Chapter 14

Northern Region Qo'noS

From the bowels of Qo'noS the lava began to surge and the earth began to crack around it. The signs had been there for the past six decades that a major eruption was about to happen. Those on the surface were too wrapped up in their daily lives to pay attention or care. Now it was too late to take action, the core was beginning to roil and grow and the core was ready to seek a new life of its own. Now the ground rumbled and the poor village on the cuff of the lava flow was no more. The screams died with the hot rock falling, the pumice that sought its own way into the atmosphere and the hot molten lava burst forth in a hot shower of death.

Every man woman and child that had resided nearby was no more, nothing left to even recognize there was a village there at one time. Gone was the culture of that region that was uniquely that village, gone was the life that had begun to flourish and gone was any sign of life for the area. With the alert resounding in some obscure science station over three hundred miles away was even too late. Now a real emergency was beginning to dawn on those that lived near the mass destruction of what had happened and they were afraid.

Council was in session when a runner rushed to the podium and to GowRon's ear to whisper what had just happened. The epitaphs that spewed forth from his mouth alerted the others on the council that something tragic had occurred. GowRon had stood shouted the petitioning was over and ordered the council to his ready room. He walked with less confidence and more anger to the room and went immediately to his vid screen and began to code in the region that had just been decimated by the eruption. "That is what is left of ngech VvengHom."

The silence in the room indicated their shock. "Did any survive?" That was Palaq third senior prefect for that region. He had relatives there. GowRon turned his gaze to the faithful member and shook his head sadly.

"None were able to get out before the ground opened up and the lava poured forth. There is nothing left my old friend." His words were sincere and he could feel the anger and the hurt raging inside of him, lifting his head h howled for those brave ones that died and for his family. Palaq's howl was long and heartfelt and soon the others on the council out of respect joined him in the howl. Those in the outer chamber hearing the ruckus of the inner chamber knew something catastrophic had happened and it moved them quickly from the room to see what any news station was reporting.

"I will send out a search and rescue team to see if by chance any survived. It is doubtful that they have and I would welcome any suggestions on how we can handle this growing and obviously immediate problem of another volcano erupting with such disastrous outcome. Lovok was the first to suggest the obvious.

"Perhaps we should ask the Vulcans and the Federation, specifically the Earthers for assistance. It would be a good time to seek their help do you not think GowRon?' As much as he hated the idea he nodded slowly.

"I leave that to you to handle, I know you have powerful alliances on Vulcan and on Earth that you might contact."

Shumaq sighed and shook his head. "We wait, the Federation will be contacting us offering to help. However, the Vulcans should be approached they take a more wait and see attitude before they involve their race in anything of this scale."

GowRon knew he was right but not to reach out first only opened the door for backdoor intrigue by the Federation, which he did not trust. "I would agree for one reason of not letting them contact us first. That is we want to control their presence here. So by contacting them first we can do this without little effort on our part. I want the scientists to be prepared to move in as quick as possible. I want to know why we did not see this coming and what happened that we ignored any prior sighs. We might wish to also check the other active volcano's and start evacuating the areas so that we do not loose any more of our family."

There was a mutter of ascent and those that had family and assignments filtered out of GowRon's ready room heading to secure their family's safety and to check on their areas. He knew this day would come now he just needed to focus on saving his planet and his people before he worried about the petty grievances he had with the Clerics, which brought to mind an new plan. Walking to the con panel he began to code in an alert to Boreth. He waited while channels were processed and then watched as T'L'th appeared on screen.

"You know?" GowRon had noted the serious and concern look that edged his features. He nodded slowly and looked down.

"How many dead?" His words were filled with the sorrow he felt for loosing any good Klin.

"Unknown we lost the whole of ngech VengHom. Palaq's families are gone. I am sending out search teams when the area is approachable and the lava is not flowing."

"Do you require help? I can send specialized teams to assist if you wish. Does anyone wish to take refuge here? I am sure we can accommodate your people here." T'L'th was trying to offer help to a crippled Empire and was only thinking of the lives that could be salvaged or sheltered.

GowRon smiled inwardly, he could easily send in his moles along with those that sought shelter on the peaceful planet dedicated to the love of Kahless. It was for GowRon a win-win situation. "Thank you T'L'th, I shall go planet wide with a broadcast to extend your offer, I may need assistance in transportation. I am sure the Federation will contact me and offer help. I will ask only for assistance to see about relieving the stress from the core of the planet to redirect the flow of the lava or to transport those that wish to leave. "

T'L'th nodded slowly, "I too shall make an announcement letting those here that have family there know what happened and if they wish to send for those family members they may make arrangements." T'L'th did not trust GowRon but even he would not be so cold and heartless as to kill a whole village to make his point unless it was war. Feeling an obligation through the teachings of Kahless he had to let his brethren know what happened and allow them to decide how they wished to proceed.

Sighing heavily he knew with those on Qo'noS had a way of thinking, which sometimes was adverse to those on Boreth. Where his population was mostly filled with famers and crew workers and those devoted to the ways of Kahless by humbling themselves and doing the menial tasks. He knew those on Qo'noS looked to the business enterprises, the warrior cast and the military minded. He was sure that once they mingled the two cultures there would be casualties on his end.

Walking to his privatorium he saw his wife sitting over her console and she looked upset. "They estimate six thousand dead not to mention the property damage, and loss of natural resources. I suppose some will wish to come here?" She looked up at the set features of her husband. Though outwardly she knew he would not show his heavy heart she could sense it from where she sat.

No sooner had her father entered their chambers her console alerted her to an incoming message from one of T'L'th's ships. It was Captain K'Ter'r. "Husband, Captain K'Ter'r is on line do you wish to speak with him?" She watched his shoulders heave with the weight of what he was about to tell him then stopped.

"He knows what happened my love, M'lar knows he knows. Put him through." The vid screen came to life and their daughter stood shoulders back, head held proud and eyes fixed to her father's eyes.

"What do you want us to do father?" He did not hesitate knowing he was putting her in danger he needed her on Qo'noS. "Go to the Captial and see GowRon, take the ship to help transport others back if they wish to come. I will send further orders later and will send K'Ter'r's ship once it is done, I have ordered more work crews on it to get it finished. It is a larger ship than the one you have, you can command the ship you are using now coming back, and K'Ter'r may have his own ship back, you both are to stay there and bring back as many as you can safely. I will contact the Federation, and your friend Janae and send him to you."

She smiled and bowed to her father. "As you wish my lord." She had given him the professional title that most gave upon receiving orders from him. She started to terminate their connection when he stayed her hand.

"M'lar." He looked into her eyes and to her hearts and spoke softly. "Be careful, know your mother and I love you very much." He had left so much unspoken. She had read between the lines, smiled and blew him a kiss.

"From my lips to your lips I take your words and hold them in my mind upon my lips and in my heart." He choked up with the thought that his daughter had remembered the simple words he had spoken to her from birth until she was appointed to the chair of High Cleric.

"I know your words, I taste your lips, and I feel your heart, die well my sweet one, die well." It was another phrase they had exchanged since she could speak when she would take a day trip away from home. Though what would have been spoken from warrior to warrior, it was what father would wish to his daughter when she went into danger representing what and who she was and carrying the titles of his house with her.

T'L'th watched the screen for a while longer after it had gone dark. Ashira walked to her husband's side and ran her arm around his thick waist and rested her head on his shoulder. "She will be fine my love. She is after all a part of both of us and then some." She smiled into her husband's eyes and saw the anguish he was hiding from the world and she leaned up to kiss his lips. "Do you wish me to write your speech to the people?" She felt the pressure on her arm tighten as he drew her closer. She nuzzled closer to him and heard his deep voice through his chest. The rhythm of his voice vibrated against her cheek.

"This is something I need to do." He lowered his chin to the top of her head and closed his eyes. Something in him knew that the moment all those Klin died she felt it to the very core of who she was because of her enhancements and he could not imagine how horrific that must have felt. So many crying out into the space to suddenly find their lives cut off and their travels to the dark fleet filled with pain and terror. "I feel for M'lar now, tonight will be the worse, she will see them you know, all their souls as they cross the river to the dark fleet."

Ashira did not want to think about it. She knew how painful it was feeling the death of just one was for her. What could it be like for M'lar whole could feel all the klin's pain, fear, terror, and death. It had been so hard for her to insulate her self against this in the beginning while growing up. She had questioned her husband's wisdom in having her altered to be able to enter their psyche to know them from inside out and give her control over their minds. Now this was the hardest part, M'lar would be on the planet that had lost so many in such a horrific way Ashira was not sure how M'lar would handle the situation.

She watched T'L'th leave their personal chambers and walk with leaden feet to the anti chamber to his temple petition room. She knew he would take up position on his chair and then activate the planet wide alert. Then all vids would be on him. Walking to her screen she activated it and waited. It was not long until the vid of her beloved ban 'al came on view, his head bent his shoulders slumped. Hearing the beep signaling him he was live on the screen he lifted his head and squared his shoulders for all to see him grow strength.

His message was short and to the point, he spoke of the deaths and the destruction that had occurred due to a natural disaster on Qo'noS and any that had family in ngech VengHom that there was no hope of them surviving. Those of this world that wished to send for family on Qo'noS they should do so and that there would be others sending ships to help transport those that wished to be transported to their planet. He ended the message somewhat like he would have sermonized the ending to one of his sermons on a high holy day.

Kahless stood at the bottom of his dais and looked upon a man he had taken and adopted as his son. "You did well son. So now we wait and see if Qo'noS can solve their problem?" With a heavy heart he mounted the steps to stand next to his son. Laying a hand on his shoulder he sighed deeply and spoke softly. "Now we band together to weather this new storm that we face. Never alone my son."

Ashira had activated the worldwide alert so all of Boreth could see Father and son consoling each other in a time of sorrow for the Klingon nation. Over the vid screen all of Boreth saw Kahless standing next to his son and supporting him in his hour of sorrow for those lost. "Together son, we lift up our voices and send them to the dark fleet with a cry of victory. Their time has ended and now they walk a new path and fight on the other side. Come join me in the victory cry."

Kahless' voice began more as a keening wail to grow loud and reverberate around the room as the call of the decades came forth now joined by not only T'L'th but by those in the house serving the cleric and those members of the cleric's family. The room began to fill with howls as more joined in and the howls were taken up over the entire planet as those watching lifted their voices to cry out a victory war cry. Never before had a showing of unity been displayed than it did now.

Space dock edge of Borethian space

K'Ter'r's ship

M'lar turned to K'Ter'r. We have our orders we need to make way to Qo'noS. In all her life she had been to Qo'noS only one time and now the thought of entering its airspace and feeling the anguish of those that had passed was weighing heavily on her shoulders. Walking from K'Ter'r's ready room she headed to her quarters and slumped down on the sofa. Closing her eyes she was already empathically sensing the cry of a thousand. She felt ill and knew it would not get any better the closer them came to the planet.

It had been a horrible feeling that had washed over her body when the deaths first occurred. She was disoriented and afraid. Looking pale and drawn she staggered to the table nearest her in the cantina Grog had watched her with a degree of concern. "Captain, your cleric is ill I think." He had walked towards her to see her look up at him blankly. She put her hand to her forehead and then staggered forward. Stretching her hand out she gasped.

"They are dead! They are all dead! There are so many. Now there is so much confusion. So much . . ." M'lar collapsed to the floor and curled into a fetal position. Her mind was being over whelmed with the screams, the terror, and the pain. If she could cry she would be wracked with sobs. Instead she lifted her head back and howled. It was heart rending and filled with seeking peace for souls lost.

Grog looked from M'lar to Captain K'Ter'r they had not expected that howl to also be a summons. Bi'Anka hearing her mistress' call for the dead and the pain that filled her knew instinctively there was something seriously wrong. Thrusting her hand forward she knocked the unfortunate detail worker out of her way sending him flying to the wall to crash and slump to the floor. Picking up speed she was met my HmfiC, Dovka and Tork in the hallway. "Where?" They all looked to see a gathering around the opening to the cantina.

The hapless onlookers glanced up to see the cleric's enclave heading at break neck speed to the door. HmfiC was the first to arrive and pushed through the door. He was stricken seeing his charge lying on the floor writhing in pain of an unknown source. Bi'Anka followed by Tork and then Dovka. They formed a barrier around their mistress. This was serious. Lifting up her hand she sent out to those that surrounded her the images she was seeing.

Hot lava flowed over the land; burning rocks fell from the sky with a ton of pumice that now suffocated the town and its inhabitants. They all laid dead and now their bodies were burning and they had no chance for survival or for a chance to escape. HmfiC was the first to block the images of the burning dead; he turned his back to M'lar and looked at K'Ter'r. "We must contact T'L'th. Qo'noS is burning." For M'lar's sake at least the majority of those that were now seeing the images she was projecting, they had seen similar before in war. Although it was not on this scale it was a lot for their mistress to endure.

Bi'Anka now clamped down her mind to the images and the feelings that would be overwhelming for most. She had the background of the Volkain so she could handle the emotions that were being projected. Turning to Dovka she spoke harshly. "Find the doctor, bring a sedative she needs to have a blocker." Dovka turned and walked briskly from the room heading to sick bay.

Tork lifted his mistress from the floor and cradled her close walking out of the cantina to the docking bay of the ship. Bi'Anka followed. Pausing briefly by K'Ter'r she spoke softly. "She will be fine in a few minutes, once she has the blocker administered, she just witnessed thousands die on Qo'noS from a volcanic eruption. She hears them screaming as they die and can see how they died. We need to let her collect her self. Once she does she will need to speak with her father, I am sure there will be orders for us."

K'Ter'r was not sure what to make of the display he had just witnessed. "Can you imagine how horrific it must be for her Captain to have to witness the deaths of each and every one of those that died on that planet?" Faritili was being the voice of reason in his mind and right at this moment K'Ter'r did not wish to hear him. "Be quite!" He growled only to have Grog defend him self.

"I said nothing, it is horrible and I am sure that with such a disaster a lot will change for both these worlds." Grog backed up from the angry looking Captain.

"I was not talking to you, I was talking to Far, the voice in my head. Look I got family on Qo'noS I need to find out what happened and I am worried." He turned sharply and left the cantina following the honor guard of the cleric. His concern was now two fold. He had family in the Capital city and was not sure how much had been affected and who all died but he needed to get to Qo'noS. Walking towards the ships docking port he paused to look around at the docking station that had almost taken on a familiar feel since his refit began. He looked to the view port to see work had stopped briefly on his ship. It appeared everyone's attention was fixed to the vid screens and then GowRon's announcement was made over the viewer screen in the hallway.

Cleric's ship

Captain's Ready Room

As soon as the head of the council had quit speaking he knew he needed to get to his ready room on this temporary ship and wait for M'lar to join him. A pale and lethargic looking cleric entered his ready room and sat at his table, when the vid screen flickered to life and activated and the Supreme Cleric made the announcement. His voice strong and filled with sympathy for those that had lost their lives. She watched as her grandfather joined her father and together they howled the death howl for those that had lost their lives.

M'lar sat stoically through her father's announcement, then the howl for the dead between her grandfather and her father was telecast to the world. A part of her was still back on Qo'noS lying under the lava flow that had claimed their lives. The blocker had helped her get control but the pain was still there and it was burning in her body for release.

Cleric's Quarters shipboard

M'lar laid staring past the pain, past the images that had filled her mind flooding her with raw emotions. She clinched and unclenched her fists waiting for it to pass. As she thought she would get past one round of painful images another set of images would flood over her. Bi'Anka sat watching her mistress shift through her grief and her pain. She had already insulated her mind against what M'lar was seeing. The last thing she needed was her guard over whelmed by their mistress's emotions.

As the hours passed and the small cleric was able to sift through her pain she gave a long heaving sigh and closed her eyes to sleep. The mediation had been worthless. Now she needed to focus on what she was seeing. Through all the pain and anguish she saw something. It began as a flicker, if not a small glimmer of hope. A pocket had been formed and there were survivors and they were running out of good air to breathe. Rising up she turned and looked to Bi'Anka. "How soon until we get to Qo'noS?"

Bi'Anka looked at the view port then back to her mistress. "We should be arriving within the hour." M'lar nodded stood from the sofa and walked to the console and began to run her fingers over the panel and finding what she needed she set the coordinates and transmitted them to the transporter bay. "The minute we get within transport range, we need to transport those in that location out of their hell and into a new life."

Bi'Anka nodded and walked to the console to see what she had discovered. "They can scan that area and will find there are survivors maybe close to a hundred survived." Bi'Anka looked at her mistress.

"if they survived is it possible there are more?" M'lar closed her eyes and began to search further, the efforts starting to show on her face as the sweat beaded her forehead. She nodded slowly.

"We need to hurry, there are others that did survive. They are trapped and will not have long if we do not get to them." Bi'Anka with determination set and her goal in mind followed her mistress to the transporter room. Where they waited to get into range to bring out survivors.