"A murderer on the station"
 by Sogh T'Kang
 Weapons officer - IKV Jachyoj
 http://come.to/tkang


T'Kang and Kruge watched and listened as the Federation 
Captain, Captain John Mec, quietly droned through the 
damage / repair report for the space station.  Mec was a 
slight man, not very tall, but had an athletic build.  His facial 
expression was serious, to the point of scowling.  He spoke 
in a low, quiet voice that some how didn't seem to fit 
someone in command of an entire space station.

"Decks Orange 27 through 29 are still being refitted with 
standard UFP docking seals. . ., The work on deck Green 51 
is nearly complete, though eighty percent of the alien 
machinery is still not fully understood yet.  Decks Green 54 
through 56 have been microscopically inspected for cracks 
and fishers in the primary reactor; none reported thankfully.  
Secondary Life support systems on deck Green 59 need to 
be totally gutted and replaced with standard Federation 
units. . ."  Mec droned on in his quiet, raspy but passionless 
monotone.

Kruge bared his Klingon teeth at the monotone of the 
Federation Commander's report.   The dispassionate 
enthusiasm Mec was projecting while reading the boring 
manifest of repairs and damage was putting the Ra'wI' to 
sleep.  Kruge's eye caught T'Kang's while Mec babbled on in 
his whimpy voice about the work being performed and yet to 
be performed on the massive alien space station.

T'Kang just shrugged his shoulders.  He too agreed that 
Captain Mec's style of command was less than inspiring.  
But through the years and his prior three postings T'Kang 
had learned that you can not judge a person based on 
superficial traits such as the tone of their voice, or 
conducting the world's most boring staff meeting ever seen 
in the quadrant of any Empire or Federation anywhere in the 
known universe.

That's when T'Kang noticed Kruge's expression went beyond 
mere annoyance.  He gurgled and placed his gloved hands 
around his throat, pulling at his Klingon uniform as if the 
material was somehow constricting about his neck.

Captain Mec's boring lecture continued, ". . .deck Green 62 
is still off limits while the toxic spill of chemicals is cleaned up 
and decontamination teams declare it's a safe area once 
again.  The new phaser arrays need to be installed and 
aligned on deck Blue 1. . ."  Mec paused, glancing up from 
the data padd, he peered up over his narrow rectangular 
reading glasses.

Kruge stood up and was now obviously choking.  a pink 
colored foam bubbled out of his mouth followed by the red 
stain of blood as he bit his own lip and tongue.    T'Kang 
stood abruptly, causing his own chair to topple over behind 
him.  "The Ra'wI' is choking!" the warrior declared.

The other Federation officers about the table glanced at the 
Klingon with uncertainty.  T'Kang moved behind Kruge and 
attempted to dislodge whatever could be trapped in his 
commanding officer's throat.  Thinking it could be a Bazel nut 
or Kiwi stone the Ra'wI' had swallowed, T'Kang attempted to 
force it free with several sharp blows to Kruge's diaphragm.  
It was of no use though.  The Jachyoj's First officer had no 
physical restriction in his airway that was causing him to 
choke.

"Medical emergency, Senior Conference room.  Lock onto 
Kruge and beam him directly to the Medical Suite on Red 
18." Captain Mec ordered pressing his comm badge.  At no 
time did Mec's facial expression change or did the pitch of 
his voice rise above the previously quiet monotone from 
before.  T'Kang wondered if the man ever got excited about 
anything at all. . .

Kruge wailed his hands around, grasping at the air.  His eyes 
rolled upwards into his skull leaving the erie white, bloodshot 
balls blank in their sockets while the other Federation 
officers gasped at what they were witnessing.    T'Kang 
grabbed onto one of Kruge's arms and held it tight.  His 
fingers interlocked with the weapons officers and squeezed 
tightly, as if expressing with his formidable grip the extent of 
the pain he was suffering.  Kruge's other hand found the 
pommel of the d'k tahg he had been sharpening earlier.   
T'Kang held onto his one hand tightly, trying to withstand the 
excruciating pain the Ra'wI' was inflicting with his vice-like 
death grip.  The warrior's eyes focused on Kruge's d'k tahg 
as the Klingon First officer struggled to get words out of his 
bleeding and foaming mouth.

"noD wIj Hegh!" Kruge rasped with his dying breath, placing 
his family knife into T'Kang's hand before falling limp in the 
warrior's arms.

"Medical, where is that emergency transport I ordered?" 
Captain Mec asked evenly in the same, quiet, dispassionate 
voice, with just a trace of annoyance.

T'Kang felt Kruge's grip go limp on his hand.  Grabing the 
Ra'wI's head and tilting in backwards from where Kruge's 
body lay in T'Kang's arms, the Klingon Warrior peered into 
his eyes before raising his own head and howling to signal 
the warning to Sto'Vo'Kor that a warrior approaches.

Finally, a response comes over the open channel, ["Sorry 
Captain, we are having trouble getting a signal lock to begin 
transport."

"Well, anytime you think you can establish one would be just 
fine son.  It's not like anyone's life is at stake. . .  Oh, wait a 
minute, someone's life *is* at stake.  So don't give me any 
more excuses.  Establish a lock and beam Kruge out of here 
now, or scramble a med team and get them up here STAT."  
Captain Mec scolded in a sarcastic, but still quiet and 
subdued tone.

["Yes,. . . yes sir!"] came the stuttered reply over the 
channel.

T'Kang finished his howling before laying Kruge's body back 
into the chair.

"There is no need."  T'Kang stated in the basey voice of an 
angry Klingon warrior, "Ra'wI' Kruge is dead."

"Dead? how can that be?"  one of the Federation officers 
stated in disbelief from across the conference table.

T'Kang's eyes narrowed into a pissed off, untrusting scowl.  
"He was murdered."  the warrior stated.  "Someone on this 
station has murdered Ra'wI' Kruge."

"Let's not jump to conclusions T'Kang. . ." Captain Mec 
stated evenly, still annoyed that the medical team hadn't 
arrived yet or that they weren't able to transport Kruge to the 
medical suite on Red 18.

"Conclusions?!  You dare speak to me of conclusions?!"  
T'Kang bellowed in an enraged emotional rant.  "Someone 
has poisoned Ra'wI' Kruge!  I will know who did it.  And I will 
have a warrior's revenge for the Empire when the coward is 
discovered!"

Captain Mec placed the data padd down and quietly glanced 
around the room at the shocked officers that were in 
attendance at the staff meeting.  "Well, I think we can end 
the staff meeting now. . ."  he stated evenly.  "I will have 
security and medical look into this unfortunate incident 
Mister T'Kang.  After reviewing their findings we will be in a 
better position to determine the cause of Ra'wI' Kruge's 
unfortunate demise today."  Mec stated in an icy cold tone.

T'Kang was beginning to think the Captain was incapable of 
showing emotions at all.  He'd served with Vulcans that 
aspired to be as icy as Mec was.   With a disbelieving 
"Hurmph!" T'Kang slid Kruge's family d'k tahg into his belt 
and watched as the med-team finally arrived and began 
carting Kruge's body off to the medical suite to determine the 
cause of death.    In disgust T'Kang gave Mec an evil glance 
and spat before turning his back on the CO of station 
D'Alaan 27 and following the medical team out as they 
carried Kruge's body.

Captain Mec just remained seated, quietly pouting with the 
same constipated expression he seemed to constantly get 
when things were troubling him like they were now.