Shared Fate

[KVorlag 0]

"We have only 22 hours to prepare for this siege," Commander Corizon had said, prompting his departure from Camelot Station.

 

K'Vorlag strode onto the bridge of the Negh'Var-class flagship Emperor's Might, casting his greatcoat over the center chair. Beside it, the displaced captain of the massive Klingon battlecruiser stood at the ready. "Brigadier," he clipped, "what are your orders?"

 

The flagship remained at cloak. While the Romulans had chosen to showcase the magnitude of their presence, the Klingon fleet had avoided revealing the true strength of their numbers, or lack of them. For reasons they had not shared, the High Council had refused to commit more than a territorial task force with a number of scout wings. Although K'Vorlag had argued for a full expeditionary armada, he had managed to do much with the few ships under his authority.

 

Klingon scouts had shadowed Romulan ships over the past few months, which had made the attack on T-Rogora less of a surprise than it had been for his Federation allies. Others had been launched on daring solo missions to gather intelligence. Their plans in the Chandra Vortex and the Expanse had been a direct result of Klingon scouting.

 

"I recommend you take a position between us and the joint Romulan-Dominion line of force," Corizon had offered. Some of the Klingon scouts were already there, under cloak.

 

K'Vorlag scowled, turning toward the huge holographic chamber that lay behind the bridge. Spinning amongst the stars of this spiral arm of the galaxy, the unstoppable force of rebel Jem'Hadar ships was about to meet the immovable force of the Alpha Quadrant allies and loyal Dominion ships.

 

"Have Black Talon and Honor Blade attend us," K'Vorlag ordered. "Signal the other ships to take station between our allies and the Avalon system. If the enemy makes it as far as our position, we cannot hope to do more than a delaying action. Strike and cloak; do not engage in full force until we are within the planned perimeter."

 

Heads nodded curtly as his words were turned to action. He dropped into the center chair, brooding already. "And bring our guest over from the Kij'Pah," he added. The fact that they held a member of the Hundred onboard his personal ship was known only to a select few such as Ambassador N'Kedre. The shapeshifter had been compliant, even friendly, when faced with the quantum stasis inhibitor. Locked into a humanoid form, he'd claimed complete innocence in the recent attacks on the Dominion cloning facilities. Seeing the size of the incoming attack, such claims of peace now seemed obvious lies. But the gelatin hostage could serve other purposes. "He can share whatever fate," K'Vorlag pontificated, "his comrades would bring to us. Qapla."