Back to Archives

Chapter Two

The green globe that was Qo'Nos revolved peacefully upon its axis, the turmoil beneath the atmosphere unseen by the people above it.

The USS-Card was in orbit above the Klingon home world, its crew waiting patiently for Imperial Intelligence to contact them and send their operatives over. It had been ten minutes since the ship had entered orbit and still no signal had come.

...the Klingon Imperial Intelligence is not the perfect example of a well-functioning intelligence service. It is considered throughout the Federation as a rather...'mediocre' association...Patrickson's words were still echoing in Kline's head, he was trying rather hard to make sure that the statement of the Rear-Admiral didn't become a disturbing preconception to him.

A few more minutes later, the signal finally came in.

The face of an aged Klingon with grey hair and a few chins too much appeared on the screen, he said: "You must be the ship sent by Starfleet Intelligence. It is an honor to meet you."

"You must be general Rax." Kline smiled. "The honor is ours, general. You are a living-legend in the field."

"Pah..." The Klingon modestly held back a smile and waved his hand dismissively. "It was a long time ago..."

"So..." Kline started again in a more business-like manner. "When should we expect your operatives to beam on board?"

"You should be receiving coordinates from our transporter room now." General Rax said.

"Confirmed," Eskina said from his Ops station. "Receiving coordinates for transport now."

"Beam them on board..." Kline ordered before turning back to Rax on the screen.

"You have all my wishes of good luck for you mission, captain Kline." The Klingon general said. "Qa'Pla."

"Many thanks," Kline smiled. "Qa'Pla."

The Klingon blinked off the screen and the commlink was activated immediately thereafter: "This is Robinson; the two Klingon agents have been beamed on board."

"Perfect," Kline said. "Have them escorted to the observation lounge immediately."

* * *

The senior officers were all seated in their respective seats in the observation lounge when the two Klingon operatives came in. The male Klingon looked rather 'normal' for a Klingon. The female, however, was different than other Klingon women that Kline had ever seen. Klingon females rarely worked aboard starships like the males so Kline had almost never seen any. And the few that he had seen were more like housewives, the Klingon culture still hadn't acknowledged correctly the right's of women like almost every other culture in the galaxy.

This Klingon female held herself as an equal to the man; she had a warrior's gaze.

"It's an honor." Kline said, politely standing up to greet them. "Please sit down." He gestured to two vacant chairs.

"Many thanks." The male said as they sat down.

"I'm Captain Kline, commanding officer." He then proceeded to presenting the rest of his staff. When the introductions were completed, the Klingons did the same for themselves.

"My name is Gorik, and this is Kaytan." The male gestured to his companion. "We are elite operatives of the Klingon Imperial Intelligence. We are honored that you have let us board you're vessel and hope that we will manage to bring as much help to you as we can."

"For that, we thank you." Kline said. "Now, let's get to business..."

"Agreed," Kaytan nodded, pulling a padd from a pocket beneath her Klingon armor, she produced a Klingon data padd and slid it across the observation lounge's table to the captain. "These are full reports on each of the terrorist attacks that have happened in the past few weeks. We still have no information on the terrorist organization that has been behind these attacks, but we are almost certain that it is the same group."

Kline studied the data padd and nodded: "I see...These are exclusively bomb attacks, I see..."

"That is correct." Kaytan said. "It seems that the terrorist group has little imagination."

"But an imagination that's deadly enough." Stevenson said.

"So how are we going to find out anything about this terrorist group if there in no information that has been gathered?" Sutter asked.

"There is one piece of information that we have found." Gorik explained. "In the debris of all the destroyed buildings we have found one inscription, written upon walls a few minutes before the detonation."

"And this inscription is?" Eskina asked.

"It's marked in ancient Klingonese," Gorik said. "The inscriptions say "Red like blood"."

"And what does that mean?" Kline asked.

"Isn't that a sentence within one of the ancient Kahless stories?" Yasmin Reeves asked.

Kaytan blinked and stared at Reeves, she was evidently surprised that a Starfleeter knew anything about Kahless' stories. "Indeed, it is from the story of the River of Blood."

"Could there be anything within this...this story that could help us in our search for the terrorist group?" Kline asked.

Gorik shrugged: "Not really..."

"However..." Kaytan said. "Recently, there have been some disturbing reports from the Boreth monastery."

Gorik looked up at his colleague in surprise, as if she had just sprouted a second head.

She continued: "High-Cleric Kalor has reported that his students have been in constant stress after one of the students that were staying there burst out of the class whilst insulting Kahless, this was during the class about the story of the River of Blood."

"I thought we had decided that we weren't going to follow this up?" Gorik snarled.

Kaytan looked at him with a bored expression: "I decided we had decided wrong..."

"Kalor is just trying to attract attention." Gorik said. "He probably knows nothing..."

"Just because you don't like Kalor doesn't mean that he knows nothing." She snapped, and then she turned back to the humans with an apologetic look. "Please excuse him," She said. "He used to be in Boreth and did not appreciate High-Cleric Kalor very much."

Gorik grunted something unintelligible.

Kline nodded: "I guess that's the only thing we can go after for now, right?"

Kaytan nodded.

"Right," Kline said. "We'll set a course for Boreth immediately."

* * *

Boreth...An M-class planet circling a yellow sun in Klingon space... To the Klingon religion, this was the place around which everything revolved. The heart of the body that was the Klingon religion...

The two Klingon operatives exited from the turbolift and their gazes turned to the viewscreen upon which the image of Boreth was displayed. Kaytan's expression didn't change, but Gorik frowned deeply when he saw the planet.

"We are contacting the monastery," Kline told them.

"They're answering." Mantion reported. "Shall I put them on screen?"

Kline heard Gorik sigh; then he said: "Yes, please do."

The face of a grey-haired Klingon in a cleric's robe appeared on the screen, he looked directly at Kline: "I am high-cleric Kalor."

"High-Cleric, I am Captain Alan Kline of the Federation starship Card. We are here to ask you some questions about some troubling things that have happened in your monastery."

Kalor frowned: "Why is the Federation interested in such things?"

Kline hadn't prepared for that question; he hesitated for half a second and then quickly said: "We are simply bringing two members of the Klingon government to investigate."

"The Federation is now ferrying Klingon officers?" Kalor asked suspiciously.

"Times are difficult in the empire, Kalor." Kaytan suddenly said, advancing closer to the viewscreen so that he could see her clearer. "You of all people should know that."

He blinked, surprised to see her: "You...I remember you..."

"Kaytan," She reminded him. "Of the house of Tarkan..."

"Kaytan..." He repeated slowly. "Of course...Such a pretty young girl, and with such a temper..." He smiled. "How could I forget?"

Then, the eyes of the old man came upon Gorik, who was standing, cross-armed, at the back of the bridge. "Gorik..." The old man's smile grew wider. "It is also good to see you again."

Gorik said nothing, just inclined his head slightly.

The gaze of the high-cleric returned to Kline: "You are permitted to come down to the surface for an investigation. Although access to the monastery by individuals from another race is not permitted; I shall allow one of you to come down."

"You have our thanks." Kline said. "I shall be the one coming. We shall beam down immediately."

Kalor nodded, and then he blinked off the screen.

* * *

Kline, Gorik and Kaytan materialized in the main hall of the Boreth monastery a few minutes later. Kalor was there to greet them.

"Welcome," Kalor said, spreading out his hands. "All of you."

"Thank you for having let us come down here." Kline said.

"I am glad to help in any way I can," Kalor said. "Now, you said that you had questions?"

"Yes," Kaytan stepped forward. "About the River of Blood..."

Kalor frowned, he considered her a moment, and then said: "Please, follow me...We shall sit down and have a drink."

They followed him through the corridors of the large monastery, Klingon students peered curiously at them--and especially at Kline--as they passed by. They came into a large room with many tables and on the far side of the room, a mural of Kahless holding his sword.

"Please sit down; I shall be back in a short moment." The high-cleric disappeared into an adjacent room while the two Klingon operatives and Kline sat down at a table.

"I believe it would be proven for us to ask the questions." Kaytan told Kline. "After all, you told him that you are only transporting us here, nothing else."

"Understood..." Kline nodded.

Kalor came back into the room, holding a tray upon which four large Klingon cups were placed. He laid it down on the table and they all took one of the cups. Kline sniffed the beverage and recognized the smell, Klingon blood wine. He had never gotten accustomed to Klingon cuisine but the drinks were fine. He took a few sips.

"Now," Kalor said. "Please ask your questions..."

"In the few complaints you have sent to the High Council, you speak of a student named Doksath who left the monastery during the story of the River of Blood, correct?" Kaytan asked.

"Yes, Doksath was a very brilliant student. But I never figured out for what reason he came here; most of the students here are Klingons who wish to reinforce their faith in Kahless. They all believe in Kahless in some way or another...But Doksath...I did not feel his faith, he always listened intently to the stories but didn't actually believe in them...To him these were just stories to put children to sleep at night."

"And let's come back to that day when he stormed off," Kaytan said.

"Yes..." Kalor turned his gaze to Gorik. "It reminded me of the time you left, Gorik...I remember it clearly."

"Do you..." Gorik said with a bored expression.

"Yes...You did exactly the same thing that day. You told me I was an old fool; you left the great hall, slamming the doors on your way out. You were foolish..."

Gorik leaned closer to the cleric, through clenched teeth, he said: "I was foolish?"

"Yes," Kalor said calmly. "You were always foolish in your youth, always defiant and seeking to show your superior strength to the other students by getting into fights. Who knows if you are not still foolish now?"

"Enough," Kaytan said, calmly, but with a slight edge in her voice. "Doksath," She said to the cleric.

"Yes." Kalor said, not breaking eye-contact with Gorik. "He told me that I was a fool to believe in Kahless; that Kahless was an idiot and so on...Then, before leaving he threatened us; he said that the River of Blood was going to take our lives like it took Karx's."

"Karx?" Kline frowned.

Kalor gave a brief summary of the River of Blood story, and Kline understood.

"And then he left?" Kaytan asked.

"Yes, he didn't even take his personal objects with him; He just left..." Kalor said.

"And do you think he will be able to keep his promise?" Gorik asked, still frowning, but seemingly not as annoyed as a few seconds ago.

"His promise?"

"Yes, you said he's threatened you." Gorik said. "Do you think he will do such a thing?"

"I do not know him very well..." Kalor said. "I do not know if he will go that far."

Kaytan nodded: "Well...I believe that is all."

They all stood up and Kalor said: "You have no further questions?"

"No." Kaytan said. "You have given us the desired information; we shall now be on our way." She turned to Kline. "Captain."

He tapped his commbadge and said: "Kline to Card; Get ready to beam up three."

"Aye, sir."

Kalor placed a hand on Kline's shoulder: "Friend; I bid you farewell."

Kline inclined his head slightly: "I hope we shall meet again, high-cleric."

Kalor then turned to Kaytan: "Go in the way of Kahless, Kaytan."

She nodded and the cleric finally turned to Gorik.

"May you die well, Gorik." Kalor said.

"Die well..." Gorik said, emphasizing on the first word.

Kalor stepped back and Kline tapped his commbadge: "Energize..."

Go to Chapter Three