"The awoken" 
by Sogh T'Kang 
First officer - IKV Jachyoj 
http://come.to/tkang


T'Kang and Aram walked across the dimly lit secret flight 
deck to where Captain Mec and Lieutenant Stanton were 
examining several black hulled vessels of unknown origin.  
The hard metallic heals of their Klingon boots clanking on 
the deck alerted the Captain of their approach. Lieutenant 
Stanton appeared to be trying to figure out how to open up 
one of the black space craft when Mec straightened to face 
the two warriors that approached.

T'Kang and Aram stopped just a few feet in front of where 
Captain Mec was standing.  Behind the Captain, Lieutenant 
Stanton was still bent over the alien space craft, pressing 
and prodding every bump and crevice her fingers could find, 
looking for the activation release that would open the door to 
the craft.

"Captain Mec, I present HoD Aram, Captain of the IKV 
Jachyoj."  T'Kang stated with an arm across his chest in 
Klingon fashion as he presented his immediate commander.

Mec regarded the young warrior Captain.  He could tell Aram 
was but a teenager, hardly what he expected the 
commander of a Klingon bird of prey to be.  Just when Mec 
was about to offer his hand and greet the Klingon Captain, 
Lieutenant Stanton managed to trigger the release 
mechanism that allowed the clam-like cock-pit of the black 
skinned alien space craft to open up with a strange, high 
pitched hiss.   Immediately the flight deck filled with thick 
white smoke that smelled sickly sweet, like burnt honey.  It 
clouded the already dimly lit hangar making it difficult to see.

T'Kang and Aram barred their warrior's teeth at the smoke 
and burnt honey scent.  The white smoke quickly started to 
obscure their vision, though their warrior's eyes we able to 
see more clearly than the Captain's.

Coughing, Lieutenant Stanton staggered back.  She'd 
inhaled an unhealthy amount of the white smoke when it first 
spewed out from the hissing vessel.  She staggered back 
taking several quick gasps, though she was more startled 
than anything else.  She began waving her hands from side 
to side, as if fanning the smoke out of her way while her 
eyes adjusted and tried to see what was inside these large, 
sleek, alien ships.

Captain Mec began to cough at the smoke as well.  His eyes 
began to water and his coughing grew more and more 
violent.   

T'Kang glanced at HoD Aram.  The young commander 
looked confused and uncertain what was happening.  T'Kang 
was worried for everyone's safety, but even as he inhaled 
the white honey scented smoke that was filling the room, he 
found it to be harmless to his Klingon physiology.  Then, 
through the smoke, in the stillness of the alien craft, HoD 
Aram saw a dark, tentacle-like appendage slither and curl 
through the air.   It was a brief moment, barely enough for 
him to point and yell, "nej pa'! 'oH vIH!!"

T'Kang turned his head but only gained a brief glimpse of the 
octopus-like tentacle before it whipped out of sight, 
concealed in the white smoke.

Lieutenant Stanton screamed upon seeing it too.  
Instinctively, she steps back, not knowing what to expect.

The Captain was choking violently now.  His coughing fit 
made it impossible for him to speak.  Struggling he drew his 
hand phaser and made a feeble attempt at pointing it in the 
direction of the movement that he must have some how 
managed to see through his teary eyes and the smoke.

"Listen!" T'Kang called out, bringing attention to the slithering 
sound and high pitched squeal that emanated from the alien 
craft.  It sounded as if something was moving away, but the 
smoke that obstructed all sight and sense of scent a Klingon 
warrior relies on made it difficult to determine exactly what or 
where the creature was.

Then suddenly, a loud cracking sound could be heard.  It 
was the slapping, like a whip of the creatures long tentacle to 
the Captain's face.  Mec was thrown across the flight deck 
from the blow, and landed on the ground motionless after the 
sudden attack.  

"Get out of here!"  T'Kang yelled at the top of his lung.  "We 
must get away from this place."

Lieutenant Stanton didn't see any argument in that 
suggestion and quickly started to move towards the entrance 
where she and the Captain entered earlier.

HoD Aram seemed petrified with fear.  He stood there, like 
an animal staring into the lanterns of an approaching hunter.  
He could see nothing through the sickly sweet smoke, but 
could hear the high pitched sounds of a creature moving not 
far away.

T'Kang ran to where Captain Mec had fallen and effortlessly 
tossed his limp, lifeless body over his bear-like shoulder.  
Holding him there with one hand, T'Kang turned around and 
saw the Hod standing there still glaring into the smoke.  
"ARAM!  WE MUST WITHDRAW!"  the warrior bellowed.

HoD Aram heard T'Kang call out, and slowly looked in his 
First Officer's direction.  T'Kang pointed towards the exit, 
where Lieutenant Stanton had already started heading 
towards.  "Follow the Lieutenant!  She will show you the way 
out!" T'Kang hollered as he began moving his own tree 
stumps of legs towards the exit as quickly as he could.

When they neared the corridor, T'Kang could hear another 
squeal, and the unmistakable hiss of another of the alien 
crafts being activated.   By the time Lieutenant Stanton, HoD 
Aram and T'Kang reached the exit while carrying Captain 
Mec, a third hiss was heard.

"Go!, go!, go!" Jane called out in a rush of adrenaline as 
Aram and T'Kang cleared the door.  Slamming the controls 
with her fist, Lieutenant Stanton sealed off the secret hangar, 
isolating whatever was in there from the corridor for the 
moment.  Though in all likelihood there were other exits to 
that compartment they didn't yet know about.

Safe for the moment at least, Lieutenant Stanton turned her 
attention to T'Kang and Captain Mec.   Kneeling down, the 
Klingon rolled Mec off of his shoulder and laid him on the 
deck floor.  T'Kang glanced at HoD Aram, but noted the 
Klingon Captain was still looking at the sealed door in horror 
to what he had just witnessed, as if the young boy was 
frightened of the unknown.

Jane looked at the Captain and noted his face was covered 
in a clear, sweet smelling mucus with three small puncture 
marks in the rough shape of a triangle on his forehead.  
Streaks of blood trickled out of the wounds.

"Is he dead?" Lieutenant Stanton asked.

T'Kang checked the Captain.  He could still feel a pulse and 
weak signs of breathing.  "He is alive, but in shock.  He 
needs medical attention."

Jane didn't hesitate.  Tapping her badge, she called out, 
"Stanton to Yeager.  Medical emergency!  Captain Mec has 
been injured.  Beam him directly to the Yeager's sickbay."

The USS Yeager was quick to respond, "We read you 
Lieutenant, stand by. . ."

A moment later the Captain's body dematerialized in the 
Federation starship's transporter beam.

T'Kang glanced at HoD Aram.  The young Klingon was still 
coming to terms with the massive beast, or at least the small 
part of it, he had just saw.  Were these creatures the one's 
that built this space station?  Could they stand a chance in 
combat against them?  These thoughts and more raced 
around in the son of Duras' mind.

T'Kang turned to Stanton, "Is there any other way in or out of 
this chamber?!"

Jane shook her head, "I don't know T'Kang.  We only just 
discovered the hidden flight deck was here."

T'Kang nodded.  "We should assume then that there are 
other passageways and place the station on full alert."

Lieutenant Stanton nodded her agreement.

"HoD Aram. . ."  T'Kang called out sharply gaining the boy's 
attention, "we should alert the other warriors of the presence 
of these creatures and set up patrols."

Aram swallowed slowly before nodding his approval.  "I will 
so order it."

"Come, let us go and warn the others. . ."    T'Kang 
suggested.  Both Lieutenant Stanton and Hod Aram gave no 
arguments with that suggestion.