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Ditagh blinked. “There is no action to be taken. If the families of those dead wish to claim vengeance, do not stop them. Otherwise, we have won a great victory. The Cardassians’ incompetence has led to the destruction of one of their zenite shipments and the u
Qaolin frowned at his chancellor. “Of course, sir,” he said out of respect for the office, but he did not see that it was nearly as simple as the head of the High Council was making it out to be.
Even as he closed the insta-link co
Chapter 16
I.K.S. Pu’Bekh
“Sir, something’s wrong.”
Captain K’mpec of the I.K.S. Pu’Bekhlooked up at that report from the operations station behind him, then gave a nod to Commander Mogh, who walked over to that station. “Explain,” the first officer said.
“We just sent out routine communications traffic, sir,” the operations officer said. “However, when I checked to see if it had been picked up by this system’s communications relay, I got no readings.”
“None?” Mogh sounded surprised. “Do a full scan of the relay.”
“I have already attempted to do so, sir. Sensors aren’t picking up any emissions from the relay at all. In order to do a more complete scan, we’ll need to get closer.”
K’mpec scowled. They had come to the Donatu system on a routine patrol. Incidents with Cardassian ships along the border had increased over the past several months—ever since the destruction of the Chutat Raknal V—and Command had sent the Pu’Bekhto make sure that all was well in this particular system. It had been the flashpoint of a Federation–Klingon conflict almost a century ago, and Command thought that the Cardassians might try one of their sneak attacks here. They had already made similar assaults on bases and ships in the Archanis and Cursa systems, though the Cardassian government had, of course, denied it—or, at the very least, disavowed the attacks.
Of course,K’mpec thought with bitter amusement, the High Council has similarly disavowed attacks in the Cuellar and Trelka systems in Cardassian space. Not to mention that skirmish between theKorvale and that Cardassian fighter last month.
“With your permission, Captain?” Mogh said.
K’mpec nodded.
Mogh turned to the helm control station to the captain’s left. “Pilot, set course for the communications relay, full impulse. Operations, when we are within range, do an intensive scan. I expect a full report within the hour.”
“Sir!” both officers said.
Then K’mpec rose from his chair. “I would speak with you, Commander,” he said, his deep voice rumbling throughout the bridge.
“Of course.”
The two of them exited the bridge. Entering his office, the captain gathered his floor-length coat of office and sat his slim, athletic form down into the metal chair behind his workstation. There were no guest chairs—K’mpec had never seen any good reason to make other people more comfortable than he—and so Mogh stood.
K’mpec regarded his first officer, who had only been on this assignment for less than a year. He had a simple, yet strong crest, with a raised middle ridge, penetrating black eyes, and wide shoulders. In battle, he had proven a crack shot with a disruptor, but awful with a bat’leth.The captain preferred that to the other way around—it was all well and good to be handy with a blade, but ultimately it was disruptors that won battles.
Mogh also waited patiently, standing at attention. He did not fidget or show any outward sign of displeasure or worry. K’mpec admired that.
“It has been several months since the Chutincident on Raknal V, Mogh. Yet you have said nothing.”
“There has been nothing to say.”
K’mpec chuckled. “I find that difficult to believe. Your father was killed in a cowardly attack. Does that matter to you?”
“Why do you ask me this, sir?”
“Are you questioning me, Commander?” K’mpec asked, his voice lowering.
“Yes, sir, I am.”
At that, K’mpec laughed. “Good. I was begi
Mogh looked straight at K’mpec. “My father died in an accident caused by carelessness. The only one against whom I could possibly seek vengeance—the captain of the Cardassian cargo ship—is also dead. As far as I am concerned, the matter is closed. My father died in the line of duty. The best way to honor his memory is to continue to serve, as he did.”
Silently, K’mpec was impressed. It was quite possibly the longest number of sentences Mogh had strung together in all his time serving aboard the Pu’Bekh.
“I have received many reports, Mogh. You have no doubt read them as well. Many of the family members of the Chutvictims are seeking vengeance against random Cardassians.”
With a shrug, Mogh said, “That is their prerogative. But it is a foolish endeavor. It is not true vengeance if it is against someone unrelated who happens to be of the same species.”
Before K’mpec could pursue this further, the intercom sounded. “Bridge to captain.”
K’mpec looked up. “Yes?”
“We have sca
“Mneh,” the captain grumbled, and got up from his chair. Mogh followed him back onto the bridge.
“Report,” Mogh said as K’mpec took his seat.
The operations officer stood at attention. “Approximately sixty percent of the relay’s surface area has been blasted away. Preliminary scan indicates phaser fire consistent with Cardassian ships.”
“Are the relay’s security systems intact?” Mogh asked.
“Impossible to be sure.”
K’mpec looked at the viewscreen, which the operations officer had provided with a view of the relay. Its oblong shape was pitted, its surface broken, with wiring, circuitry, and chips all exposed to the vacuum of space.
One of the officers sneered. “Only Cardassians would invade our space to attack a mere relay station.”
Several other members of the bridge crew snarled and spat in assent. K’mpec had to agree with the sentiment. The relay’s sole function was to amplify and redirect communications traffic. Normal ship-to-planet communication, even via subspace, could take days, but relays such as this did much to make interstellar communication as close to instantaneous as possible. However, the machinery was also easily repaired or replaced, and could hardly be counted as a major blow against the Empire.
“Sir,” Mogh said, “request permission to beam the relay into the cargo hold. We can examine it more thoroughly that way.”
K’mpec nodded his affirmation. “You will supervise the examination personally, Commander. I want to know precisely what happened to that relay, and what it will take to fix it.”
“Sir!”
An hour later, Mogh once again stood in K’mpec’s office. “We have had success, Captain. The Cardassians showed poor aim. Though I am afraid that the unit will have to be scrapped and replaced, as it is beyond repair, they did not hit any of the security systems.” Mogh then smiled. “Lieutenant J’tal was of the opinion that the Cardassians were not smart enough to realize that a communications relay would have a security system.”