Star Trek: Before Destruction - Chapter 12
*** TWELVE ***
Kang left the war room behind him and walked the corridors of the Throneship alone. 'Alone', he thought to himself, he had never been so alone before. He had faced the terror and the glory of the void beyond. He had braved the vast expanses of space and seen the wonders that they held, but always with his wife and crew beside him. Now he would return to his ship, outcast in his heart, alienated from his wife and ship because of the knowledge that he now carried with him, the knowledge that he dared not share.
He prepared himself for the dishonor of the 'lie' that he would have to tell his crew, for he was not returning to Klinzhai as ordered. He was unsure of where he was going, but certain it would be on the heels of the 'false' Emperor. There were several plans of attack that had crossed his mind, one of which was gaining access to the ship labelled 'Fringe Ranger', but even if he could get himself aboard the intruder's vessel, he was unsure that he would find his deposed Ruler. If he yet lived, he would be hidden and well guarded. If dead, he would be dust. Without the body, he would have no evidence which would unmask the face of the villain, and he was certain that the way to the enemy ship was blocked at all avenues.
Kang rounded the corner of the long hall, and strode towards the transporter room. He looked down at the floor in shame for what he was about to involve his crew in, when his eye was caught by the gleaming symbol of his new commission. He pulled it from his chest and held it in his hand, examining it while he walked. It was a false commission. Another lie, but one that he would not bear. He closed his fist around the small ornament, squeezing it in his anger.
Commander Kang, 'Captain' to all but himself, entered the transporter room of the Throneship. He was saluted by the transporter officer on duty.
"What is your destination, Sir?" he asked as Kang stepped up to the platform.
Kang looked at the officer before him. "Do you have any children?" he asked him.
The lieutenant glanced up in surprise of the question. Then with the pride of a father said, "Yes, Sir, a strong son."
Kang stepped from the transporter platform to the controls of the machine the lieutenant stood behind. He placed the symbol of Captaincy that he held, on the hood of the machine. "Give this to your son as a present from me, who has none."
"Thank you, my lord. It will be my honor," he said, grateful to the man, though slightly bewildered.
Kang again stepped up to the platform and faced the operator. "To the battle cruiser Fury, Lieutenant," he said mildly, bearing the heaviness of his solitude.
"Yes, sir," responded the officer. The coordinates were laid in quickly and efficiently. "Energizing," he said and the Commander began to fade from view. Kang never knew that the ornament he had just given away contained a small crystal of the Garth explosive, rendered safe from impact but not from transportation, and was meant to be the death of him.
* * *
Kang stepped onto his own bridge that had once felt like home to him. The bridge crew rose from their stations and saluted proudly, the 'Captain' of the Fury. Kang nodded in recognition of their gesture. "Ship's status?" he directed toward his own Mara.
"Full power is restored, computer and scanning apparatus have also been repaired. All is well, my lord," she said.
Kang wished it were true. "I will be in my quarters, briefly, to review our new orders. What is the status of our Romulan-made, cloaking device?"
"It is functioning and can be operational upon your command," she said unquestioningly. Several of the Klingon warships had received the cloaking devices some time ago. None had yet used the camouflaging device. It was a cultural point that had hindered use of the equipment. Klingons believed that when engaging an enemy, the enemy must see whom it is that has brought death to their door. It was considered cowardice to hide from an enemy. Better to do battle in full view, for the glory of the Empire.
"See that it is tested in simulation before I return to the bridge," he ordered. His confidence in his wife was unwavering. She would obey his every command even unto death, without doubt. His confidence in himself was the sore point. He did not want to dishonor her this way, any way. Kang turned and walked off the bridge, heading for his private chamber.
The door to his cabin opened to his voice command, and closed and locked itself when he was inside. He sighed heavily as he sat behind his desk. He pressed several buttons on the computer console before him, issued a command and two passwords, and was allowed access to the 'Captain's' log records.
Kang played the voice log transmission that he sent to his recorder, while aboard the Thunder. He sat back and listened.
"Now, it is time that I shared with you the keys to the galaxy!" the voice of the Emperor came over the speaker. "The treaty, as written, is between two opposing governments, two 'Galactic Powers', is it not? The solution to our plight is not to clash with the enemy, until we first join with our enemy!"
With that announcement, there was no small sound of turmoil coming from all in attendance. Kang himself was astonished anew with the boldness of this imposter.
The Emperor obviously gestured that the company be silent so that he may continue and clarify his meaning. "We must first sue for peace! Officially become part of the United Federation of Planets, then do what is completely within the rights of all Federation members. Revolt! There is no provision, no condition, forbidding revolution within either governing power." With that there was silence. A few moments for contemplation of what their Emperor proposed, was allowed. Then he spoke again. "I, and I alone, offer you the keys to deliver me the galaxy! Now what hinders you? Ignorance has now been defeated before your eyes! The only thing blocking your path is what has always been in your way!" he paused for them to realize this. "Who will stand with me and conquer the fear that holds back the might of my Realm? Who will follow me as I claim my galaxy?"
Cheers burst forth from the congregation. A clamor of such tumultuous noise that Kang turned the volume switch down, for fear of it penetrating the doors of his cabin. He sat back, shocked to hear the depth of this imposter's deceit. This man who had single- handedly captured the throne of Klinzhai was about to start the most dreaded war in the galaxy. He now wondered if it was too late to stop it. Kang did know that he was in no position to halt this madman alone.
"Are there any questions that I may address concerning our next course of action?" Garth asked.
"When do we begin, my lord?" spoke Admiral Sorr, in admiration of his master. He did not know the Emperor could be so inspiring.
"Very soon. We will move closer to the Neutral Zone and make our peaceful intentions known to the shining Federation. I will take this ship, alone, to the Federation's seat of power and proclaim a new era of peace. We will become, temporarily, a part of the Union, which will immediately erase any Neutral Zone boundary and nullify the hated Organian Peace Treaty. All of you will smile at our enemy, until I have commanded you otherwise." Enthusiastic noise was again heard in the background.
"My lord," spoke a captain in the back, "What if they do not believe us, and do not allow us to join?"
The sounds of the encouraged, went silent. "First, my astute Captain, they have Federation directives mandating that any planet or government that desires to petition the Council for peace may freely come and present their case. By their own laws, they can not refuse us. Second, we will convince them of our good will towards them by demonstration. We will break all ties with the Romulans, severing our alliance."
This announcement caused some division in the fleet commanders. Some looked at the Romulans as much needed allies, while others looked upon them as a necessary evil, that had brought shame to the Empire by the mere admission of needing allies.
"SILENCE!" commanded the Emperor. "This is not a debate! This is the WAY! He who does not have the belly for victory, you who can not stomach the glory of our ultimate battle, step before me and I will put you out of the misery of my service!" There was no sound to be heard among them. They were in awe; some, of his majesty, others, of his fierce wrath, but all, of his command of the Klingon Empire.
"WARRIORS!" he shouted as a battle cry, "LET THIS BE THE FINAL EMPIRE!" The roar of cheers he received this day were the likes of which no Emperor in the Realm had ever received before.
Kang stopped the recording. The Emperor, the 'real' Emperor, was right, when Kang saw him in the last moments of their communication. Before Tromok had boarded the enemy's vessel, he had said to him with his eyes, 'what evil have you loosed in the galaxy?' It was Kang the Destructor who had allowed the Empire to fall into the flames. It was Kang who now had to find a way to stop the fire from spreading. He thought long and hard about his next move. He would have to do what neither he nor anyone else was permitted to even attempt. He arose from his seat and departed his cabin for the bridge.
As Kang seated himself in his command chair, and opened intra- ship communications. "This is Kang. We have received our new orders and will be maintaining a communications blackout for the duration of our mission. We will be testing the cloaking device in the Neutral Zone. I am under orders to reveal our ultimate destination to no one. I am not, however, restricted from telling you that we may see several close-up views of the Federation Fleet," he said, knowing that they would be encouraged by it. To come face to face with a Federation vessel, knowing that they held the power in their hands to destroy it before it was aware of the peril, then doing nothing, would give them a sense of power.
He depressed a button on his command chair which changed the security code of the navigational station's coordinates. This allowed him the ability to tell his navigator/helmsman speed, distance and bearing but would prohibit the navigator from being able to read the destination code. He would, in essence, be flying the ship blindly.
"Torvak, set course 8-3-12 mark 4, parabolic, 32 degrees Y axis! Warp 7", Kang commanded.
"Yes sir, laying course in."
"Engage," he ordered.
The Battlecruiser Fury turned about and headed away from the rest of the Imperial fleet. It proceeded on a wide arc that would make it appear, at first, to be heading for Klinzhai. It was, in fact, on course for the forbidden planet Organia. Once out of sensor range from the fleet, the interstellar craft began to shimmer. Light reflecting from the vessel began to distort, and in a matter of moments the ship vanished. The Romulan 'Cloaking Device' engaged and enveloped the Klingon cruiser, making it undetectable by sight or sensors. The ship stealthily approached the Neutral Zone and increased speed, dangerously, to warp 9.
