Among the Naked Stars (Star Trek AU)

[Imperial Overlord]

Thanks to frigidmagi for being a sounding board for this section.


Lieutenant Melar tai-Rrevvic lead his squad to the troop transporter. He was a Human Fusion, the product of genetic engineering that had added human genes to Klingon ones. Fusions were better able to pass as humans and more tolerant of human-norm environments. For a time Human Fusions had dominated Klingon affairs along the Federation border, but that time had past. Their lines were still strong, but not no longer dominant. The amount of aid the Rrevvic line could provide to Melar's career was limited. Luck and skill were what he needed to advance and Melar trusted in his own.

He glanced over his platoon. Most of them were of the Imperial race, wearing red-brown armoured space suits. The suits restricted movement, but provided protection from hard vacuum, projectile, and stunner weapons. High powered beam weapons would be able to breach the suit, but the armour could mean the difference between a couple weeks in medical and death.

The other marines were mostly Human Fusions, with a single Romulan Fusion and three Golethi mixed in. The Golethi were two meters tall, six fingered fured primates with protruding jaws full of tearing teeth. They had only recently developed gunpowder weapons when they had been encountered the Komerex. They had been eager to gain the benefits of high technology and gain glory under the naked stars.

"Stand by," said the transporter operator as Melar and five other Klingons stood on the transporter pad. Klingon transporters lacked the secondary carrier signal that the Federation and the Romulans models incorporated. This made certain accidents involving transmission failure more likely, but it also eliminated the parasitic noise that accompanied transporter operations making Klingon transporters completely silent.

Melar and his men flickered out of existence and materialized inside a spacious and well appointed office. The captain's ready room according to the sensor scan. It looked like a lot of wasted space of Melar. Still, only five of his marines were with him, do to space limitations, despite the fact that the troop transporter could move three times that many soldiers.

Melar signaled his men and they moved towards the door. "Remember prisoners," said Melar. Messek and Metnar both held stun grenades. "Action."

The door slid open. The first thing Melar saw were two humans in black and grey uniforms with Starfleet insignia. They had clumsy looking weapons which he assumed were phasers on their hands. Melar put two bolts from his disruptor rifle into the human's chest, sending him flying back with smoking holes in his chest. The other security officer fired back, hitting him in the chest. The phaser beam wasn't powerful enough to do worse than scar his armour. Melar stepped forward and burned him down.

Messek and Metnar tossed the stun grenades. Blue-white flashes starkly illuminated the bridge and the crew collapsed. Only one, an Andorian at the periphery of the blast, stayed on his feet. Disruptor bolts burned him down.

Melar activated his communicator. "Bridge is secured. Senior officers appear unharmed."

"Understood," came Memneth's reply. "Status of bridge consoles?"

"One appears to have exploded. Others appear functional."

"Stand by."

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

A beeping sound from the command chair informed Kardon that Force Leader Memneth wished to speak with him. He flicked the switch. "Kardon."

"We have secured the bridge. Systems appear functional, computer online. Heavy casualties throughout the ship. Apparently they relied heavily on force fields to seal off atmospheric breaches and not emergency bulkheads. Resistance is feeble. Civilians and children are on board."

"Repeat the last."

"Civilian families and children are on board." Kardon wrestled down his disbelief. There must be some explanation to this madness.

"Transport senior officers to security. Continue securying the ship." He turned to communications. "Rith, get a replacement up here and head to a transporter room. I want you working on their ship's computer."

"Understood."

He looked over at Arkehd. "Coordinate information flow from the prize and security's prisoners." The tall Klingon inclined his head.

"Security, stand by to receive prisoners. I want answers as soon as you can get them."

[Edward Yee]

To be absolutely sure... no Klingon casualties (as in no WIA) whatsoever?

[Imperial Overlord]

To be absolutely sure... no Klingon casualties (as in no WIA) whatsoever?

No. They haven't totally secured the ship yet so an overall casualty report would be premature. Klingons are more cavalier about risk and losses than many other races. Losses are at this point light enough (by Klingon standards) not to be worthy of commentary.

[Sidewinder]

From the mention of an Andoran bridge crewmember, I'm assuming the Klingons are NOT aboard the Enterprise-D. Is the Galaxy class starship helmed by anyone from TNG, DS9, or 'Voyager'?

[Imperial Overlord]

From the mention of an Andoran bridge crewmember, I'm assuming the Klingons are NOT aboard the Enterprise-D. Is the Galaxy class starship helmed by anyone from TNG, DS9, or 'Voyager'?

No. I'm not starting the fic with killing any name characters from the franchise. Who is still standing at the end is another matter entirely . . .

[Imperial Overlord]

Thanks again go out to frigid.


Ensign Nguyen gripped her phaser rifle and moved up the corridor. "How's it coming chief?"

The curly haired man looked back over his shoulder. Chief Drake was a big dark skinned man who was used to doing the near impossible to translate the orders of Starfleet officers into something approaching reality and who had fought against Klingons and latter the Dominion from Arcanis to Cardassia Prime. "I managed to reactivate one of the containment force fields by diverting some of the battery power."

"I guess that should hold them for a bit."

"Until they mass disruptor fire against it. Sir, it isn't going to hold long."

"We've got to do what we can chief," said the slight woman. "I've Richardson and Dekann evacuating the civilians towards the escape pods."

"We're a light year from the closest star system. If the Klingons decide to star shooting escape pods, they're as good as gone."

"I know chief, but I don't have any better ideas. If you do, I'm all ears."

"Not really beyond make them pay from every meter sir. And make sure your phaser is set to at least ten."

"That'll eat the power pack up pretty quick chief."

"The armour they're wearing is a lot tougher than a packing crate. If you want to do more than scar their armour, put it at least ten."

The whine of massed disruptor fire came from nearby. Drake checked his tricorder. The force field was down. Three Klingons and something else were advancing towards them.

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Sergeant Mor's suit sensors detected the tricorder beam and he called up his sensor display on his suit faceplate, setting for local scan. Two Earthers around the corner, an Andorian and another human behind them.

"Grenades," he said in Klingonaase. Starfleet Security had a reputation for putting up stubborn resistance during boarding action, but then Starfleet Security usually wore body armour and carried a phaser one could actually aim with some accuracy. Prisoners were a priority, but one carried only so many stun grenades and the completely armourless security officers were practically begging for fragmentation weapons to be used against them.

Mor pulled a grenade off his belt, hefted it and eyeballed the angle, and then bounced it off the wall and around the corner. He took a pair of quick steps back. A dull roar sounded a moment latter and another roars as Moloth's grenade following it. The weapons of Klingon Marines tended to be high on the explosive force. The interior walls of this ship weren't equal to those of a Starfleet frigate. The explosions turned not just the grenades casing but the thin walls of the Yamato into deadly shrapnel.

Mor checked his built in tricorder display. The two close ones were dead, the other two weren't. "Action," he ordered.

Moloth and Traneth, who was slim of a Golethi, jumped into the corridor. Small fires burned on the torn carpet and the floor and walls next to the grenade detonations were ragged. The badly mangled bodies of two Starfleet officers were nearby, their clothes half removed by the explosion and their bodies riddled with shrapnel. Several splinters had struck the Earther and the Andorian further down the corridor. Their disruptor rifles spat rapid fire bolts on setting that would burn a very large hole in a human or crater battle armour. The human died instantly, struck twice. The Andorian fire one of those ackward looking hand phasers.

The beam struck Traneth in the abdomen and burned through the armour. The huge humanoid moaned and doubled up. A burst from Mor's rifle cause the Andorian to retreat down the corridor. Mor fired another blast to keep the Andorian back as Moloth ran down the corridor. He was trusting much to his luck and reflexes, but the klin lived within him.

Moloth dived across the mouth of the corridor, his disruptor rifle spitting fire. A phaser beam blazed a trail a half meter over his head. Moloth didn't fire again. "He's dead," said Moloth. "Andorians are just as slow as humans.

"If he had aimed lower you would be even slower," said Mor. He activated his communicator. "Marine Traneth is wounded. Beam him to sickbay."

"The one is mistaken," said Moloth. "Even in the Black Fleet I wouldn't be slower than human."
---------------------------------------------------------------

Azrithel materialized on the bridge of the Federation starship in a shimmer of red light. Two marines wearing rust-red armoured spacesuits had their disruptor rifles covering the turbolifts. Another took a step forward and saluted, fist to heart.

She returned the salute. "Status?"

"Bridge secure, senior officers beamed to security, several consoles intact and running. Sciences station is one of them and over there." Sciences usually had the fullest access to the ship's central computer in Federation vessels. Azrithel gripped her tools case and walked over.

Klingon communications officers were extensively trained in electronic warfare techniques, including various forms of computer hacking. The Federation was sometimes surprisingly sloppy with information security and the Klingon Empire was not inclined to leave such a weakness unexploited. She opened her case and removed a scanner and a remote probe. She activated both of them and placed the scanner on the console.

Everything reading normal. She tapped several controls. Access was still enabled. She pulled up ship status. USS Yamato, NCC-71807A, Galaxy class Explorer commission date-. She stopped. That couldn't be right. A ship like this couldn't have remained secret from the IKN for this long. She pulled up the data on the Galaxy class.

First vessel launch was the Enterprise is 2363. Impossible. There was no such vessel. Enterprise was a Andromeda class starship during that time. There was no way two vessels could bear the same name. She felt something cold clutch at her liver. On impulse she pulled up the star map from the ship's library banks. It confirmed her suspicions.

Moving quickly she began to download historical data files. She pulled out her communicator. "Azrithel to Lancer. I need to speak to the captain immediately."

"Patching you through," said Aperoke.

[Ford Prefect]

A few little spelling mistakes here and there, but that plagues us all. Other than that, it was really rather good.

[LordShaithis]

Indeed, this is sweet.

[Imperial Overlord]

Five klingons materialized silently in columns of crimson light. Four of them were members of the Imperial race, two of them in the standard uniforms and armour and the other two wore the bulky rad resistant clothing of ship's engineers. The last was yellow skinned humanoid with a slit noise, large ears, and bulging dark eyes. He was barely over one and half meters in height and wore protective clothing like the other two engineers.

"Scan for rad levels," said the short Natrethee. "I don't want to blunder into any hot spots even if those marines didn't manage to damage anything critical." He took out a scanner of his own and activated it.

Two marines, even bulkier than usual in their space armour, advanced and gave the fist to heart salute. "Chief Engineer," said the one on the right. "This one has the honour of conducting you through the ship."

"Proceed lieutenant," Lancer's Chief Engineer replied. Few non-klingons rose to high rank in the IKN and those that did were watched closely by Security. That might have bothered Zumakka more if he ambitions to command a starship, which would have been almost impossible. His ambitions were more grandiose, that the next generation of Klingon battlecruisers would contain innovations he had come up with. The captain commanded, but the ship only lived because of engineers.

The marines lead them down halls marked with disruptor blasts. "No one was wearing any protective gear, even their security troops," the marine lieutenant explained. Several bodies lay around, large burn marks indicating the impact of high powered disruptor bolts. "We turned down the power to conserve ammunition. That was lucky," he continued as he lead them into a larger room. A half dozen dead Starfleet officers lay dead around a number of ruined terminals. "Because at first we didn't realize what that was."

The marine was pointing at a long glowing cylinder that ran through the next room top to bottom. There was some kind of chamber at the center of the tube. Zumakka raised his tricorder and scanned it. He examined the result, slapped the side of the tricorder, and scanned again. He looked at the marine. He opened his mouth, then closed it. Then he spoke. "I have never even conceived of this level of engineering incompetency from Starfleet. That's the ship's warp core and its completely exposed."

"This section can be sealed by emergency bulkheads and there is apparently a force field defence system," replied the marine.

"This ship could be destroyed by one man with disruptor," replied Zumakka. "Idiots. Continue lieutenant. One must see all the design deficiencies so the report to the captain will be thorough, although at this point one suspects that only the captain's luck was strong enough to prevent this ship from exploding when we opened fire on it. The imbeciles Starfleet employed as ship designers have made destroying their ships easy."

"Too easy," said the lieutenant. "We didn't realize what that was until after the fire fight. One stray disruptor bolt and-"

"Imbeciles," Zumakka repeated.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kardon walked into Security. Two members of the Imperial race on duty through him fist to heart salutes, which he returned. "Where is Security Chief Mara?"

"Interrogation cells captain," the older of the two replied. He had Kardon's build, but the left side of his face was almost totally covered in scars. Chief Melgoth, Kardon remembered. They had fought side to side seven years ago in a desperate, close quarters battle against the Kinshaya. He had mentioned the sergeant in his report, just as Squadron Leader Kang zantai-Rrustez had mentioned him. It had only been a few minutes and after that they had been assigned to seperate shifts, but those minutes had been an eternity. They hadn't even exchanged names. Kardon had had to track down the security soldier's name for his report.

"The one is pleased to see you again chief."

"Our association has brought the one honour and glory," Melgoth replied.

Kardon walked into an adjacent room. The Starfleet captain was strapped down in an agonizer booth. He was an unremarkable human, white haired with a close cropped beard. His shoulder's were broad and there was just the hint of a paunch about his waist. His skin was very dark.

"Captain, we were just about to begin," said Mara.

"Continue."

"The ship's first officer is now with the mind sifter." The mind sifter usually got results from humans. It also often inflicted severe mental trauma. That made repeated sessions for confirmation unlikely and thus a tool best employed in conjunction with others.

"As the one sees fit." Kardon's communicator chirped. He picked it up and activated it. "Speak."

"Azrithel hear. I have just gone through their ships history banks. This ship is not from our universe. Their history diverges, their borders are different and the Komerex, the Komerex is radically different."

"Parallel universe," said Kardon. They had been proven to exist. "Send your data to sciences immediately and coordinate. A full briefing on the situation and options as soon as possible. And I need to know what universe we are in and if we are in theirs how to get back."

[Edward Yee]

I don't recall, but did this first officer appear on-screen in the episode(s) with the Yamato in TNG?

Looks good, although I'm interested in the dilemma of dealings with parallel universes...

[Kuja]

I just read this whole thing, and it is damn good.

[Imperial Overlord]

As Kardon rose from his chair, Azrithel spoke. "This one has additional information of importance."

Kardon sat back down. It was not wise of junior officers to catch senior officers off balance, at least not if the senior officer survived the experience. This had better be good. "Their data security is terrible, there are no other words for it. As such vital information has been gleaned faster than one would expect."

Slightly mollified, Kardon indicated for her to continue. "Several important points. Overheard subspace radio transmissions indicate we are in their universe. The divergence point is approximately one thousand years ago." She hesitated before continuing. "And in this universe the Komerex Klingon and the United Federation of Planets are allies."

The room was silent for a moment as the implications of that statement sunk in. Their glorious victory transformed to ash in seconds. They had gone from defending the territory of the Empire to destroying a presumably allied ship with cold guns.

"G'dayt," swore Arkehd softly.

"Continue," Kardon snarled.

"Data from their stellar cartography data base indicates in this universe this is Federation territory. And the Empire itself is . . . . different. In fact, the divergence point between our universes occurs on Klinzhai. One thousand years ago, a minor warlord didn't die young. He built an Empire that expanded to cover the globe. As a result a unified planetary empire persists for hundreds of years before venturing into space. This minor warlord exists in our history, notable for two things. His luck ran out and he died young and a distant descendant took his name. That descendant was Khaless epetai-Riskadh."

The room was quiet for a moment. "Did Khaless exist?"

"There is no sign of Khaless the Unforgettable in their historical records, only their earlier Khaless."

"Points of divergence with this komerex and the true komerex?" Kardon barked.

"Line houses seem stronger, institutions weaker. Heavy emphasis on dueling. Old lines seem to have a near monopoly on power. Absence of the fusion program, but there was some kind of genetics program of their own. And they are a junior partner in a Federation alliance."

"Are you sure?" Arkehd asked intently.

"Very sure. The Federation ambassador is a member of the leader of the High Council's line. He killed their previous high chancellor, their equivalent of the emperor in single combat and then gave the office to his line leader. The previous succession was arbitrated by the Federation."

"The last two leaders of the Klingon Empire were put on the throne by the Federazhon?" Kardon nearly shouted in disbelief.

"The one regrets the answer is yes."

Another moment of silence. "Captain," said Arkehd, "we cannot expect shelter in this Empire. We have destroyed one of their allies ships, their leader is a Federazhon straav, and the other powers are old lines we have no connections with. One does not have to be a master of the komerex zha to see that he easy move for them would be to deliver us to Starfleet."

"Chances that their distress call reached Federazhon territory in readable shape?"

"Unfortunately very high. In this universe there is a nearby Federation space station. It is likely to have received the signal despite the jamming. The one has one more matter to report."

"Continue," said Kardon. His face was now set like a block of stone.

"The inhabitants of this universe have had recent contact with two aggressive and powerful empires originating in distant parts of the galaxy. Given the nature of the divergence between our two universes, they should exist in our universe. The ship's data base on both empires is vital to the future of the komerex."

Kardon smiled, showing teeth. It was not a reassuring gesture at all. "So," he said, "we have a prize for the empire after all." Fierce grins met his. "Arkehd, I need to know how to get back. Go through our data files, the Federazhon ones, everything. Find us a way back to the Empire."

The science officer rose. "I had best start reviewing the sensor tapes."

"Go. 'Rith, whatever this Federazhon knows about parallel universes, send it to Arkehd."

"The one understands."

"Coordinate with Security. They are to give priority in the data extraction to such information."

"Security might not appreciate that."

"Mara can take it up with me if Security has a problem with it. We need to get back home with every byte of information possible. Stations." His senior officers rose up, saluted, and exited the room.

Kardon looked up at the ceiling. Mara hadn't been present, but Security was always watching. She would know what occurred here soon enough.

[Ford Prefect]

I imagine the look on the Klingon's faces to be utterly classic.

[Sidewinder]

One thousand years ago, a minor warlord didn't die young. He built an Empire that expanded to cover the globe. As a result a unified planetary empire persists for hundreds of years before venturing into space. This minor warlord exists in our history, notable for two things. His luck ran out and he died young and a distant descendant took his name. That descendant was Khaless epetai-Riskadh."

The room was quiet for a moment. "Did Khaless exist?"

"There is no sign of Khaless the Unforgettable in their historical records, only their earlier Khaless."

Is the minor warlord-- the one who died young in the history of the "true Komerex"-- the Kahless that appeared in The Savage Curtain?

[Imperial Overlord]

No, he's the TNG Kahless. Ford's Kahless lived and died in a much latter era than the TNG one. Since both versions of Kahless are massively influential figures of Klingon history and both Kahless's are different figures, having the TNG die young before he forged his empire explains all the differences between the Ford Klingons and the TNG space barbarians.

[Sidewinder]

No, he's the TNG Kahless. Ford's Kahless lived and died in a much latter era than the TNG one.

So the "Kahless the Unforgettable" honored by Ford's Klingons is the one from 'The Savage Curtain'?

[LadyTevar]

No, he's the TNG Kahless. Ford's Kahless lived and died in a much latter era than the TNG one.

So the "Kahless the Unforgettable" honored by Ford's Klingons is the one from 'The Savage Curtain'?

If you're asking that because the one from "Savage Curtain" is a Fusion.. remember, all those historic figures were pulled from Kirk's mind. Up until that point, all Klingons he'd seen were the Fusions, not the Imperial Boneheads.

[Sean Mulligan]

No, he's the TNG Kahless. Ford's Kahless lived and died in a much latter era than the TNG one.

So the "Kahless the Unforgettable" honored by Ford's Klingons is the one from 'The Savage Curtain'?

If you're asking that because the one from "Savage Curtain" is a Fusion.. remember, all those historic figures were pulled from Kirk's mind. Up until that point, all Klingons he'd seen were the Fusions, not the Imperial Boneheads.

That also explains why the Kahless Kirk sees is a viscious tyrant, not an honorable warrior. At that time the Federation and the Klingon Empire were enemies and Kirk would be likely to believe that the Klingon Empires founder would be evil.

[Imperial Overlord]

Kahless was a ruthless tyrant in the same way Alexander the Great was. He attained control of Klingon Empire, lead it into the warp era, and died winning a major victory against the Romulans. Klingons are hard, aggressive people who live in a society filled with intrigue. Kahless did not merely prosper in such an enviroment, he became immortal.

[Imperial Overlord]

Arkehd tapped the monitor display at the sciences station. "These readings were recorded when we arrived. I had other things holding my attention at the time, but if the data on the so called "Mirror Universe" is accurate, these readings should allow us to plot a course back to our universe."

"Waste energy from the transfer?" Kardon asked.

"I think so. Physical law still applies. Mass and energy need to be conserved between universes. That's why transfer happens between transporter systems. They juggle matter-energy exchanges all the time."

"We can't do that."

"True, although there is an anomalous incident in the data base involving a Federazhon starbase. Deep Space Nine. A small craft transfered over and back."

"Do we understand how it occurred?"

"The Vulcans are still puzzled by it, if their data banks are to be trusted.."

"The one has great faith in his science officer, but does not ask the impossible. Options."

"We can't move the ship. It's going to be lost, unless Rith can turn up something in what's left of the Fed luxury barge's computers. How did Mara come up with the command codes so quickly? I thought a captain and first officer would hold out for a while longer."

"She put one of the children in an agonizer booth in front of the captain. After she turned up the power, the captain capitulated."

"Madness. They bring children along on a warship and then worry if they will come to harm?"

"It's not a warship," said Kardon. "They have become fat, soft. They lie to themselves that they do not need soldiers, that the galaxy is safe. And until they encounter a komerex that can contest with them, they will believe these lies because it makes them 'feel' better."

"Because the Empire is strong, Starfleet is strong," mused Arkehd. "I wonder what happened to the Kinshaya in this time line."

"We got into space a hundred years earlier," said Kardon. "We encountered them sooner, with better ships and they were still the Kinshaya. They lost." He was silent for a moment. "So, as of this moment, the only thing we can do to get back to where we belong is match proximity with an transporter system in our universe and beam crew members over?"

"Yes captain."

"And we are renegades in this universe. Selecting a target site will pose some difficulty. I will be in my ready room." Kardon turned away. "Zan Kaan, you have the con."

The klingon captain sat down and activated his terminal. Every cell of his body loathed the idea of abandoning Lancer, but it seemed the only chance of getting home. But first they would have to penetrate this false komerex in the vicinity of where a major naval base existed in the true komerex and then, without getting reduced to their component atoms in the process, attempt to transfer personnel through to their universe.

He pulled up the star charts and the briefings downloaded from the Federazhon ship. The damning differences in history were laid before him. Unity achieved hundreds of years before it happened in his own time. A different language becoming dominant within the Empire. With no one to fight but each other, the great houses became increasingly powerful as they absorbed the weak and gutted the institutions that could hobble them and used them as tools in their squabbles. An obsessive focus on personal honour and hand to hand combat, the only kind of fight most Klingons would ever know. By the time the Empire went into space, the damage had been done.

There were attempts at changes, but they were sabotaged. The great houses held the most power and they had the most to lose. They undercut and gutted every attempt. Only personal charisma and clear outside threats allowed for unity. The Empire was a hydra with neither Imperial Security nor Imperial Intelligence to bind it together. The minor houses were kept out of the High Council and the military was divided and factionalized. Add in the disaster of the Praxis Explosion, something that hadn't happened in his time line, and it was no wonder the Federazhon acted as if it had no real rivals.

There were some worrying signs. The Galaxy class may have been designed as a show piece in an era of unchallenged Federazhon hegemony, which even a poorly run series of conflicts with the Cardassians couldn't shake, but the more recent conflicts and designs suggested a return to more warlike roots. The Sovereign and Defiant classes appeared to be much more formidable and practical designs and many of Starfleet's captains would be those who had the luck and cunning to survive the conflicts with the Borg and Dominion. Those ones would be dangerous and the Federazhon still possessed the resources of the dominant power in this region of space.

He called up a star map, plotting a course that would bring them closer to this universes Klingon Empire while evading detection. It wouldn't be long until they had ripped the last useful bit of data from Yamato's computers and they could leave, well ahead of any Federazhon rescue attempt.

The klaxon for battle stations sounded. His com beeped. "Captain," said Arkehd, "two Federazhon cruisers have been detected on long range scanners."

"On my way," said Kardon. "Keep them away from Yamato." He switched channels. "Rith. Status?"

"Almost done captain. Fifteen minutes until the last of their secured science files are accessed and transmitted." Encrypted science files which could be of crucial value. He left the his ready room and entered the bridge.

"Time until weapons range?" he barked as he entered. Arkehd rose from the center seat and retook the sciences console.

"Two minutes," Kaan replied from his usual position at one of the rear tactical stations. Arkehd had evidently relieved him when sensors had registered enemy contacts.

"Inform Azrithel to continue."

"Acting," said Ensign Kuln, a young Klingon on his second ship duty assignment.

"Tactical display," Kardon ordered as he took the center seat. Time to see exactly what Lancer was up against.

[Ford Prefect]

As I often say when it comes to these pre-battle cliffhangers you're good at: It's on.

[Trogdor]

Excellent story. I usually don't like Klingons but these guys make a lot more sense than their TNG counterparts.

Who are the Kinshaya, by the way?

[Burak Gazan]

This is great stuff, and I have to go back on the boat tonight dammit!

I can see some wireless checking up on things needed
I may be wrong, but I thought the Kinshaya ~ Kzin?

<S> look forward to the rest of the story

[Crazedwraith]

Nice story. But whats the Yamato doing around post-Dominion War? Or did they rebuild it?

Plus wasn't the USS Galaxy the first Galaxy rather than the E-D?

[Imperial Overlord]

I will address the Yamato's status in about two installments (it's a plot point).

The Galaxy was the first of the class to be ordered, but there seems to have been design issues that cropped up until just before the Enterprise's launch so I have taken the liberty of having the Enterprise actually being completed first as the Galaxy was still being fixed.

The Kinshaya are scary motherfuckers who are on the opposite side of Klingon Empire from the Federation. There's a rift (region of no stars) between the Empire and the Kinshaya. The Kinshaya can go toe to toe with a Wookie or a Gorn, survive limited vacuum exposure and a lot of hard rads, and have a habit of eating their servitor races. They also build big, tough ships but are fortunately piss poor strategists and tacticians. Kardon has killed one in close quarters, which forms the cornerstone of his reputation as a bad mother fucker.

The Tzenkethi are Kzin equivalents.