Sharpened Cutlass  – 0830

They made their way through the corridors picking their way through the scattered bodies of Romulans.  Reid and her team were going body by body checking for signs of life.  The security chief and his group followed behind them, weapons drawn.  Fires still burned in the corners of the halls and lights flickered as power fluctuated across blown conduits.  They'd restored life support and power but the latter was having struggles getting to all corners of the Warbird.  They'd traveled five decks and found none alive.  They were working their way through the deck below the bridge as Kondo was scanning the blast patterns on the walls.

“These are from Klingon blasters.”  He worked his way to the bodies and back to the walls, “They made it onboard, Doctor.”  He slipped the tricorder onto his utility belt so that it was actively scanning, “We should proceed with further caution.”

Jordan growled, “As if it couldn't get any harder."  They reached an intersection and Kondo motioned his officers to check and clear. 

Lieutenant Thasaz brought up the flank and settled in next to Reid.  “They died fighting, Doctor.  Each of their weapons was completely drained and burned out - the firefight would have been overwhelming.” She shook her head, “This wasn't a fight…this was extermination.”  Reid wondered what it had been like to die this way - Romulans were not warriors in the sense that the Klingons were and a fight like this would have eventually turned on them - the Klingons would have been merciless.  Kondo waved them on and they continued.

=Harris to Mr. Kondo=^=  The security chief tapped his badge and tapped it again to click his response.  His CO reported, "We're picking up Klingon life signs on the bridge…and since we restored power it looks like they're trying to get the Cutlass sharpened again.  Double time your efforts to stop them…we're going to have to raise our shields and distance ourselves.  We're warning the engineering teams as we speak.=^=

He turned to the doctor, “We'll take the lead here - you and Lieutenant Thasaz stay behind us…fire if needed.” He motioned his security team to gather up and they began to plot action.

Jordan turned to the science chief, "The warp drive is shot…could they get the other systems powered?"

Thasaz grumbled as she examined her PADD, “Impulse may just need a reset…shields are possible but they'd be restored to maybe…25%?  It would keep us from getting off the ship…"

Reid finished the thought, “…and keep us as prisoners of war…or better yet bargaining chips.  They're probably counting on our commander not firing on his people.”  She threw up her hands, “What a mess.”

Kondo glanced back at them, “We're going to three-prong the attack.  Two of us on the turbo-lift, one through a conduit on one side, and the other on the other side.  Should be able to knock them out.  You two - come with us and stand behind us.  We fall, you take the lift back down.”  The ship shuddered and alarms began sounding across the ship, “Damn, they're gonna try to move her.  Quickly!”

The ride in the turbolift was silent as Kondo and his officer took up positions in the far corners, crouching.  Reid and Thasaz behind them, weapons drawn.  The doors slid open and all four of them let loose without even waiting.  The Klingons on the bridge turned - the interior sensors had been damaged in the attack.  They dove behind consoles as the phaser fire slammed across the bridge, sending sparks and smoke into the already clouded air.  Moments later the two tube-bound men dropped into the bridge and took up positions, sourcing where the attackers were and firing.  The two in the turbolift slipped out and took cover, firing in the direction of where they had seen the Klingon's dive. 

Thasaz glanced out as phaser and disrupter fire scattered through the air from both sides - she made eye contact with one of the Klingons as he peeked up above his console. She didn't wait.  She didn't speak.  She stepped out, aimed her phaser, and fired on stun.  He shouted a curse in Klingon as he hit the ground and the Romulan science chief dove and rolled to a position beside Kondo who remarked, “Excellent shooting, Lieutenant.  We're down to two more."

Reid remained in the turbolift, her phaser in hand.  There was a shuffling of movement and the figure of a young Klingon warrior bounded backwards into the lift, moving to hit the button for the lift.  The doctor had a split-second decision to make.  She could stun him, and escape…or she could wait until he discovered her as the doors closed and hope this young Klingon warrior gave credence to sparing medics from death.  Even spared, she would be a body shield for him as he searched the ship for an escape route.  She sighed and sent him flying back into the bridge with a blast from her phaser.

Kondo glanced back, “One down.  One to go.”  He shuffled from console to console as the lone holdout fired from his corner of the bridge.  He knew there would be no surrender.  The three other members of his team watched him hand signal to them the movements he needed them to make and as they shifted into position as he crouched into his…waiting.  The warrior came over the edge of his cover, disrupter in hand but before he was able to shoot, the weapon and his arm took a blast from the Starfleet crew's phasers.  He growled and shouted as he went down and Kondo leaped over his cover and charged towards the Klingon who rolled up and stood, hands at the ready.  The weapon lay on the ground smoking.

The young warrior growled at Kondo, “You will not take me alive, Starfleet.  My fists will pummel your human body into pulp. Death will come for both of us today.”

Kondo shook his head, “If we stood alone in a corridor…or on a field of battle…yes.”  He brought his phaser up, “But we're not at war…and I'm not going to kill you today.”  He fired the phaser as the Klingon realized what he was going to do and attempted to rush him…but fell back to the ground with a grunt as the stun setting took him down.

Thasaz scrambled from her position and went to work on the consoles while Reid went to each of the unconscious invaders to check on their condition. The turbolift doors opened as Chief Katsumi stepped into the battered room and gazed in wonder and annoyance.  “You guys certainly know how to throw a party.”

The security chief and his team were inventorying the weapons that lay around the room, “Be glad you don't have to try and fix this mess, Chief.”

Thasaz examined the screens, “The Klingons weren't just here to spill blood.  I'm showing they did a near-complete dump of the ship's computer core - communications, logs, sensor reports - everything.  I think they were looking to find out who the players are out here.”

Okada slid into the seat beside her and coaxed further information from the system, “They went to town…damn.  I'm sending a copy to the Edinburgh.”  Another pause, “Oh….shit.”  Kondo glanced from his work and the others turned to the chief engineer who related what she'd found, “We're in here - rather extensively. The Sharpened Cutlass crew did their research on us.  Like really really well.  They dug into Patra and everyone else.  The Klingons just got a full picture of our efforts and the Romulan situation in this sector and beyond.  Communication from the Edinburgh - they've received our data and recommend we return shortly to discuss what to do with the Warbird."

Sitting next to her, Thasaz wondered aloud, “Why are they here?”  Okada shrugged but sat straight up as the consoles beeped alarms.  The science chief tapped quickly, “Looks like her sister ship heard the noise.  The Clawed Death is entering the system…Edinburgh is hailing them and including us in the channel."  She tapped the console and the flickering screen showed Harris on the bridge and a much better Romulan bridge.

=^=What is the meaning of this, Starfleet?  Why are your officers on the bridge of  Romulan Warbird?=^=  Harris explained the attack by Klingons and had a report and the complete data dump shard with them.

=^=We's stunned three Klingon officers on the bridge of the Sharpened Cutlass - we've completed our investigation and are ready to turn the ship and it's prisoners over to you.  Our Chief Engineer has done a complete workup on the ship's status which we're sharing with you now.=^=

The captain of The Clawed Death stared at both Harris and the crew on the ruined bridge.  A momentary thought crossed his mind and he replied, =^=It is agreeable.  Once you have transported over…you will depart this system.  We must collect and mourn our dead.=^=  

The channel slammed closed and Kondo stood, “I think we should get off this ship as soon as we can.  Whatever happens next will not be good for any of us.”  The other silently agreed and gathered together.  A moment later the bright transporter lights embraced them on their return back home.