Fallout 3

Personal record: Shalo of the house of Sinoom, commanding officer, IKS Garaka

The knock at the door of my room is... unwelcome. It is only since attaining my current rank that I have had the privilege of private quarters when staying at the First City barracks. The privacy, the seclusion, is still a novelty, and one that I value. I do not care to be disturbed.

"Enter," I say.

The bekk does not cross the threshold. "Forgive the intrusion, Lieutenant General," he says, "but you are commanded to appear at a meeting of the High Council. The Chancellor himself has ordered your presence."

"When?"

"Immediately, sir." There is something in his manner, some stress or nervousness. Klingons do not often show nervousness. I frown.

"I will be there directly. Has the Chancellor stated why he requires me?"

"No, sir." The bekk's nervousness increases. "It may be that it has something to do with the news -"

"What news?" I demand.

"You have not heard, sir?"

"I have been... meditating. In seclusion. What news?"

"A world, sir. A whole habitable world... destroyed."

I stiffen as cold anger grips me. "What? Where has the Federation attacked?"

"No, sir," the bekk says, wretchedly, "I have not made my meaning clear. The Feds have not destroyed a world. We have."

---

Murmurs seem to fill the Great Hall, a tide of hushed conversation that rises even to the stone heads of the great statues of Klingon warriors who tower up towards the roof above us. The Chancellor stands in his usual place on the steps. His face is as stony as the statues'.

One of the Councillors - T'Jeg of the House of Toros - turns as I approach, and asks, "What is this Orion female doing here?"

"I am here at the Chancellor's order," I snap back. One must always assert one's self - one's position, one's rights - when dealing with Klingons. It is fatal to back down, perhaps literally so.

"It is so," J'mpok says, in a voice like stone breaking. He makes a gesture with one hand, and I take the place he indicates, to the side. Near enough to hear all, far enough away that it is clear I am not to be consulted.

More Councillors arrive: I have never yet seen the Great Hall so full. "Are all here?" the Chancellor demands.

An aide replies, "Save for those Councillors who are out-system and unable to respond, yes, Chancellor."

"Then we shall begin," says J'mpok, "with a simple statement of the facts. Forty hours ago, the IKS QIb laH'e', under the command of Captain Klur, son of Durgor, of the house of Mak'teth, was on a deep penetration raiding mission in Federation space. Captain Klur approached the Federation colony world of Bercera IV, demanding its surrender to the Empire. When this was refused, Klur deployed tricobalt devices in a continent-wide strategic pattern, creating a global firestorm -"

"The Jol'qah effect," one of the Councillors says, knowledgeably. "I have never yet heard of it being used in practice."

J'mpok glares at him. "It has been used now," he says, "along with direct strikes at the planet's population centres. Bercera IV is utterly devastated. Casualties exceed half a billion, almost all of them civilians. We now meet in council, to discuss... what must happen next."

The murmuring is stilled, now. Faintly, outside, we can hear the sounds of First City.

Someone speaks: I cannot see who. "Was this... action... authorized?"

"No," the Chancellor says, "it was not. Though whether anyone will believe that... is another matter. Klur submitted his Record of Battle with his after-action report in the normal manner, via subspace radio. In all respects, he acted as if this were a conventional military action."

"Where is Klur now?" asks Councillor Tol'beq of the House of Kador.

"Unknown. His ship did not return to its scheduled patrol pattern." J'mpok glowers. "I have, naturally, ordered the ship back to Qo'noS so that Klur may... answer for his conduct. Equally naturally, he has yet to respond."

"Did none of his crew protest their orders?" asks T'Jeg.

"Two officers spoke against Klur, and were executed in the normal manner."

"Their names?"

"Is it important?" J'mpok turns to an aide, who hands him a datapad. "First Officer Talakh, and Commander Kysang."

"Then those officers bear no responsibility," says T'Jeg. The Chancellor looks at him for a moment, and frowns.

"In any case," he continues, "we are faced, now, with a crisis. The Federation has regaled half the galaxy with fanciful tales of Klingon atrocities since this war began... now, they have an indisputable, real, atrocity they can hold up. The propaganda value alone will be worth a hundred fleets to them. And we must consider their most likely military response, which I anticipate will be soon, and forceful." His expression grows yet bleaker. "There is also the possibility that they will respond to our attack in a similar vein."

"Countervalue strikes on planetary targets?" says Councillor Darg of the House of T'llan. "The Federation has no stomach for such actions. It is run by idealists and pacifists -"

"When have you ever fought them?" J'mpok demands.

"It is true," Ambassador S'taass of the Gorn speaks, for the first time, "that Federation ideals become - tempered with pragmatism - when their lives are at stake. Do not underestimate their will, Councillor, you do so at your peril."

"In any case," Councillor K'tag, an old and experienced warrior, says in a dry, practical tone, "we must consider matters, as the Chancellor says. Do we choose to repudiate this Klur's action?" Shocked eyes turn to him, and he makes an impatient gesture. "Bear in mind, no repudiation we make will be believed. Execute this Klur with dishonour, and the Federation will simply say, 'What great traders these Klingons are! See, they offer the life and honour of a single ship's captain, in exchange for an entire world, and claim it a fair bargain!' So... since we shall have the repercussions of this action to live with, no matter what, shall we not claim it as our own? Our enemies would know fear, to think that we should go so far...."

Incredibly, the Chancellor seems almost to be considering this. "No," he decides, after a worrying pause. "No. The Empire is a defender of the weaker peoples, it is a bulwark against the infiltration of the qa'meH quv, it defends the ancestral rights and the honour of the Klingon people. It does not make war against defenseless civilians. We are warriors, not murderers, and to take this act as our own would... dishonour us. It does not matter what the Federation speaks, if we know the truth in our own hearts."

K'tag nods. "Then I offer another unthinkable thought," he says. "With this act, we have raised the stakes of the war, to a level none would have contemplated. This being so, can we not say that we have gone too far? That it is time to end the war altogether, rather than move into a spiral of retaliation that will leave both empires shattered?"

Again, J'mpok seems to consider. "There is much in that," he says, "but the war cannot end before our territorial rights are... guaranteed. But you show wisdom, K'tag. We must think the unthinkable, now that one of us... has already done it."

"Returning, then, to the merely urgent," K'tag says, "our intelligence analysts must build up a list of likely targets for Federation attack, and ships despatched to those targets without delay. The Federation's military response will not be long in coming, and it will be driven by righteous vengeance and anger. Bercera IV was a Tellarite world, and the Tellarites are not known for pacifism or forgiveness."

"They are traders, not warriors," Darg says with a sneer.

"Again, valued colleague," says K'tag, "you have not fought them. We must also expect a diplomatic and a propaganda attack, and have our answers ready for those."

"And to that end," J'mpok says, "we must fully understand, ourselves, what has been done, and why." He turns his gaze, for the first time, to me. "Lieutenant General Shalo, I will speak with you privately on this matter, afterwards."

---

I enter J'mpok's private office with some trepidation. It is, on occasion, profitable to have the Chancellor's full attention, but it is also, often, perilous.

"Shalo of the House of Sinoom," he says, studying me with those heavy-lidded eyes of his.

"Sir."

"The House of Sinoom is fallen," he says. "Its assets dispersed, its speakers in the councils of the Orions dismissed, its peoples scattered. Yet you cling to that loyalty?"

"I do," I say. "My House's fortunes are currently in eclipse, and yet who can say what the future holds? Besides, loyalty that does not withstand adversity - is not loyalty."

He gives voice to a short, sharp bark of approving laughter. "I like that," he says. "Yes, you speak truly.... When your House... went into eclipse... you, yourself, sought out the KDF, took your place in its ranks. I know your record. You have fought well, and with honour. Like many in your position, you have made yourself more Klingon than the Klingon. And in... certain events, that did not take place... you would have acquitted yourself well, if those events had ever happened."

"Thank you, Chancellor."

"More Klingon than the Klingon," he repeats. "And, yet, not Klingon, and that is important. I doubt Klingon faces will be welcomed in Federation space, and your mission will take you there."

"I live to serve, sir," I reply. "What is my mission?"

J'mpok scowls. "I must know the truth of this matter," he says. "You are to find it. Go to Federation space, if you must - you will be given diplomatic credentials. Find this Klur, and discover the truth. Whatever it may be."

"Am I to bring him back, sir?"

"Bring him back. Or bring back proof of his death. That is important, yes, but it is more important that I must understand. Is he a replicant, one of the qa'meH quv, or worse? Was he perhaps suborned by the Federation themselves, that they might have an atrocity for their propaganda?" Another short, hoarse laugh. "I do not believe that - the Federation is not that pragmatic. But the alternative - that a Klingon warrior is so lost to honour - or that he believes I might think his act an honourable one - I would rather not believe that, either." He looks directly at me. "What I believe does not matter. Find out the truth."

"I will, Chancellor. But - why me? There are other officers -"

He makes a sweeping gesture. "Reasons. You are Orion, which may smooth your path, as I have said. Your ship is a Kar'fi carrier, the equal of his in combat. And - you are of the House of Sinoom."

I frown. "How is that relevant, Chancellor?"

"Others of your House entered service with the KDF. One such is aboard the QIb laH'e'. Her name is Tayaira, and if Klur's transmission can be trusted, she is now his First Officer. It may help you. It may not. For now, go, and be about your business. And may fortune attend you." Yet again, he laughs. "We will require much from fortune, before we are done."