The Breaching at Boreth | Part II

Posted on Tue May 22nd, 2018 @ 3:44am by Commander Christopher Samuels MDiv, PhD & Admiral Ke'gak

Mission: S01E03 That Which Cannot Be Unseen
Location: USS Musashi | Bridge
Timeline: BACKPOST

Jakku cleared his throat after all was said and done. "The Klingon is still on hold sir. I took the liberty of transmitting some Pachelbel as they waited," he said with a small triumphant smirk. "Are you ready to talk to him?" asked Jakku.

Christopher looked over his shoulder at the young alien and smiled. What he really wanted to do was laugh, but reigned that in the moment he thought of the idea. His facial features went neutral and turned to face the view screen once again. "I am," Christopher said, nodding. Take a breath, say a prayer and just keep moving forward, he said to himself. Once the channel was opened on the Musashi's end, Christopher began his response. "I WILL NOT STAND DOWN, and you just need to SHUT UP, stop blaming US for what is happening and tell me what the hell is going on here so this damn mess can be figured out!"

"We like your music..." the Klingon rumbled, his voice more subdued. He made a gesture that looked a little like he might want Samuels to just scuttle off. "Where is your Captain? And you better not tell me she's aboard that station, or you're going to be my next target." He pointed at them when he said "you're", trying to punctuate his statement.

It was not his place to do so, but being the son of Starfleet Admiralty, Cartwright was brazen and interjected. He approached the viewer and stood his ground. "I am glad that you like our music," he said crossing his arms. "But that's beside the point. You want to speak to our Captain, Klingon? Then speak to our Captain," said Cartwright gesturing towards the Captain's chair where Commander Samuels stood. "You want an audience with the Captain, then have it."

Christopher inhaled a sharp breath at Cartwright's words. The son of Admiral Cartwright was making this situation a hell of a lot more worse. He gave the man a 'SIT DOWN or I will SIT YOU DOWN' look, before he spoke. "I am in command, Ke'gak, meaning I decide what information you do and do not get. Now answer my question, what is going on here? Why are you firing on your own people?" His jaw was clenched at this point, so his words came out as more of a growl, but he kept his composure. He was done playing games.

Ke'gak actually seemed to enjoy Christopher's change in attitude. He leaned forward a little in his chair and put one meaty hand on the armrest. "You want to know the truth little Human?" he growled. "That whore of a Captain of yours has picked a very bad place to be. This will get her killed. We can't have that. Can we?" He tipped his head to the side as if he actually expected Samuels to answer him. "There are many more coming... many more. Do what you came to do and leave."

What is it with this Klingon and his vulgarity? thought Jakku. They were definitely not the most welcoming of species, but this one certainly had a disdain for their Captain. More? There's always more. Why is there always more, he thought, shaking his head. The young Trill caught sight of Cartwright vacating his station which was peculiar.

He was about to say something but thought it best not to interrupt the Klingon and First Officer, but Cartwright had more than stepped away from his station. He had entered the turbolift and was gone and in a bit of a rush by the looks of it. What a terrible time for indigestion, thought the Trill, but just a few moments later the communications console was lighting up like a switchboard. Reports were coming in. "OH BOY!" said the Trill anxiously. "He's gone... he's gone!" shouted Jakku.

Christopher's brow furrowed at Ke'gak, and he crossed his arms over his chest. He was just about to answer the abrasive Klingon but was interrupted by a revelation he hadn't expected. When he looked to the weapons station, he had noticed someone else was sitting there. A young woman whose own brow was furrowed as she tried to make heads or tails of what was happening. "What do you mean he is gone?" Christopher growled as he made his way to the communications station and immediately muted the conversation between himself and Ke'gak. His eyes scanned the incoming information. "What in the world is he doing?"

Ke'gak had started to tap his fingers on the arm of his chair. Starfleet had muted it's side of the conversation, but Ke'gak could still read that there was a problem on the faces of the people on screen. At least, currently, they were the only ones out here. It wouldn't last though. The Klingon forces were already on their way and they wouldn't stop coming until the Federation ship was destroyed.

Mulholland looked at the viewer and awkwardly smiled at the Klingon. Hey there ugly, thought the young Crewmen. He turned in his seat to address his fellow crew members, and more specifically the First Officer. "I found a brief fluctuation in our energy that is concurrent with an unauthorized override of the transporters. I surmise that Cartwright somehow hot wired the circuitry and circumvented the lockout. That or someone told him exactly how to do it. Nevertheless, he persisted. He definitely transported over to the Klingon shipyard, but after that... I cannot find him. None of the conventional means are showing his presence over there Commander, but my gut tells me he's over there," commented the man.

Jakku chimed in as well. "He did seem like he was in a hurry. But what does he plan on doing over there? The boarding parties have made good progress."

Christopher sighed, and he placed a hand on Jakku's shoulder and gave it a pat. It was his way of signifying the young Trill was doing good work. "I don't know, Cornet, I just don't know..." He exhaled slowly and looked over his shoulder at the viewscreen to see the ugly Klingon still there. "I can't worry about Cartwright, if he is on the station he has become the Captain's problem. Besides, we have bigger and uglier things to worry about," he said, his brow furrowing. "Well, gentlemen, shall we finish what we started then?" He squared his shoulders and steeled himself. "Take the brute off mute..."

"Brute off mute in 5... 4... 3... 2... 1..." the young man replied as he timed the countdown of his actions so that nothing crucial was revealed to the Klingon. "Audio connection has been re-established with Commander Ke'gak," added the man.

"Problem?" was Ke'gak's first question. He stood and leaned toward the camera. "More Klingon ships are coming Boy King... Are you going to blow up the station or not?" He sounded a little like an angry parent trying really hard not to scream at a naughty child, talking through his teeth. "There are only so many ships I can blow up for you before I have to change sides again..."

Boy King? Christopher's left eyebrow lifted in a smooth arch. Why was Ke'gak's so invested in this? Since when did a Klingon want a station made by his own people blown up? Something wasn't right about this, all the puzzle pieces were not fitting together. What was the angle? "There is no problem, I assure you," Christopher said, his voice was calm and devoid of the anger he was feeling. "IF we blow up the station, what's in it for you? How do I know you aren't going to use this moment to start another war with us?"

"What's in it for me? I offer to help you... have helped you and you ask what's in it for me?" Ke'gak snorted, shaking his head. "Boy..." he spit out the word, like a warning to a small child. "I believe your people have a saying... about looking a gift horse in the mouth... and not doing it. Your thick headed Captain will still be alive... that is what I get out of it." He growled. "Stop asking questions and get your business done and get out of here..."

The first thing Christopher notated was how Ke'gak semi-skirted around the questions. The simple fact of the matter was the cards had been dealt and the Klingon was not about to show his hand. The 'boy' comment, Christopher felt his jaw clench, he was NOT a boy, and resented the fact of being called one, but in the here and now wasn't the place to fight over such a trivial - but demeaning - word. He was about to turn on his heel to head back to communications but remembered the old saying that one should never turn their back on a Klingon, lest you end up with a knife in it.

"Fine!" Christopher said, the one word coming out as a snarl. "Tactical, arm all phaser banks and torpedo tubes," he order, and keeping his gaze on Ke'gak, he said. "Mister Jakku, find me that sweet spot..."

Ke'gak grinned. There might have been something about it that was a little on the edge. "Hope all your people are off that station... Qapla'!" He disconnected the comm channel and prepared his own crew.

Jakku and Mulholland worked together to scan and find the 'sweet spot' to which the Trill was eager to report. "Sir, we were able to find the most vulnerable spot of the shipyard. A well placed volley of torpedoes will cause significant damage to the shipyard...we have reports coming in from our people. Mostly injuries, but Crewmen Truff was..." the Trill felt his heart sink when the words were spoken into his earpiece repeated twice. "Truff was killed in the line of duty. All other members of the landing parties are ready for extraction. The Captain is unaccounted for...she's going after Cartwright. Ensign O'Donghue is tracking her down right now."

Yeah, yeah, Qapla to you too, Christopher thought. At hearing that Crewman Truff had been killed in the line of duty, Christopher frowned. He didn't know the crewman that well, but still he felt the loss. He sent up a silent prayer and then the moment passed, he still had a job to do. He wasn't happy the captain had gone rogue, and Ensign O'Donghue had gone after her. Stupid, stupid, stupid, he thought. He crossed his arms over his chest and felt his jaw clench once again. "Get the teams off the station, and when we have them, fire all weapons."

"I'll get who I can when I can, Sir," replied the young man. "But that Klingon fellow...I don't trust him" he added.

Ke'gak turned his own ship towards the shipyard. Stupid woman, he thought to himself. A normal Klingon crew might be protesting his actions, but Ke'gak's crew knew too much to argue with him. Not all of them approved of his actions, but they weren't about to file a protest. He didn't care about the war or the shipyard. He was actually irritated that his house had been left out of the planning of this new battlecruiser, so he felt in a way that he could justify his behavior. When the Starfleet vessel fired, he would join them. He didn't want them to think he was going to turn on them either so he waited for them to take the first move.

"Boarding party members accounted for except for the Captain, O'Donoghue, and Cartwright" reported Jakku. He had more information to add but was unsure how to word it. "I've also scanned the best I could for any signs of a Tellarite. We were able to locate his remains, Sir. I had them beamed aboard straight to Sickbay and alerted them to receive remains," stated Jakku.

The show was for Ke'gak, raising shields, arming weapons... all a damn show for the Klingon. The captain went rogue -- of course, and O'Donoghue went after her. He expected this from Fig, in fact, he would have been surprised otherwise, but O'Donoghue was a different story. Would he dress down the young helmsman when,no iff, probably not? Time was ticking, and he knew Ke'gak would fire at any moment. Time was almost up and he couldn't wait, he had to fire. "Not the news I wanted to hear, but..."

Jakku then held a hand to his ear piece. "Stand by," he said abruptly. He turned to report to Commander Samuels. "Sir, Captain Figueroa and Ensign O'Donoghue report ready for transport. Mister Cartwright was also killed in the line of duty."

Serves the bastard right, Christopher thought, once he was given the report. The fact the young Cartwright had left the Musashi and went aboard the station without authorization meant there was more to the man being on board. If Christopher had to guess, the man's father had something to do with it. Now a father was without a son, and all for what? He found himself shaking his head, but he was still very much of the seconds that ticked by."Get them on board and FIRE!"

"Aye Sir" came a chorus response from the crew manning the Bridge stations.