Klingon
Mission Report 3
By K.A.Dunn
aka K'Ratalra sutai
Reshtarc
email keith@kazza.eurobell.co.uk
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~#
Tactical combat log of the I.K.V. ghop ta' voDleh
247th Day in the year of Kahless 1000
Lt Comdr K'Ratalra Tai Restarc Recording
The ghop ta' voDleh is currently on course for star base Olympus.
For re-supply and mission briefing, all crew are allowed a 24-hour
pass, which I myself will be enjoying. After I have attended a
briefing with Brigadier Khaji. Song rumbled out from the centre
of his barrelled chest and echoed in every corner of the darkened
bridge. He was singing one of his own compositions. K'Ratlra was
at his station 1st Officer Dorff was at his side. Both were
smashing the top of their consoles with their fists to keep the
rhythm. The rest of the bridge crew rapidly joined in, hitting
their own consoles or clapping in time.
"We sing in praise of total war,
Against an enemy we abhor.
To free this quadrant of their hoard
We'll put creation to the sword.
There is no glory greater than",
Snatching honour from victory's hand.
When he had finished the whole of the bridge crew hooted and
cried their approval.
"My lord, coming up on the co-ordinates for Olympus,"
reported Alr'Kon from her helm position.
The captain span round on the spot, "Helm," he snapped,
"slow to 1/3 impulse then get me an approach orbit. Tactical
raise Olympus operations. I want a docking bay in 2 minutes '
Action."
K'Rontep returned to his command chair as the bridge scrambled
into action around him.
Tactical log of the I.K.V.ghop ta'voDleh 248th Day in the year of
Kahless 1000
The last of the crew are currently returning to the ship after a
night of revelry.
The Brigadier has laid an interesting mission in front of me. To
destroy the cloning tanks of the planet Simrot.
I have requested all data on Simrot to help formulate a plan that
will help us get planet side undetected
< < <
"Tactical report".
K'Rontep was still in a jovial mood from his escapades on Olympus.
K'Ratalra looked up from his tactical display which listed new
supplies and the remains of the crew yet to board, "The
Brigadier has selected a mission worthy of our talents. We are to
destroy Simrots cloning tanks and do as much collateral damage to
the surrounding installation as possible."
"What plans do you have for completing this mission?"
"I have a few ideas!" he replied as he transferred the
mission data to the Captain's screen.
"Daring and typically cunning. Why don't we just fly in and
incinerate the surface?" The captain's voce was tinged with
humorous scorn.
Familiar with the routine K'Ratalra rose to the bait, "Palpatane
is a control freak and likes to show off all the trappings of
power. That will include at least three capital class ships,
probably their Star Destroyer class."
K'Rontep swung round in his chair and feigned disgust, "Sometimes
Tactical I think you want to live forever."
"No! Just die trying".
The team will consist of my self, Science officer Val 'Tara,
engineer K'Talvus, Tactical team members Var'Tass, K'Lovis,
Lurkshor and of course the captain.
Dorff is to remain in command of the ghop ta' voDleh. It's to
remain cloaked and in system
Sensors have revealed 4 Star Destroyer class ships in orbit, 3
dreadnought class ships and one capital class construction
facility
"Remind me once again, tactical, why are we doing this."
The captain's voice was soft and silky, the tone he used when he
was at his most dangerous.
K'Ratalra was used to his captain's mood swings and calmly
replied, "We don't know if the Emperor's new order has
transporter technology. But they certainly do have sensor
technology and will be scanning for anything unusual. The meteor
shower that will take place within the next 10 to 20 minutes
should mask any stray emissions from our transporter beam."
There was a noncommittal grunt as K'Rontep realised the logic of
the situation, even if he thought it was the quiet way to the
planet's surface.
Alra'Kon called back from the pilots position, "The meteor
shower is beginning. WE are approximately 2 minutes from
planetary atmosphere".
K'Rontep's voice boomed out, "ALL UNITS PREPARE FOR ACTION!!"
Tactical log supplemental
As the shuttle bounced on the upper atmosphere, the strike team
grabbed the last of their supplies then beamed down. The shuttle
then changed its angle and used the atmosphere to bounce back in
to space.
The General stared over the technician's shoulder into the
readout screen, "Could it be a particle of energised matter
from the shower that made it through the atmosphere?"
A presence entered the command chamber and silence seemed to
descend. It walked up to stand behind the General. He didn't need
to turn around to see who it was.
"You have found something?"
"It could be nothing, my lord. But it seems there was a
strange energy discharge during the last meteor shower. I was
about to order a probe droid to investigate".
"No.. Send a scout patrol. Keep me informed!"
"Yes, lord Vader."
It was a dense moonlit forest. Sounds were muffled with a thick
layer of snow. The only sound was the occasional discrete crump
as the odd branch gave out under the weight.
Into this environment came the orange golden glowing sparkle of a
transporter beam. After transport the klingons sank 3 inches,
they looked around, orientating themselves. K'Talvus pulled his
sleeveless jacket closer to him, "Weren't told it would be
this dammed cold ".
K'Rontep rounded on him, "You are wearing winter survival
gear. Did you expect a stroll on the beach?"
He turned back to K'Ratalra and murmured, " You didn't
mention it would be this cold".
While this exchange took place Var'Tass had been scanning with
her tricorder, "Our objective is 2 days travel," she
pointed, "in that direction".
A long droning started vibrating through the snow lined trees. 5
scout troopers on speeder bikes appeared through the woods
travelling at unbelievable speeds.
The detachment commander signalled a halt and retrieved a
portable scanner.
At that point the mounds of snow exploded into flakes and enraged
Klingons.
The scouts wasted valuable seconds as their hands scrambled for
their handguns. The Klingons hit them at full tilt. For a few
minutes the only sound was the grunts of exertion, of men
fighting for their lives. Hands found helmeted heads and twisted
producing meaty, crunching snaps. Blades were inserted between
armoured plates and pushed producing bubbling sighs. In moments
it was over.
K'Rontep stood, cleaned his d'ktahg, "Science, Engineering,
find out how those bikes work. Tactical, you and the rest of the
team hide the bodies and cover the blood."
K'Talvus and Var'Tass scanned the bikes as the rest of the team
struggled with the bodies, "Science, Engineering report".
Var'Tass turned slightly and spoke while studying her tricorder,
"Basically what you've got here is an anti-grav on a
directional thruster".
"Can we use them?"
"I can't find any anti-tampering modules!"
"Right tactical squad. When you have finished! We mount up
and ride!"
The five speeder bikes shot through the winter forest
Fir coats and cloaks flared out behind them.
K'Ratalra leant back in his seat so Var'Tass could hear him,
because of the shortage of bikes Var'Tass, K'Ratalra and K'Talvas,
K'Lovis had to share. "How far to the sewage pipe? "
"12 Kalicames"
The snow around the pipe and the ice for about 50 meters down
stream was melted. Clouds of mist hung in the air, as the moist
warm air mixed with frigid air of the outside.
Just inside, the bikes were parked, piled high with firs.
The Klingon taskforce strode deeper in to the sewer, "Tactical,"
K'Rontep's voice boomed out, "This place smells worse than
the seven headed charger of Corojaam!!"
K'Ratalra answered with a sly tilt to his voice, "I'm sorry
sir perhaps we should get you nose plugs, a filter mask, an
oxygen breather or how about an entire vacc suit!! ".
Unknown to the strike group some thing was watching them with
hungry eyes. The single eye on a bent stalk plopped out of liquid
ooze, looked around and then disappeared with a slurp.
"Science, E.T.A. to our cut through point," K'Rontep
snapped.
At that point, a mud brown tentacle wrapped itself rapidly around
K'Ratalra's left leg and waist. Pulling him, he flew through the
air and disappeared beneath the surface of the grime/ filth
covered water. Disrupters were pulled and fired repeatedly into
the water. The surface water bubbled and churned as one figure
and a creature thrashed beneath the surface. The murky water
fountained red then settled. The eyestalk broke the surface again,
but kept on rising, revealing K'Ratalra covered in gore and slime
holding the entrail covered end.
The red indicator lights flicked on one by one. The lift doors
slid open revealing an electric blue light. The dark figure
strolled through the throne room. He ignored the visiting
dignitaries and court nobles. To kneel on the illuminated dais.
The man lounging in the high Tec throne only wore simple robes,
no black. He didn't need to, light just seemed to fall in to him,
like a mini black hole. A dark brooding presence surrounded him.
A supple voice cracked through the air, "Yes my friend. What
is it?"
The dark voice rumbled out of the respirator, "An enemy
strike force has entered the complex".
Amusement entered the Emperor's voice, "I know".
The dark voice rumbled on, " My Master. . There is a Force
sensitive among them".
The Emperor looked away in to the middle distance. Stripping away
the layers of reality, "It matters not. The paltry savages
of this reality have no understanding of the feeble Force. It
will always remain undefined, a raw talent. We shall continue to
test our defences."
"As you command," The dark lord rose to withdraw.
It was a darkened corridor, little used, shrouded in a light
layer of dust. There came a distant banging from beneath the
floor panels. With a sharp crack one-floor panel raised from the
ground and two insanely mad, angry eyes glared out.
K'Rontep glanced down, "All clear unfortunately".
The Klingons swarmed out of the hole in the floor and took up
defensive positions, "Engineer and you," said K'Rontep
pointing to Val 'Tara, "will disable any power source and
planetary shields".
He turned to K'Lovis, "You and Science find the computer
core. See if you can patch in the Tricorder. Run a translation
and down load any vital systems. That leaves Tactical and you,
with me. . .Action."
The Captain, K'Ratalra and Lurkshor moved off. The rest of the
group split off in their various directions.
The tubes were twice the height of a man and almost as broad and
there were millions of them. They were layered deep along the
walls of the canyon-like chamber. Thick industrial cables wound
their way in and out of the cloning tanks. There were suited
technicians milling around, checking readings, and making minor
alterations. From one of the uppermost tier's K'Rontep, K'Ratalra
and Lurkshor surveyed the scene.
Lurkshor cast a critical eye over the chamber, "We could
sever the umbilical cables. But that would only terminate the
current crop of clones. They would only reconnect and start again".
"Any geological faults we could use?" K'Ratalra
enquired.
"Stand by . . .Scanning".
The Technician checked his electronic clipboard and altered the
controls in front of him. Then a hand was clamped over his mouth
and a d'ktahg bit deep in to his kidneys. K'Rontep held him tight
until he finished thrashing. He then waved Lurkshor and
K'Ratalra forward. As they moved forward they laid quantum
charges at significant points in the chamber. They finally
reached K'Rontep, "All charges set, timer is primed,"
Lerkshor reported.
"YOU THERE. . . What are you doing?"
Disrupter bolts found their mark in white armour. K'Rontep turned
round, "Our presence has been discovered. I think its time
we got out of here". He slapped a switch on the throne,
"Have my personal shuttle made ready. Inform the captain of
the Star Destroyer Death's Head to receive my flag. Also inform
the commandant about the intruders and tell Lord Vader they will
be heading to the docking platform."
Somewhere in the distance a siren blared. K'Talvus and Var'Tass
were pinned down by cross fire on one of the gantries. There was
some faint scuffling from the gantry above. The next minute
Lurkshor leapt over the ledge, Bat'leth in hand, heading towards
the small knot of stormtropers. By the time K'Rontep and K'Ratalra
reached the lower gantry there was only the sound of the dying.
"Engineering report," K'Rontep snapped.
"Explosive charges are set around their main power source.
Just detonating these should solve our problems "
"Why! !"
"Because its geothermal. They have plugged in to a volcano
and are controlling the lava flow."
"Excellent! Then let's make things hot for them!"
K'Rontep grabbed the Tricorder and keyed in a particular sequence
of buttons.
of technicians moved swiftly through the glowing cherry red pipes.
In their hands were sensor /detector equipment, "I've got
some thing here".
The group rapidly approached one of the glowing pipes. Attached
to the wall next to one of the pipes was a cluster of dull green/
gold pods. As the Tec reached out with the scanner, the wall
exploded spewing the room with red viscous lava.
Val'Tara and K'lovis crouched in the corner scanning the ships
that were docked. They observed a squad of storm troopers take up
positions facing the opposite corridor. The corridor that the
rest of the Klingon group were coming down.
The sound of disrupter fire greeted K'Ratalra and K'Rontep. They
pulled their disrupters and dove in to a prone position. The next
few minutes there was a maelstrom of red and green destructive
energy. K'Ratalra noticed a figure approaching through the smoke,
Tall, dark, brooding. It stood there watching the scene.
Then, in a move of direct confrontation, moved to block his
passage to the ships. K'Ratalra reached behind him and pulled his
Bat'leth from its harness and moved in to battle ready position.
There was a snap hiss, a ruby red blade leapt in to existence and
cleaved the Bat'leth in two.
"Kherst!!"
Half the Bat'leth caught the hand with the saber; the other found
the chest panel. The resulting explosion was small but knocked
over both figures. Almost immediately K'Ratalra was up and
running, as more troopers poured on to the platform. Behind him
the dark figure rose and was catching Disrupter bolts fired at
him by the others.
K'Rontep gave covering fire from the doorway of a Lambder class
shuttle as K'Ratalra ran towards them. By this time the structure
of the docking platform was starting to give way.
K'Ratalra climbed in to the pilots seat of the shuttle, Lurkshor
in the co-pilots. K'Rontep took the gunners position, fired up
the guns and started taking pot shots, much to his own amusement.
K'Ratalra started issuing orders, K'Rontep was too preoccupied,
"K'Talvas get down to Engineering, find out what makes this
thing go. Vel'Tara patch in the tricorder, I may have to use it
to fly this thing."
Within a few minutes the shuttle lifted off, the wings unfolded
gracefully and it sped to the horizon, rapidly followed by a
squad of T.I.E fighters
As soon as the shuttle hit the edge of space, two star destroyers
released their wings of T.I.E.'s. The bird of pray decloaked next
to the orbital platform and unleashed a full salvo of photon
torpedoes in to its gossamer-like strands Ignoring the
destruction, it turned to fire repeated torpedoes and disrupter
bolts in to the growing cloud of Tie's
"I think I've got it. The engines are of hyperspace
induction and open a portal to parallel conduit dimen. . .
K'Ratalra held up his hand cutting off the flow " Can you
make it go ".
"Yes. "
"THEN DO SO!! "
"I will need spatial co-ordinates ".
The mission was a success. The complex was destroyed in the
eruption, the orbital construction yard was severely damaged."
He handed over some data chips, "This is all the information
that we could down load some of it might by garbled. And the
techs are delighted with the shuttle."
"And what of Darth Vader?"
"I can't say, I was occupied at the time."
"Go. You have the rest of your 24 hour pass to enjoy."
He departed singing at the top of his voice
"And every one abroad awaits,
A prize upon the horizon.
Hand and weapon! Heart and power!
Cry it with the voice of Empire!
Victory and prize and plunder!
Vengeance flies at morning! ! "
THE
END
No one was harmed during the making of this story.
But several late nights were sacrificed on the altar of
creativity.! !
---- End ----
Goto Mission Report IV