[snip]

With the XO still indisposed, Kahuna addressed the whole ship =/\= This is the Bridge. Lieutenant Kahuna speaking. We have taken the Merrimack further away from the Ardan V colony and out of it’s zone of influence. As the Warp Engine power is restored, you should find that systems will return - lights, communications and other systems. Please make damage reports and we can begin to make necessary repairs. Science department will continue to investigate the source of the problem. kahuna out! =/\=

Cross had something on her mind =/\= Lt Kahuna have you by any chance checked if there is some other ship in the vicinity, since we do know that the Klingon’s have been on the planet ..has anyone checked with the comm system maybe someone will pick it up and respond ? =/\= the CMO asked.

=/\= We’re a bit short-handed and only just got the comm system back up again, but we’ll do that immediately. =/\= Kahuna replied.

“Cara,” Kahuna said, “Leave the XO to rest now and take over at Communications. Open hailing frequencies and transmit a contact signal every five minutes. Daiusz, please scan for other vessels as deep as possible.”

Cara and Dariusz both set about following those orders.

The contact signal went out as planned and the scans for any ships in the vicinity proceeded. Time went by when there was finally a contact made.

A Klingon merchant vessel was moving through the system.

Cara said, “I’m picking up a Klingon merchant vessel passing through the system. I’m not sure if we really want help from Klingon merchants… if they’d even help that is! Shall I attempt to and send them a hail on the hailing frequencies? If I can remember how to work this thing again.”

Kahuna had the Conn and was nominally in charge of the Merrimack, but he was only a junior Lieutenant. The Captain was out of radio contact, but Kahuna was well aware of the Captain’s views about Klingons. The XO was somehow indisposed right now. Dr. Cross was the senior officer aboard the ship, but he didn’t want to show his indecision to her by asking her permission… the same indecision that he was clearly having right now! His recent bridge officer training had provided for such situations, not least there was the no-win Kobayashi Maru simulation in which ‘the best you can do’ is the only answer to your problem, unless you could rewrite the rules that is! What was the worst that could happen in this situation - the Klingon freighter would come and they’d all have a good laugh at them before leaving again - however, the Captain had been unable to discover why the Klingons had left the planet, and maybe these merchants might know something useful…

After racking his brains Kahuna came to a decision, “Yes Cara, send hailing frequencies!” He’d made a decision on his own. Now he’d either be lauded for it or damned for it, such was the price of strong leadership.

“Aye, Sir!” Cara replied. “Trying to open hailing frequencies!”

=/\= Bridge from sickbay …have you manage to make any kind of contact ? =/\= Cross asked ,she knew the Klingon’s had been on the planet but left ,if only they where still around and would give them some feedback .

Obviously the CMO was worried about the landing party and unable to communicate with them was troubling not knowing what the situation on the planet was .True the Klingon’s weren’t their best friends but in the past they had manage to meet and lo and behold had a small Olympic games .Cross had won a trophy by cheating , as had the other trophy gone to a cheating Klingon....but at least they hadn’t killed each other.

There was no one left on the Merrimack to remember, but the ship had only ever had two Captains. The first Captain had been murdered by Klingon assassins.

=/\= Kahuna here. We have located a ship and are attempting to contact them right now. They are a Klingon merchant vessel. =/\=

Cara continued sending out hails on hailing frequencies, including those the Klingons were known to use.

Finally their comm was answered but with no picture included on it.

^=^Yessss?^= Came a very gravelly voice, more then likely Klingon given the accented Federation standard he answered in.

Cara spoke something loud and shouty that none of the others on the Bridge understood, in her best mangled pidgin Klingon.

In translation, it meant something close to: =/\= More than the weak and sick have heard of the USS Merrimack and of the of Ardan planet. Here is such a density. We demand immediately the assistance both where strength is great and where strength is deficient, and still you will smile at our ugly faces for the drinking of imitation ale. =/\=

It wasn’t quite what she intended to say, but let someone else try to do any better. She hadn’t practised her Klingon in years.

There was silence over the comms before a bark of Klingon laughter was heard.
^=^Nice try, Starfleeter. What do you want?^=^

GM Nosferatu
Your Darkest Nightmare

This was a great relief to Cara! They actually spoke Federation Standard! Cara didn’t think that she could have kept up speaking in Klingon much longer. She’d just pepper her speech with a few hand-picked curses instead.

Cara replied =/\= Qapla’!!! Your Federation Standard is far mightier than my Klingon ever was! …We’ve lost contact with our landing party down with the jum Federation miners on this Huj planet. You’re a trading ship? You must have traded there before? Why did those Klingon miners really leave? What is all this taQ about spirits and ghosts? qaStaH nuq jay’? =/\=

A grunt was heard over the comms before the Klingon answered, whether it was meant to be sarcastic or disgust was up to the listeners discretion.^=^Good question, who knows? But the most credible tale I heard over some bloodwine with another Freight Captain was that there was someone or something down there that was doing all that stuff. No idea who, disrupters, scanners didn’t help to find them or stop them. Get your team off there or say goodbye to them.^=^

GM Nosferatu
Your Darkest Nightmare

=/\= You’re not going there, are you? =/\= Cara asked. She had no expectation that they would offer help, but she still was in shock that they had given their advice and not simply laughed at them. The advice wasn’t much help though.

• Cara, Science