Scene: In the Darkness — Starship interior
Location: Surplus Depot LT68
—
First there was darkness.

Then came the light … swirling lights that brought with it humanoid forms, followed again by darkness.

“Admiral, I still don’t think you should be doing this,” came a voice in the dark.

“Jeffery … shut up. Starfleet admirals do what they damn well please,” said another.

“How about you both SHUTUP and let us do out work,” growled the Klingon engineer.

He held a specialized engineering tricorder in one hand and a tool kit in the other and a bag of assorted goodies on his back.

Jeffery had also noted the two … the Starfleet admiral and the Klingon engineer that is … looked an awful lot alike.

The Klingon in the lead simply grunted as he snacked the flashlight in his hand several times, giving it several good shakes to make the faulty device finally activate.

Hauk’ ignored the two salvage yard attendants and began his exploration of the shattered hull.

One of the few great things about being a fleet admiral, as far as Hauk’ was concerned, is that by the very basic definition of that title … one oftentimes had a fleet at their command.

And Hauk’ was putting together his “fleet.”

With the Iconian wars in the rear view and the Terrans plus Borg on the slow burn, Hauk’ could get back to rebuilding the number of ships at his disposal.

Only problem is that the number of active starships available or even those under construction was … limited.
So, out of the box thinking (more common actually since the Iconian War) brought he and his twin brother (born of different realities) here.

“I tell you these salvage yards are latnium mines,” said engineering Hauk. “IF you know where to look.”

“And right now, you’ve got exploring the underslung hull of a shattered Duderstadt-class, all that remains of the U.S.S. Red Wolf,” retorted Fleet Admiral Hauk’.

“Yes … one of the ships shattered during the Frontier Day Borg assault on Earth,” the Klingon engineer / ship designer Hauk returned.

“Many ships like this one that were damaged in that assault were committed to the dark even though they still had a lot of fight left in them.”

“And this one isn’t even a ship,” Hauk’ spit out. “Not any more at any rate,” he added sadly, his eyes scanning what remained of former ship’s main engineering.

“And what better way to help them regain their honor than to see those we can save restored to life!” Hauk exclaimed, sweeping his tricorder across the space.

“There.” Hauk’ pointed to the console they wanted.

“And you know as well as I that this ship isn’t going anywhere. Her time’s done. Don’t care how sad a history she might have. Redemption just isn’t in the cards for her.”

“Strange that I should even have to dignify that with a response,” noted Hauk as he headed for the indicated master engineering console.

He shrugged off his pack and pulled out the portable generator, plugging it into the port on the console.

Life flowed back into console after years of quiet.

Only then did he take the larger design padd he’d had tucked in his backpack and set it on top the glowing tabletop console.

“Look here … This ship has an interact secondary hull while the Eagle has most of the front section of a primary hull and what little is needed on the backside we can get from the Albion,” he explained.

Jeffery the yard technician looked over the Klingon’s shoulder curiously.

“And I know there’s a set of intact pylons and nacelles over on what little remains of the … What the hell is that ship’s name.”

He looked over to his partner, Mark.

“You know the one …over in section D-937.”

“The Hiryu,” answered Mark. “Sad what happened to her crew. … God rest their souls.”

“And you want to stitch these pieces together to Frankenstein a ship?” Hauk’ asked stepping close into the circle of the console’s light.

“Frankenstein?!?!” Hauk scoffed.

“We’re talking ships all of the same class met an all too soon end,” he continued.

“When we’re done, you’ll have a solid UPGRADED Duderstadt-class starship forged from the shards of those that came before her … ship’s lost but whose legacies deserve more.

The Admiral still wasn’t quite sold on the plan.

“But a Duderstadt?”

“These ships mix science with weapons.”

The Klingon warrior turned ship design engineer’s fingers dancing across the console as he answered.

“And if you’re going into that soup the humans call the Malstrom Expanse, you’ll need science to cut through it and weapons to meet the … challenges … in there.”

“And when you mix the two together, those weapons cut a whole lot deeper when needed.”

Hauk didn’t answer as his eyes looked around in thought, seeing what he could see in the dim circle of light cast by the master systems engineering console.

Finally, he looked back towards the two yard hands.

“We’ll take it. … Them … Whatever, but we’ll take them”

“Admiral, that’s now how it works,” said Jeffery.

Hauk reached into a pocket built into his pants’ leg and pulled out the mini-padd he always carried.

With a flick of his fingers, he transmitted the “blank check” authorization he’d been given by Commander-in-Chief Fleet Admiral Jorel Quinn himself.

“It is today.”

Time: Six months later

“I’m staring at a massive hole in the hull of the Andúril where the frakking secondary deflector is supposed to be,” Hauk’ growled. “Where the frakk is it?”

[“Admiral, you should have it by …”]

“DON’T YOU DARE SAY TUESDAY OR I SWEAR BY GRETHORS FLAMES I WILL REACH THROUGH THIS OPEN CHANNEL AND RIP YOU DAMNED HEART OUT!”

The Klingon caught himself, took a deep breathe, held it a second and then released it … calming himself.

“We’ve been trying to get this deflector for five months and for five months I’ve heard the same damned thing … ‘Next Tuesday. … Next Tuesday’ … And I’m frakking tired of hearing it.”

“So, I’m going to tell you what we are going to do,” Hauk’ instructed.

“Right now, the I.K.S. Qu’In ‘an bortaS has docked at one of the lower cargo ports of your station,” he continued.

Hauk’ hated people that wrapped the supply chain with bureaucracy and politics.

“You are going to take that secondary deflector …the Strategic Deteriorating with the EPG modifiers … and put it on that ship which will bring it straight to us.”

Beside him, his counterpart twin gave him a nudge, pointing at something on the padd he held.

“And for the time and headache you’ve caused, you’re going to also hand over one of those Mark XV Exotic Particle Field Exciters with the EPG enhancements as well.”

The science engineering division quartermaster tried to speak, but Hauk cut him off before cutting him off at the knees.

“Or …,” the fleet admiral stepped forward for added effect.

“I’m going to expose your little supply black market money scheme you’ve got going on. … Do I make myself clear, Captain?”

Expressions of the man on screen shifted through a rainbow of emotions … surprise, anger, horror and finally fear.

Hauk’ wasn’t the only fleet admiral or shipyard, etc., out there trying to rebuild.

So, he took a wild swing and a bluff that this man was using that to his advantage and profiting by re-routing equipment according to whoever happened to be the highest bidder.

[“Crystal, Admiral. … I’m placing the orders now.”]

“Now, let’s talk about what’s needed for the Dracarys …”

Time: One month after

The upgraded Duderstadt-class starship named U.S.S. Andúril, aka. “Flame of the Federation” … forged from the shards of shattered starships that came before, flew in formation with the Nordlys and Arkenstone along with Chekov-class variants Balerian, Dracarys, and Syrax.

The Constitution III-class U.S.S. Beowulf led the way but pulled up and to the side before taking position above the ships below.

[“This is Fleet Admiral Hauk aboard the Andúril … Let’s do this.”]

And with that, Hauk’ led part of his fleet into the soup of the Malstrom Expanse before some other galactic calamity could pull them away.

[“This is the Beowulf. … We’ll guard your six, Admiral.”]

“I expect no less, Beowulf, and I’ll be back before you know it.”

Respectfully,

~ Hauk — Pathfinder

The post “Shards of Science” appeared first on The Malstrom Expanse.

by Mike Tripp

by Hauk@P-A-T-H-F-I-N-D-E-R

Location: Klingon Starbase – Stage 1

“You know there are those back on the home world that call us fools,” Mayqetlh offered as a statement of fact, not a question.

With a foot, the elder Klingon shaman kicked an empty chair back out from the table in an offer for the other to take a seat.

It was the way of Mayqetlh, leader of House Mayqetlh, to not mince words.

As he saw it, life was too short to not get straight to the point.

Hauk, leader of House Rha, accepted the empty chair with a nod, turning it sideways before taking a seat and using the chair’s back as something of an arm prop.

“I have been called far worse,” the Dahar Master returned, setting his mug down on the table between them.

“They simply lack the vision to see what’s right in front of them.”

Mayqetlh grunted before taking a swig, pausing and then answering.

“You mean the foolishness of letting the other powers of the Alliance sink their teeth into mey’elStrem?”

That being the Klingon pronunciation of the Malstrom Expanse … first named by the Norse human explorer who captained the survey ship first charting the region.

Many Klingons considered it “jev Hutlh’er’In”  … the “storm without end.”

But as more years passed, the adaptation of the Federation’s name seemed to be winning out.

“It’ll pay off … Trust me,” Hauk said with a grin.

Inwardly, he was saying to himself …. ‘at least it better.’

On the other side of the bar, the fireplace was cold and dark. 

And a lot of the normal sounds associated with such a place was just as missing.

But then this place was only just this day being made operational — operational in the sense that it could begin its operational mission even though construction of the place would last months to possibly a couple years.

The timeline depending on available funding and resources that could be funneled into the project.

The shaman took another long pull on his tankard before lifting a hand, catching the eye of one of the flesh-and-blood servers working the place.

They were quick to beam over a fresh mug from the bar even as he eyed Hauk.

“How in Grethor did I let you talk me into this? … Especially so far outside the Klingon borders?”

“It’s outside the Empire’s borders … on the frontier … that our houses AND the Empire will expand and grow.”

“And yet the High Council were set to vote down the Empire’s participation in the Alliance’s joint venture out here and would have if our houses together had not offered to fund the building of this place,” said Mayqetlh.

“And offer up the resources to help maintain not just this place, but several of the Empire’s other assets and ships … ships from our own houses … that will be operating out this far,” he continued.

Hauk trained his own mug and signaled the staff for another.

“And they are the fools if they fail to see what is right in front of them.”

Mayqetlh laughed.

“I would not consider this place to be anywhere NEAR ‘right in front of them.’”

“You know what I mean,” the dahar master snorted.

“And you heard the stories  from our Nephyri friend enough to know what his people say are inside those swirling clouds,” he said.

The Nephyri a race many had nicknamed “the dragon lords” because of they dragon-like appearance.

Generations back, their race lived on a planet somewhere inside the Malstrom Expanse.

But something happened on a global scale, wiping out most of their population and causing them to flee their home world … and the Expanse altogether.

It was something not talked about by the original survivors to where it became the stuff of forgotten legends … stories told around warm fires like the one that SHOULD be burning in that fireplace.

And maybe it someday would be told around this one as the fireplace was a work in progress and likely among the next expected upgrades about to leap from the design pads and into reality.

Hauk and Mayqetlh had grown up together in youth as their great houses … their families … had been more than allies and almost like blood kin for at least three generations back.

So the pair had known each other since both could walk, born four months apart with the shaman the elder of the pair.

Mayqetlh spun the mug in place so the handle faced opposite.

“You given them an answer yet?,” he asked finally, eyeing his friend.

“Not officially, but they know I’m leaning towards accepting.”

“You sure you want to return to that post?”

The post in question was the position of Joint Forces Commander of Alliance Central Command – one of the primary, permanent fleets within the Khitomer Alliance.

Hauk had held the position previously, but something had happened that had left the dahar master so distraught that he’d vacated it suddenly and disappeared for several months.

Truth was twofold.

One had something to do with a previous flagship of his supposedly destroyed by what was classified as a “friendly-fire accident” by Starfleet.

That ruling had led to one chair being toss through one window at Starfleet command.

All of it sparked wild imaginations that grew grander with each new retelling until there were so many versions of the “true story” that very few knew the actual truth of it.

But the second was the real reason, which the shaman knew  as he’d joined Hauk on the quest … serving as first officer aboard Hauk’s new (and current) flagship at the time for the duration of that mission.

Let’s just say temporal investigations on both sides of the “neutral zone” was not happy, but had to keep quiet as temporal agent Daniels would here nothing of their complaints.

All that will be said is that it involved Hauk’s son, who was missing at the time, and the death of Hauk’s wife.

The fact that Hauk was returning to his former position said something from both sides — it spoke of how much they wanted him back … and how much Hauk wanted to be back.

Either that or Hauk simply scared the piss out of them and it was something to take his mind off … other matters.   

Or … They could never actually find anyone that wanted the job.

So here they sat together in the first stage of a Klingon starbase located somewhere inside the swirling clouds of Malstrom … now fully (almost) operational outpost offering a safe refuge for Alliance (and peaceful) ships and travelers seeking the safe paths through the gravitational jungle of the clouds hoping to find the treasures within the great expanse of this Expanse.

An hour later, they pair watched as the consoles of station ops were brought to life as the reactors at the heart of Starbase jev’tlhop (aka. “Stormfront”) hit full power.

Respectfully,

— Hauk@P-A-T-H-F-I-N-D-E-R
aka.
Hauk
JFC, ALLCENCOM / Leader House Rha

and

Mayqetlh
KDF Task Force Commander, Malstrom Alliance

The post “Houses United, Stormfront Online” appeared first on The Malstrom Expanse.