The Inquiry-class starship, USS Dragon, quietly drifted through the magenta-colored interstellar gas cloud. Within her hull, a deep sense of melancholy and apprehension weighed heavily on the hearts and minds of the crew.
Zachary sat in the captain’s chair; usually, this would have been cause for celebration, but even he could not bring himself to enjoy the moment. Kiff sat quietly in the chair next to. The bolian’s focus shifted occasionally from the floor to the data-packs being sent to his terminal. V’era sat in Jessica’s seat on the bridge, her legs crossed, and fingers tapping occasionally on the chair. The loss of a crewman was impactful enough on the rest of the crew, but the science officer was more concerned with the implications of his loss and what it meant for their mission.
Jessica, Clara, and Roptojmey were in Sickbay with the Trill assemblage, gathered around the recovered remains of the Prime Ken symbiote as the Guardian Salmek gave it its last respects. Michael and Pi, however, watched on from the CMO’s office.
“Reports indicate the resistance are evacuating everyone they can from Starbase 74 following its liberation. Some of the starships that were dispatched away at the time and also freed from their control are enroute to aid in the evacuation. Still, somehow the parasites already knew the second they lost control, and have intercepted and destroyed 2 ships.” Pi informed the CO, still not having changed out of his away-mission attire.
“Klingon Contingency?” Michael quired.
“Yes sir. Three Squadrons, each consisting of a Vor’cha-class battle cruiser, and three K’Vort-class attack cruisers. But intel suggests there is a central command vessel somewhere coordinating, but they’re not able to pinpoint where or what without assistance.” Pi confirmed.
Half paying attention to the conversation, Michael watched as the Trill medical team gently lowered the deceased symbiote into a medical stasis chamber, sealing it and covering it with a silver embroidered cloth bearing the seal of the Symbiosis Commission. He lowered his head for a moment in quiet respect to the officer he never got to truly know.
“What did you want to do about them?” Pi inquired.
Michael looked up and turned his focus across the room. In one of the examination rooms, the Displaced Ken in the Prime Orlok’s body sat on a bio bed, with the Chameloid Miranda lying in his arms. She had rendezvoused with the Dragon after their escape to bring them news of SB-74’s liberation, and to return the remains of the proper Ken Symbiote. As much as it helped, Michael knew that in her grief over the loss of her own Orlok was what drew her to return, so she could see her lover once more.
“I honestly don’t know…I’m open to suggestions.” Michael admitted.
“Orlok is ours, but he won’t survive without a symbiote. And we can’t bring that Ken back through the portal with us without introducing a displaced element back into our universe.” Pi summarized the facts aloud.
“And leaving him here leaves a displaced element in this universe…” Michael added.
“Honestly, sir, we can’t save everyone. Altruism aside, our focus should be on minimizing the impact of our own world.” Pi advocated.
“True, not like he looks to want to leave this world anyway…at least not without her.” Michael said, watching the two embrace. Clara and Jessica entered the office together, drawing the others’ attention.
“Salmek thanks us for recovering Ken, and wants to return him to trill, in our reality, for proper funeral rites.” Jessica reported, giving a slightly emotional Clara a final supportive hug. Michael glanced at the councilor, knowing full well she had telepathically absorbed a lot of the grief in the room, causing her temporary emotional state.
“Once we figure out what were going to do with him…” Michael began, before the trill of the comm system interrupted him.
[Zachary: “Bridge to Captain Angelus.”]
“Go ahead, Zach.” Michael answered.
[Zachary: “Sir, were receiving a coded message from Starbase 74. The Klingons are closing in on them.”]
“Understood, were on our way.” Michael confirmed, nodding to his assembled senior staff.
Orlok had overheard the comms, and both he and Miranda approached the office, the looming threat of their comrades pulling them out of their personal affairs with worry. “Permission to join you, Captain?” Orlok requested.
“Granted.”
——————————
USS Dragon – Bridge
(10 Minutes Later)
——————————
The senior staff had all reconvened on the bridge, taking their proper stations. Even Roptojmey joined, sitting in the back at one of the spare Science stations as a silent onlooker.
“Sensors indicate all three squadrons have the station surrounded. They’re taking the same posture we were, just outside weapons range.” Zach reported from tactical.
“Sir, Starbase 74 is hailing us on a secure channel.” V’era alerted from her station. Michael nodded in acceptance as the Science Officer opened the channel.
On the screen, Lt. Smith’s face appeared, the lines of exhaustion apparent on his brow as he looked in on the Dragon’s crew. “Captain. Thank you for answering. I know you can’t interfere in our world’s problems and all, but those problems are quickly becoming your own.” The human resistance leader explained.
“How so?” Michael questioned.
“I’m sure you know our situation. I honestly expected them to open fire as soon as they dropped out of warp. But instead, they hailed us…they want to negotiate…but with you.” Smith stated.
“How do they even know who I am?” Michael inquired.
“I don’t know…maybe that distress signal the hive-mother tried to send out? But they said we can either raise you now, or they can destroy this station and everyone on it, and then head towards the Betreka nebula to flush you out.” Smith finished.
“How the hell do they know where we are?” Zachary blurted out.
“Raise shields, Pi, Scan for cloaked ships in the area!” Jessica ordered quickly.
“Belay that…” Michael stated calmly, raising his hand to calm the room. His mind was racing with possibilities, but he was fairly certain they were alone out here, for now. “…one moment, Donnavan.” Michael replied calmly, signaling V’era to mute the comms.
Turning to his XO, “Scan for ships, but if they’re out there, I don’t want to give them any indication were onto them.” He turned to the Security station, “Mr. Ken, will you and Miranda please wait in the conference room. They think you’re dead, and I’d hate to ruin the surprise for them too early. You can watch in from the terminal in there.” As his orders were carried out, Michael nodded to V’era to resume the call. “Go ahead and patch them through, Mr. Smith. And good luck.”
The screen went blank, then was replaced with the logo of the Klingon Empire. “Sir, the station transferred us to the lead Klingon ship, but they are routing us to another location.” Pi reported.
“Trace it, discreetly if possible.” Michael commanded.
Then the voice hit them. Deep, guttural, primal. It had the same horrific effect as the Hive-mother who commanded the station, but somehow it felt worse. “Though I don’t doubt your ability to track us, Captain. That won’t be necessary.”
Everyone on the bridge froze. Michael had given that command BEFORE the comm channel was linked, how did they hear him?! Taking a breath to center himself, Michael stood from his chair, “And who am I speaking with?”
“We don’t have names or designators your kind cling to so desperately. We instinctively know our place in the hierarchy. But in this world, your kind call me…Kahless the Reborn, Supreme Emperor of the Klingon Empire.” The screen shifted from the Klingon Logo to the bridge of a Klingon ship. The view was centered on the Captain’s Chair, but a Klingon figure did not sit before them. What sat in its place was a large, worm like creatures with a viscous, chitin exoskeleton, and four claw-like appendages that draped over the chair like clumsy limbs.
An emergency signal beeped on the captain’s chair. Glancing down, he could see a text message left for him by Orlok in the other room:
[Orlok: “That’s a Hive-Lord!”]
“Well…you look…different from the textbooks, Kahless. Lost some weight?” the captain deflected, trying to regain his mental composure from the reveal.
The creature gave a howling chuckle, “You need not flatter me, Michael…I know you’re not from our world. You need not maintain such a farce.”
“Guess we didn’t do that good a job jamming that distress signal then…” Michael extrapolated, figuring that was the only way the enemy forces could have known such details.
“Oh no. All they managed to get out was ‘Help’ before we were cut off.” Kahless revealed, leaving Michael more confused.
“Then how…” he began to ask. But before his question could finish, the screen shifted to the Engine room of a Klingon ship. There, at the heart of the warp core, was a crackling red crystal. “V’era, what am I looking at?” He managed to get out.
Not only was the Dragon receiving the communication, but they were also being routed telemetry and sensor data from the screen. The Half-Romulan officer turned, her expression was one of shock and concern. “Sir…that’s a Boreth Time Crystal.”
The screen suddenly cut back to the Klingon bridge, “I can’t begin to tell you how valuable these little bobbles have been to our cause since we discovered them. You mortals, squander your gifts behind morals, religious subtext, and superstition. They have shown us so many wonderful things. Taught us how to defeat our enemies. The Dominion, The Romulans…And now, you. I take it you know where I am now, Captain?” the Kahless creature balked.
Michael’s eyes shifted to Pi, who nodded and pulled up a smaller screen inside the view monitor. The galactic map of their area, pinpointing the location of the communications, was located right outside the entrance to the Quantum Fissure, which was docked with the abandoned Starbase 80 of this universe. They were waiting at the Federation ship’s only exit point.
Gritting his teeth, Michael expressed in a controlled voice. “What do you want?”
“Ill spare every miserable life on that starbase. All I want…is you. And let’s face it, Michael, I have more Klingon ships enroute to search that nebula you’re hiding in. Not that it matters much, because if you stay too much longer, you risk the wrath of the Loom descending upon this world…and here, you’re the displaced. Either way, all roads lead back to me. One way or another, I will get what I want.” Kahless sneered.
“Helm…” Michael called out. “Disembark the nebula, three-quarters impulse. Once clear…Set course for Starbase 80. Warp 6.”
Kiff looked back at the captain for a moment from the helm station and gulped nervously. “Aye captain…”
“Such a good, obedient boy you are…” the parasite taunted.
“Oh…I’m coming alright…” Michael snarled. “…but you’d better consult that crystal, because you’re about to get a hell of a lot more than you bargained for.”
[TO BE CONTINUED]
