Inside, it was different, the warehouse space being filled with consoles, computers, communications and sensor arrays - the apparatus of a galactic intelligence agency, watched over by armed guards who maintained a ceaseless vigilance.
K'Men's face gave no more away than the facade of the building, as he said, "Status report."
His subordinates were nowhere near as impassive. Dzourog, the Nausicaan, was hunched over his console, his tusks bared as he muttered to himself. His Orion companion Vallagh-Doan turned his haggard dark-green face to K'Men. "We lost contact just over an hour ago. Working to get it back... with luck, our operative on Halectis VI is working at it too."
"Halectis VI." The Klingon spymaster frowned. "Not a major world... not habitable.... Remind me of the details."
"Class L, marginal," said Vallagh-Doan. "Mining concerns, Klingon and Orion mostly, in habitat domes on the surface. One standard orbital fortification, class three, and a satellite defence grid. At last report, two cruiser squadrons and five frigate wings in system, plus cargo vessels and an indeterminate number of privateers. Source of topaline and dilithium -"
"I have something," Dzourog interrupted. He punched commands into the console. "Bringing it up. Channel is not encrypted."
"On screen," K'Men ordered.
The image was blurred, riven with static interference. It showed a heavy-set, bearded Klingon, apparently in some dark room. "D'Gol reporting. Home base, is that you?"
K'Men stepped forward. "This is K'Men. Report."
"The planet is under attack," D'Gol said, and there was something like wonder in his voice. "It started... eight hours ago. Frigates moving in-system, firing on the orbital station and the ships."
"What is the status of the space forces?" K'Men asked.
"Destroyed. It's incredible... destroyed. We got a positive ID on the frigates, they are Siohonin... but the Siohonin do not have weaponry like - Sir, the destruction is -"
"Specifics," said K'Men. "I need specific details. Be precise."
"Sir." D'Gol was visibly struggling to keep control of himself. "The Siohonin frigates appear to be armed principally with a heavy kinetic lance. Somehow - I don't know how - it bypasses shields completely, and does massive structural damage to anything it hits. A Bird of Prey stands no chance against it, a single shot is all it takes. The starbase... the starbase took over twenty hits before its core breached. They were trying till the end, sir, cycling the shield frequencies, overloading their deflector dishes - nothing worked, sir, nothing."
"What of the cruisers? And the satellite grid?"
"The grid is down. A single shot from the kinetic lance is all it takes to destroy a battlesat, and the Siohonin use their lances freely. The cruisers - sir, the Siohonin frigates assume a specific formation, lining up on a cruiser in a group of three - when they do that, they generate an effect which completely obliterates the target ship. I cannot be more specific, sir, I am sorry - the effect, whatever it is, creates massive sensor interference. There is some other effect, too, which - which somehow turns our own ships' weapons against themselves. Again, sir, I regret, I cannot give specifics." D'Gol swallowed hard. "I have telemetry from our battlesats - what remained of them after the first pass - but I cannot transmit it. I do not have data channels accessible - I am working through a commercial network, and that too is heavily damaged -"
"What is the situation on the ground?"
"The ground-based disruptor emplacements are targeted by the Siohonin. Their frigates have standard light disruptor arrays, and they begin with those - but if there is heavy resistance, they use their special weapons. Governor Jakura refused to submit, and they - they lanced the main habitat dome. They are working from dome to dome - they have modified freighters, they are using them as troopships."
"They are landing Siohonin troops on the planet?" K'Men demanded.
"They are. The main dome is breached, it is in chaos, and Siohonin troops have moved in. I have -" D'Gol's voice wavered. "I have no word on the level of resistance being offered by our ground forces. It seems - it seems that the Siohonin are able to take whatever positions they want."
Vallagh-Doan and Dzourog exchanged incredulous glances. K'Men's face was granite.
"They breached the dome above me," continued D'Gol. "I do not know if they intend to occupy it, or if they just plan to - to let us freeze. If they are coming for us - several of us have found this refuge in the mining tunnels - if they come for us, we will fight and die as Klingons!"
"Listen to me," said K'Men. "You have records of this telemetry you mentioned, yes?"
"Yes," said D'Gol, "but this transmitter lacks capacity to -"
"Then you will bring that data to me some other way," said K'Men. "It is very well to die as a Klingon, but I must have that information. We are at war, it seems, and intelligence of the enemy is paramount in importance. Those recordings must reach me, D'Gol. Once they are in my hands, then you may die. Not before."
On the screen, D'Gol stiffened. "It - it will be difficult - " Then he stood straight, and raised his fist in a formal salute. "But it will be done. As you order, sir!"
K'Men raised his arm, returned the salute. "Qapla', D'Gol."
"I will not fail you, sir." D'Gol looked to one side. "This transmission may have been noticed. I will continue my report, sir, in person - or by - by whatever means I can find." He reached out to something out of the camera's field of view, and the screen went blank.
"Make preparations," said K'Men. "Alert ships, safe houses, allies in the area. We will smooth D'Gol's homewards path, as much as we are able." His eyes narrowed slightly. "The Siohonin. They have come to my attention already - a matter of refusing tribute. And the punitive expedition did not report back. If they have some source of exotic armaments, we must learn more. Even as things stand... I do not relish the thought of reporting this situation to the Chancellor."
"One system of backwards primitives?" said Vallagh-Doan. "They cannot hope to prevail."
"Perhaps. Perhaps not. We shall see."
"Sir!" All three men turned to face the speaker, a young Klingon woman at another communications console. "I have a message from the agricultural colony at Xi Herculis - they report an attack by light ships, identified as Siohonin frigates."
Vallagh-Doan and Dzourog stared at her, aghast.
"Yes," said K'Men. "It seems we have a situation. Indeed."
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