A New Alliance

The Klingon Security Captain considered the information that Speares had given him.  In his position he could not help but be aware of the precarious state of interstellar politics. Neither the Federation nor the Klingon Empire wanted or could afford to find themselves in armed conflict with the Yautja. He suspected that they did not truly want war either.  Why else would they have asked for negotiations if not to make a peace of some kind? The Klingon sighed and scratched his crest. And if they wanted peace, why had they become obstructive when Kehlan disappeared? The investigator in him stirred, sensing a mystery to be solved.  First things first though.

 

"Our first priority is to retrieve captain Kehlan” Krang decided.  “Once that is done I will be glad to offer SCIS our assistance with their investigations.  Meanwhile I will need the combadge and all the data you have from your analysis if we are to pin down an exact temporal destination." He frowned as he continued "However Night Dagger's design means that remote interface with the temporal computers is impossible.  We must perform the analysis aboard her"

"Anything you need" Speares nodded at once. He would gladly do whatever it took to get Captain Kehlan safely back on board Endeavour where she belonged.

 

"Good" Krang said, "As soon as Night Dagger's computers have confirmed the data we will set a course.” 

 

Speares considered for a moment. "I'll meet you back at Night Dagger with the badge then." 

The Security Captain nodded curtly. "I will begin calculating the parameters"

Colonel Speares accessed Kehlan's computer and entered a few commands.  "I’ve made a note in the ship’s log that you are both to be given full access to all areas of the ship"

"It is appreciated" Krang nodded.

 

“It will allow you to move about the ship unescorted” Speares explained.

"Let's get my friend back first and then worry about who wants to go where" N'Sal remarked, though she did incline her head slightly. Speares chose to take that as a gesture of thanks. He had often seen Rhiana do similar. "We have work to do"

As Krang and his aide left to return to the shuttle bay, Speares headed back to the briefing room to collect the combadge and to update the ambassadors on the situation.  Entering the room, he was hardly surprised to find that the three Yautja were still there, although they were no longer seated. Rhiana and Kreltek were also present accompanying them, the two science officers having been dismissed back to their duties.  Offering a smile, he approached them.

The Elder looked enquiringly at Speares.  The baring of teeth meant pleasure in this species, he reminded himself. The Ooman was not intentionally offering challenge. He could not quite figure out how such an obviously aggressive facial expression had come to mean the exact opposite in their culture.  "There is progress?"

"There is" Speares nodded, running a hand through his hair. "Security Captain Krang and his aide have come aboard. They are prepared.... eager... to attempt retrieval"

A low growl rumbled through the Elder's body.  "They will succeed"

"If that is to be certain, I need to bring the combadge and all the data we have to Krang"

The growl seemed to deepen.  "Then do so.  We will wait here"

 

The Colonel nodded and picked up the case containing the ancient artefact together with the pile of padds of data. "I'll keep you informed Ambassador"

The old Predator's nod seemed to dismiss him.

"Qapla’ Speares" Kreltek growled as the doors parted to allow the human's egress. Speares returned the nod and vanished in the direction of the turbolift.  Luck was in his favour and the turbolift was both available and empty.  Minutes later he was approaching Night Dagger's hatch.

N'Sal was watching the sensor feeds while Krang set the calculation parameters on the computer. At Speares' approach she released the hatch lockouts. The access ramp descended to meet him and sealed up the moment he was aboard.

 

It did not take long for Night Dagger's temporal computers to run the analysis and confirm the exact age of the combadge.   "812 years, three months, one week, fourteen hours by the standard calendar" Krang announced to the two waiting behind him. "Your science officers were correct it seems, Colonel"

 

You’re sure the computers are accurate?"

"These computers are the most finely tuned chronometric units in the three empires" Krang explained. "There is less than a 0.1% margin of error. Much slimmer than Endeavour's systems"

Speares relaxed slightly.  Krang knew what he was talking about.  If anyone could pull this off, he could.  "Then go and get her, Krang.  Bring her back safe"

"I intend to" Krang said.  He glanced at his Romulan aide.  "Ready for another time jump?"

 

She looked pale for a moment. He couldn't blame her. The time dilation could be rough, perhaps even frightening to someone who was not accustomed to it.   Preparing to leave, Speares hesitated at the hatch and gave her a wicked grin. "You can stay here if you're space sick. I'm sure Rhiana would love to chat to you".

 

N'Sal scowled darkly. To say that she was not fond of the Tal’Shiar would be an understatement of colossal proportions. "I'm ready" she insisted resolutely, her eyes shooting daggers at Speares' back as he made good his escape.

 

"It will be worse than the jump to get here" Krang warned her, "The bigger the time interval, the more the ship will shake.  It's going to feel like it’s tearing itself apart.  Don't worry, it won't"

"If it does.... you'll die first..." At Krang's raised eyebrow she elaborated. "The Bird of Prey... even a miniature one... has structural weaknesses that are... quite predictable"

He grinned.  "Let's get going"

 

Krang and N’Sal strapped themselves firmly into their seats.  Bringing the engines on line, the Klingon transmitted a departure request to the bridge and waited for the shuttle bay doors to open.  It seemed to take forever but finally open space was clear before them and the tractor beams carefully manoeuvred the private vessel out into the larger starship's wake.

As soon as the beams had released the vessel, Krang laid in a course taking them out of the solar system.  In order to engage the time dilator, he first had to bring Night Dagger up to maximum speed.  Satisfied that all was as it should be, he glanced at N'Sal, asking "Ready?"  At her tense nod, he leaned over and activated the device. The shaking threw them both back in their seats. Krang was used to this and maintained his watch on the readouts. The vibrations increased to a point where it seemed the little vessel truly could take no more and must surely destroy itself.

 

Night Dagger bucked like a wild horse one final time then all was still and peaceful. Out of habit Krang ran a practised eye across the readouts. All indicators were steady in the nominal range. They were coming out of the temporal stream. The Klingon disengaged the time dilator and reset course towards orbit of the planet. His tiny Bird of Prey nosed through the last of the eddying time currents to re-enter normal space with barely a hint of turbulence.