a skidding stop against the corner of the hallway. Doq landed onto a thin gray wire. A long, gray blade came down slicing off Doq's head.
Lurecca climbed onto the top of Doq's head then gave a thumbs up.
"We will take care of this group," Lurecca said. "Just stay out of this corridor for fifteen minutes while my people do what their best at."
Travis nodded with a concerned look on his face.
"You are barbaric," Travis said.
That earned a smile on Lurecca's face.
"I'll take that a a compliment," Lurecca said, then took out a communicator like device. "Kachiko itch-eh, orch-eh duh ka-choe Lu-eee." Do it, orders of Captain Lurecca. She closed the device then looked up toward Travis. "I look forward to meeting you again under better circumstances."
Lurecca had a small wave at Travis as she vanished in green light.
Travis slid his back down the corner of the hall.
"I hate this war," Travis said, in a upset tone of voice.
"Hello, Captain Voq," Lorca said.
Voq and his army of Klingons turned in the source of his voice.
"Captain Lorca," Voq said, stepping forward. "How does it feel to be in war again?"
"Miserable," Lorca said. "I propose a truce to discuss these issues."
"This is nothing to speak of," Voq said.
"Not bad English," Lorca said, stepping forward with his hands up. "Did you learn that from Tyler?"
"He is mine," Voq said.
"He is Starfleet property," Lorca said. "he belongs to no one."
"The federation claims our territory is theirs," Voq said.
"Really?" Lorca said. "What you took has always been yours except for the mining colonies."
"You have been starving us of planets to conquer," Voq said. "so we are starving you, kicking you out space by space, and destroying every ship that dares to defy us."
"We haven't been destroying your ships in the first place," Lorca said, stepping forward. "You are scared that we are trying to destroy your culture."
"This federation has no honor!" Voq shouted.
"Really?" Lorca said, raising his eyebrows. "From what I heard, rogue Klingons have no honor." he stepped to the side. "Now, I am not interested in killing any more Klingons then I have to today. Leave or," he held his index finger up. "die in a honorable fight."
Voq stepped forward with a deep, sinister growl.
"I have honor," Voq said. "Except you, veteran of culture destruction and dishonorable battles."
"Honor once used to be based on honesty and respect in your culture," Lorca said. "you're using a twisted version of it."
"But the destruction of cultures!" Voq shot back.
"Cultures change and adapt," Lorca said. "we hardly destroyed them."
"They were never the same after joining your federation," Voq said. "what was once our allies have become our enemies."
"These battles tend to happen because of misunderstandings," Lorca said. "We only fire when we can't solve the problem."
"This is a problem that you cannot solve with your peace," Voq said. Voq growled back standing tall over the short human. "Killing you without a fight would be a waste of my time."
"This isn't over," Lorca said.
"Yes, it is," Voq said. "Your precious ship is no where nearby."
"The next time I see you, it better be behind a field," Lorca said.
"Dying by my dagger from battle," Voq added.
"We'll cross that bridge when we get there," Lorca said, stepping to the side even further. "As you were, Captain."
Voq walked past the captain. The last Klingon charged at Lorca with a dagger at hand. Lorca dodged then slipped out his Klingon disruptor then fired at them. He stopped with his phaser aiming at the distance Voq standing there at the corner staring back. Lorca saw the blurry figure stand there, meeting his eyes, in a tense moment. Voq left calling, "mej!". Depart! Lorca lowered the disruptor. He had one fight but the battle to end the war was another. Lorca sighed then took out his communicator.
"Lorca to Tyler, the rest of the ship taken?" Lorca asked.
"Aye," Tyler said. "We got her. L'Rell reported that Engineering is well in our hands."
"Good work," Lorca said.
Landry sat back into her chair.
"We'll be on our way to Starbase 46," Lorca said. "I haven't heard any reports regarding the Discovery's capture or destruction . . . so I am taking that as another good week in the war," he had a weathered smile. "Good work, Ellen. Lorca out."
Landry smiled.
"Computer, archive message," Landry said.
Landry turned from the bulky, white object with a smile on her face.
"Message archived," came the computer's reply.
The Discovery came to starbase 46 as it had been requested. A large Klingon prisonship was in the dry docks being rectified to a different affiliation. It had been a week with the Discovery's field trip and Lorca's brief absence. Burnham rarely went to the bridge even with being first officer under the argument that she hadn't been assigned to the bridge. The look of bemusement on Landry's face and Burnham's stoic demeanor with that argument was enough to let it go for the time being. Burnham watched with curiosity from her window with folded arms. The rescue mission of the USS Gigarin had been taxing for their chief doctor turned navigator. She made her way down toward the observation deck a logical place to check first when it came to a wandering captain. When she arrived, there was Lorca staring on into space. He looked over his shoulder then shared a small warm smile.
"Hello, Number Two," Lorca said.
"I heard we have a new crewmember from the Yeager," Burnham said.
"I made him a promise," Lorca said. "long as I am still serving aboard this ship, he can be be part of war and get counseling. In the mean time," he turned his attention onto the prison ship. "You have a consultant to work with in the upcoming future."
"Consultant?" Burnham raised a eyebrow.
"Someone who lived among the Klingons," Lorca said. It didn't sound well. "What better is it than having a Klingon aboard?"
"We are war with them," Burnham reminded.
"We are at war with rogue Klingons," Lorca said. "She is a eye opener. A Klingon, Commander. She knows more about Voq than we do."
"She is our Voq consultant," Burnham said.
"She is strictly not part of Starfleet and does not wish to join it after the war," Lorca said. He sighed then turned his attention onto Burnham. "So I heard you were acting first officer."
"I managed," Burnham noticed his blue eyes were brighter. "You have prosthetic eyes."
"I bought the expensive ones," Lorca said. "more pain the better for my eyes."
"Captain," Burnham said. "Does Commander Landry know of the consultant?"
"Uh huh," Lorca said. "She is escorting the officer to her quarters right now. We had a short discussion about it before L'Rell was beamed aboard," Burnham visibly relaxed. "You better get along with L'Rell. She is not our enemy. She is our friend for the time being."
"I did not consider her a enemy when you mentioned her as a consultant," Burnham said. "She can not be what I want her to be, she can only be what she is."
"Wise words," Lorca said.
Burnham nodded.
"Captain," Burnham started. "I might have something to attend to on Vulcan in the upcoming year."
"How important is it?" Lorca asked.
"Life or death," Burnham said. "I will report to engineering due to this matter."
"Understood," Lorca said. "It will be a shame to lose you for so long."
"It will only be a day if it goes the way I want it," Burnham said.
"Oh, a day," Lorca said. "should you not come back does that mean I should get another second officer?"
"There are fine officers aboard this vessel fully capable of taking over," Burnham said. "Such as Lieutenant Stamets."
"Damn, you got me," Lorca said, light heartedly. "good officer."
"Indeed," Burnham agreed. "he is."