Issue #66 Autumn 2003

Glorious Tales of Qo’noS

Welcome to the first installment of the MindScanner’s fan fiction supplement. This will be the forum for the talented tale tellers of Klindom to entertain and enlighten us. We have the first chapters of two very different stories this time, the first an story of space battle and intrigue by Zathras, the second a tale from the beginning of the Empire.

Story 1: Never Say "Never"
Story 2: A Life Considered

Never say "never"

By Zathras

The Klingon battle escort "Annoyance" fought to both defend it's charge and keep alive itself. The ship vibrated as it maneuvered into position then it was pitched about and gave a shriek all it's own as it was struck a blow. Through the cacaphony the crew shouted out their battle reports.

"#3 shield at 16%"

"We have warp field fluctuation."

"Closing on target.....in range"

"FIRE!!!!"

The ship clawed at the flank of the enemy ship that had broken through the line, trying to distract it from Command and Control. It succeeded and took another punishing blow.

"#3 shield is down."

"Damage reports show minor for now."

"Come about and pass close under C+C. We've done our job so let THEM protect US for a moment. And keep that downed shield AWAY from the enemy!"

"We have transport activity....intruder alert!"

"#$%^&@*!!!! Major, get your men there."

"We have the area sealed off."

For a moment relative silence reigned as antagonists were pulled apart from each other by their inertia and everyone waited, fingering sidearms and hoping should the intruders manage to break onto the bridge that they could play out their part in that battle.

"Major Qul here, area secured. And Captain, I have a "guest" I must bring to the bridge. Highest priority."

"Do so."

When the marine commander arrived it was not a prisoner who accompanied him but an Imperial courier. Without preamble the man handled the captain a small packet bearing the seal of the fleet captain on C+C. Also without preamble the captain opened the packet and read the contents.

"We've come about and are on intercept with the enemy vessel."

"Break off!"

"CAPTAIN!"

"BREAK OFF!!! Best course and speed from the conflict zone, NOW!"

The enemy ship saw something it rarely sees, a Klingon warship running from it. Even more surprising it found a capital ship moving to cover the retreat of one of it's own escorts. But speculation would have to wait, right now it was very busy just trying to survive. The "Annoyance's" captain grunted with satisfaction at their escape.

"1st Officer, to Briefing. 2nd Officer, you have command."

Once inside the small briefing room and security protocols were satisfied the 1st Officer spoke candidly.

"The crew is ready to mutiny for taking them from battle. Just WHAT was in that packet?!"

"You know that convoy we were guarding? It was a decoy. The real cargo was on C+C. Somehow the enemy got knowledge of that which is why they ignored the freighters and attacked us. C+C took the opportunity of our downed shield to transport the cargo to us. We're now given the honor......and responsibility.......for completing the mission while the fleet buys us the time to escape."

"Just what IS the cargo?"

"It's need-to-know. Neither of us needs to know, just get it to the destination."

"What about the crews moral? They can't know even this much."

"That's easy. It's time to break out the Bloodwine to toast our victory and new mission. That will tell them all they need to know that something important is about."

"And you want a drunken crew for a mission of this type?"

"I'll put this crew drunk against any other crew sober. Besides, if we fail, it'll be the Black Fleet that judges us not Command. I'll take my chances with the Fleet, they don't have rules and regulations."

The "Annoyance" sped through the ebon skies of space unimpeded for awhile. But soon the odd behavior it and the fleet showed could not go unnoticed. Or uninvestigated.

"We have intruders.......3......intercept course"

"Identity"

"Their recognition codes are good fakes but they're not ours."

"Chances of eluding them?"

"Unlikely."

"Reinforcements from the fleet?"

"None."

"Helm, if you have any ideas you may indulge yourself"

The helmsman gritted her teeth as responsibility for success, or failure, had shifted to her and the mission recorders would show that. Any surviving officers would see to that if she failed. Taking a big swill of wine she started tapping in commands to her board "Alright, I've always wanted to try this trick since the Academy. If it doesn't kill us you'll have your wish, Captain."

"Annoyance" veered from it's course and dove towards the star near the battle site. The pursuers followed, this was a standard ploy to use the raw energy of the star to block sensors. But "Annoyance" didn't break from warp at the last second as was normal, she bore down on the fires at full warp. The pursuers held on for as long as they dared, hoping for the bluff, then broke away to a safer distance. "Annoyance" drove headlong undaunted.

A star does with it's huge mass what a vessel does with brute force, warp space. There's a safe distance that two ships can approach under warp before their fields start to interfere with each other. The closer they get the more likely a catastrophic failure might occur. The same applies for a star, though it's weaker, broader, warp field might allow a ship that's skilled, brave, or foolish enough to survive the ordeal. "Annoyance" pushed closer, the star pushed back, slowing the vessel's progress.

"Annoyance's" screen showed blinding light and nothing else. Sensors barely gave readings while at overload. But finally a dieing sensor gave it's signal. Now was the time! "Annoyance" spun on it's axis and dove straight into the star. Or it might have had not it's momentum carried it barely past. The vessel past into the corona and emergency klaxons howled as the hull glowed and began to fuse in the intense heat that worked through the shields. "Annoyance's" warp field bucked and wobbled, yet somehow held. Even so the only thing that keep a bruised and battered crew still alive in the pitching of the ship were the overworked inertial dampers. The warp fields turned the surface of the sun inside out, sending massive glowing prominences into space.

The pursuers somewhere above lost all contact with "Annoyance". But that was only half of the intent that the helm had.

"Annoyance" barely missed diving into a glowing death as it slid past the stars surface. The same warp field of the star that had slowed the vessel on the way in now brushed it away as if insulted by the temerity of the tiny object that had challenged it. Warp increased to flank and beyond.....5.....8......11!.........16!!!!!!....and peaked for an instant at 18.3 until the two fields moved farther apart and the driving stresses lessened.

Even if the pursuers had managed to maintain contact with Annoyance they couldn't hope to outpace her. "Annoyance " not only survived, she escaped undetected.

"Status!"

"We're alive and the ship functions."

"Can we continue the mission? "

"Not if we were to try that again! The engines will need some work after that ordeal."

"Any sign of pursuit?"

"Negative."

"Any chance they'll figure out what we did."

"Depends on how good their helmsmen are."

"Then set course for our destination, best speed. Let's not make their task any easier. More bloodwine for the crew!"

End of part one

Kahless was losing the war.
None of his men perceived it,
but he did. They were dying
gloriously, his hands were
covered with the blood
of hundreds of his enemies,
but he could see they were not
winning. They were making no
territorial advances and his warriors
were dwindling in number through
attrition. The latest battle had left him
tired and bloody and there was nothing to show for it.

As he sat and contemplated he realized the failure. It was in him. He was perhaps the greatest warrior to stride Qo’noS, but he was a merely adequate tactician. He needed help; he knew it, and Molor, though a coward, had surrounded himself with battle-tested generals that knew how to fight massed battles.

As he sat, he absentmindedly pulled the brown stiff grass from the ground and formed a Hor’eq. He suddenly stopped and wondered out loud, “Why is the staff made from a bundle of grass called a Hor’eq?”

” MiLord, it is named after the great warlord, Hor’eq,” his guard said.

Kahless looked around him and realized his retinue had formed around him. “Why was this named after that dead warrior?”

“Sir, because he could take the weakest of warriors and make them a formidable force… Lord? I don’t believe he is dead.”

Kahless remembered, great battles 20 years ago when Molor attempted to overcome Hor’eq and take his land. There where few warriors left but Hor’eq repulsed every advance and his skill in defeating Molor’s forces with a minimum of troops was sung until this day in the lays of battle.

“But Hor’eq disappeared 15 years ago, why do you say he is alive?”

“Lord Kahless, it is true that no one hears anything about him anymore, but that is because of his choosing. My sister’s mate is from his land, one of the few to leave. None that visit his land of HeghDoq ever return.”

HeghDoq! Kahless shuddered inwardly, the very name stopped Klingons short. A land of rumor and dread. Then with the haste that marked his best decisions he said, “Saddle my Sarq, I ride to HeghDoq to see Hor’eq the dread!”

Kahless was not telepathic, or even empathic, but he could read men’s faces. He saw the emotions passing through his men’s eyes. The were shocked, then afraid. Angry with themselves for being afraid, they were in turmoil. Finally a trusted Lieutenant, K’caj, spoke up. “Lord! You ride to your death! And if you die so does our war!”

Kahless looked at him and loved him, yet had to rebuke him. “Am I a suckling babe that I should fear death? If I die in the pursuit of our righteous cause, a thousand Kahlesses will be born! Fear not! And be not shamed by your fear! Truly Hor’eq should inspire dread and foreboding, for death and silence follow his very name. But if he will not join our Qu', then it is doomed.”

Fire burned in K’caj’s eyes. He turned to his men. “Let us go and die with our Lord! I can have no happier fate than dying in his arms!”

“No K’caj, I must travel the road of blood alone. A better fate is to return home triumphant! You can not do this with your life poured out on the hills of HeghDoq.This is a two-day journey, if I am not back in seven, attack as we have planned.”

So Kahless bade farewell to his troops and set off. He spent two days and nights traveling to the blood red sun. To the land of the red death. “The undiscovered country,” he mused, “from whose land no traveler returns.” As he traveled the wasted flats his mount grew more and more discomfited.

Finally as it would travel no further he got down and spoke to it.

“Qe’doq, you know me,” he said stroking it’s spiny neck, “I will not lead you into danger. You need not fear while I am here!” It was a unique characteristic of Kahless, that even when walking into what others saw as certain death, he never feared the results of his actions in his heart. He might be awed by the danger, but never doubted that all would be right. It was this subconscious calm that Qe’doq felt. The sarq huffed once and stood tall.

As Kahless returned to his saddle he suddenly saw that he was surrounded by grim warriors. “Who are you?” they cried “and why travel you the road of blood?”

He looked at them with the easy lightsome gaze that made his men love him. “Who am I?” Kahless smiled a jagged grin. “I am Kahless the  Unforgettable! What sons of targs thus challenge me?”

The least of the warriors growled and charged Kahless. Before the others could react, they saw their companion’s head bouncing back towards them. The eldest of the Warriors held the others back. “This mighty warrior has traveled far and is known to me! By repute at least. It would not serve honor or our master to dispatch him so lightly. Though, I would have thought him taller.”

He looked in Kahless’ eyes and smiled, and both warriors knew that the end would be bloody and unsure. “We will take you to our Lord Hor’eq, but you must be blindfolded.”

Kahless frowned. “What surety do I have that you will not lead me into greater danger?”

The grizzled warrior nodded, “I am Kathes, son of Kris, son of Kohn.

I hand you this and will gladly give you my throat if we prove false.” Kathes pulled from his belt an ancient dagger and handed it to Kahless, “This is the totem of my fathers and never has the hilt felt the hand of another nor has the blade tasted our blood as it does now!” With this he grabbed the blade firmly until he bled and gave it into the Hand of Kahless.

Kahless was thrilled with the sight of such honorable warriors. “I will submit to your lead!” In this way Kahless entered the lands of Hor’eq, the HeghDoq.

(to be continued)

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