Lieutenant Junkar, Tactical Officer
Lieutenant T'Aiko, Security/Intelligence Officer

NPCs:
Lieutenant Davoust, Infantry Squad Leader
Warrior 1st Class, T'Mek, Ship's Infantry
Warrior 2nd Class Kammocks, Ship's Infantry
Warrior 2nd Class J'nah, Ship's Infantry
Warrior 2nd Class Pioped, Ship's Infantry
Warrior 3rd Class G'tek, Dorsal Airlock Operator

"The Gates of Glory, Part 2"

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=Ty'Gokor, Deck Nine, Collar sec Deck 9 - stardate 2382.09.11, 1830=

Having left the main bridge, Junkar and T'Aiko proceeded along the collar section of deck nine, heading for the engineering. So it seemed that General Talak had supporters on the Ty'Gokor, well that did not matter now, for they would soon all be dead.

Soon the two spotted a warrior working on a console by the dorsal airlock. Junkar drew his disruptor and pointed it at the warrior. "Talak or Junkar?" He asked Bekk G'tek.

The warrior grinned and drew his Bat'leth, before joining Junkar. Now there were three in the team as they continued down the collar heading for engineering.

T'Aiko already had her disruptor out and her other hand was ready to pull one of the several blades on her person out. She could feel the Klingon bloodlust rising in her. The past few months had been frought with too much inactivity for her taste. Now was a time for action.

Junkar pointed his disruptor down the hallway. "Alright T'Aiko point..." He said before turning back to the other warrior. "G'tek cover us." Junkar then moved closer to the corridor wall, he knew the closer they got to engineering the more at risk they were.

T'Aiko let out a loud growl and charged ahead while keeping a sharp eye for any attackers that should happen to get in her way. This would also distract the attackers away from her comrades behind her. As she neared the entrance to the main engine room T'Aiko slowed down and pulled her mek'leth out. Now armed in each hand she changed her gait to brisk but cautious. "So far so good," she called back to Junkar.

~Stupid woman will get herself killed if she doesn't shut up for just two seconds~ Junkar thought as he stalked along the deck with G'tek. He heard something over his shoulder and looked back. It was the ship's second human officer and a squad of the ships infantry.

Sebastian moved a head of the squad up to Junkar. "I just checked with Carson before I left. They've activated forcefields at every entrance to engineering and we've intercepted coded messages between engineering and the IKS Derek." He whispered.

"What did they contain?" Junkar asked.

"The bridge hasn't decoded them yet, but we can be sure the IKS Derek is loyal to General Talak and is heading this way." Sebastian informed Junkar, while nursing a disruptor rifle in his arms.

"We will have to change our tactics then." Junkar replied quietly, referring to the Vor'cha class cruiser. Junkar then signalled the rest in the party to fan out and take cover along the corridor, while he waited for A'Tiko to return with news of the forcefield.

One second later T'Aiko reappeared, "There are forcefields set up at corridor junctions all around the engine room. I was unable to bring it down," this fact obviously fueled her anger. "We may need to use the maintenance crawlways to gain access."

"I need two volunteers to go with T'Aiko" Junkar announced looking over at his warriors. Before J'nah and Pioped stood up and joined T'Aiko. "Sneak inside, bring down the forcefield and the rest of us will join you when your done."

"Excellent," T'Aiko agreed with the choices, "Follow me!"

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Commander Ihsaan, First Officer

Ensign Q'roc, Assistant Security Officer

"The Trap"

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=== Ty'Gokor, Collar section, Deck 10, stardate 2382.09.11, 1830 ===

The red lights were still flashing making hard to forget the crisis status. Ihsaan was on his way to the Bridge when he found himself blocked by a force field. He turned around the other side of the corridor was now sealed too. He was caught like a Targ! He opened a panel and tried without success to override the security codes. It was obvious that the mutineers were stronger than he first imagined. ~The conduits!~ He opened the conduit above his head and jumped to catch the ladder. With little luck they had forgotten to block conduits. He heard some voice and noise not very far. He was about to start crawling when he heard the voice of Ensign Holden announcing a good news. At last! =^=Commander, I successfully retook control of force field in the Collar and Nose sections. You are free now!=^= "Good job, Holden!" Ihsaan said before jumping back in the corridor.
There was never a time Q'roc could remember *not* fighting.  It was in his blood in a way, or at least such an ingrained part of his life that he could never escape it.  He had fought with his uncle, fought at the Academy, fought for the general, fought against the Jem’Hadar... always he fought – for duty, for honor.
The creature that Q'roc had become turned his head, seeing a twisted reflection of itself in the dark bulkhead of the Ty'Gokor.  His face was pale, barely Klingon any longer, the ridges of his forehead barely visible if he paid them but a moment’s notice.  In contrast his brilliant red cybernetic eye…
He turned back to the Klingon he held like a rag doll.  He, too, seemed pale, his eyes were dimming as the life drained from him.  He struggled, but Q’roc’s grip was relentless.  His thumb, pressed against the man’s throat, was far more deadly than any bat’leth.  “Duty,” he said, laughing bitterly.  "Honor."  Another bitter laugh.
"You know nothing of duty," he said, "of honor.  You are a fool, a coward and a traitor."  The Klingon tried to struggle at the string of insults, but without oxygen flowing to his brain his movements were weak and haphazard. 
The assistant head of security had followed the man, presumably sent to kill the Ty'Gokor’s First Officer.  But he had neither the training nor the experience in the martial arts that Q’roc had, and it had been easy to follow him; when the force field had gone down – presumably the traitors’ doing – the Klingon had rushed in.  He had been startled to find the hall empty and, in that moment, Q’roc had struck.  "A child," he said, shaking his head, sneering at the would-be assassin.  "You would never have survived the war."
Using the full force of his cybernetically-enhanced arm, he smashed the treacherous Klingon into the bulkhead with a dull *thunk.*  If the warrior had not been dead before, he was now.
A flicker of movement caught his attention and he slid to the side to avoid disruptor fire that never appeared.  Instead he found himself staring into the First officer’s

As Ihsaan stood up he saw the Assistant Security officer Q'roc. A strange Klingon who joined the ship when they were on Qo'noss. The officer was full of cybernetics, almost like a Borg, expect that Borgs did not wear uniforms and cloths but Q'roc did. The Klingon was a good officer even if his psychological records revealed a tendency to self destructive actions. Ihsaan made a mental note to personally monitor the officer and ask him to join his Ashtanga classes. But this wasn't the time for crew evaluation. There was a crisis to deal with and he had to know in which side Q'roc was.

"Korlteh or Klag?" Ihsaan asked his hand on his disruptor.

"Honor," Q’roc said, glancing aside at the dead carcass of the traitor.  "And duty."  He moved – slowly, not wanting to test his metallic bone structure against a disruptor at this close range – toward the body of the dead man.  "This urwl, this traitor," he spat the word, "had come to kill you.  I presume."

A smile appeared on Ihsaan face as he released the tension in his arms. The officer looked like a Borg but his appearance was relief. The trap on his head had failed thanks to Ensign Q'roc. "I owe you this one!" Ihsaan said with laughter pointing the dead body. He was glad he had accepted this transfer. No ship wanted to take Q'roc, and this was a good reason for Ihsaan to let him join the Ty'Gokor. A choice he didn't regret!

Q'roc was unsure how to respond to the -- the compliment?  Once he might have known.  But he couldn't quite remember.  The words he felt did not seem like his own, as though they had been implanted along with the cybernetics.  'I owe you this one,' the First Officer had said; but he could not understand.  Was it not his *duty* to save his superior's life?  Was it not *honor* that had forced his hand?  He knew that he had lost honor -- what *thing* could be honorable and still be -- be this?
 
So instead of responding with words he merely nodded, once, sharply.  Each act, each motion -- everything he did was all directed at one goal: honor.  Or death.

"So now we must go to the Bridge and try to kill the devil while it still in the egg!" Ihsaan proposed. The red lights reminded him that there was no time for small talks. He didn't know how many people were against Captain Korlteh decision, and this wasn't good at all. It must have been a minority; otherwise the plot would have been discovered easily. But some warriors could have decided to follow their renegade superiors.

This -- this was something the cybernetic monstrosity understood.  Here was not a time for words, a time for thought, a time for understanding.  This was a time for action.  "You will follow.  If they attack -- if they are *true* Klingons -- then they will do so from the front, like Klingons.  And they will die like dogs."  He frowned.  "And if they attack from the rear, then you," he nodded at the disruptor in the superior's clenched fist, "have a weapon that can reach farther than a fist.  And you can protect my back.  Like brothers."  He nodded once and, without waiting for a response from the First Officer, started off, his movements those of a wild beast of the jungle, every sense attuned to the vessel around him, searching out that which was out of place and wrong.
 
His disruptor in his hand Ihsaan gave a last look behind him and then let Q'roc open the way to the Bridge.

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Lt. T'Aiko, Security and Intelligence Officer

NPCs

J'nah
Pioped
Lakan

"Pounding Down The Gates"

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============Ty'Gokor  - stardate 2382.09.11, 1845===================

"I need two volunteers to go with T'Aiko" Junkar announced looking over at his warriors. Before J'nah and Pioped stood up and joined T'Aiko. "Sneak inside, bring down the forcefield and the rest of us will join you when your done."

"Excellent," T'Aiko agreed with the choices, "Follow me!"

The trio ran down the corridor to the next maintenance tunnel hatchway. It was quickly opened and the three warriors disappeared within.

Moments later they reached their destination. The exit hatch from the maintenance tunnel was two meters above the deck in the Ty'Gokor's main engine room… what they'd call Main Engineering on a Starfleet vessel.

T'Aiko opened it just enough to spy on the saboteurs. "Filthy dogs!" she whispered quietly to herself. All of her Vulcan logic had flown out the airlock. Her Klingon instincts were taking over especially after seeing her, now former, assistant Lakan helping the enemy.

She decided to kill him last.

T'Aiko closed the hatchway again to give orders to her two compatriots without being heard by the traitors who'd taken over main engineering.

"J'nah, you will make for the main console and lock out the main computer and disengage the force fields they set up. Pioped, you will open the doors to let Junkar's team enter. Remember one thing… these aren't your shipmates any longer. They are traitors and should be dealt with most harshly. We will use stealth while we have the element of surprise. Understood?"

Pioped and J'nah answered with firm nods. Both had disruptor pistols and bladed weapons at the ready. T'Aiko pulled her pistol back out and raised it's kill setting to the highest it would go.

Next she opened the hatchway again and the three soldiers quietly snuck out.

TBC…

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Commander Ihsaan, First Officer
Lieutenant Junkar, Tactical Officer
Lieutenant T'Aiko, Security and Intelligence Officer
Lieutenant Carson, OPS Officer
Ensign Q'roc, Assistant Security Officer
Ensign Pallara, Chief Medical Officer

NPCs

Captain Korleth, Commanding Officer
Ensign Holden, Chief Engineer

"How to deal with traitors"

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=== Ty'Gokor's nose section, War room, deck 8, stardate 2382.09.11, 1850 ===

Almost an hour had passed since a small group of renegades took over Engineering and had tried to take control of the whole ship. ~Traitor on my ship!~ Korleth was burning inside. After few attempts to immediately solve the situation Ihsaan felt that there was a need for coordinating the initiative and elaborate an efficient plan. They had isolated the mutineers and built firewalls to make sure they couldn't expand their control. T'Aiko did a good job, Ihsaan noted.

Now that the situation was stabilized though still critical, they could spend precious minutes to think about how to deal with those traitors who shot their crewmates in the back! Everyone was there. Captain Korleth looked at the assembly with satisfaction, the most valuable senior officers had remained loyal and that was a very strong point. "Warriors!" He started. "No need to brief you on the situation! The summary is on your PADD, but you know most it since you written it with your blades or your work. I summoned you to make sure we can deal with the situation before the arrival of the IKS Dereks." He paused and nodded to Ihsaan to let him continue. "Commander Ihsaan!"

His name bounced in his head. It wasn't the first crisis he had to deal with as a First Officer, but this time, they needed to fight their crewmates. Ihsaan tried to find some strong words, something heroic, that could give some weight to what he was about to say, but he didn't find anything. Maybe this had nothing to do with heroism. It was the cold and sad reality of preparing the bloodshed. "Here the status" he simply started "They have confined themselves in engineering. They have no control beyond this area. Thrusters and impulse are under our control but offline. I must stress that even if they cannot start the self destruct sequences, armoury reports that powerful explosive are missing. So they could use them to destroy the warp core. The last point, a minor one, but we are drifting toward a nebula; we should enter in less than 30 minutes. I asked Science to analyse the composition of the gaz, but it seems that we could stay there until the repairs are finished. Until then we are nothing but a piece of duranium that could be shot like an asteroid!" Ihsaan ended his portray of the situation and then added:

"Lieutenant T'Aiko, you successfully blocked their attempt to hack our system, so do you think we can strike back?"

"Yes I do," T'Aiko replied angrily. "I'm sure with a little more time we can figure out the protocols they put in place and defeat them. I already have several of my staff working on it." The fact that their control of the ship was lost, even for a short time, was distressing to the Security Chief. She was angrier than her tone let on.

"How long?" Ihsaan asked. "It would be better to join this effort with other measures."

"Perhaps an hour," she replied, "Most likely less."

Ihsaan gave her a nod and then looked at Holden and Carson: "How long before we get our engines back online! No one is comfortable with the idea of being the toy of the celestial mechanics, trapped in outside gravity forces.

"My lord, during the last attempt to retake Engineering, I was able to rig a bypass to the damage the traitors caused. We should have full warp power in thirty minutes, an hour tops," Carson said. "Of course, the traitors can still blow the warp core with the missing explosives, but unless that actually happens, we can still fight if need be."

"Good!" Ihsaan nodded impressed by the short delay. "Lieutenant Junkar and T'Aiko Ensign Q'roc how can we retake engineering by force without risking a suicidal response." He paused and continued to explain himself: "If it was a group of sixty or a hundred of mutineers I wouldn't be worry. But it seems that this was done by a very small group. Apart from individual turncoats who followed them before changing their mind with a disruptor close to their head, it was from the beginning a desperate attempt. The Dereks will come in about two hours, it's more than enough to take their force fields down. That's why I cannot ignore the possibility of a suicidal action."

Q'roc spoke first, his hard, vaguely mechanical voice filling the meeting room.  "A frontal assault is suicidal.  And foolish."  He nodded.  "But we outnumber them, many to one.  I suggest two, three assaults.  I can lead a small force up the center -- attack them straight on."  He grinned, a deathshead visage.  "Others can attack from the sides as we begin making noise.  They will be trapped, and can be destroyed like dogs."

"Why don't we just expose the engine room to space," T'Aiko suggested, "That way the filthy dogs will get what they deserve."

"I do not believe that would be wise," Q'roc said carefully.  "There is vital equipment that could be damaged."  He looked to the officer representing engineering for confirmation.  "And besides -- there is no honor in killing in such a manner."  He shook his head, disgusted at the thought.  "There is honor in battle.  But in ..."  He motioned again with his arm.  "No."

Junkar nodded. "Q'Roc is right. We'll to do much damage and lose precious materials exposing engineering to the vacuum of space... besides honor, extera extera" He replied with a slight chuckle at the humour of it all.

"Not to mention, that if Carson's report is still up to date, they still control the systems necessary to do that. No! We must think about a coordinated assault!" Ihsaan added.

"Well..." Junkar began. "Now that we have security and marine teams covering all the entrances to engineering, once the forcefield is brought down we will be able to simply storm engineering and put all of the traitors to the sword."

The Captain had stayed in the background but felt the need to ask for
details: "How can we be sure that they won't blow up everything when the forcefields will power off?"

"We can not be certain," Q'roc said, then shook his head.  "But these ... men ... are cowards.  I do not believe they have such an action in them."
He turned to T'Aiko, then to Junkar; they had been aboard the vessel longer and might know the crew better, though he could not respect any who shot a warrior in the back.  Such an act was an abomination and showed that they feared death more than anything.

"I don't think we should worry about 'their' honor," T'Aiko started, "They have already proven they have none! They should die in the worst way thinkable as far as I'm concerned."

The tactical issue was delicate indeed, but there was also a last point that needed to be discussed. "Doctor Pallara has brought some disturbing information" Ihsaan started to get the attention of the audience. "As you may have read, many victims had been caught by surprise, or shot in the back. They transported the bodies in Sickbay. One of them is still alive." He paused: "Doctor Pallara" Ihsaan invited Michael to continue. This was a matter of Ethics and it might be important to have everyone's opinion on that.

"Yes." Michael said. "Warrior Jomrad is still alive and I would like to keep it that way. I need to get back to sickbay and operate on him."He hesitated not sure of how his next words would go down. "There is only a small chance he will regain the use of his legs. But he is a valuable man. He can pass on his knowledge to others. It would be an act of waste to let him die." He almost pleaded. "I need permission to operate straight away!"

Q'roc made a face of disgust.  "Let him die an honorable, warrior's death."  He motioned with one metalic arm.  "Do not curse him to 'live' as an abomination."

This was an argument one couldn't ignore, the survivor, the one back from the dead with alien cybernetic had certainly something to say about how he was seeing life, and how his life became. Ihsaan didn't have the expertise to judge how Jomrad could be healed and how he could walk if there was able to walk one day. He looked at Pallara waiting for his answer.

Michael watched Q'roc with compassion. "Our society is changing, ensign. I wish you would see that. You do your job, you have a life and you are a valuable asset to the empire. You would be even more so if you chose to see it yourself.  It will be the same for Jomrad. Besides I know he wants to take revenge. He is not through with life yet." Pallara said with vehemence.

"Jomrad is a fine warrior and therefore has the right to Hegh'bat" Junkar commented, referring to ritual assisted suicide. "If he asks anyone for it, it would be dishonourable to stop it or not to assist him."

"Damn it!  Of course he is going to say he wants to die right now!  Even a human would say it under the circumstances.  He has lost a lot of blood, he is not thinking straight, and he needs time to readjust."  Michael was so frustrated with the whole bunch of them right now.

The conversation was turning bitter as expected, but there was nothing to do. Ihsaan shared the ideas of Michael but he knew that this position was hard to hold. Not only the patient might refuse, but after convincing him there would be a whole crew to convince. In the Federation the moral backed Pallara's ethics, but in the Klingon society Hegh'bat, as mentioned by Junkar, was an accepted practice. "We shouldn't jump to the conclusion or make hasty choices, in either side." Ihssan said to calm down the situation. "Michael, the best is to stabilise Jomrad condition. And when he wakes up explain him the situation." He paused

Before he could continue Korleth spoke up: "The final choice is up to him and him only. This is not a Starfleet, this is a Klingon ship with a crew of Klingons Jomrad would have to work with. There are many factors that need to be taking into account. We share your care about the crew, so let's discuss it after we retake the ship, otherwise there will be no decision to make."

"To sum up" Korleth said showing that the meeting was about to end "T'Aiko's officers are working on taking down the forcefields, but T'Aiko will also lead a squad as well as Junkar and Q'roc. In the meantime Carson and Holden's warriors are rushing to give us back the engines."

"Dammit!" Michael was beyond reason. "If I just keep him stabilized he will die. But maybe that is what you want. He needs the operation, and he needs it right now!' He came to his feet. "As a matter of fact that is what I am going to do right now." He started to leave.

"Ensign" the voice of the Captain sounded like a thunder. "You are not dismissed!" Warriors taking engineering and discussing his choices, shooting on other crewmates, and now, now, his Chief Medical Officer trying to turn a Klingon ship into a Federation hospital. No it was too much. The warriors guarding the doors stepped to block any attempt to leave the room without the Captain approval. Most of the time no one noticed their presence, but in situations like this one, one could remember why they were there. "If you leave this room, it will be for the brig." ~And this is too kind~ Korleth thought. In this time of crisis, discipline was needed at every level.

The silence which followed the thunder was heavy and uncomfortable. "Ahem" started Ihsaan "Perhaps Doctor Pallara can do his best to save Jomrad. Now the warrior is not able to make a choice. If he dies, it will be on a biobed because he was shot in the back. Let allow Ensign Pallara do his best to save his patient and if possible his legs. Then, Jomrad will have all the latitude to make his choice." Ihsaan proposed to cool down the situation. He gave a look at Korleth who nodded still angry.

"Right" The Captain said. "Do what is good for him! But remember that what is good for a Human is not always good for a Klingon living in a Klingon society." Korleth added with a calmer voice. "Dismissed" Korleth said allowing the Doctor to leave.

Michael shot his friend a grateful look. Today he had established that he indeed did have a klingon temper and he was not proud of how he handled the situation. Pallara nodded curtly and left to get ready for surgery.

Korleth waited for a while. "Lieutenant Carson I want you to focus on a way to blind them. They shouldn't be able to see or hear what will happen to them. But use a minimum of person to avoid slowing down the repairs Understood?"

The Starfleet exchange officer nodded. "Good! I will monitor the operations from the Bridge, so it is important to keep your communicators online." He glanced at Carson "And important that only us will be listening". He stood up. "Enough words! Now, actions!"