Salvage Rights

Posted on Sat Sep 5th, 2026 @ 3:38am by Lieutenant Commander Alph & Legate Malak & Lieutenant Commander Raul Saez & Major Victoria, Daughter of Kalath & Lieutenant Akaar Zuul & Lieutenant Valerie Gordon & Dowager General Kloh'theQ, Widow of Q'Lath & Petty Officer 2nd Class Odgerel & Doctor S'Lace
Edited on on Sat Sep 5th, 2026 @ 3:38am

1,446 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: UnderMind [4]
Location: USS Hercules, Bridge - Near IKS Praxis' Claw and Borg vessel
Timeline: After ✱24

Normalcy had returned to the USS Hercules. The Borg were defeated, the process of reversing the assimilations went on unhindered, and the Klingons had been able to restore basic functionality to the Praxis’ Claw. No discussions had occurred on how the Klingons had acquired the slipstream drive that had allowed the Borg to draw themselves out of subspace, but S’Lace was relieved that she would not be required to have those conversations.

“Lieutenant Gordon, have the necessary components been retrieved from the Borg ship?” S’Lace asked the engineer.

"Aye Captain, every designated part is on board." Gordon said, nodding from the engineering station.

“Major Kalath, please inform the Klingons that demolition of the Borg ship will begin shortly, if they wish to move themselves away, they should begin now.” S’Lace told the half-Klingon marine.

“Yes ma’am.” Kalath said, broadcasting the message to what remained of the Klingon command staff. “They acknowledge, starting to move.”

“Lieutenant Zuul, arm photon torpedoes and target designated demolition sites.” S’Lace instructed the tactical chief.

"Aye---Ship decloaking, its the Hutet-class dreadnaught CUV Omekla, from earlier," Akaar announced, he was about to charge phasers and ready the M.V.A.M should it be called for. The torpedoes were already primed for launch however.

“Captain, they're hailing us.”

“On-screen.” S’Lace ordered.

“Commander S’Lace. I see you have somehow survived the Borg. You will return my crew, and any technologies acquired from the Borg vessel. Then you will vacate the region, and leave the Klingon vessel to us.” Legate Malak said coldly.

“You must be quite confused, Legate. Why would do anything of the sort?” S’Lace asked with a Vulcan commander’s stern indifference.

“Because in the alternative, I will destroy the Klingon vessel, and your ship.” Malak said without ceremony.

“What you describe is an act of war. To even make the threat is also such.” S’Lace countered.

“I have fought your Federation for a long time, I know that you will take peace in the alternative to war. And I know that you are a healer. You have no stomach for combat. You will turn what I seek over, and we will depart.” Malak said.

S’Lace gestured to the communications station, who ended the link at her gesture.

“Mr Zuul, can we take them?” She asked without pretence, unprepared to give in to the Cardassian demands.

"While this ship is a tactical oriented one, I think we are outclassed, I recommend it best we stick with highly maneuverable tactics and should we take their weapons out disable them with Multi-Vector Assault." Akaar replied glancing over at the Vulcan chief medical officer, half not willing to test the Hutet's offensive capacity yet half unwilling to let the Cardassians have Borg technology even if most of it was beyond repair.

He shrugged. "Your call," Akaar added a moment later not envy at all at those in Command. It is tough and rough, that is for sure.

"Hm. Mr Alph?" S'Lace asked.

"The Omekla is a significantly powerful vessel, any advantages we would have through MVAM functionality may be diminished by its extensive weaponry. Despite this, I believe the odds between us would be evenly matched. It is difficult to say who would prevail, but if we did, it would not be without significant damage." Alph surmised.

"Anyone else?" S'Lace asked the bridge.

“Even if we can tough it out, there’s no way the Klingons can. They don’t have weapons or shields.” Kalath added.

"Do they still have cloaking capacity, or any sort of maneuverability?" S'Lace asked Gordon.

"Cloaking was unaffected, they should have it now that they have main power back. Maneuverability is a different story, I haven't had an update from their engineers in at least an hour, but they only had thrusters when I last checked in." Gordon affirmed, looking more than a little uncertain.

"Send an encrypted transmission instructing them to cloak at the first sign of combat. They should take whatever evasive action they can." S'Lace instructed. "We shall prepare for MVAM activity. Major Kalath, take the secondary hull. Mr Zuul, the tertiary. I will command here. Go, now. Instruct as few crew as you can manage with to join you. Report in when you are prepared." S'Lace told them.

"Aye Commander, I do advise we prioritize speed patterns," Akaar suggested and brightened. "I heard tractor beams could disrupt weapon emitters," he turned to Gordon. "What would happen if we use tractor beams like phaser beams against shields? Would they pull the shield bubble apart?" Akaar seemed excited about using a tool as a weapon.

"Uh, no, Lieutenant. That's not how that technology works. Otherwise everyone would do it." Gordon said in a way that sounded like she was apologising.

“Heading to secondary, aye Captain.” Kalath said, standing and moving at a brisk pace to the transporter.

"Captain, incoming transmission from the Omekla, they're powering weapons." Odgerel reported from tactical, having taken the seat as Zuul stood.

"Put it through, one way only. Do not send anything back." S'Lace instructed.

"Commander S'Lace, you are no doubt by now sending trusted officers to the necessary positions to utilise the multi-vector assault mode your ship is so well known for. I am afraid I cannot allow that. At the first sign of raised shields or any other activity from your vessel that is not an activation of transporters, I will destroy the Klingon vessel." Legate Malak said clearly.

"Stay where you are." S'Lace told the crew.

"You have two of your Earth-minutes to deliver what I have asked for. After which time, we will destroy the Klingons, then yourselves." Malak said, and the transmission stopped.

S'Lace looked between the faces of those on the bridge, including the slowly returning Kalath, who hadn't got far enough to miss the order. "Kobayashi Maru..." S'Lace said to herself.

"Captain, I'm reading four ships decloaking off the port bow.. no, eight!"

"On screen." S'Lace ordered, standing.

On the viewscreen, the bodies of eight distinct Klingon ships unblurred as their cloaks disengaged. Five B'rel Birds of Prey, two Vor'cha cruisers, and one Negh'var battleship.

"This is Dowager General Kloh'theQ of the Klingon Empire commanding the Ta'Kalash Expeditionary Battlegroup, here to recover our damaged vessel. You, Legate Malak have committed acts of war here today. Leave now, and we may choose to forget them. Stay, and we will make hats of your ribcages for the festive season to come." The Dowager General threatened the Legate comfortably on an open broadcast, the Omekla might have been devastatingly powerful, it could not overcome all the forces arrayed against it.

"Dowager General. That ship is legitimate salvage claimed in the name of the Cardassian Union. These people have joined forces to deny us what is rightfully ours. I'm sure you can provide honourable adjudication of this dispute, recognising the facts as they plainly are." Malak told the Klingon Ambassador, betraying none of the apprehension creeping up inside him about the need for a swift exit.

"Petaq!" Kloh'theQ hissed, standing from her seat. "Your lies will not protect you from Klingon justice, Legate. Leave! Now! Or my men will seek sto'vo'kor making you my prisoner."

"Mr Odgerel, fire demolition charges." S'Lace ordered as the Klingon's passion peaked.

Five orange starburst-shaped torpedoes emerged from the Hercules aft and thundered into the superstructure of the abandoned sphere. From within, orange explosions grew green, and the Sphere was reduced to a cloud of atoms as its many microreactors simultaneously went critical.

"Such uncivilised creatures." Malak sneered as his transmission closed, and his ship cloaked once again. Within a minute, a warp-jump was detected. He was gone.

"Dowager General, we owe you a debt of gratitude." S'Lace said with all due deference.

"Nonsense, Commander, we are allies. As you stood for our people, we shall stand for you. It just so happens that the retrieval team have been watching your progress for some time. Let that prancing Cardassian shit try something else while I hold command." The Dowager-General said with friendly dismissiveness.

"We can handle the Claw from here. Go, with our gratitude." Kloh'theQ said as her goodbye.

"Qapla', Dowager General." S'Lace said as the channel closed.

"Well, that's quite enough of that. Mr Saez, get us home. Best possible speed." The Vulcan Commander told the human at the helm, feeling a certain tension lift as she knew the Klingon rescue mission was behind them.

"Very nice," Akaar announced as he let his relief continue operating the tactical console. "I will have to look at getting the Ambassador some bloodwine or something," he muttered as he folded his arms across his chest in thought.

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