A Klingon War Story
Posted on Tue Oct 19th, 2021 @ 8:14am by Captain Winfield Hood & Michael Taggart & Lieutenant Commander Dartaw K'gunn
Edited on on Tue Oct 19th, 2021 @ 8:20am
1,641 words; about a 8 minute read
Mission:
The Ties That Bind - Empok Nor Episode 2
Location: Empok Nor - Promenade- White Stag
Timeline: MD007 1930 hrs
Dartaw K'gunn sat at the bar sipping at his ginger beer. Unlike most of his people, he was what the humans called a teetotaler. He'd learnt the hard way that, alcohol dolled his senses and led to recklessness.
As sat there, he wondered how his life would have been different if, things hadn't transpired the way they did. Maybe he'd be the head of his house, maybe he'd be in prison, but most likely, he'd be dead.
"Ya know even for a Klingon ye seem dour." Mickey said as he poured himself a cider. "Dere are two things that I know about Klingons. The first is that they never like to drink alone and the second is dat they always have a story to tell. So now dat I have a drink, out with it." Taggart raised his tankard in toast before he took a sip of the amber liquid within.
Dartaw took a large sip of his drink and swallowing it before beginning his tale.
"When I was younger, I was an officer in the Klingon Special Forces. We did the missions that the Defense Force thought might cost a Klingon his honor, at least that was their excuse." The Klingon said.
"Aye I can see dat. Honor and gettin yer hands dirty can be at odds. Back home we called it savin face." Mick said with a smile. He signalled one of the servers to check on a table and then sipped his cider again.
"Well this time my unit was reclaiming a captured outpost and rescuing any survivors. Our opponents were the En'Ku, similar to Earth's starfish, with similar regenerative abilities, only they are about as big as you are tall." He explained setting the scene.
"Now that would be an issue. I am sure that you and yer people fought with honor. Were these En'Ku armed with superior technology? I would think they would have to be ta get the drop on a Klingon outpost." Mick speculated. He felt he should ask questions as they seemed to keep Dartaw talking, and the Klingon seemed to have wanted to talk.
"Yes, they used a powerful EM pulse weapon that fried all the electrical systems, something that these system were supposed to be shielded against. They then overwelmed the small garrison with sheer numbers." Dartaw said, with sadness in his eyes.
Winfield had been overworked for the past few weeks. Rebuilding the station after the short occupation took some time. Add to that the mission that he sent Elloma on. The back of the Captain's mind dwelt on whether or not Quaid actually did it. He decided the best way to blow off some steam was to go to the White Stag. He noticed his Chief of Security at the bar and pulled up a stool. "Mick I will take a glass of your finest Scotch. Evening Commander. Glad to see you are taking some time to relax."
Mick smiled to the newcomer. "Anythin fer you Captain. Comin right up." He poured a glass of the 21 year old Oban on ice and placed it on the bar. "The Commander ere was just regaling us with a tale."
"Thank you, sir." Dartaw said. "I was just telling Taggart about how I joined Starfleet." He told the Captain.
"Well then give my old friend here another bloodwine and let me pull up a stool. I love a good Klingon tale." Hood said with a broad smile and a clap on Dartaw's back.
Mick poured a tankard of the viscous red fluid and placed it in front of the Klingon. The metal of the cup clanged on the bar. "Q'Pla!" The Scottish accent made the Klingon word sound funny to say the least.
Unable to refuse the blood wine, Dartaw took a hardy gulp of the liquid before returning to his story.
"So, there I was leading a squad of special forces soldiers in an attempt to rescue fellow warriors from a horde of vicious giant 'starfish." Dartaw said. "We were out numbered and had no official back up." He took another sip. "Orbital scans had told us that the Klingon hostages were concentrated in the most eastern part of the complex which was a quarter Kellicam form our current position and progress was slow."
Hood knew this tale, knew it he was there. However, he thought it best to let the Klingon tell it. This mission is what made the two friends and garnered the Captain some respect in the Klingon circles.
"Each time we cleared an area, we'd stop to burn the En'Ku bodies, so they couldn't regenerate and cut off our escape." Dartaw said. "But every area had more of those k'pekt beasts." He paused for another sip of his drink. "After several hours we and our weapons were covered with the blood and viscera of the enemy, but they still kept coming."
Hood knew Klingon tradition and knew it well. He started a small rhythmic chant. Well it was more like a grunt. But this is what was expected when a Warrior told a great tale. Some in the Stag took notice and knowing what it was quieted down and joined in the chant.
"My warriors and I fought well, but even Klingons tire and soon we were trapped in a bombed out ruin, with the enemy watching gleefully on." Dartaw said.
Mick was enraptured by the story, although he had no idea what his patrons were up to with the grunting. The story reminded him of growing up in Scotland and his gran telling stories by the fire.
Hood clapped the Klingon on the back. "But I must ask you. Was it a good day to die. On the most glorious days the fires of Stovokor light and await the Warrior." He returned to the grunting when he finished speaking. Winfield knew that this story was bittersweet for the Klingon. So he attempted to make the telling worthy of a Warrior.
"Just when we thought we'd be dining in Stovokor, we got word from our shuttle in orbit of the planet's moon that two vessels, coming from different directions and were approaching the planet." Dartaw said. "Soon, I heard the sound of transporters and several Starfleet Marines and security appeared. Led by Captain Hood himself." The Klingon said smiling at Winfield.
Hood smiled broadly. "You see we could not let the Klingons take all the glory now could we. A detachment of Marines and Starfleet Security beamed down to assist. My chief medical officer had devised a method in which we could adjust the phasers. This adjustment made it so they could not regenerate." Hood decided that he would join in on the telling of this tale.
"Thank Kahless for your doctor's ingenuity." Dartaw said. "As we moved through the complex, I was attacked by an En'Ku from behind that held my arms to my side, while another attacked my face, blocking my nose and mouth. As I weakened from lack of breath and felt myself succumbing to darkness, I heard the whine of a phaser rifle, followed by a wet, smack. I opened my eyes to see most of an En'Ku slide down a bulkhead to the deck."
Dartaw took another sip of his drink. "Able to breathe again, straining, I shook the other En'Ku from my back and killed it with my blade. My saviour was Captain Hood."
"As I said before I was not going to let an old warrior like you take all the glory for himself. Starfleet's oldest allies are the Klingons and when you receive a distress call from a Klingon you better be ready not only to assist but for the fight of your life. Once we had this old man back in action we were able to get out and get moving." Hood smiled and raised his glass to Dartaw. "Q'Pla"
Mickey's smile beamed. "Well I have one question though. If ye were a Captain in the Klingon fleet den why are ye here in Starfleet?" It was the question that everyone in the room wanted an answer to but was afraid to ask.
"After the mission was complete, I performed a Blood Oath with Hood for saving my life. I later decided that it would be easier to uphold my oath if I were in Starfleet. I resigned from the KDF and took the Stafleet Academy entrance exam. I passed, joined Starfleet and that eventually brought me here." Dartaw explained.
"And we would not have it any other way old friend..." Hood's voice trailed off as he started to pound the pewter tankard he had on the bar. A few patrons mostly Klingon followed suit. For they knew what was coming. He began to sing and slowly others joined in. "Qoy qeylIs puqloD. Qoy puqbe'pu'. yoHbogh matlhbogh je SuvwI' Say'moHchu' may' 'Iw. maSuv manong 'ej maHoHchu'. nI'be' yInmaj 'ach wovqu'. batlh maHeghbej 'ej yo' qIjDaq vavpu'ma' DImuv. pa' reH maSuvtaHqu'. mamevQo'. maSuvtaH. ma'ov." [Hear! Sons of Kahless.
Hear! Daughters too. The blood of battle washes clean The Warrior brave and true. We fight, we love, and then we kill. Our lives burn short and bright, Then we die with honor and join our fathers in the Black Fleet where we battle forever, battling on through the Eternal fight.]
Dartaw joined in the singing and banging of his tankard on the bar. His spirits definitely raise, and a smile across his face.
A Joint Post By
Captain Winfield Hood
Commanding Officer, Empok Nor
Lieutenant Commander Dartaw K'Gunn
Chief Security/Tactical Officer, Empok Nor
Michael Taggart
Owner/Bartender "White Stag Pub", Empok Nor
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