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Dragon*Con 2014 Battle Timeline — Thursday:
I warped down to Atlanta, GA after picking up human passenger, Eric McElveen, in Morganton, NC and Klingon passenger, Katkith (Andy Fairbanks), in Lancaster, SC. After an uneventful flight and depositing them at their respective destinations (that was a whole entire barrel of gagh, as the traffic was horrendus, even by Klingon standards), I proceeded to sail towards the Borg cube of 6 of 9 (Charles Randolph) and got lost in Reaver space. After a desperate subspace communication with my home port, and then him, the nav computers came back online and I finally arrived at its coordinates. After he disembarked and prepped for invasion, we flew in his personal shuttle to Dragon*Con coordinates and prowled the area. After returning to the cube, I spent the night in a regeneration chamber in his quarters.
Dragon*Con 2014 Battle Timeline — Friday:
The next morning I needed to reach the site with the karaoke equipment and touch base with Starfleet officer Chief Julio Rodriguez (my supervisor) at a mandatory Trek Track staff meeting. While being led to the site by 6 of 9, my shuttle developed a pressure leak and was venting air. Thanks to 6 of 9’s vast knowledge of that sector, I was able to get a temporary force field generator (Fix-A-Flat), and then he led me to a repair station. The kind humans there corrected the situation by replacing the leaking component with another and securing the spare from underneath my cargo hold.
After docking, offloading, and checking in (late) with Chief, I seated myself outside the Sheraton space station to recover. There Wil Sims, another Federation officer, found me. Upon hearing of my situation, he offered me docking space at his coordinates and a place to bunk. I accepted his offer and moved my sleeping quarters immediately, with thanks to 6 of 9 for his hospitality and his help earlier that day. That move proved to be a life-saver, perhaps literally, as I had begun to experience ill effects from atrial fibrillation that I suffer from.
This year Dragon*Con’s Trek Track asked Keela and Katkith’s Klingon Karaoke to perform two nights: Friday and Sunday. It was our honor to do so! Klingon Karaoke was a huge success that Friday night. One of the reasons was because we were able to obtain Internet access. Our song list is somewhat dated, but if a singer wanted another more modern song and Katkith could find a karaoke version online, it was performed! This is the first year we have been able to offer that option. Thanks to Garrett Wang for helping with this. Chief Rodriguez estimated that 600 huMans and other life forms attended that night over the 5-hour period we ran. Garrett and his entourage stayed with us quite a while that first night, and had this to say:
Keela and Katkith’s Klingon Karaoke continued until 2:00 am whereupon we broke down, leaving the equipment in the room for Sunday night, and retired to our respective quarters.
Dragon*Con 2014 Battle Timeline — Saturday:
Early the next morning I reported to the Dragon*Con parade staging area with the large KAG parade banner. The staging area was very, very close to Wil’s coordinates, actually seen from his viewscreen. Parade participants from KAG included the Andorian contingent from the XLV Korelath: Ell, Vynni, Lissann, and Thian. They once again graciously carried the KAG banner. They were aided by another Andorian (Douglas Flowers) and potential KAG member. In front of the banner K’Jo K’Jo piloted his D-7 style Thunderbird, the IKV Thundercat. Marching for KAG behind the banner were Lady Dr’Vesh (green Orion slave girl), Chamber (Madalorian Merc), K’Trava, Darsa Donelan (One of Three, Tertiary Adjunct of Unimatrix 02), and myself. Kolex and Krenath sparred with their bat’leths and were “everywhere.”
We were joined by two Mirror Universe huMans who felt more at home with the Klingon Assault Group than the pajama-clad Starfleet section. They participated in sparring with our Warriors at one point. Starfleet kept crowding the Klingons and had to be CONSTANTLY told by me to back away. Gre’thor, they were so close to our heels you couldn’t even see their banner!
Afterwards, we had the Star Trek photo shoot, with our resident Horta (Shannon Lifchez), and another Klingon Warrior, Jason Jacobs. I thought at the time he was a member of KAG, but now cannot confirm. Also attending was the Borg female (Darsa), Dr’Vesh, Chamber, and myself.
Saturday night brought the Dilithium Crystal Ball at which I pulled door security at. It was glorious getting to meet and speak with the mate of Chief Rodriguez! The only local KAG member I spotted at the Ball was Chamber who was escorting a lovely young lady. I did see some Klingon warriors there, but did not know them. No offense to the huMan run dance gathering, but I was told that Keela and Katkith’s Klingon Karaoke was more fun. Qapla’!
Unfortunately, that night my health situation deteriorated and I was forced to confine myself to my bunk for most of the next day, Sunday. It was exhaustion, pure and simple, that aggravated my atrial fibrillation. As Wil Sims is a cardiac RN in real life, I was comforted by the fact that if I had had any real issues, he could handle them.
Dragon*Con 2014 Battle Timeline — Sunday:
Late that afternoon, I rose from my sickbed. As the huMan’s say, “The show must go on.”
Keela and Katkith’s Klingon Karaoke was again a success that night. However, due to some Ferengi Karaoke participants who sang over and over despite warnings, we changed the game rules. After a discussion with Chief Rodriguez it was decided that he would hand out ONE slip to every attendee who wanted to sing. We had a lot more variety, and many more happy participants, of which Chief estimated were about 400 that night. It was a conservative estimate IMHO, as it seemed to be just as lively and crowded as Friday night. Again we went to 2:00 am, broke down and packed up. Trek Track was very pleased with our efforts and we will be back in 2015, Kahless willing.
Dragon*Con 2014 Battle Timeline — Monday:
Monday morning, after much feldercarb, we finally fled the scene. While waiting for the elevator with Katkith in Wil’s hotel, I got short of breath and felt like I could not stand up. I had to play the health issue card to get out of the hotel. Staff took us down their elevator to get to the ground floor where I sat on the pavement recovering. 6 of 9 found me there and waited with me while the shuttle was brought up from the docking port by Katkith. I am very grateful to Wil for picking up the valet tab, as well as accommodating me without charge at his coordinates. [You are one huMan in a million, Sir.] I am also very grateful to 6 of 9 (Charles Randolph) for all he did to support me through the Dragon*Con experience with fixing my shuttle and for putting me up that first night, and then staying with me while I waited for Katkith to bring the shuttle around. Qapla’!
After picking up Eric, and dealing with Katkith’s baggage snaffu, we shuttled safely back to each one’s home coordinates. And, after much needed rest, my health situation improved greatly. Dragon*Con 2014 was a glorious event and I can’t wait for next year’s.
IXL Colonel Keela zantai-Septaric
Deputy CO, Dark Moon Fleet
CO, IKV Raging Wolf
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