“Heghlu’DI’ mobbe’lu’chugh QaQpu’ Hegh wanI’”

(Death is an experience best shared)

The Klingon Way

It contained the “stuff of stars and planets”, including gases, dust, and complex molecules. Exotic particles thrown out by the explosion of a dying star, orphaned children of a supernova. In the throes of its death – rattle, the star Antaari – Ursula hemorrhaged these materials into the uncaring void of space where, over an impossible length of time (5 Billion years all told), they finally came together – the dust and gasses joined in a seldom – harmonious cloud of a planetary nebula.

It was comparatively small (only 10 light years across), undeniably beautiful and utterly lethal.

The dust and gasses started their marriage in this nursery of stars comparatively far apart, but as the long decamillennia inevitably rolled past, the eternal compulsion of gravity slowly began to pull together these disparate clumps of dust and gas. As these clumps got bigger and bigger, their gravity became stronger and stronger, the clouds mix and churn creating complex and treacherous magnetic fields.

One day, in the far distant future of the galaxy, the amalgam of dust and gas would become so big that it would finally collapse from its own gravity. The collapse causing the material at the centre of the cloud to heat up-and this hot core become the beginning of a new star.

From death, eternal rebirth.

But today the Antaari Nebula would only be a witness to death.

Ranging around these soaring, speckled mountains and valleys of exotic stellar material, a battle was taking place that would not even constitute a beat of the heart, when compared to the death and life of the former star.

However, in its own way, it would burn brighter and rage hotter in that short, fractious moment of evolution and itself have an (comparatively) lasting impact upon the stars around it.

At the centre of this battle – the vast heft and Tetrahedral bulk of the encroaching vessel from the Hive Collective, newly arrived courtesy of an inviolate Transwarp Conduit – dominated the battle. In terms of sheer size & scale alone, the vast amber – gold colored “Tet” dominated the battle.

The hegemonic insectoid race ironically made its opponents seem like swarming insects themselves as they teemed against its mighty flanks, heedless to the insignificant sting of their massed weapons fire as its own transporters spewed out boarding parties of Hive drones to seize and assimilate the crew’s unfortunate enough not to have perished to hostile fire.

The massed forces of the New Marquis staged a valiant riposte, albeit with an ersatz – fleet of vessels of technologically dated and obsolete when compared to this behemoth, but it was clear to all but the most maniacally optimistic and deluded – what the final outcome of this decidedly one – sided conflict must inevitably be.

And through this terrible garden of destruction cut the shovel – headed prow of the ISS Albion. The lethal Terran Empire Inquiry – Class ship spewed lance after lance of searing phasic energy, not only at the Hive Tet itself, but also at the struggling New Marquis forces – lead by the graceful lines of the United Federation of Planets Starfleet vessel, USS Valley Forge.

Aboard the beleaguered Excelsior II – Class Heavy Cruiser, Acting CO – Commander Daniel Talland had little time to consider the deathly – beauty of the Nebula, nor time to philosophical implications of which enemy craft more deserved his ship’s martial – attentions.

Commander Talland was just focusing on surviving the next few, fraught and desperate minutes.

“Shields at 40% and holding…..for now, at least.” Reported Tactical Officer, Lieutenant Danaé Doucet grimly – as the bridge was buffeted by the combined fire from the ISS Albion and the Hive Tet.

Daniel gripped the arm-rests of the command – chair as the deck tilted and Ensign Ellis Pennington canted the huge Excelsior II – class ship sharply to port to avoid a deadly necklace of Quantum – torpedoes, as the encroaching ISS Albion made a fast pass over their dorsal beam and angled sharply away – following up the attack with a deft stab of phase fire from her own ventral arrays.

“God, that kid can fly !” muttered Daniel under his breath as the deck righted again and his stomach struggled to catch up.

The view forward through the viewscreen was one of utter pandemonium.

The plan to lure the Terran Empire Captain Hyland with the promise of capturing the dimension – hopping Hull – 3185 had been a tenuous plan and a desperate gamble to begin with. Whilst he had not said so at the time, Talland had though the plan (like all made in haste) had several gaps that you could fly a starship through and that it’s likely chances of success were slim at best.

That was before the Hive had entered into the equation and seemed intent on trying to force their own aims upon a battle – plan already stretched paper thin.

He was interrupted by a thunderous detonation off to port, where a D’Var – type scout ship, formerly of the Orion Syndicate, met its ignominious – end at the end of a lance of amber – energy issued from the Hive Tet.

“Mr Pennington! “Daniel ordered tersely, “Evasive…”

But the astute young Helmsman was already throwing the great ship into an evasive maneuver, corkscrewing around the glowing wreckage field – to put the Valley Forge between it and the next salvo.

As the view of the furious battlefield skewed frantically, as Ellis gave it everything the “old girl” could muster from it’s howling impulse drive and adding docking thrusters for good measure, a graceful shoal of manta – hulled Hideki – class fighters flashed past so close (painfully close), that the Commander could see the faded squadron decals for the former Obsidian Order, flaking with age on their flashing hulls.

“Captain !” Yevgeny Kirov reported from the Ops Station. “Priority Message incoming from the K’gik’Mor, it’s Gul Yomat Ghallir!”

“Onscreen!” Daniel ordered as the Valley Forge’s own Phaser arrays sang out and scored hits on the retreating ISS Albion, which looked to be coming about for another attack run.

The viewer switched to reveal the face of the New Marquis leader, as he sat aboard the bridge of the former IKN Bird of Prey – its own crew intent on their own part of the desperate battle.

“Commander Talland.” Ghallir’s grey face was especially grim, as the former Cardassian High – Command officer addressed his Federation ally, “It appears this party has an uninvited guest.” The Gul commented dryly.

A lance of amber energy slammed into the regenerative shielding and the lights on the bridge of the Valley Forge dimmed slightly, as the shield generators struggled to dissipate the energy throughout the field.

“Really?” Daniel returned through gritted teeth, “I guess they didn’t see the part about RSVPing? Any ideas about how to show them the door?”

The Cardassian shook his head dismissively.

“Most likely an impossible task, Commander.” Yomat Ghallir spoke in a regretful tone.

“Our unwanted friend complicates and already complicated affair even further. We cannot let the Terran Empire get their hands on the Stutter-warp drive, nor can we allow the Hive Collective to do so.” He recounted their predicament without much humor.

“And it was looking to be such a nice day.” Daniel frowned sarcastically

“Shields at 27% and falling !!!” Came Lieutenant Doucet’s warning tone as the ship shook once more.

“Commander, it’s essential that the ISS Albion survives this encounter intact so that the ‘Chimera’ AI can do its job and replicate itself to all computational matrixes within the Terran Empire. If her crew is assimilated, not only will that mission fail – but I fear to consider what the Hive Collective will be able to do, if it gains control of both ‘Chimera’ and Hull-3185!!”

The implications of such an acquisition of technology by the Hive was truly nightmarish to consider, leaving Daniel to breathe in frustration,

“Fuck.”

Gul Ghallir nodded.

“Precisely Commander. That is as apt an assessment as any, we will collectively focus our attack on the Hive Tet, whilst you turn your attention to protecting both Hull – 3185 AND the ISS Albion.”

Although incredulous, Daniel had to admit that there was a terrible logic to the Cardassian’s assessment of the current tactical exigencies.

“You have noticed that the Albion is pretty intent on destroying us and you want us to protect them?!” Daniel protested half – heartedly, for form’s sake alone.

Gul Ghallir shrugged, considering the matter closed and that he had other pressing matters to attend to, like trying to subdue a kilometers long starship full of hegemonic aliens’ intent on transforming all sentient life into carbon – copies of themselves.

“Necessity makes strange bedfellows. Good luck, Commander. K’gik’Mor out.”

“Engineering reports a loss of EPS connectivity on decks 7 through 9.” Reported an Engineering Officer from his station, behind Daniel.

“Goddamit!” Commander Talland swore to himself and ordered.

“Break off the attack of the ISS Albion. New orders. From now on we have to do everything we can to protect that ship from destruction by the Hive Vessel, whilst somehow making sure that it does not interfere with the “USS Artemis” long enough for it open up a singularity and get us home!”

“Oh! Is that all?” Ensign Pennington commented sourly as he brought the Valley Forge around, “I kind of wish I hadn’t cancelled my holo-suite booking now.”

Daniel could sympathize.

“Commander?” Spoke Lieutenant Savak, the Vulcan Security Chief was also filling the temporary position of Executive Officer as the USS Valley Forge struggled to hold the breach with several of her regular crew either missing or presumed dead.

“Go Ahead?” Daniel confirmed tiredly. Surely one more bit of bad news wouldn’t add significantly more to his woes.

“I’m receiving an encoded signal, tight-beamed  from the ISS Albion. IFF – Ident confirmed, It’s the TTH.”

Daniel’s heart skipped a beat.

An autonomous copy of the Tactical Training Hologram had been smuggled aboard the Terran Empire vessel, along with the ‘Chimera’ AI, with the mission of locating and freeing their Captain Samantha Hyland. Could it be that the Master – Chief had fulfilled its mission parameters? He could desperately do with some good news.

“Does he have the Captain?”

Lieutenant Savak inclined her head as she listed to the TTH’s encoded mission update.

“Negative Sir.” Savak shook her head dismissively. “The TTH confirms that he indeed was able to location and extract Captain Hyland but has failed to achieve exfiltration.”

“We’re they captured?” Daniel demanded, “Was Captain Hyland …..”

“Captain Hyland instructed the TTH to remain aboard to fight a delaying action, whilst she herself transported over to Hull – 3185. Apparently to apprehend the Mirror – Universe version of herself, who has also transported to that destination.”

This news both shocked and appalled Talland. Before he could retort, Savak continued.

“The TTH reports that, before she departed, Captain Hyland left a message for you, Sir?”

Daniel closed his eyes.

“Let’s have it.”

The Vulcan/Romulan hybrid woman relayed.

“The Message reads. “Tell Daniel that I was wrong and he was right &  he’s to ‘Take our People Home.” Message ends”.

And just like that, Daniel knew that Sam wasn’t intending on coming back….

Stardate: 2401.12.28 / 02:41hrs

Location:  Hull – 3185 / Transporter Room / Deck#2

Sam materialized in the tiny space that housed the Transporter aboard Hull 3185, her phaser at the ready – quartering the room (just like they had trained her to in the Academy) and it dawned on her suddenly that, in her long career, that she had never actually shot anyone.

Despite her trepidation and the pain resounded from every part of her body (including the mysterious thread of living crystal growing in her leg – that her interrogators had inadvertently discovered), she pushed these fears aside and steeled herself for this final confrontation with……herself.

She was startled by a smooth sonorous voice that floated out of nowhere.

~“Welcome aboard the ‘USS Artemis’, Captain Hyland…..again.”~

Sam was glad that she had forgotten to disengage the safety on her weapon, otherwise her startlement would have resulted in a still – cooling hole drilled through the bulkhead.

She realized that the voice must belong to that of the AI that the original Dr Gallian Makon (the one who had perished aboard this ship in Sam’s own Universe) had created.

“Thank you, Sanctus.” Samantha ventured. Do you know the whereabout of the….’other’ me?”

As if this was the most normal question in the world, the “Ghost in the Machine” responded evenly.

~“The Captain Hyland that arrive onboard, one minute and fifteen seconds ago has made her way to the bridge and is currently attempting to break through the lock – out in place on the ship’s navigational controls….which is, of course, impossible.”~

Was it Sam’s  imagination , or did the AI sounded a little smug, with that last comment?

“Sanctus…what is your current mission profile?” Samantha asked.

~“My creator, Dr Gallian Makon, has instructed me to initiate a number of short stutter – warp initiations and then commence a sustained drive factor sufficient to open another Quantum Singularity, which I am to sustain for exactly one minute and then I am to initiate a self-destruct sequence and destroy the ship.” ~The AI replied calmly.

“Oh shit!” Sam whispered, then asked “Which way to the bridge?”

~” The Bridge is situated on Deck 1 and is accessible from the turbolift situated to the left of this room, 14 feet down the corridor to the fore of the ship.”~ the AI informed her helpfully.

~”Would you like me to notify Captain Hyland that you will be joining her on the Bridge, Captain Hyland?” ~

Sam adjusted the setting on her phaser to its highest lethal setting and responded grimly.

“No thank you, Sanctus. Let’s make it a surprise.”

Stardate: 2401.12.28 / 02:41hrs

Location:  USS Valley Forge / Bridge / Deck#1

The battle was taking a turn for the worst.

It was steadily becoming apparent that Gul Ghallir’s plan to keep the Hive Tet occupied long enough for the fleeing Hull-3185 to open up a rift to the Prime Universe, was working out just as well as the plan for the USS Valley Forge to protect the ISS Albion from destruction – whilst the Terran Empire vessel was intent on the Federation ship’s destruction.

As more and more New Marquis vessels in the rag-tag fleet came under the influence of the Hive Collective, as their crews were assimilated by virtue of their powerful & compelling mutagen, those same ships became allies and a force – multiplier for the Tet and began to train their weapons fire on their remaining former comrades.

It was only a matter of time until the Hive Collective reigned supreme in victory.

Commander Talland was considering is dwindling small diminishment of tactical options when he was shaken from these ruminations from a hoarse cry from his Tactical Officer!

“Captain!”, Danaé called out in disbelief, “There’s something emerging from the Nebula!!!”

True enough, the forward view on the viewscreen depicted the mesmerizing scene of the turbulent clouds of the Antaari Nebula parting and flowing back. The exotics gasses roiling off the weathered and assertive hull plates that had seen many wounds hence, as a mighty vessel rose from the heart of the storm.

“It’s the Kh’Veng, Sir !!!”

A veteran of a thousand past conflicts, the once – mighty form of the immense IKN Kh’Veng issued forth from the clouds, its impulse engines firing doggedly as the once – fearsome Klingon Empire Negh’Var-class warship rode into battle one last time.

The viewscreen switched to a fleet – wide broadcast that reveled the New Marquis Naval Commander, Marshal Kém Pok – sat defiantly in the command chair aboard the charging vessel’s bridge, as the old warrior joined his crew in rousing chorus of the “Warrior’s Anthem”, that surely must have been able to be heard in Stovokor itself.

“Qoy qeylIs puqloD.

Qoy puqbe’pu’.

yoHbogh matlhbogh je SuvwI’

Say’moHchu’ may’ ‘Iw.

maSuv manong ‘ej maHoHchu’.

nI’be’ yInmaj ‘ach wovqu’.

batlh maHeghbej ‘ej yo’ qIjDaq vavpu’ma’ DImuv.

pa’ reH maSuvtaH’.

mamevQo’. maSuvtaH. ma’ov.”

It was a spectacle that was as incomparable as it was heroic.

“Well, I’ll be…..” Commander Talland murmured, as Marshall Kém Pok grinned wolfishly at the screen, as his gloved fist smashed down on the controls to the boosters.

“STOVOKOR AWAITS US ALL!!” Kém Pok cried joyously and the screen cut to a view of the IKN Kh’Veng, which had for so long spent her winter years tethered to the heart of “The Raft” – acting as the space – shanty town’s central hub, as the venerable old Klingon warship surged forward through the mass of assimilated vessels and tore deep into the flank of the Hive Collective ship.

A Warrior’s death.

The resultant explosion that tore from one of the tetrahedral sides of the hull, obliterating Marshal Kém Pok and his crew, giving them the death that every Warrior craves. The destruction ranged outwards, enveloping assimilated and non – assimilated New Marquis Vessels alike, as the mighty Hive Tet was sorely wounded and ceased firing.

“They’re down, but they’re not out for the count, Captain!” Lieutenant Doucet warned as Ellis tried to maneuver the USS Valley Forge away from the approaching wave – front of destruction.

The Excelsior II’s battered systems strained to the core, as the sleek Federation craft fought survive, staying just ahead of the explosion and heading back towards the tiny Hull – 3185.

“Sir! The ‘USS Artemis’ is beginning to go to Warp again!” Savak reported urgently, “A subspace rift is beginning to form along its path of travel!”

“Sam’s aboard that ship!” Daniel realized with a sense of dread as he completed that thought. “Both Sam’s !!”

Commander Talland thought back to Sam’s final words. Her instruction to him to get the Ship and her crew back to their own Universe.

He also thought about what they had lost and about the apparent cruelty that was the norm of life in this twisted version of the universe and he suddenly knew his course.

“Helm!” He commanded Ellis. “Lay in an intercept course for the “USS – Artemis” and the anomaly, full speed ahead – give her everything we’ve got! It’s time to go home!”

“Aye, Captain!”’ Ensign Pennington said with some considerable relief.

Daniel hung in a perfect moment of calm and clarity as he then ordered.

Get the crew home…ALL the crew.

“Mr. Kirov, stand – by the transporters…..”

Stardate: 2401.12.28 / 02:48hrs

Location:  Hull – 3185 / Bridge / Deck#1

Entering the bridge of the ‘USS Artemis’, Sam was intent on her target.

There, stood at the Helm console, her Doppelgänger seemed intent on her efforts to wrest control away from “The Ghost in the Machine.” Ahead on the viewscreen a spatial anomaly was forming, similar to the one that had been torn between the fabric of space/time that acted as meniscus between their mirrored  – universes.

The dubious gift of the experimental and unpredictable Stutter – Warp drive was about to be given for the very last time.

Sam had less than one minute to stop herself reaching the Prime Universe.

She raised the phaser – pistol she had appropriated from the murdered Transporter – Chief aboard the ISS Albion and trained it on the back of her assailant, but there she hesitated.

Despite all of the pain and humiliation this ‘other’ version of herself had meted out upon her through her torture, despite the members of her crew that this twisted mirror of herself had murdered with cold – blooded callousness, despite the deaths of the countless trillions that the regime this woman served and had the same blood on her hands…..Sam hesitated.

They were not the same.

Yes, they were identical in nearly every similar physical aspect (if you discounted a crystal antenna to an ancient sublimed elder – race being implanted against your will in your heel) and whilst psychologically the two woman couldn’t be more divergent, when it came down to cold – blooded murder – she struggled with the innate moral – compass that defined their meridian and delineated their antithesis.

But if she didn’t stop this dark manifestation of herself, she would roam free in the reality that Sam held dear and be a constant and ever – present danger to the society and people that she had sworn to protect.

She resolved that it had to be done and had begun to depress the firing – stud, when a sudden movement to her right distracted her and she spun the weapon instinctively towards it source – figuring that the Imperial Starfleet Captain had brought a comrade onboard to watch her back.

She was confronted with the shimmering, ghostly apparition of Commander Simion Michaels, an incorporeal projection of the former test – pilot that had perished aboard on the maiden voyage of Hull-3185, along with the entire crew, fated to linger aboard for as long as the half – life of the temporal pollution of its passage, that had gathered on the hull, lasted.

Unblinking, unseeing – the ghost of Commander Michaels looked faintly disapproving as he walked straight through her and through the bulkhead – replaying scenes from a past 25 years long – dead.

The Samantha Hyland at the console whirled around and in a fluid motion, a wicked dagger flashed from her grasp and sailed across the small command – space in a blur, embedding itself in Sam’s shoulder.

Sam cried out as the sidearm fell from her numbing grasp and her hand went to where the blade lay embedded in the joint between her shoulder and collar – bone, crying out in pain.

Captain Samantha Hyland turned on her heel and regarded her Federation counterpart with a look of cold contempt.

She clapped her hands mockingly as she approached.

“Well, well, well!” Hyland sneered as her black bootheels clicked across the deck. “Who would have known that I would prove so resourceful?”

She went down on her haunches, resting her wrists lightly on her thighs.

“Maybe we’re more alike than I first thought?” The Mirror Universe Samantha smiled unkindly, even now Sam found it so strange to see this version of herself dominating her view.

“We’re nothing alike!” She said defiantly and spat in the face of the other.

Hyland grimaced as she wiped the spittle from her face and leaned in closer. In a conspiratorial whisper she confided.

“No….I’m BETTER!”

And with that she punched out with the heel of her gloved hand and drove the haft of the dagger so that the blade punched right through Sam’s shoulder, glancing of her shoulder – blade and exiting through the skin of her back.

Sam bellowed in animalistic pain and on instinct her head snapped forward as she delivered a headbutt to Hyland’s face that saw the Terran Empire Captain go sprawling onto her back on the deck – blood flowing freely from her nose, making a garish mask of her face.

“THERE’S MY GIRL!” Hyland snarled as she struggled to her feet, just as Sam managed to roll onto her side, trying to pull out the offending blade.

But Hyland was quicker to her feet and she landed a powerful kick into Sam’s side, deliberately aiming for the ribs that she knew that she had broken during interrogation.

The universe exploded between Sam’s eyes as her chest seemed to catch fire. Desperately she lashed out and entangled her legs with those of her assailant, who unbalanced slipped on the slick blood flooding the deck plates from their shared wounds and fell forward.

Sam wrenched the dagger from her shoulder, feeling a sick wash of blood flow down her shoulder and she brought the black arcing upwards. It found it’s mark and cut deep into Hyland’s own chest – not a mortal wound, but sufficient to drive her back.

Sam struggled to her feet and dragged off her blood – drenched uniform jacket – pressing it to her wound and trying to stem the flow.

With a roar, Hyland threw herself forward, her fists flailing, but Sam countered and used her opponents momentum against her, pivoting her hip and guiding the raging Terran into the instrument panel behind her. She reached out, grabbing her ponytail and proceeded to smash Hyland’s face repeatedly into the console – until the polymer surface began to break.

Hyland kicked out with her booted heel, catching Sam in her kneecap and driving it backwards.

With a howl, Sam collapsed back to the deck – her left leg useless and her right arm gradually becoming numb.

Hyland pounced onto her chest and landed a punishing punch into Sam’s face – stunning her utterly.

“You’re PATHETIC!” Hyland screamed in her face. Her own face a twisted mirror of rage and hatred.

Sam was nearing unconsciousness, somewhere in her torpor, she knew that the clock was running down. When the anomaly was fully formed, the “Ghost in the Machine” would detonate the warp core and neither of the Captain Hyland’s would live to see the Prime Universe.

She laughed painfully and a bubble of blood escaped her lips.

Hyland’s fist pinioned into her jaw, driving her head back against the deck.

“What’s ..” She punched again.

“So…” Again.

“FUNNY!?” Hyland screamed and delivered a cruel cross – punch that made Sam’s vision blur.

Despite the prospect of imminent defeat and her own death, Sam just couldn’t stop laughing. Through the pain and the torment, she laughed and laughed and laughed….it really was quite funny when you actually got down to it.

“WHAT IS IT ?! “ Hyland grabbed her by her bloodied – shoulders and lifted her torso from the blood – drenched deck.

“TELL ME !!!!” She screamed.

Through a haze of pain, Captain Samantha Hyland of the USS Valley Forge, craned forward and whispered through cracked lips.

“Time’s up, bitch….we both lose!”

On the viewscreen something vast filled the top of the screen, as the hull of the Excelsior II flashed overhead, driving hard for the event horizon of the already collapsing spatial anomaly.

~”Self-Destruct Sequence Initiated.”~ The dolorous tones of Sanctus sounded smoothly across the test – ship and Hyland’s eyes went wide in her bloodied face and she dropped Sam back to the deck in shock.

“NOOOOOO!!!!!!”

And the ‘Ghost in the Machine’ detonated the Warp Core of Hull-3185, ending it’s long, lonely voyage lost amongst the stars, utterly destroying the precarious and capricious Stutter-Warp drive and finally closing the dimensional – bridge between the Prime and Mirror Universes.

As her twisted doppelgänger screamed in the frustrated fury of her defeat, Sam felt herself slipping away into grateful darkness.

Just before the Bridge came apart, releasing its ghosts back to the void, there formed two distinct pin-pricks of bright light….