"The warrior's code"
 by Ensign T'Kang
 Assistant Engineer - USS Intrepid


T'Kang materialized on the surface of Frainar III as the 
transporter beam finished reassembling his atoms.  Glancing 
around he could see the equipment he had brought down 
with Ensign Reese` assistance.   Glancing upwards at the 
cloud filled sky the Klingon noted that the storms didn't look 
nearly as ominous as he had envisioned in his mind.  But 
then again, it doesn't take much in the way of 
electromagnetic interference to cause problems for complex 
signals like a transporter beam.

Shielding his eyes from the glare and the wind, T'Kang 
scanned the horizon.  He knew he beamed down not far 
from the away team, and also knew there were Romulans 
reported in the vicinity.    Searching in the distance, he saw 
several Starfleet officers train their weapons on himself. 

"Wait! It's me, you fools!" T'Kang called out loud enough to 
shake the local vegetation with his voice, or perhaps it 
scared an animal into scurrying away.  Whatever the result, 
a large, hard shelled, fruit pelted the Klingon in the head for 
his trouble.  It made the rest of the away team laugh as they 
approached.

T'Kang explained that he came to set up the pattern 
enhancers to transport the stranded away team back to the 
Intrepid.  Captain Celchu needed to break orbit in order to 
meet the USS April on schedule.  If that wasn't enough, the 
impending doom of the planet at the hands of Doctor 
Trunah's fiendish device within the next two hours should 
have been all the arguments the Klingon needed to make to 
convince them all to beam back up to the ship.

It wasn't.

Beldin gripped his phaser riffle firmly with both hands.  They 
seemed to make a slapping sound as they gripped the 
barrel.  "Alright, you heard them people. Let's get moving!" 
he shouted not unlike a Marine, "We have people to rescue 
and little time to do it in."

"WHAT!" T'Kang bellowed, "Perhaps you didn't hear me 
correctly.  The Captain wants everyone beamed up to the 
Intrepid as soon as possible!" 

Beldin nodded.  "I understood perfectly *Ensign*.  But it 
doesn't look like you are exactly ready to beam us up right 
this instant now, does it T'Kang?"

The Klingon's expression soured further as he glanced 
around at the three disassembled pattern enhancers and 
various equipment he'd brought down from the ship.  It was 
a rhetorical question, but T'Kang felt compelled to answer it 
anyway.  Confrontational as expected for a stubborn Klingon 
warrior.  "That is obvious.  But you know what the Captain 
meant by the orders.  He would not approve of your running 
off when we are so close to finally getting you back home to 
the ship."

"Probably.  But the Captain isn't here *Ensign*.  And since 
you are not prepared to beam us up to the ship this instant, 
there is no reason why we can't take a little 4.5 kilometer 
hike to,. . . . `stretch our legs' now,. . . . Is there T'Kang?"

A proper frown formed on the Klingon's face, causing his 
warrior's ridges to wrinkle up in a more pronounced fashion 
then usual.  "I will have the equipment set up in 
approximately thirty minutes.  You have until then to `stretch 
your legs' before I can reestablish contact with the Intrepid, 
and the Captain."  T'Kang finally agreed.  Then stepping 
forward, he raised a finger and pointed it at Beldin, "But 
know this.  If when that happens the Captain gives the order 
to evacuate this planet and leave all of you behind, I will 
obey."   T'Kang's eyes briefly flashed over to Nal, who was 
standing by with the others.   He couldn't really blame them.  
Were he part of the original away team he would not like to 
abandon those officers under his command either.  The 
warrior's code for Starfleet officers was similar across all 
races, even Klingon's.  Protect your own.   Returning his 
gaze to Beldin, T'Kang hissed, "The USS April needs our 
assistance.  THAT is where the Captain's priorities lay in this 
decision."

"I'll take that under advisement T'Kang."  Beldin replied, then 
glancing at the remaining members of the away team, he 
added, "Let's go.  We only have fifteen minutes to get there, 
get our people out and get back here before T'Kang is ready 
to beam us home."

T'Kang watched as the Intrepid crew began marching 
towards the jungle.   He watched for a few moments and 
then got to work on erecting the transporter pattern 
enhancers and aligning them to aid in boosting the Intrepid's 
transporter lock through the artificially created 
electromagnetic storm Doctor Trunah activated to thwart the 
Federation's efforts.

While adjusting the pattern enhancers, T'Kang's eyes 
ventured the way the away team went.  He'd know if they 
were successful in less than twenty minutes.



<< GM wants us off the planet people, let's wrap up the 
rescue and go home! >>