Dispatch Ajax! Podcast
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Dispatch Ajax! Podcast
Memory Gamma: The Legend of Kor
In accordance with Star Trek Day we bring you a special episode of Memory Gamma!
Once considered an enemy of the Federation, a member of the Augmented Klingon generation, Kor, has a complicated and eventually venerated legacy - at least within the Klingon Empire.
In this episode we explore the long and storied legend of the mighty Kor, the Dahar Master, and his place in Star Trek lore.
Corp Sp Order 4 over the primitive loudspeaker Two hundred Oregonians immediately, two hundred more in two hours and every two hours Until either the message was received or no one was left to resist. The Empire had zero tolerance for terrorism and if they were going to stay ahead of the Federation's expansion they'd have to hold these newly conquered worlds. They couldn't risk dissent, because dissent becomes terrorism and terrorism becomes revolution. Kor's directive was clear and he was a loyal soldier. And while he was enhanced with superior ambition, he was still Klingon. Executing unarmed civilians turned his stomach. There was no honor in such a death, he thought, as he stood stoically watching them as his men fired into the crowd.
Speaker 1:As is common with Klingon history, myth and legend are inexorably intertwined with cold, hard fact. To the Klingon peoples they were one and the same Few epitomized this, like the House of Kor. To tell its history is to tell its tales. To tell only the truth would only purvey half the story. So the legend of the House of Kor will be rife with exaggeration and rumor. But you shouldn't feel slighted. After all, they don't write operas about the truth.
Speaker 3:Welcome to the Memory Library subspace network.
Speaker 2:Input inquiry now.
Speaker 3:Activating holographic interface.
Speaker 1:The lineage of the Great House can trace itself back to the Imperial Family, the Klingon Imperial Family were the descendants of Kaelas himself, the founder of the Empire, who drug the Klingon clans out, the descendants of Kaelas himself, the founder of the Empire, who drug the Klingon clans out of the Dark Ages, kicking and screaming. But don't let that fool you. The House of Kor may claim nobility, but not that of the divine. Marking the end of the Second Dynasty, there was a revolution by the lower classes and the Imperial family was executed. The revolutionaries took their names, their titles, their property to redefine the aristocracy forever. These warriors gave the House of Kor its status in the empire. The son of Koltar, one of many to bear the name Kor, would ironically be the first to change its great name, An attempt to save face amidst a crisis which would change the Klingon Empire for more than a century to come.
Speaker 1:In the mid-22nd century, it came to light that a geneticist and pariah named Erik Sung had revisited one of humanity's darkest moments by raising and fostering augmented human beings. He had quietly hoarded frozen embryos of genetically engineered supermen, secreted away after Earth's eugenics wars, an act seen as not only illegal but devastatingly dangerous. Having discovered this, the Klingon Empire saw a potential acceleration in the long-standing Cold War with the Federation, A Cold War of which the Federation was often naive or oblivious. Fearing that humans could overpower the Empire, they manned Starfleet vessels with augmented humans. A secret project was undertaken to create their own enhanced troops to counter the perceived threat. It was an unmitigated disaster. The augments created did develop enhanced strength and intelligence briefly, but they also began to show grotesque side effects. They showed signs of illness, changing personalities and their cranial ridges began to dissolve. Ultimately, the subjects died agonizing deaths when the incompatible DNA conflicts resulted in a breakdown of the very structure of their brains.
Speaker 5:They are Klingons and it is a long story. What happened?
Speaker 4:Some kind of genetic engineering.
Speaker 1:A viral mutation Since there was only a passing emphasis on science in Klingon culture. Mistakes often happened when attempting such ambitious endeavors. Case in point while working to stabilize this process, the scientific team began gene therapy on a test subject who was unknown to those involved, also infected with Levodian flu. The virus in some manner incorporated the Augment DNA, turning a carefully controlled experiment into an epidemic, as the unstable augmentation process always killed the subject. This epidemic threatened the entire Klingon race with extinction. The virus spread rapidly like wildfire, infecting millions in a matter of months. At first, the Empire's response was to wipe out the infected, but this proved infeasible. It was too widespread and too infectious. They sought the help of the Federation, ironically, and it worked. The infection was stabilized into something at least non-lethal, but nonetheless impactful. It was no longer fatal, but it was permanent. Those affected would lose their characteristic bridges and their personalities would be altered. There's no trace of the virus in your bloodstream.
Speaker 5:My targ won't even recognize me In the future, it may be possible to reverse the cosmetic effect.
Speaker 6:I suppose this is what I deserve. Millions of my people will have to live with this disfigurement. It'll be passed on to our children. Life won't be easy for us. You did your best to correct your mistakes.
Speaker 5:That's all we can ask of ourselves.
Speaker 6:I doubt my superiors will allow me to remain in my position. I'll need to find a new specialty, perhaps cranial reconstruction.
Speaker 5:I have a feeling that's about to become very popular.
Speaker 1:I'm grateful for everything that you've done the augment DNA simply wasn't compatible with Lungan physiology. The infected would never receive the enhanced strength, intelligence or endurance. They would, however, receive the darkest trait of Earth's folly the deadly ambition of men like Khan Noonien Singh.
Speaker 4:Malik's doing more than arguing with your commands. He's plotting against you.
Speaker 1:He wants to take your place beginning the augment, klingons were shunned and looked down upon a lower class in the social hierarchy. But that wouldn't last long. Their ambition and ruthlessness ensured a swift coup in leadership. This was fortunate for many of the great houses who had been among the infected. They need not lose their standing, nor would their affected offspring. By the 23rd century, affected Klingons led the charge in the Klingon defense force, aggressively expanding the empire.
Speaker 1:In 2256, the zealot and Klingon nationalist Tuguvma ignited the beacon of Kaelas, a sort of artificial star that served as a clarion call to all Klingons. Kol, son of Kol-Sha, answered the call. The beacon was meant to rally the 24 great houses against the Federation's expansion. Tukuvma and his cult were the stewards of the sarcophagus, a holy vessel armored with the caskets of the honored dead. He was not a member of the high council. He was little more than a cult leader, meaning he drew little respect from the likes of Cole. Still, tukuvma had succeeded in assembling a like-minded group of Klingons and provoked a confrontation in a binary star system between several of the Great Houses and a fleet of Starfleet vessels. He was killed in the ensuing battle, leaving his fanatical followers under the leadership of Bok, the albino protege of Dekuva.
Speaker 2:Through his death, Dekuva had succeeded in his goal. The empire was at war with the Federation.
Speaker 1:Falk typified his group of fundamentalists in that, as an albino, he was a stigmatized outcast in Klingon society. Cole respected this even less. The sarcophagus had been left adrift after the battle, damaged and dysfunctional. Slowly the group began to starve and hope dwindled. Seizing upon this as an opportunity, cole waited for desperation to set in and then beamed aboard as savior, his offer Food and rescue in exchange for loyalty to the House of Kor and the abandonment of Vok, who would be exiled to a derelict Starfleet vessel. Leaning on the influence his house wielded, kol consolidated power over the High Council and expelled all the great houses who were not allied with him. He laid the seeds that two renegade houses, the House of Degor and the House of Mokai, were seeking an alliance with the Federation. In an attempt to lure a Federation operative into a trap, cole had sought to capture the Vulcan ambassador Sarek, but Admiral Katrina Cornwell was sent in Sarek's place. Well aware of the danger, cole immediately had Cornwell's security escort slaughtered and the Admiral was imprisoned aboard the sarcophagus. Cole remained aboard the fabled Ship of the Dead as he pulled the strings on a burgeoning war with the Federation. The ship had something he coveted, something that would reshape warfare in the galaxy forever. A cloaking device, he began replicating and dispersing the sarcophagus technology to ships loyal to him and him alone, enabling the Klingons to ambush three Starfleet ships on patrol. Unlike Tukuvma, cole sought not unity but his house's rule over the Klingon Empire and the Empire's supremacy over the Federation and the Quadrant and the Quadrant. L'oreal, a Klingon woman with loyalties to both Tukuvma and House Mokai on the High Council, secretly helped Admiral Cornwell to escape. She then reported her findings from her interrogation to Cole. The discovery carried new technology which could be used to the Empire's advantage. Cole fumed over her feigned recklessness in allowing the Admiral to escape. When L'Oreal attempted retreat, cole ordered her stop. He noted that a skilled interrogator may be needed in the future and welcomed her to the House of Kor, demanding her loyalty, which she gave to save her skin. But Kol had seen through her deceit and decided to show her how the House of Kor treats liars. Loyalists dragged the Klingon woman away. Kol ordered his ship to Pavo.
Speaker 1:Immediately Arriving at the planet, cole was informed that Discovery had appeared in orbit, something he considered foolish. He brazenly announced his intention to board Discovery, slaughter everyone aboard and capture the Spore Drive before wreaking havoc on the planet. With his crew behind him, cole ordered the sarcophagus decloak and open fire on Discovery. But Discovery used its new technology to its advantage. It had a wild idea to use the spore drive.
Speaker 1:A cautious Cole ordered the cloak re-engaged, believing the starship's actions were a ruse of some sort. In reality, it was engaging in multiple jumps to develop some sort of algorithm to penetrate the cloaking screen. In multiple jumps to develop some sort of algorithm to penetrate the cloaking screen, cole knew he was in trouble and ordered his crew to leave the system but enter Discovery Officer Michael Burnham, who had infiltrated the sarcophagus. She used a universal translator to speak in Klingon, something to which Cole bristled. She was the one who had killed Tukuvma Ever. The strategist, cole recognized the value of Burnham as an asset to his ongoing consolidation of the Empire. As he expected it would sway the remaining Tukuvma loyalists to his ongoing consolidation of the Empire. As he expected it would sway the remaining Takuvma loyalists to his side. He ordered her imprisoned, but slyly, burnham challenged him to single combat to prove his worthiness. She knew Cole would never back down from a direct challenge to his authority or his pride. Cole tossed her at Mak'le. I accept your challenge.
Speaker 6:A direct challenge to his authority or his pride? Cole tossed her at Mechleth I accept your challenge.
Speaker 1:Human, he may not have been an augment, but Cole was stronger and faster than most human beings. He quickly overtook Burnham, disarming her, grabbing her by the throat and gloated your death will secure my place as absolute ruler of the Klingon Empire. However, before Cole was delivered, glory Burnham struggled free and jumped off the bridge's mezzanine to be beamed away by discovery. The entire exercise was a ruse. Cole had overplayed his hand and Starfleet doesn't play by the same rules. The combat with Cole had given Discovery enough time to complete its algorithm.
Speaker 5:Lieutenant Tyler and Specialist Burnham are safely back aboard along with Admiral Cornwell, who's been injured, and a Klingon prisoner who's been taken into custody. Nice surprise.
Speaker 4:All right. Load all available photon torpedoes Target the enemy ship.
Speaker 1:And with Klingon poking technology now exposed, discovery launched an all-out barrage on the sarcophagus. On the sarcophagus, they killed everyone aboard, including Cole, like so many would-be conquerors before him. Hubris his downfall. Cole may be gone, but the House of Kor would still hold its place in the power structures of the empire for years to come. Another legend goes, in one variation or another, that in the early 23rd century the house had been renamed for its then-leader, nodge, but when Nodge fell in battle to the Romulans in 2218, the house slowly began to crumble.
Speaker 1:The Lady Mochi attempted to continue the proud house's traditions and gave birth to a child. However, this child was unsuited to carry the family line. In their eyes at least, he was an albino. His appearance meant that he was seen as impure. No use for him. He was to be put to death. His fate would lie elsewhere, though, as he was taken in by Orion pirates and slave traders in an attempt to exploit his knowledge of the once great house and the secrets of their fortune, though they had very little at this point. The albino became a pirate in his own right, stealing from the empire at every opportunity, fueled by the hatred of those who had betrayed him. Opportunity fueled by the hatred of those who had betrayed him. Meanwhile, a young, ambitious nephew of the Lady Moji, saw the fractured structure of their house as a chance to take control and apply his vision, to restore it to its former glory, almost as if ordained by fate. His name was Kor, and so again would be his house. Kor rose quickly in the ranks of the Klingon Defense Force, the augmented ambition not diluted by generations before him. Augmented ambition not diluted by generations before him.
Speaker 1:By 2246, kor had taken command of the IKS Kutluch, a D6-class battlecruiser. He was charged by the great general Kord to prevent any Federation vessels from entering a system. The Empire had their sights on One in particular a remote human outpost in the midst of great turmoil, therefore easily conquered A planet by the name of Tarsus IV. As the story goes, this would be the first time that Kor would come face to face with the USS Enterprise captained by the legendary Robert April. You may not have heard of Robert April. Think of him as more like the fifth Beatle. He was important. He really wasn't around when you started paying attention. He really wasn't around when you started paying attention. Robert April was leading a relief armada to Tarsus IV with food and supplies. The Federation had no intention of conquering or annexing Tarsus IV. But they were Federation citizens who had left Federation space and founded the colony years before. In a show of goodwill, robert April offered Korr a place in his fleet to help deliver aid to the forlorn colony. But Korr stood his ground and vowed to fight rather than join the Federation effort. But Starfleet had sent a small armada and it was too much for the Kutluch. Kor was defeated, humiliated. He would never underestimate or trust Starfleet again.
Speaker 1:In 2267, temperatures between the Empire and the United Federation of Planets had reached a boiling point. Constant one-upmanship and aggressive expansion came to a head above the disputed world of Organia. The planet had been occupied by the Empire during the First Klingon Federation War, only to be abandoned in the aftermath. Coded orders from Starfleet Command to the USS Enterprise informed now-Captain James Tiberius Kirk that negotiations with the Klingon Empire were on the verge of collapse. Starfleet expected a surprise attack at any moment. The Enterprise was ordered to Organia to prevent the Empire from using it as basic operations in the border territories. Starfleet's worries were prescient, as the Enterprise found itself suddenly under fire in the Klingon ambush. But the IKS Vortha was a scout and no match for the legendary starship, though their attack was a bold one. The crew's back against the wall. James Kirk orders a retaliatory response, one effective enough to destroy the Volta utterly.
Speaker 1:The battle was short, but it was important of things to come. As word came over subspace radio. For the second time in just over a decade, the Federation and the Klingon Empire were at war. The Enterprise arrived at Organia shortly before the Klingons had, but they were forced to leave orbit. When the fleet arrived, they were simply one ship against an armada, leaving Captain Kirk and Lieutenant Commander Spock stranded, leaving Captain Kirk and Lieutenant Commander Spock stranded. Kor acted swiftly and decisively. He immediately set up shop, now in the role of planetary governor. The Organians were generally docile like sheep, he thought, and showed no resistance to the new occupation, with the exception of one dissenting voice from a man named Voroner, aka James T Kirk. You'll have to forgive some of these simulations. We have some of these on loan from the Klingon libraries and they're quite melodramatic.
Speaker 5:They put music on everything. Where is your smile? My, what the stupid, idiotic smile. Everyone else seems to be wearing Smile, smile. I don't trust men who smile too much.
Speaker 1:Kor, none the wiser of the ruse, decided to make Barona his liaison to the Organian people. Kor's first officer, kaelor, questioned the bizarre decision, but Kor was a shrewd tactician, keeping the malcontent individual close at hand. He saw something in Barona, something he couldn't quite put his finger on. Kor then settled into his office and bemoaned a dull assignment while his brethren sought glory in battle. But Rona proved more trouble than Kor anticipated. Kirk and his first officer Spock, decided to try and ignite rebellion, literally by rigging an IED and blowing up a Klingon ammunition depot. Reluctantly but angrily, kor enacted the Empire's no-tolerance policy on terrorism and ordered 200 Organians executed, with 200 more to follow until the prisoners were handed over.
Speaker 5:No results, commander, nothing.
Speaker 6:I cannot understand these people.
Speaker 5:They know what death is, don't they?
Speaker 6:They do not seem to be worried about anything.
Speaker 5:Bad enough to be a military governor, but to govern a population of sheep, round up 200 more. Yes, sir Fools. Well, I have to kill them all.
Speaker 1:But Kirk could not tolerate the loss of innocent lives. It went against everything the Federation stood for.
Speaker 5:You have done well to get this far, sir my guards.
Speaker 6:I believe you'll find that several of them are no longer in perfect operating condition.
Speaker 5:So you are here. So you are here. You will be interested in knowing that a Federation fleet is on its way here at the moment. Our fleet is preparing to meet them Checkmate.
Speaker 1:However, with hostility rising, the Organians took the opportunity to reveal their true identities Powerful, non-corporeal beings who had evolved past petty disputes.
Speaker 6:Millions of years ago, Captain, we were humanoid like yourselves, but we have developed beyond the need of physical bodies.
Speaker 4:Totally incorporeal Not life as we know it at all, I should say the Organians are as far above us on the evolutionary scale, as we are above the amoeba.
Speaker 5:Even if you have some power that we don't understand, you have no right to dictate to our Federation or our Empire how to handle their interstellar relations we have the right to wage war Captain, to kill millions of innocent people, to destroy life on a planetary scale.
Speaker 1:The Organians halted the immediate conflict by making weapons on both sides too physically hot to operate. They froze the movement of every starship in the quadrant, then forced the peace treaty on the two powers under the threat of neutralizing their forces if they did not comply. Oh, eventually you will have peace, but only after millions of people have died, the Organians assured the Federation and the Klingon Empire that they would one day join together as allies.
Speaker 6:True that in the future you and the Klingons will become fast friends. You will work together.
Speaker 4:Never.
Speaker 1:Your emotions are most important, though for the present, kor was simply left to ponder what a pity it was.
Speaker 4:Well, Commander, I guess that takes care of the war. Obviously, the Arganians aren't going to let us fight.
Speaker 5:Shame, Captain. It would have been glorious. I hope you will continue to savor the sweetness of your life.
Speaker 1:In a less prideful story, it's been said that Cor's son, dakar, attempted to take revenge on the humiliating incident and kill Captain Kirk, but was instead clumsily captured by the Enterprise. Under the terms of the Organian Peace Treaty, he was to be sent back home. It was the first time Kirk and Kor had met face to face since Organia, and once again Kor was humiliated. In 2269, captains Kor, koloth and Kang were ordered to report to the dilithium mine of Beta Thoradar to investigate unrest among the Klingon workers. Kor was to interrogate the miners and find out why they were carrying out attacks against the mine. Kor quickly discovered that the Augment descendant miners were being abused and terrorized because of their mixed heritage. As an Augment descendant himself, he knew the pain all too well. He knew the pain all too well. Taking up for the miners, kor challenged the mine's incompetent security chief, sorkov, to hand-to-hand combat a giktal. Sorkov was brutally but skillfully slain and another legend of Kor was born. He was to fight for the downtrodden, the little man. He was a hero of the common people, though he came from a house of great wealth. Rising to the moment. Kor pontificated to the miners no matter your appearance, he told them, your hearts are still Klingon and you should always conduct yourselves with honor. But that would be only the beginning of Kor's legendary campaigns.
Speaker 1:With the equally legendary Koloth and Kang, the three Klingons fought a glorious battle against Tanang, from whom Kor had once held the Korma Pass With an enemy of 40 legions. They emerged victorious against overwhelming odds, killing Tanang and feasting on his still-beating heart. Later that year, kor had been given command of what would one day be the legendary IKS Klothos A fine ship, he thought. But every captain knows. Nothing can ever replace that quiet place in the heart in which lives his first command. He and two other battlecruisers not captained by Kang and Koloth stumbled upon a most coveted surprise while sweeping the sector. The Enterprise would soon regret their trespass, he mused. He allowed a devious smile to break his hardened facade. He coordinated a strategy to work in tandem to corner and destroy the Enterprise as she entered a fabled region of the Alpha Quadrant known as the Delta Triangle. Much like its terrestrial namesake, the area was notorious for ships lost with no trace. The area was notorious for ships lost with no trace. During its initial maneuvers, almost as if on cue, the Clocos seemed to shimmer and warp, as if initiating a primitive cloaking device of some sort, then, before the eyes of the three other vessels, simply vanished as if by magic. Not stopping to consider the bizarre circumstances, the Clothos had been destroyed. They assumed Another crime against the Empire by James Kirk. In an effort to solve the mystery of the Clothos and save their asses, the Enterprise made for the Clothos' former position, where she promptly followed down the rabbit hole. Both ships had been transported to a pocket universe known to its inhabitants as Elysia.
Speaker 1:Upon the Enterprise's arrival, kor put the Klokos on silent running, attempting to hide among the derelict ships as he pounced, his weapons failed, as if by design. In the wink of an eye, kor and Kirk were transported to the Elysian Council, which were essentially a retread of the Organians and their philosophy. Kor thought the biggest difference. They were told it was impossible to leave, but they were warned that any violent behavior would be treated harshly. Not so egalitarian, but the same idea. But neither captain was willing to accept their fate this time and both crews worked in tandem on escape. Despite the objections of his crew, korr thought if he just went really fast he could break out of the pocket universe. As predicted, it failed, but it did inspire Lieutenant Commander Spock for the Enterprise to suggest a new plan. Both ships might be able to work in unison. Kor reluctantly agreed, but also had machinations to destroy the Enterprise. Kor appointed his mate, kali, to carry out the plan. While on the Enterprise, at a social function between the two crews, kali snuck into the Starship's computer room and planted a small explosive which would detonate. When the Enterprise reached the threshold required to leave the pocket universe, the trap set. Clothos and Enterprise enacted their plans. In a tense and desperate race, they both succeeded in breaking the barrier between universes. Unfortunately for Core, however, the Elysians had detected the sabotage plan and already warned Enterprise, allowing the crew to jettison the capsule before any damage could be done. Kor attempted to save face and take credit for their escape, but once again another scar of humiliation crossed his heart.
Speaker 1:Though there was once a cultural and technological exchange between the two space-faring powers by 2270, there was no love lost between the Klingon peoples and the Romulan Star Empire. There seemed to stand a constant state of war, hot and cold, for decades. Border skirmishes, territorial disputes and outpost raids created a cycle of confrontation that usually ended in mutually devastating battles right up Kor's alley. This year saw the bloodiest, most vicious fighting in memory as the two empires eviscerated the Beta Quadrant. The countless years of fighting came to a head in and around the hellscape of ionized gas and shards of searing radiation left from a violent supernova, an area we call the Breyer Patch, known to the Klingon as Klok Dekhel Bracht. Navigating the metaphase of radiation and merciless bolts of plasma took bravery full of hardiness or a healthy dose of crazy. Kor had plenty of all three. He, kang and Koloth led a brutal assault on a fleet which was the pride of Romulus, and they painted the Starways green with Romulan blood. The Star Empire was so badly devastated they began retreating into isolationism to brood, plot and lick their wounds. Songs would be sung of that day for a century to come, for a century to come, riding high in the eyes of the Empire.
Speaker 1:Kor and Kang were then tasked to reclaim the border colony of Caleb IV, a bold move against the Federation. The Battle of Caleb IV saw a brave stand by Federation starships. Led by Admiral Isaac Geraghty. They attempted to drive off the Klingons' attack on the communication arrays. However, it ended up being an ambush, as the Klingons made the first usage of the modern cloaking device on their starships One starship captain, aided by a temporal agent named Daniels so long story, we'll get into that some other time boarded the Clothos, sabotaged the ship and rescued the captured Federation ships before serving as a decoy to allow the other ships to escape.
Speaker 1:The legendary IKS Clothos was gone and loss cut deep into Kor's heart. And loss cut deep into Kor's heart. Side note Now, before you laugh at the melodrama, I want you to remember that you are the ones who get misty every time you watch a holoprogram of an Enterprise crashing and burning and deny it whenever your friends laugh and call you out Look, I'm a hologram, I don't have a dog in this fight. The drama's for you, I do the drama for you. Okay, moving on. But Kor wasn't the only proud Klingon captain to grapple with Kirk in the Enterprise. In fact, kang and Koloth both spent years jockeying with Kor to be the one great warrior who would defeat the infamous Starfleet captain in battle. This perhaps was one reason the Triumvirate would remain friends and colleagues for decades. But the official bond between them went far deeper and was far darker.
Speaker 1:By 2290, the albino's reign of terror had reached its breaking point. Just the year before he had taken credit for a devastating terrorist attack on the Klingon colony of Korvat, where peace talks with the Federation were being held. Diplomats, warriors and civilians alike were slaughtered without remorse. He had gone beyond the nuisance the Empire had tolerated for so long. His piracy had become a syndicate. His tactics had become terrorism. Blood was on his hands and the Empire could no longer stand by and watch.
Speaker 1:Kor Kang and Koloth were dispatched to his stronghold and led a ruthless assault on his followers and hired mercenaries. It was a long, bloody and glorious battle, having destroyed most of the syndicate and seizing its resources for the empire. The albino, however, managed to once again escape these warriors. Three chased him all the way to Galdantere, but eventually returned empty-handed. Three chased him all the way to Galdantere, but eventually returned empty-handed. The albinocist saw this attack as another affront, not a reaction to what he had done. His thirst for revenge would now have a focus, and we all know the ancient Klingon proverb revenge is a dish best served cold. After this event, the captains solidified their status as legend. They ran roughshod over the Alpha and Beta Quadrants, seemingly invincible.
Speaker 1:Yet they were mere mortals, with failures, flaws and families. Five years after the incomplete but devastating victory against the albino's forces, they had nearly forgotten the escaped terrorist's vow for revenge. The albino had not. He'd spent these years plotting, tracking and scheming. The proud Klingon warriors would soon know the veracity of his vengeance, as the firstborn sons of each fell ill, doomed to a long, painful death infected with a degenerative genetic disease. Their great houses would all end with no heirs and the dark burden of parents outliving their children.
Speaker 1:After spending three drunken hours reliving the battle of Kluck to Kelprecht in a Ferengi hollow suite, two hours past what he had paid for, kor was dragged to the security office of Deep Space Nine until such a time as he was sober. Kor was dragged to the security office of Deep Space Nine until such a time as he was sober enough to crawl to the next port of call. A disgruntled Koloth would have the misfortune of collecting him. A happy reunion for the station's science officer, jotzi Adax, though Esra Simbi, its previous host, had been the Trill ambassador to Kronos and part of a blood oath shared between them.
Speaker 5:Do you not recognize our old friend Dax Dax?
Speaker 3:Curzon's dead, but Dax is alive, as a part of me.
Speaker 1:They hadn't been in the same place together for decades, which made it serendipitous for Kang he wouldn't have to track them all down separately.
Speaker 5:Is Kang coming? Of course he's coming. He's brought the four of us back together after 81 years. Could it possibly mean that he's yes?
Speaker 4:That is exactly what it means. I have found the albino.
Speaker 1:Truth be told, Kang learned of the albino's location and visited the system to see if it was a folly. He found what he was looking for.
Speaker 4:Seven years ago, on day as four, I met one of the albino's discarded wives. I fed and clothed her. I told her the story of our sons. She still feared him and told me nothing. She still feared him and told me nothing three months ago. She died. A week afterwards.
Speaker 1:An amulet she wore around her neck was delivered to me by messenger in it is the location of the albino sanctuary the albino offered king a glorious battle against 40 of his best warriors, to which Kang accepted, believing that if he couldn't kill the albino, he would die trying.
Speaker 3:I am Dax, godfather of your son.
Speaker 4:So you are the same, dax, who took a blood oath with us to seek vengeance.
Speaker 3:Don't mistake. A new face for a new soul Kang.
Speaker 1:Dax, wanting to fulfill the blood oath, herself thought Klingons embraced death a little too easily. She urged them to consider an alternate strategy than an all-out siege. Kang knew that the albino's defenses could not be beaten by four people alone. He knew they had no way to win. But that was never the point. But they had gone into battle, often with Curzon, not Jatsia.
Speaker 1:She had the idea to disable guards' phasers by reconfiguring their ship's disruptors to bombard the compound from orbit with tetreon particles. The dampening field would disable any energy weapons inside. Though no one would be able to use a disruptor or phaser, they would have to rely on hand-to-hand combat. Fitting Kor, thought Dax created a diversion by sabotaging the compound's armory, drawing a fair amount of guards away from the main house. While Kang, koloth and Kor would disable the power station, knocking out the communications and scanners An old trick, the irony of which was not lost on Kor. The armory exploded and showered them with fire and ash. The albino knew the clock was ticking. Before he could order his guards to draw back into the house, the power station was out. Now he was trapped in his own mansion. He had only a few guards and no way to signal the others.
Speaker 4:Look upon your executioners. Killer of children.
Speaker 1:The warriors' four stormed the hall and fought his guards tooth and nail. They fought long and hard vengeance, the only thought burning their minds. Koloth was the first to fall. Stabbed in the back, he died in front of a kneeling Kor, his friend of decades, the man to see him on his way to Stovokor. Kor knew their mission had to succeed.
Speaker 1:At the top of the great stairway, kang struck down by the albino himself. They had come so far. Both Koloth and Kang lay dying at the feet of the albino. But as the albino turned, he found Dax with a bat left to his throat. She acted for Curzon, but Jetsia had never taken a life. She paused A mistake that could have been fatal if it weren't for Kang's dying breath. As he plunged his knife into the albino's back, who tumbled to the bottom of the stairway, his final resting place, kang thanked Dax for allowing him to have the death blow. Dax knew better than to dissuade him. It was a good day to die. Now Kang and Koloth would see their sons again at the gates of Stovakor. That time was yet to come for Kor, who sang songs in honor of his fallen friends.
Speaker 6:This is a great honor, oh, no doubt.
Speaker 3:Worf is a great admirer of yours, huh.
Speaker 6:Yes, please. I have heard stories about you since I was a child your confrontation with Kirk on Argania, your attack on Romulus, your defense of the Karma Pass Everything.
Speaker 5:I have done pales in comparison to what I am about to achieve. I am on a quest, a quest for the most revered icon in Klingon history, cor, an icon that predates the Klingon Empire, an icon more sacred than the Torch of Gabak, more revered than Sabac's armor and more coveted than the Emperor's crown, the Sword of Kaelas Ah.
Speaker 1:The Sword of Kaelas was the first Batleth ever forged. It was designed and created by Kaelas the Unforgettable himself and was dated back to the 9th century BCE. Legend says that he plunged a lock of hair into a lava flow from the mighty Kristak summit, then quenched it in the depths of the Lake of Lusor. Kaelas then raised the fearsome legions of the Feklari who terrorized the land, and he slew the evil Tyrant Molor, freeing and uniting the scattered tribes of Kronos into the First Empire. The sword was used to harvest his father's crops, carve a stone statue of his mate Lucara, and skin the great serpent of Zol, among other great feats of legend.
Speaker 1:Upon the death of Calus, the sword became a holy artifact. His subjects swaddled it in a ceremonial shroud and held it in reverence in its most holy place. That was until it was stolen by the plundering Herc, the scavenging horde from the Gamma Quadrant who invaded Kronos 500 years later. By 2372, the Herc were long dead and little more than a historical mystery. In 1772, the Herc were long dead and little more than a historical mystery. In that very year, a Vulcan geological survey team stumbled upon ancient Herc ruins on an uncharted world in the Gamma Quadrant. It was there the one true shroud of the sword was discovered.
Speaker 5:This Now see, see what the imprint on the claws. Yes, yes, this held the sword of.
Speaker 3:Calus, don't be so sure you can carpet this station with all the authentic shrouds of the sword that people have tried to peddle.
Speaker 5:No one tried to peddle this.
Speaker 1:It was given to me by whom, being the ambassador to the Vulcan, kor was gifted the Shroud to return to his people. But Kor knew that if the Shroud was real, so too was the sword he Worf. The only Klingon in Starfleet and Jotziah Dax set out to find the sword and once again unite the Klingon peoples.
Speaker 5:Think of the glory, the honor of finding the battle of the first warrior king.
Speaker 2:Lost for a millennium.
Speaker 6:Its return would change Klingon history.
Speaker 1:But the sword was a powerful thing, what it meant to all Klingons, the sway it held, the reverence it commanded, was a heavy burden for one person to carry, and their quest proved it. They successfully fought off the House of Duras as they attempted to snatch the sword from his grasp. Or it had been sloppy, a loose tongue and a barrel of blood wine had tipped off too many to his prize. Still, he held the actual sword of Kaelas in his hands, the greatest honor any Klingon could ever receive. He wanted it, he needed it, he had to possess it. And that was the problem. No one man was meant to heft it. It belonged to history and myth. Its power would corrupt even the most honorable warriors. Kor, worf and Dax made the hardest decision of their lives and left it adrift in space. At least now the perfect idea of the sword would be left to inspire the Empire and could never disappoint. By the 2370s the House of Kor had standing in name only His son dead. Kor would be the last of his line, of his great house. He had no influence, no power, only his reputation.
Speaker 1:Kor found himself lost in a chaotic universe and only a superficial place in it, the malevolent overlords of the Gamma Quadrant. The Dominion laid siege on the Alpha and Beta Quadrants. The overlords of the Gamma Quadrant. The Dominion laid siege on the Alpha and Beta Quadrants. The Empire had just dissolved its long-standing alliance with the Federation and once again went to war the third time in Kor's life, but the first in a century. The cause was a result of manipulation of Chancellor Gowron by a Dominion agent. Kor always thought Gowron a fool. Still, his brothers-in-arms were engaged in glorious battle while he sat at a desk on Vulcan. That pain grew exponentially when the Empire turned on the true enemy and joined the Federation's war with the Dominion horde, a true, honorable battle that would decide the fate of not just the Empire but the galaxy. There could be no greater honor than to lay down one's life for such a noble cause. Desperate and with no alternative, korr turned to Worf, who he knew had the lead Klingon general Martok's ear. But Martok was no fan of Kor.
Speaker 5:It seems my services are not required in the present moment.
Speaker 6:You are Kor a Dahar master, the man who held the Korma Pass against Tanag. Your reputation alone should have assured you a command.
Speaker 5:I also have a reputation for a certain ruthless quality towards those who would stand in my way. Mind you, it's not entirely undeserved. In truth, I rather enjoy being feared by my fellow officers. In truth, I rather enjoy being feared by my fellow officers. However, there's a price to be paid for such single-minded devotion to one's ambition. I've made enemies, perhaps more than were necessary. I have no influence left in the Empire, Even as our entire race grapples with the Dominion there's no place for an old man.
Speaker 1:Reluctantly, kor would be allowed to join the crew, but his role would be little more than ornamental. But when, in the heat of battle, a Jem'Hadar attack incapacitated Martok and the ship was without a true commander, Kor saw his chance to take his rightful place and took the captain's chair. He acted decisively and helped turn the tide in the skirmish.
Speaker 5:But time catches us all in the end and the Predator bared its teeth at Kor Continue firing, target the primary reactors, tave, and bring us round for another pass Coming about no Only one pass. Leave the system. Do not worry, my friend, all is well.
Speaker 4:You old fool. The auditor reports our captain and first officer are dead. They have a whole breach in the port quarter.
Speaker 5:Instruct them to continue firing and open a channel to Kang To Kang, tell them we've succeeded here and that the Federation outpost on Caleb 4 will be taken within an hour. Sir Kang has been dead for years. Prepare a boarding party. We're going to take the base, but sir, they have a duracene of 10,000.
Speaker 4:By the hand of Kaelas, get us out of here.
Speaker 1:He quickly found himself the butt of jokes and the subject of ridicule by the crew. Never had he fallen so low.
Speaker 5:Savor the fruit of life, my young friends. It has a sweet taste when it is fresh from the vine, but don't live too long. The taste turns bitter after a time.
Speaker 1:Ashamed, confused, but aware enough of his failure, Kor lay sullen in crew quarters. He knew his time on the bridge of a battlecruiser had come to an end. After more than a century, the Rotoran's fleet was still in dire straits. A squadron of Jem'Hadar ships was quickly closing on them and they had few options. The Jem'Hadar would overtake them in two hours, less time than it would take for them to rendezvous with the Federation reinforcements waiting for them would take for them to rendezvous with the Federation reinforcements waiting for them, their backs against the wall.
Speaker 1:Worf devised a plan to hold off the enemy and allow escape of the fleet, but it was a one-way mission. That was the only guarantee. One bird of prey, the Ning Tao with a skeleton crew, would drop out of warp and fire a graviton pulse to force the Jem'Hadar to halt, then engage them long enough for the rest of the fleet to reach safety In the end. Kor knew only he was foolhardy and expendable enough to take on an impossible mission. So he ambushed Worf with a hypospray before he could board the Ning Tao and he stepped onto the transporter path. Long live the Empire, he declared before he beamed away to destiny.
Speaker 2:One ship against ten.
Speaker 4:It doesn't seem possible.
Speaker 6:He will succeed. He is Kor.
Speaker 2:The Daha Master.
Speaker 3:He's done it. The Jepidah are out of time. They can no longer overtake us before we reach the Defiant.
Speaker 4:How did that pompous old man hold off an entire Jem'Hadar?
Speaker 5:fleet with only one ship Does it matter?
Speaker 4:Darak, give me that bottle.
Speaker 2:Derak give me that bottle To Kor the Dahar master, a noble warrior to the end. Thank you, I'm.
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