As yet unnamed

It was a cold dawn, mist hung gently among the trees, A river sliding past, grasses rustling spoke deeply to the soul of the Klingon warrior sat cross legged on the floor. A recent rain had swept through the area in the last few days and made the smell of the planet and creatures a heady cloud that seemed to cling to the very core of everything it touched. This had been a few days or was it weeks ago. Waiting for the ships final launch and departure to its new captain he had sat on a world where his parents had been stationed on. Having visited his mother he had set out to look back on life, remembering family he had lost and those he hoped to have. Sitting long enough to witness one of the planets most stunning phenomenon, the huge continent spanning thunderstorms. The lightning forking through the sky with the smell of ozone burning in the air, rain running down him K’Voth sang an old earth song that came to mind.

Tuli kokko, iliman lintu,
Havukka, tuolt' tuulten päältä,
Litti lintu, syöksy sääksi,
Sinitaivon selänteiltä.

Siivet sil' ol' suuremmoiset,
Hövhenkarvat hurjanlaiset,
Nokkanuoli kovin kopra,
Silmäpari salamoiva.

Kuni kokonkaunis kaatos,
Kuni havukan luova lento,
Niin on mieli miunki ylväs,
Niin on aatos miunki vappaa.

Toinen siipi maata viisti,
Toinen taivon kantta raapi,
Nokka koukki kuusiloit,
Silmät näki tähtein' päähän.

Kuli halki kolmen kosken,
Kolmen kosken, neljän virran,
Kaunoisehen metsänmaahan,
Suloisehen Suomenmaahan.

Kuni kokon kaunis kaarros,
Kuni havukan luova lento,
Niin on mieli miunki ylväs,
Niin on aatos miunki vappaa.

Some time later a communicator had trilled and his journey back to Starbase 24 had begun…

Present day.
IKS Praxis Ascendant

Sitting on the bridge thinking, K’Voth sat with the stars streaking past the view screen on the way to report to a party before setting out to patrol local space. Looking across at his bridge crew and observing their behaviour to one another. They were obviously well trained some even experienced but all looked at their captain with a sense of either distrust or open dislike. He didn’t doubt that there would be the usual display of pointlessness that was the challenge to his leadership, again resulting in more bloodshed. A warriors mind should be occupied with tasks and not with killing his- own kind. The recent civil war was testament to that fact. Sighing deeply, he looked to the board and watched all the varied commands being executed by the ships computer. His own internal words coming back to haunt him, an occupied mind indeed, If that was good why was his travelling back to the darkest times in his life so far.

“The veils are thin and the void shall claim us all when they fall” spoken a loud in a terse growl,

“What Sir?” came the response from the tactical station, always dedicated and missing nothing no matter how quiet or trivial the officer of the watch had caught his mutter. Stifling a curse,

“Nothing, How are the sensor calibration tests progressing”

“Fine sir, We have 70% of the Relays and nodes up to spec and the others are being reset and tested as we speak”

“Good, Continue”

============================

Main corridor
Deck one
IKS Praxis ascendant
--------

Standing up from the bridge thoughts were spinning round in his head. It was getting over whelming, A quick "You have the conn" thrown to his XO, as he walked on. Sweating prefusly K'voth staggered on towards his quarters,

"CIC's been Hit"

The corridors swimming out with his view, smoke and carnage lying everywhere...A Blink...A heartbeat...to be replaced by the clean grey green metal of his ship. "Hull Compromised, loosing atmosphere!!!!!!" shaking his head, a maine of hair spilling in front of bleary eyes. Thinking of hailing the medical officer when a wave of nausia hit "Where the hell is the Evac bird!?" Falling to hands and knees "114 dead on the moons fury" "Warp core breach in progress" Looking out of a viewport seeing a ship tortured and twisted venting bodies and its life blood as it swung clearly out of control as she exucuted her last command, warp nacelles streaking into the distance tearing from the ship and expolding. The Crippled hull of a sister ship burning next to her "REPORT" "Get those civilian ships to warp!" Slamming on to the deck on hands and knees, Panting hard K'voths mind spinning out of control, another wave of sickness hitting as the walls closed in and a throat closing, "Bekk, Plot corse 180 bearing 290 maximum warp! Get us out of here" shouted orders booming back and forth "Unable to comply sir, warp drive offline" I have to get to the bridge, fighting to his feet body refusing to obey pain stabbing through him. A hand put to his abdomen and coming away soaken in blood...A Blink...Another heart beat passes....no thats not right, there is no wound there is no blood. As close to panic as he had ever felt K'voths form slammed back against the bulkhead where he had finally stood, looking about vision swimming between two places, an empty corridor to a corridor filled with blank dead faces, accusing glances locked at him. "Torpedo Lock acheived sir"

"Fire when ready"

"Sir?" The young officer had never questioned order before in his life.

"Do it" Still another heart beat time stretching, a finger pressed onto a cold glass surface and a slight shudder under a tormented hull.

"Torpedo away", they couldn't possibly reach safe distance, Engines straining shown impassivly on a view screen the hope of a colony shown in such fragile little ships, tiny insignificant little things against the huge dominion mobile platform behind them. Comm traffic booming accross a silent bridge as volly of torpedos tracked accross the silent void, warp trails from ships pulling from the gravity well, come on...come on...run, do it come on. Silent invocations filled the young officers mind run, come on.

Some seconds or it could have been forever passed as the torpedos streaked on, and in time found their mark, Musrooming on the now bashed and scorched enemy hull. Then the wave spread, a huge white light consuming all in its path. Screams booming over the comm, transports thrown off course, engines flaring and rupturing, damage reports were cut short, in time the bridge fell silent, what there was left of her.

After what felt like an eternity of silence the same officer began "Tactical to fleet, launch all rescue shuttles scan the wreckages for survivors drop sheilds on conformation of enemy destruction and commense evac operations. Communications Hail all transports still in the area and..."

A heavy hand fell on his shoulder "General to fleet, belay that. Lay in course for home, best speed engage at will. Flagship out" Looking at the young officer the general simply shook his head the stars spun and then started to shift. It would be hours till there would be warp drive on the ship. But then he knew that somehow, looking down at his own face the officer saw him self, K'voth knew himself.

Swimming back to the present K'voths eyes swam back. The image of that final second burned into his brain. A hand slipping unconsiously to a scar on his face and one on his abdomen. Shrapnal from a punctured air lock. No Mustn't think of that. Feeling grateful that none of his new crew were there to see him, his hand slipped from the scar to his rank insignia, both starfeet and klingon as an officer of the combined unit. Captain of a ship, suppressing a slight snort. He moved to his quarters and sat down. Reports from home base sat waiting with the various departmental sit reps of his own ship. Pulling the terminal round. Not trusting him self to speak he typed in an address

General Tavana
Ty'Gokor
(Link code classified to display key override as 4 digit code after address)

Pressing the final key and activating the device a familiar voice and face answered.

"K'voth, I trust this is important, sentimentality and old crewmates can only go so far"

"It's good to see you too" Waiting for the inevitable smile to wander accross the engineers face having advanced during the war she had been seniour command when he was barely old enough to wear a uniform "I shall be breif. I am dreaming again"

A haunted look sprung accross her face "Yes, I thought as much. I am too" "We were all honoured that day, commended even so why must it come up ever year"

"I know not old friend. So what is your plan?"

"Were it so easy young one" She watched him bristle at the nickname. Never liking it even back when he was the youngest officer on a ship, but then even now he was younger then some he commanded. Grunting slightly she contined, in a highly unklingon and uncarachteristic display "Hang in there, You know it was the right thing to do. You shall endure. We always do we are Klingons." With that the connection was severed replaced by a Defence Force Logo

Looking at the standard monitor picture he saw they were but a few hours before he was expected on the bridge. He hadn't notified the crew they were going to go for a fully manual docking, that should earn him a shouting match from the higher ups at the base. Smilling wryly to ease the discomfort of the episode, he simply sat. And waited.

For the screams to return.

Captains quarters
IKS Praxis ascendant
T-2:45 Till Docking

Ships night dragged on, Low lighting across all the panels gently reflecting of the cot behind him. Sitting at the desk looking over at the view port into space, stars gently streaking past, It was tempting to open the fleet channel to listen to the reassuring minutia of life. Ships handshaking in the lonely night mixed with routine course corrections and such. Proving that even in the void life persisted in all its glory. The benevolent neglect that was merchant shipping interacting with the military and its air of menace and excitement. Pondering the recent conversation and the current events K’voth stared at the wall.

The stars suddenly burst into focus and the lights shimmered, Instantly thinking he had slipped again K’Voth simply waited, his resolve shattered by warning lights and a communicators hail, “Alert Status Two, Alert Status Two, All senior officers to the bridge”

Main Bridge
IKS Praxis Ascendant

“Report!”

“Main Power Offline, Warp Drive offline, Weapons Offline, Long range comms and sensors are down, Impulse is holding and we have manual control of 85% of ships systems. The rest is down with the main computer core”

Looking incredulously at his Conn officer, “Yes, care to elaborate? Why” He snarled.

“Unknown, navigation logs and sensor logs show no ships in the region and no offensive action or special anomalies were detected.”

Sighing deeply and looking round the bridge, the next moments were crucial. If he was to cement an air of command over these warriors he must appear calm and in charge. Contrary to his wish to simply swear loudly and punch something he needed to just deal with it, but then with a wry smile he thought, his first CO had dealt with things by punching things, mostly other crew “Recommendations?”

“There is a class M planet with in 2 hours at full impulse where we can put down to inspect the external systems couplings etcetera. That and field coils for the warp drive and cloaking device”

“Right, Comms open an intra ship channel” Waiting for the chopped hand to indicate channel open “All hands, prepare for an atmospheric landing. Helm come about and take us in”

When the time came, It was a blessing, a period of intense activity to stop the mind wandering, some details had to be worked out and it remained to be seen what was wrong if anything with the ship.

“Engineering, what is the status of attitude control and RCS?”

“Fully Manual but operational Sir”

“Liaise with helm, all hands we are instigating Alert status one, Landing Stations, Bridge out. Sound off by station.” Sitting back in his chair and calling up landing systems diagnostics and status display next to his chair. K’Voth awaited his crew, and began the long list;

“Engineering”

“Go”

“Tactical”

“Go”

“Life support”

“Go”

“Science/Damage control”

“Go”

“Operations”

“Go”

“Security”

“Go”

Taking a deep breath, before finishing;

“All stations show secured for landing operations. “Helm?”

“We are go”

“Acknowledged…Helm on your mark, take us in. You have the final clearance”

“Landing Gear on stand by, Venting plasma, structural integrity and inertial dampers set to maximum…Commencing landing operations on my mark…Three…Two…One…Mark” With that the view screen switched to a course overlay. Currently overlaid with computer generated warnings of over-speed and incorrect attitude as the ship began a lazy roll on to her back and speed towards the atmosphere. Warnings gently trilling and pulsing across various panels of various stations, orders barked back and forth between stations, for attitude adjustments of system settings to be altered.

“We are in the pipe 5 by 5” The helmsman announced. A grim smile reflected from his panel. He was enjoying this it would appear. Who could blame him, there were few moments on board ship that you truly got a sense of the speed involved, flames belching of the hull as paint and armour burned away. What a shakedown cruise. Shudders ran through the deckplates as she nosed her way into atmosphere with an almighty slap of air.

“Roll through 180 on my mark…Mark”

“Diverting power to RCS for stage one breaking”

“Scanning for landing zone”

K’Voth, although captain of the ship wasn’t needed for this operation, and certainly not yet felt useless “Landing gear prepped and ready, wing configuration systems standing by for transition”

“Acknowledged”

Rain was lashing against the view screen as she ploughed through the atmosphere. Or as K’Voths instructors had called it many years ago, a controlled plummet. Swooping through the air across a stunning forest, The praxis had slowed considerably and her bulk was gently flying towards a located destination.

“Captain…Trans-Atmospheric insertion complete, command returned as of now”

“Thank you helm, all stations prepare for final landing, Lowering landing struts, and wings moving to landing configuration. Take us in helm”. Landing lights clearly displaying the area the ship was presently landing on. The view-screen relaying the image, with altitude and speed displayed as an overlay. With a gentle thump and a shudder Praxis was down. Standing up K’Voth ascertained from science that everything was breathable and on confirmation of this congratulated the helmsman. He had been on more brutal landings that was for certain, But then had any combat drop ever been gentle. With the bridge secured officers milled around their duties, K’Voth had heads to cave in down in engineering. Now that the necessity of clarity was over.

Main Engineering
IKS Praxis Ascendant
T +3:34 from incident
Engineering was far from what he expected. Rather then chaos and damaged parts, and people running over the place, he found what could be closely analogue with senior staff briefings, systems that were no longer in use to keep the ship in space were open with diagnostics ports and external outputs going to a large pad in the middle of the room. With systems specialists going over them with a fine tooth comb, watching from the back of the room, he watched fiber optic cables and ODN junctions flashing from deep inspection pits and the results on the faces of the engineers. Mainly a collection of grim faces and occasional curses floating in the air.

Striding over K’Voth announced himself with a simple “What is the problem”

“Were not sure, Its either a complete depolarisation of the EPS relays in section 35 deck Two, Or a cascade failure in every ODN relay resulting in a forced shut down, A faulty computer core or a bunch of scrambled diagnostics systems causing the ship to refuse override and start up – Oh and if you ask the replicator on the bridge for anything it will give you chicken flavoured coffee”

“You jest” K’Voth arched his eyebrows, feeling in no mood for jokes.

“Yes sir I do, it actually just dispenses organic mush, however the severity of the situation is understood. I should have it done with in two days, Baring any discoveries from the planned survey of the outer hull. Now if you will excuse me one of my engineers has been ordered by security to provide watch over the open air locks and I need to go and sort it out”

“No” K’Voth snarled “I have not dismissed you yet, Prioritise your time in here and no where else, This engineer of yours will provide liaison between the outside inspection teams and you as he knows a lot more then the troops about what is coming in…Clear?”

Realising the mark had been overstepped in dismissing his captain the engineer straitened “Clear Sir”

With that K’Voth turned on his heals and walked from engineering. A slight snarl under his breath, it was only a few hours into the event and tempers were all ready fraying. It had only been weeks with him as captain. This was going to take some doing. Maybe he would take one of the shuttles out for a spin? No that would not send out a good message, swearing deeply he continued the walk to the bridge, when his XO fell into step, Handing him a PADD K’Voth looked through it on the walk, “Nasty, Repair estimate?”

“Two Days, and no it isn’t padded as an estimate, I must report I had a slight disagreement with the chief about his attitude towards command stuff, and suggested he may if he loved his engine so much perhaps like to be used as reaction mass when we restart them” In spite of himself K’Voth laughed, this XO may not be as useless as I had feared. “Right, Have on rotation crew members on Brief shore leave as we are here anyway there is no use having non engineering/security staff getting in the way. Tell them they may go no further then say an hours march from the ship and must have a communicator on them at all times in-case we need to make a speedy exit,” At the incredulous look on the Warriors face “Yes, I know how ironic the use of the word speedy with a sublight only vessel is, just get it done” With that the XO turned down a separate corridor as he heard the announcement blasting through the ships comm.

Captains Quarters
IKS Praxis Ascendant
T + 26:55 After Incident

Main Power and the engineering computer were back online, the ship was mostly going through normal operations. Just as good as stranded with out the warp drive, which still defied all efforts to coax it into even attempting a start up. Communications were still down as well, according to the report sat in front of him. He hadn’t slept in over two days now, the events in the corridor still playing heavily on his mind. The rain still drumming a tattoo on the hull, despite his edict on taking a wander round the area of this planet he had not seen fit to do so himself. Hand slipping unconsciously to various scars, the captain stared and sighed.

“Computer, what is the highest effective range of local communications.” The flat voice, apparently a new feature on the old designed birds of prey, intoned a emotionless response that grated instantly on the nerves,

“With beacons placed around the ship an effective range of 7.5 Square Kilometres around the vessel can be achieved”

“With data uplink?”

“As stated an effective range of 7.5 KM”

“All right no need to get snippy, just display a map of the area on desk terminal”

“Rephrase statement”

“Map…Now…Terminal” No response was forthcoming, other then a map popping up onto his desk terminal, grunting as he lent over the desk, K’Voth transferred it to his PADD along with all the assorted reports and paperwork that needed his attention and set out to walk. Picking up a heavy hooded cloak and sliding it over his uniform and heading out to the main air lock.

Unknown Planet
2.2 KM North West of Landing Zone
T + 28 Hours After Incident.

A wing pair of shuttles flew over head into the distance, he envied his crew that. They had suggested it a number of hours ago, and he had acquiesced. Starfleet to whom they were attached were explorers…apparently…and always welcomed surveys, and the Klingon Defence Force were trying to learn to act in that way. All be it for resources so a planetary survey made sense. Plus he thought they had just wanted to fly again. Never before had he seen two officers more jumpy then the two shift pilots when grounded. He knew the feeling, the thought of atmospheric flight slipped him back, eyes growing vacant he slipped backwards to lying down, hair in a halo round his face, rain splashing in his eyes….

Abandoned Colony (New Scotland – Former UFP member; Current Klingon Protectorate)
Contested Space Alpha/Beta Quadrant
Dominion War

A few weeks had passed; the wreck was still breaking up in high orbit, slowly decaying towards the outer system. The Dominion had destroyed half of the ships leaving that dark day weeks ago. Grim thoughts clouded the young officers mind as he exited the combat shuttle he had just piloted from one continent from the base to this area, when it hit him where he was, Literally. Stubbing his foot on a plate and instantly regretting looking; “SNT Grafton CC – 158BCV” well in truth only a part of the name was visible on the charred piece of metal. The colonies vessel had been the first of the evacuation vessels to be claimed, All of the bridge crew on that dark day, not that the ones that proceeded or followed had been any easier, had listened still out of weapons range to the comms of that vessel.

“Where is the air support? I have 1800 people on board. We have to go…Now!”

“Negative, stand by your exit vector is still blocked”

Moments passed, the conversation going in much the same way for several more minutes

“Control I have to go, commencing power up sequence, complete”

“Grafton, Do NOT launch you are, stand by, LAUNCH, Go now!”

She had nearly made it, burning her engines hard, every ounce of strength the ship had went into pulling her towards space and the relative safety of jumping to the staging area deep in Klingon Space. Her Human/Klingon manifest just running from the onslaught, it was so close, so painfully close, rolling over on final exit from the atmosphere she had taken a Hit to the engine nacelle on her port wing, engines failing gravity had taken her toll; Every one on the bridge listening to the frantic communications from the ship to the control centre, spinning helplessly in the atmosphere as she plummeted towards a large plain. Her transporters were spitting as many people as they could back to the evacuation centre in the capital. There simply wasn’t enough time as the pilot managed to stabilise her decent until she grounded on a pylon and spilled the crowded contents of her cargo bays. Until her final resting place was the end of a 10 Mile long trench. Which is what he stood at the head of now, The nose of the ship was long gone, buried somewhere along the way. He assumed the piece of metal was maybe part of an air lock. Bodies littered the region. He thought of prying eyes open and howling as was custom, But plenty of howling had sent these people on their way. It was pretty odd to see things lying in the way they were. Strewn around were all sorts of incongruous things. A warriors helmet, books, a PADD, many things. Still sparking bits of ships equipment, an intact panel still hung of the hulk of the ship, her midsection lying a short walk from the name plate, Welcoming people on board. No one had known where she had ended, but then no had time to look. The final words on her still echoing in his mind “Negative on search and rescue, The Grafton is dust”

“K’Voth, report Have you found the anti matter readings? What are they?”

Picking up a cuddly toy version of the ship and looking at the bright cheerful face, “It’s the Grafton”

Unknown Planet
2.2 KM from the Praxis ascendant
T + 28:55 After Incident.

Slamming bolt upright as the memory left with as much speed as with which it had arrived “It’s the Grafton!” K’Voth yelled, Birds flew off and animals startled. Shaking off the thoughts and the rain he stared, His old hunting instructor would have had the pain sticks out for that one. Such an outburst, No longer feeling restful K’Voth pocketed the now soaking wet PADD and headed back towards the ship, Blank dead eyed stares greeting him with every blink.