Part Two

Chapter Eleven

"What?" Ken said to himself. He was as confused as any on the bridge.

Worf'dL repeated what he had said. Harris looked bemused, and turned to the Klingon. "I was talking to myself." Ken then smiled, and looked at Ayla. "Staff meeting, Briefing room, ten minutes. And get a hold of Grand Admiral Turner, priority one, secure channel. I want it patched through to the Briefing room."

"Yes sir,", Burns replied.

Ken motioned for Thalov, Siavod and Worf'dL to follow him, leaving Stol in command.

They entered the Briefing room, and Kim was the only one there so far, waiting. A beep was heard, and Harris answered the comm. It was Burns. "Sir, Grand Admiral Turner. Secure channel. Ready."

"Thank you, Burns." Ken then turned the viewer so only he could see it. "Captain Harris here. Sir, you saw? What is going on?"

"It's war, Captain. We feel the Klingons are using your actions only as an excuse," Turner said. He was a smallish man, with an ego that could fill a Nebula. Some claimed he had some Romulan in him. "They've been looking for any pretext to open hostilities."

"But sir, such a declaration of war by either side is catagorically forbidden by the Organian Peace Treaty. With your permission, the Excalibur will go to Organia and find...." He was cut off by Turner.

"No, Harris." The Admiral had a very serious look to him. "We want you to proceed with picking up that Ambassador. That will be near the Romulan border. We want to make sure the Romulans don't attack us while our backs are turned. So you are to guard the Romulan Neutral Zone after delivering the Ambassador."

"The Romulan...? Sir, that's 5,000 parsecs away! I submit the Excalibur will be better used-"

"You wanted this command, Harris. And if you want to keep it, you will obey orders. Understood, Captain?"

"I... Yes sir. Harris out." Ken turned off the viewer and looked up at Thalov and Siavod. "You heard?"

Thalov replied first. "Yes sir. And to be honest, that did not sound like the Grand Admiral Turner I have seen and heard before."

Siavod concured, "Sir, I have not met him personally, but have heard many things about him. This does not seem like him. It is logical that tramsmission was false."

Ken looked at Siavod. "So you think our call may have been intercepted, with someone faking it?"

"Yes sir."

"Very well, Siavod. Compare a copy of that with tapes we have of Turner. Check for voice, retina and distortion."

"Acknowledged, sir." Siavod then began to work at a computer console.

Ken turned to the Chief Engineer. "Warm up the engines. Until we confirm it was a fake, we proceed as ordered. To the Romulan Neutral Zone."

The Chief replied, "Yes sir." Just then Siavod returned to the Briefing table. "Sir, the transmission was...genuine."

"Damn. Thank you, Siavod. Please return to the bridge, and have Stol lay in a course to the Gamma Hydra system, warp seven. We still have an Ambassador to pick up." Ken then asked Worf'dL to sit, and to tell he and Thalov all the Klingon knew about the current Klingon Government situation.

Back on Qo'noS and Earth, one Klingon warrior and one Grand Admiral stirred in their restless sleep, a maniacal laughing in the background.....

=/\= Chapter 11 =/\= Chapter 12 =/\=

=/\= Chapter 13 =/\= Chapter 14 =/\=

=/\= Chapter 15 =/\= Chapter 16 =/\=

=/\= Chapter 17 =/\= Chapter 18 =/\=

=/\= Chapter 19 =/\= Chapter 20 =/\=

Back to
=/\= Part One =/\=