SUBSPACE

CHATTER

The Official UFPSF
Fifth Fleet Newsletter


Starborn
I KV Hem bortaStaH Departs Drydock


A Ready Room Ramblings A View from the Bridge
A Sci-Fact News
A Fifth Fleet Funnies Featuring Real Life
A Sci-Fi & Genre News
A Star Trek: Proud Vengeance An Act of Vengeance

Volume 6 Issue 10
July 2014
A SUBSPACE CHATTER A Page 2 A Vol. 06, #10 A
Ready Room Ramblings
A View from the Bridge

Hi everyone! After several demanding and
eventful months, things are starting to settle down a
little, and I will hopefully be able to devote a little
more time to the Fan Club. I want to thank several
members who, over the course of the last month,
helped out with submissions for this months issue
of Subspace Chatter; most especially Admiral
Nadine, Lt Chris Post, and Donald Bolton. I would
also like to pass on special thanks to Robert
Lydford (General Kereth Epetai Makura) for his
aid in approving the story line for this issue and
providing the artwork that accompanies it. Also,
thanks to those especially my COB Jeff Sloan
for their feedback on recent stories published in the
official Fifth Fleet Newsletter.

Congratulations to the following Crew Members
on their promotions, which due to a paperwork
error should have been effective 01 June 2014:
Linus Callahan, promoted to Apprentice
Elaine Turner, promoted to Apprentice
And congratulations to the following Crew
Members on their promotions, effective 01 July
2014:
Bob Hart, promoted to Petty Officer 3
rd
Class
Crystal King, promoted to Petty Officer 3
rd
Class
Congratulations all!

This months issue concludes the Stargate RL-1
(Real Life) saga, as Greg Dean, his friends Tony
and Dave confront a Goauld god-king in the
basement of a fellow Stargate SG-1 fan in Fifth
Fleet Funnies.



And this months Fifth Fleet adventure, the
Klingon warship Proud Vengeance returns to
Starbase 719 for the first time, and Admiral Raiajh
assigns the Klingon ship to investigate a series of
mysterious ship disappearances that may point to a
persistent adversary, prompting General Kereth to
commit to An Act of Vengeance by PJK.

Star Trek Birthdays for the month of July;
01 Dominic Keating (Lt Malcolm Reed ENT)
02 Anthony Montgomery (Ens Travis
Mayweather ENT)
09 Linda Park (Ens Hoshi Sato ENT)
13 Patrick Stewart (Capt Jean-Luc Picard
TNG)
16 Tonya Spanks (Fifth Fleet crew)
26 Nana Visitor (Col Kira Nerys DS9)
29 Wil Wheaton (Wesley Crusher TNG)

Ahead Maximum Warp!
~Capn Pete






Subspace Chatter Third Edition
Vol. 06, #10 July 2014
The UFPSF Fifth Fleet Newsletter
2014 Gem Productions

Star Trek and related marks are trademarks of CBS Studios, Inc
A SUBSPACE CHATTER A Page 3 A Vol. 06, #10 A
Sci-Fact News

Engage warp drive! NASA reveals latest designs for a Star Trek-style spacecraft that
could make interstellar travel a reality
By Jonathan OCallaghan, from Dailymail.co.uk
11 June 2014
Also submitted by Nadine B. Bach Starbase 719, Chris Post USS Bellerophon, and Donald Bolton

Last month, Dark Knight director Christopher
Nolan unveiled his next science-fiction
blockbuster.

Called Interstellar, it envisages a future where
travel to other stars is not only a possibility but a
necessity, and tasks actor Matthew McConaughey
with leading the main mission.

But a NASA scientist claims such a mission isnt
necessarily just something reserved for science
fiction - and has revealed a Star Trek-style ship that
could make interstellar travel a reality.


Pictured is an illustration of Dr Whites I XS Enterprise, an interstellar ship drawn by artist Mark Rademaker that
could be an accurate representation of what the first mission beyond the solar system will look like. The I XS
Enterpriseis a theory-fitting concept for a faster than light (FTL) ship

Dr Harold White is famous for suggesting that
faster than light (FTL) travel is possible.

Using something known as an Alcubierre drive,
named after a Mexican theoretical physicist of the
same name, Dr White said it is possible to bend
space-time, and cover large distances almost
instantly.

This, in essence, would allow a spaceship to travel
almost anywhere in a tiny fraction of the time it
would take a conventional spacecraft.

The ship in Nolans Interstellar movie, as well as
those in Star Trek, employ a warp engine.

And, in a series of new renders, Dr White reveals
how a real spacecraft dubbed the IXS Enterprise
could do the same thing.

The images are based on the artist who created the
original look for the famous USS Enterprise ship
from Star Trek - Matthew Jeffries.

A SUBSPACE CHATTER A Page 4 A Vol. 06, #10 A
To make the latest renders Dr White employed the
help of artist Mark Rademaker and graphic
designer Mike Okuda.


The engine for Dr Whites I SX Enterpriseis based on
something known as the Alcubierre drive. As shown
in the illustration above this stretches space-time in a
wave that causes the fabric of space-time ahead to
contract while expanding the space behind,
theoretically allowing faster than light travel

Although the speed of light is seen as an absolute,
Dr White was inspired by Miguel Alcubierre, who
postulated a theory that allowed for faster than
light travel but without contradicting Einstein.

Alcubierres theory was published in 1994 and
involved enormous amounts of energy being used
to expand and contract space itself - thereby
generating a warp bubble in which a spacecraft
would travel.

Allowing space and time to act as the propellant by
pulling the craft through the bubble would be like
stepping on an escalator.

Despite Dr Alcubierre stating his theory was
simply conjecture, Dr White thinks he and his team
are edging towards making the realm of warp
speed attainable.

According to Gizmodo, their engine could get to
Alpha Centauri in two weeks as measured by
clocks on Earth.

The process of going to warp is also one that is
smooth, rather than using a massive amount of
acceleration in a short amount of time.

When you turn the field on, everybody doesnt go
slamming against the bulkhead, which would be a
very short and sad trip, Dr White said.


This illustration shows Dr Whites design in its
entirety. Struts around the spacecraft show how it
would be directly attached to the rings. At the front is
the bridge where the crew would conduct
operations on the spacecraft. Towards the back is the
cargo area where so-called exotic matter for fuel
would be stored

However, Dr White admits his research is still
small-scale and is light years away from any type
of engine that could be constructed into a spaceship
like the USS Enterprise.

To make the dream a reality Dr White has laid out
a road map with important milestones that will
need to be met along the way to achieving true
interstellar travel.


The ship at the centre of Dr Whites I XS Enterprise
would need to be small enough to fit inside the rings
and it would need to not stick out too much. This is
because when the rings are activated they will create
a warp bubble, and anything outside of this will be
cut off when the jump is made, according to Dr White

This begins with tests on Earth to prove the
technology is possible.

These initial experiments are very crude and very
basic - but, if proved, there is, in theory, no limit to
how it can be applied.


A SUBSPACE CHATTER A Page 5 A Vol. 06, #10 A
The next step will be to use the warp technology on
a spacecraft and complete a short trip to the moon,
followed by a trip to Mars.

This would ultimately test the technologies that
would be necessary to complete jumps beyond
the solar system and reach destinations in a matter
of months, weeks or even days.


Illustrated here is a previous design from Dr White
and Rademaker. This concept had a number of flaws.
First, the rings were too thin, meaning they would
have needed too much energy for warp travell.
Second, part of the ship extends out of the rings,
which would have been cut off when the warp
bubble was created
(Editors Note: Any Star Trek fan knows this
illustration is NOT an earlier design by Dr White, but
an early version of the starship Enterprise introduced
in a scene in Star Trek: The Motion Picture. That
illustration was based on an early design for the USS
Enterprise (at the time USS Yorktown) by Gene
Roddenberry for the original Star Trek television pilot,
and was in fact used as the cover illustration on
Chatter 6-02 published in November 2013.)

The main limitation is energy - previously it was
thought mass equivalent to a planet would be
necessary to provide the energy required for a warp
jump.

But revised suggestions suggest mass similar in
size to a car might be more realistic.

The research has done enough to pique the interest
of NASA and other agencies.

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency
(DARPA), for instance, is currently carrying out
the 100-year-starship project with a view to
sending humans outside the solar system at the turn
of the next century.


The rings around the spacecraft (shown) would
actually shift the surrounding space. The drive would
require something known as exotic matter to work,
hypothetical particles that violate the known laws of
physics (possibly such as dark matter), but as of yet
none have been found or created

- - - - -

The 100-Year Starship Project

The 100-year Starship Project is a joint endeavor
run by DARPA, NASA, Icarus Interstellar, and the
Foundation for Enterprise Development.

Announced in January 2012, the project has an
overall goal of achieving manned interstellar travel
by 2112.

To do so it is evaluating a number of different
technologies, including warping space time to
travel great distances in short time frames at faster-
than-light speeds.

The project is also considering building generation
ships that move slowly but have a self-sustainable
long-term population.

To date NASA has contributed $100,000 to the
project and DARPA has contributed $1 million.

A SUBSPACE CHATTER A Page 6 A Vol. 06, #10 A
Fifth Fleet Funnies
Previously in Real Life by Greg Dean

While visiting his friend Tony in the evil genius secret subterranean lair beneath his house, Greg learns that his
friend owns an actual functioning Stargate, and suggests the pair go on an adventure by opening the Gate and
exploring what lies beyond

After a quick dialing session, both Greg and Tony and their friend Dave are surprised to quickly access another
Gate somewhere in the universe. But where does the wormhole lead? To their surprise, it leads directly to
another Stargate on Earth, the one used in the TV series Stargate SG-1, which was bought at a prop auction by
another fan of the show, who also bought other prop items from the series.

However, Tonys use of the Gate has drawn the attention of the Goauld god-king Geb, intent on invading and
conquering the Earth.

And now the conclusion


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A SUBSPACE CHATTER A Page 9 A Vol. 06, #10 A




A SUBSPACE CHATTER A Page 10 A Vol. 06, #10 A
Sci-Fi & Genre News

Summer Movies 2014
Submitted by Nadine B. Bach Starbase 719


EARTH TO ECHO - July 2
After receiving a bizarre series of encrypted messages, a group of kids embark on an adventure with an alien
who needs their help.


DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES - July 11
Continuing the story of how ultra-intelligent simian Caesar presides over the fall of human civilization.

A growing nation of genetically evolved apes led by Caesar is threatened by a band of human survivors of the
devastating virus unleashed a decade earlier. They reach a fragile peace, but it proves short-lived, as both sides
are brought to the brink of a war that will determine who will emerge as Earths dominant species.


HERCULES - July 25
Everyone knows the legend of Hercules (Dwayne Johnson) and his twelve labors. Our story begins after the
labors, and after the legend Haunted by a sin from his past, Hercules has become a mercenary. Along with
five faithful companions, he travels ancient Greece selling his services for gold and using his legendary
reputation to intimidate enemies. But when the benevolent ruler of Thrace and his daughter seek Hercules help
to defeat a savage and terrifying warlord, Hercules finds that in order for good to triumph and justice to
prevail... he must again become the hero he once was... he must embrace his own myth... he must be Hercules!


GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY - August 1
Features an unlikely cast of characters who must team up in order to defeat a cosmic force of epic proportions.

An American pilot ends up in space in the middle of a universal conflict and goes on the run with futuristic ex-
cons who have something everyone wants.




A SUBSPACE CHATTER A Page 11 A Vol. 06, #10 A
PixelTrek lets you explore an 8-bit starship Enterprise
By Casey Newton, from TheVerge.com
15 June 2014
Submitted by Donald Bolton



Fans of Star Trek will want to check out PixelTrek,
an elaborate (and apparently unsanctioned) homage
to Star Trek: The Next Generations iconic
Enterprise-D. The Flash-based simulator allows
you to control an 8-bit Data lookalike and explore a
detailed recreation of Starfleets flagship. Using
your keyboard, you can check out familiar sights
including Lt. Worfs quarters, the bridge, and a
frankly surprising number of bathrooms. Theres
not much to do on board except look around
youll see many of your favorite characters, but
cant interact with them in any way. But for those
who have missed the vessel since its unfortunate
crash landing on Veridian III, PixelTrek offers a
welcome return to the bridge.

Check it out at http://www.pixeltrek.com/





A SUBSPACE CHATTER A Page 12 A Vol. 06, #10 A
For Fox, Much Is Riding on 3 Sequels to Avatar
By Michael Cieply, from NYTimes.com
15 June 2014


James Cameron has plans for Avatar on many
media.

LOS ANGELES Like the deep-sea craft James
Cameron used to dive nearly seven miles down in
the Pacific, the long-awaited screenplays for his
three sequels to Avatar will soon pop to the
surface, probably within weeks.

Mr. Cameron, an avid adventurer as well as one of
Hollywoods most successful directors, has been
working for much of the last several years on the
Avatar films, when he was not indulging his
other passion and exploring the deepest parts of the
ocean.

For those who share Mr. Camerons moviemaking
adventures particularly executives at 20th
Century Fox, which released Avatar to about
$2.8 billion in worldwide ticket sales almost five
years ago delivery of finished scripts will signal
the beginning of perhaps their grandest enterprise.

Fox, as well as Mr. Cameron and his cohorts at
Lightstorm Entertainment, his production
company, are expecting the three successive
Avatar films set for release in three straight
Decembers beginning in 2016 to transform their
companies and possibly once again to set a new
standard for large-scale, multimedia entertainment.

Billions of dollars are riding on the effort. The
effects-heavy sequels will be expensive: Mr.
Cameron has vaguely said their combined
production cost would be less than $1 billion,
though the movies cannot be budgeted until they
are written.

But in Mr. Cameron, the project is being led by a
director who helped to redefine his industry with
The Terminator, Titanic and the immersive 3-
D science fiction spectacle Avatar.


An Avatar-themed area is scheduled for 2017 in
Disneys Animal Kingdom in Orlando, Fla. Credit
Walt Disney Imagineering

Jim first and foremost in life is an explorer, and
its what he does in his movies, said Jon Landau,
Mr. Camerons business partner. Speaking by
telephone recently, Mr. Landau described what he
said had been a yearslong effort to conceptualize
an entire Avatar universe that would be realized
over 20 years or more in various media, some of
which have yet to be invented.

We decided to build out the breadth of our world
whether or not its in one of the films now,
he said.

This is not about any one medium, Mr. Landau
added, referring to the elaborate ideas being
developed by Mr. Cameron, along with a team of
four screenwriters, and by a novelist, Steven
Gould.

Mr. Gould, known especially for the science fiction
book Jumper, is weaving those ideas into novels
that are meant to read as if they had inspired, rather
than were spun off from, Avatar.

Fox has waited, optimistically, through Mr.
Camerons painstaking deliberations, but at some
cost.

The Avatar hiatus has led to some shrinkage at
Fox, which last year fell to sixth among the major
studios in market share. In 2013, it had about $1.1
billion in domestic ticket sales, compared with
nearly $1.5 billion in 2010, when Avatar was
working its way toward becoming the best-selling
movie in history (without adjusting for inflation,
which would put Gone With the Wind on top).

A SUBSPACE CHATTER A Page 13 A Vol. 06, #10 A
For the quarter that ended March 31, the studio
contributed $354 million in operating income to its
parent, 21st Century Fox. The performance was
solid, and it will be bolstered this year by X-Men:
Days of Future Past, the surprise hit The Fault in
Our Stars and the next film in the revived Planet
of the Apes series. But it accounted for less than
20 percent of the total $1.8 billion in operating
income at a company that is dominated by its cable
network operations.

When I talk to the company, it really matters,
Michael Nathanson, an analyst with
MoffettNathanson, said of the sequels. This could
be more meaningful for the company than just the
first Avatar was.

While Warner exploited its enormous series of
Harry Potter and Hobbit films, Fox played out
its decades-old Star Wars franchise, which went
to Disney with its purchase of Lucasfilm. It also
made hay with its somewhat more modest X-
Men films and rebuilt Planet of the Apes, a
series born in 1968.

But the new Avatar films have open-ended
storytelling potential as purely original
inventions, they are not limited by existing books
or the aging of a young star. And they are coupled
with Mr. Camerons insistence on an ever more
realistic audience experience. In the view of Jim
Gianopulos, 20th Century Foxs chief executive,
that makes them worth the wait.

After all these years together, you just say, O.K.,
Jims ready to make a movie. Lets strap in and go
for the ride, said Mr. Gianopulos by telephone
recently.

In making the sequels, he said, Fox will have a
financial partner, the Seelig Group. But the studio
will invest enough of its own money to own a
larger share than the portion somewhat above
40 percent that it held of the original Avatar,
which was similarly split with outside financiers

The long process of exploiting the new films, Mr.
Gianopulos added, would only begin with their
expected success in theaters. Were going to have
merry Christmases for the next few years, he
predicted.

As the films roll out, Mr. Gianopulos said, Fox
expects that a growing string of ancillary
businesses will be helped along by an unusually
robust online operation that is being built.

Jim Gianopulos of Fox Filmed Entertainment.

Jim always finds the edge of the envelope and
goes flying past it, he said.

Still, impatience has sometimes been noticeable at
Fox. During a conference call in early 2010, Rupert
Murdoch, whose media conglomerate owns 20th
Century Fox, warned eager investors not to expect
a promised follow-up from Mr. Cameron anytime
soon. Being Jim Cameron, I wouldnt hold your
breath for an early one, Mr. Murdoch said.

At Lionsgate and its Summit unit, in fact, five
Twilight films came and went in less time than it
has taken Mr. Cameron to create a sequel to his
interplanetary blockbuster about lovers reaching
across the universe to save life, limb and an
endangered world.

Asked about the slow pacing, Mr. Landau said it
had been born of the same methodical preparedness
ethic that guides Mr. Camerons deep-sea
explorations. He tries to do things as safely as
possible, Mr. Landau said.

Fox executives at one point believed they might
shoot an Avatar sequel in 2011, for release this
year.

But Mr. Cameron, though he did not exactly drift
out to sea, became preoccupied with a growing
tangle of commitments and concerns. Those
included ultra-deep-sea dives, now the subject of a
self-narrated 3-D documentary called Deepsea
Challenge 3D, set for release by National
Geographic Entertainment and DisruptiveLA on
Aug. 8. In it, Mr. Cameron explains that he is torn
between filmmaking and his expeditions, and he
has been unable to decide which comes first.

There were also extensive land purchases in New
Zealand, where Mr. Camerons interests include a
hemp farm and a search for alternatives to
A SUBSPACE CHATTER A Page 14 A Vol. 06, #10 A
methane-generating sheep herds, as well as a
largely concluded battle to defeat a half-dozen
legal challenges to his authorship of Avatar.

Then came his own belief that he needed not one
but three films, to be shot simultaneously, along
with a growing round of related enterprises, in
which Fox participates, to realize his vision.

Those adjunct projects are already taking shape. At
an Avatar-themed area in Disneys Animal
Kingdom in Orlando, Fla., for instance, Mr.
Cameron helped design an attraction that by 2017
will plant visitors on his mythical planet of
Pandora. Theyll walk under floating mountains
higher than three Staples Centers stacked on top of
each other, said Mr. Landau, referring to the Los
Angeles arena.

On a smaller scale, Mr. Cameron announced at a
conference last month in Montreal that he would
join with Cirque du Soleil to develop an Avatar-
themed touring troupe, with a debut planned for
next year. By then, he should finally be shooting
movies that Mr. Landau describes as being in
preproduction, though expensive screenwriters
continue to work on the scripts.

The first sequel, Mr. Landau confirmed, will be
written by Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver, a
husband-and-wife team known for their work on
Rise of the Planet of the Apes. The second, he
said, will come from Josh Friedman, who worked
with Lightstorm on the television series
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles. The
third is being written by Shane Salerno, who also
worked previously with Mr. Cameron, and who
was already blocking out his Avatar script while
promoting the release of his documentary
Salinger last year.

Those writers, said Mr. Landau, did much of their
brainstorming last year with both Mr. Cameron and
Mr. Gould in a room at the MBS Media Campus, a
Manhattan Beach, Calif., studio where Mr.
Cameron expects to shoot effects sequences, while
filming much of the live action and spending an
estimated $400 million in New Zealand.

Technologically, said Mr. Landau, the new films
will step beyond the first, though he stopped short
of promising radical changes to the 3-D and
performance-capture techniques that gave a
startlingly immersive feel to those who viewed
Avatar.

Around Fox, executives have speculated that Mr.
Cameron will somehow exploit virtual reality
systems of the kind that Oculus VR, now owned by
Facebook, has been developing. An Oculus
spokesman declined to say whether Mr. Cameron
had yet sampled its technology.

Mr. Gianopulos confirmed that Fox and the
filmmakers were closely examining the potential of
virtual reality techniques, but a crucial question, he
said, is whether they are used within a film or in
some corollary medium.

As for plotlines, Mr. Landau said only that he
expected all the films to follow the principal
characters, played by Sam Worthington and Zoe
Saldana one human, one not who were
central to the first. Its the story of their life
together, he said.

Asked whether one of the movies, as occasionally
hinted on fan-oriented websites and elsewhere,
would take place mostly underwater, Mr. Landau
said that might be expecting too much, even from
the submersible Mr. Cameron.

Its hard to have a dialogue scene underwater, he
noted.





A SUBSPACE CHATTER A Page 15 A Vol. 06, #10 A
New Star Trek MMO Game Teased by Developer
The new game will build on backstory established during Star Trek: Voyager, and pit the Federation
and Klingon Empire against each other once more.
By Graeme McMillan, from HollywoodReporter.com
16 June 2014
Submitted by Chris Post USS Bellerophon

While the movie incarnation of the franchise has
gone back to the very beginning, the tease for an
upcoming online MMO suggests that Star Trek
may not have abandoned its future after all.

In a press release issued Monday by NGames, the
company teased a return of Species 8472, an
officially-unnamed alien race that debuted in the
Star Trek: Voyager episode Scorpion. The as-
yet-untitled game will send both Federation and
Klingon ships into the unexplored fluid space of
Voyager mythology, with both sides fighting for
control of the newly discovered territory and
having to deal with attacks from Species 8472.

Players will be able to play as either Federation or
Klingon forces, with the release promising that
players [can] build a variety of starships and
create immense fleets to take into battle, including
Constitution-class, Defiant-class and the Klingon
Bird of Prey will all be available. The game will be
free-to-play.

Despite the 23rd century focus of the Star Trek
movies, the post-Next Generation era of the 24th
century has remained active in spin-off novels and
the current Star Trek MMORPG, Star Trek Online.
Whether or not the NGames release means that
STO developed by Cryptic Studios will be
discontinued is unknown.

NGames promises more news on the new game in
the coming weeks.



Unicode update adds emoji for spiders, chili pepper, live long and prosper, and more
By Martyn Williams, from PCWorld.com
17 June 2014
Submitted by Ron Flowers USS Besiege



Unicode, the character-encoding standard that
underpins a vast amount of the Internet and many
computing applications, has been updated to
include an additional 250 emoji and several other
updates.

The system provides a consistent way for computer
software around the world to handle and transmit
characters, so for example an A is always an A
and a $ always a $ in any supporting
application. Since its launch in the early 90s, it has
grown to encompass most of the worlds
languages.

The latest version, 7.0, brings hundreds of new
emoji, which are the small pictorial
representations of things like a smiling face, a
thumbs-up or a shining sun. Originally developed
in Japan for use on cellphones, they have become
popular worldwide, especially with teens.

Among the new emoji in Unicode 7.0 are a spider,
dark sunglasses, a hammer, an airplane arriving, a
rocket and a satellite.

Its unknown when or if the new symbols will be
available for use on cellphones. For that to happen,
font updates will have to be provided by Apple,
Google, Microsoft and other phone software
makers.

Also included are new symbols for the Russian
ruble and the Azerbaijani manat and a host of other
A SUBSPACE CHATTER A Page 16 A Vol. 06, #10 A
symbols, historical scripts and updates to existing
scripts. The Unicode consortium, which keeps the
standard, said the additions support written
languages of North America, China, India, other
Asian countries, and Africa.

Before Unicode, different countries or language
groups had their own text encoding standards.

The problem became apparent to end users with the
widespread introduction of the World Wide Web.
Pages written in one standard would sometimes be
misinterpreted by a browser as another standard,
leading to a page full of gibberish and requiring the
user to manually select the right option.

Still today, many Web browsers have an
encoding menu that allows users to make this
selection but, thanks to Unicode, its rarely
required.



Fifth Fleet Compendium
By Nadine B. Bach and Peter J. Koester

Often times, our Fifth Fleet writers know a fact,
figure, character, planet, or ship has been
mentioned in one of our stories and wants to make
sure he or she does not contradict something that
has been written in the past. But with a 25+ year
history of stories in the Archive, what is a writer to
do? Carefully read through EVERY Fifth Fleet
story until they find the information they are
looking for?

Last year, I asked Admiral Nadine to give me a
hand and start compiling a Compendium of
characters, locations, and ships that have been
mentioned or appeared in Star Trek: Fifth Fleet
stories for easy reference. She has started to
compile that information in an on-line database for
easy referral.

The Fifth Fleet Compendium is still very much a
work in progress. At the time of printing of this
issue, she will have gotten through Earth Year
2371, which is only the second year of the Star
Trek: Sarek stories first published in the early
1990s.

If you would like to help Nadine out, contact her
at: cathrynepearson@gmail.com

The Fifth Fleet Compendium can be found on-line at:
https://onedrive.live.com/redir?page=view&resid=21B05C56E8BD7E84!213&authkey=!ADbGHcUzGhcAKB4

Thanks, Nadine!



A SUBSPACE CHATTER A Page 17 A Vol. 06, #10 A
Vice Admiral Valri Raiajh, Starfleet Coordinator for the Typhon Sector and commanding officer of
Federation Starbase 719, had just replicated a steaming cup of tea for herself and was returning to her desk in
her office on the upper level of Starbase Ops when the intercom whistled and the voice of her executive officer,
Captain Cathryn E. Pearson, stated, Admiral Raiajh to Ops!
Concerned by the anxious tone of Pearsons voice, Raiajh quickly placed her teacup on the edge of her
desk and rushed out into Ops, passing her aide Marie Quintero in the outer office as she did. Seconds later she
was riding one of the lifts down to lower level, looking toward Pearson standing at the master systems console
at the center of the room as she asked, Whats wrong, Cathryn?
Sensors are picking up indications of triquantum waves and disruptions in subspace with a field
magnitude exceeding 2.9 teracochranes emerging at 100 mark 6, range four hundred fifty thousand kilometers.
That sounds like the Proud Vengeance arriving out of transwarp, Raiajh remarked, her concern
ebbing. Its been several months since General Kereth and his crew has made port here at the station.
Perhaps theyre just stopping by for a visit?
Im not so sure, Admiral, Lt Ashari Pel remarked. The readings Im receiving from the anomaly
are very different than what we have typically detected from the Vengeance in the past. I usually detect a
symmetrical power utilization curve when the Vengeance is emerging from transwarp. This power curve
signature is all wrong. There is no symmetry to the power curve. Theres definitely a ship coming through, but
its not the Vengeance!
Raiajh, unsure what to think at this point, merely turned toward the main viewer above Ops and
ordered, On screen, Lieutenant.
The viewer activated and immediately displayed an area of space a relatively short distance away from
the isolated Federation outpost. Almost immediately a swirl of light formed in the middle of the image, and
while it looked very similar to the effect created when the Klingon warship Hem bortaStaH emerged from
transwarp, Raiajh could appreciate Pels concerns. The effect appeared smaller, the color a deeper shade of
violet, and arcs of electricity like small lightning strikes appeared along the outer edges. There was
definitely a ship of some kind coming through, and she was now positive it was not the Proud Vengeance!
Lieutenant, bring us to yellow alert, Raiajh ordered. I want to be ready for whatever emerges.
The spacial effect suddenly expanded, then quickly collapsed, leaving an unidentified vessel in its
place. No one in Ops had ever seen the ship before, though its appearance was definitely Klingon in origin.
What IS that? Pearson asked, her concern growing.
Im not..., Raiajh started to say when she was interrupted.
Admiral, were being hailed by the unidentified vessel, Pel announced.
On screen.
The main viewer blinked to the interior of the strange ship. There, sitting in the command chair at its
center, was a familiar-looking Klingon general with a wide grin on his face.
I note my sensors indicate you have your deflector shields raised, Kereth remarked. In all
likelihood, youve called away some sort of alert as well. I hope my sudden appearance did not startle you too
much, Admiral.
It would have been nice and a little less startling to know you were arriving in a different ship
than we are used to, General, Raiajh replied. We werent expecting... well, we werent expecting THAT!
Kereth looked around at the bulkheads of his bridge as he said, Must have been an oversight on the
part of the IKDF bureaucracy. Yes, I am now in command of the second vessel to bear the proud name Hem
bortaStaH! DughtaH class! A superior warship!
The second Proud Vengeance! Raiajh remarked. No doubt there must be an inspiring story behind
how you came to be in command of your new vessel. The USS Bellerophon is in port, and Captain Kdanz and
her husband were going to join members of my senior staff and I for drinks in the Lodge tonight. Perhaps you
would honor us with your presence to relate that stirring tale?
Kereth chuckled to himself, as if recalling a private joke, then said to Raiajh, I would be most
pleased to join you this evening. Youre buying. What time?
A SUBSPACE CHATTER A Page 18 A Vol. 06, #10 A
1930 hours, station time, Raiajh replied.
Well see you there, Kereth proclaimed. Vengeance, out.


Space, the Final Frontier...
These are the victories of the IKV Proud Vengeance!

Star Trek: Proud Vengeance

An Act of Vengeance By PJK
With additional material by Robert Lydford


That evening, Captain Kdanz commander of the Intrepid-class Federation starship Bellerophon
and her husband and chief engineer the half-Klingon Commander Dar had joined Raiajh, her own husband
and chief medical officer Dr. Sylvan Xaran, Captain Pearson, Pearsons husband and Raiajhs Strategic
Operations Officer Captain Konstantin Harkonnen, security chief Commander Michelle Petersen, operations
chief Lt Commander BElanna Torres, and commander of the stations Starfleet Marine battalion Colonel Sean
Elliot McIntyre in the command staffs favorite station watering hole, the World War II themed Bastogne
Lodge. The taverns owner and head bartender, Shifty Powers, was passing out drinks as Kdanz and Raiajh
were conversing about the appearance of the new Klingon warship and surmising on what had happened to the
original Klingon vessel assigned to the Federation Fifth Fleet.
I dont think the ship could have been completely destroyed in battle, Kdanz was remarking. If it
were, I doubt Kereth or any of his crew would be here to tell us. More likely it was so badly damaged after its
final victory they had no choice but to retire it.
But in battle with who? Raiajh asked. It would take a lot to damage a qaDwI-class carrier like the
Vengeance badly enough for the Klingons to choose to decommission it.
The Rihannsu? Kdanz suggested.
TKLon would need a significant numerical superiority to be brave enough to attack the Vengeance!
Perhaps there is a new enemy we arent...?
Raiajhs supposition was interrupted by the door of the Lodge opening and a large burley Klingon
male with dozens of awards displayed on his cape walking in with a half-Human woman on his arm. The
General looked around quickly before spotting Raiajh and Kdanz and walking toward them.
Admiral! Captain Kdanz! Kereth offered both women a traditional Klingon salute. I am pleased
to see you both again! Kereth looked around the Lodge once more, as if expecting to see someone else he
knew before remarking, I was hoping Fleet Captain Koester would be here as well.
Unfortunately, the Dauntless is on special assignment to Copernicus Station, and it will be a few
weeks before they return, Raiajh replied, returning the Klingon generals salute.
Too bad. I was hoping to show off my new vessel to the Fleet Captain, Kereth remarked before
gesturing to the woman accompanying him. You remember, of course, my chief engineer, Kana?
Of course, Raiajh replied as both women greeted Kana, then gestured toward several tables around
which the Starfleet officers were gathered. As for you and your vessel, General; you have been spending a
great deal of time in your home space in recent months. I must admit I was starting to get worried.
With good reason, apparently, Kdanz added as everyone sat down. Tell us, what happened to your
ship, General?
A SUBSPACE CHATTER A Page 19 A Vol. 06, #10 A
Kereth chuckled once again, then accepted a bottle of electric-blue Romulan ale from the Admirals
private stash that was offered by Mr. Powers, eyeing the bottle warily for a moment before extracting the
stopper and saying, And thereby hangs a tale!
Everyone around the tables seemed to lean in closer to the Klingon general as he gulped a large swig
of ale from the bottle before speaking again.
My original Vengeance served me well. It was a good ship, perhaps better than most. But the time
had come.
The time...? Dar asked.
Vengeance was well past fifteen of your years in age, Kereth remarked. It had seen its fair share of
battle. Had spilt MORE than its fair share of blood! Some of our missions proved to be very punishing. And
there is only so much abuse a spaceframe can withstand before....
Wait! interrupted Torres. Are you saying you SCRAPPED your original ship?
Scrap is such an ugly word, Kereth remarked. I personally prefer to use the term recycled. In
fact, some of the hull plating from my original Vengeance was melted down and recast in the hull of the current
Hem bortaStaH when it was assembled at the Makara clan shipyard!
The Vengeance wasnt lost as the result of some glorious battle? McIntyre questioned.
Thats a letdown, Kdanz remarked.
I almost feel like you own me a drink, General! Raiajh said accusingly.
Perhaps you should have inquired rather than assumed, Admiral, Kereth remarked with a grin
before tilting his bottle in a mock-toast to Raiajh and taking a long swig of the alcoholic beverage.
Do you miss it? Pearson inquired a moment later as Kereth finished his ale. The Klingon general
looked at the stations executive officer quizzically.
Miss... IT?
Your original Vengeance. I know when Val and I transferred from the Arcturus our first deep-space
assignment to the Arcturus-A, I felt homesick for months afterward!
Ahh, I understand what you are asking now, Kereth remarked, at ease once again. And to answer
your question; No. With few exceptions, we Klingons do not imbue our starships with the same sense of...
of... He looked at Kana, as if unsure of how to say what he was thinking. Whats the word?
Personality? Kana suggested.
Yes, I guess that word will suffice. Kereth looked back at Pearson and continued, ...With the same
sense of personality I have noticed many of your human Starfleet officers do; treating their ships as if they were
living, breathing beings with feelings. To a Klingon, our ship is nothing more than a tool! An object with a
purpose used to accomplish a goal. And like all tools, they are to be discarded when they reach the end of their
useful life.
How sad, Pearson remarked. I hope your current ship doesnt hear you talking this way.
Kereth exchanged an amused look with Kana and chuckled to himself before raising his arm and
calling for another round of drinks.

* * * *

Two days after the new Vengeance had arrived at the starbase, General Kereth and his first officer,
Captain Havok, exited one of the tubolifts into Starbase Ops, moving directly toward where Raiajh was standing
at the master systems console.
You wished to talk with us, Admiral? Kereth asked.
Yes, Raiajh replied, looking up from a padd she had been reading. Something that may be of
interest to you has been brought to my attention. She activated the display atop the master systems console,
which projected a holographic chart of the sectors between Starbase 719 and the Klingon colony world of
KosKarii, with numerous small asterisk-shaped symbols in seemingly random locations across the two sectors.
A SUBSPACE CHATTER A Page 20 A Vol. 06, #10 A
Over the last two weeks, the base has received an unprecedented number of reports of unidentified spacecraft
being sighted in Sector Typhon-C and the KosKarii Sector.
And this should concern me why? Kereth asked.
Raiajh touched another control and stardates and times relative to the starbase appeared next to each
sighting location as she said, Because all these reports describe remarkably similar ships, possibly even the
same vessel which, given the times and locations of the reports, would mean the ship is travelling at
significantly faster than our normal maximum warp speed. The vessel itself has been described as large larger
than a Galaxy-class starship and star-shaped. The reports have been vague, so were not entirely sure, but the
description sounds a lot like the Cybot warships we have fought with in the past. Raiajh gestured toward the
sector where the Klingon Empire had established a colony close to the Federation Fifth Fleet Area of
Responsibility. And several of the reports come from close to the KosKarii system itself.
I remember our battle with the Cybots last year, Kereth remarked, his eyes taking on an intense
glow. A sentient cybernetic race which from all appearances is engaged in a genocidal war with carbon-based
humanoid life-forms. I would be interested in facing them in battle once again! He looked at Raiajh as he
added, The Vengeance will depart the station as soon as I have recalled my entire crew and begin a patrol of
the KosKarii Sector in search of these elusive Cybots. I will keep you informed of my progress, Admiral.
Thank you, General. The Proud Vengeance has permission to depart the station at your
convenience.
Raiajh returned the Klingon salute both Kereth and Havok gave her, then watched as the two
Klingons disappeared into the nearby turbolift. She then looked over toward where her own executive officer,
Captain Cathryn Pearson, was standing near one of the side consoles and said, Im glad the General took the
hint. If I had to hear about the new Vengeances enhanced abilities one more time over drinks in the Lodge, I
think I would have launched myself out of a torpedo tube.
In spite of his claims, Klingons imbue their warships with a personality more often than they care to
admit, Pearson remarked. I doubt he sees it himself, but Kereth is acting the same way Konstantin did for
the first month after the twins were born. Like a Proud Papa.
Well, if anyone can handle the Cybots assuming that is indeed the ship that has been reported
Kereth and his crew can, Raiajh stated.

* * * *

Several days later, the Hem bortaStaH entered orbit high over the Klingon colony of KosKarii, where
Kereth checked in with the office of the colonial governor and learned of several new sightings of the ship or
ships in question that even Raiajh had not been aware of, including some reported by ships with which subspace
communications had been lost shortly after. One of those vessels was the Klingon warship IKV QIghpej.
What is the location of the most recent reported sighting? Kereth asked his tactical officer,
KIHQaS.
Sector coordinates 7-3-2 by 2-4-0 by 5-5-1, right along the edge of the Typhon Expanse, KIHQaS
replied. Approximately ten light years distant.
Kereths expression became one of self assurance as he looked forward at the main viewscreen and
ordered, Helm, set course cha-pagh-pagh DoD vagh! Stand by on transwarp!
Course entered into helm, the helmsman confirmed. Transwarp standing by, General.
Chu! Kereth ordered. Seconds later, the new Vengeance disappeared into transwarp.

* * * *

Mere moments later, the Hem bortaStaH emerged at the coordinates in question. Havok stepped closer
to the center seat and asked, What is it you hope to do here, General? The last report of a sighting of the
unidentified alien spacecraft at these coordinates occurred two days ago.
A SUBSPACE CHATTER A Page 21 A Vol. 06, #10 A
Likewise, the ship that made the report from these coordinates has not been heard from since,
Kereth said, looking up at his first officer. What we are doing here is looking for evidence that will confirm
once and for all that it is indeed the Cybots that have been seen, and not some other unknown race of beings.
General! called out Commander KTaal from the science console. Short-range sensors are
detecting drifting debris, bearing 3-0-0 mark 9, range 550 kellicams.
Helm, bring us around on that course, Kereth ordered.
The new Vengeance turned and, on impulse power, approached the coordinates of the drifting debris.
KTaal, analyze the debris, Kereth ordered.
Analyzing Debris is made up of kardasnoth, kovenium monoteserite, and duranium baakten, said
KTaal.
Kardasnoth and baakten?! Kereth repeated. Those are Klingon alloys! The General got out of
his chair and moved toward his science officers station.
Detecting what appears to be writing on some of the larger pieces. Trying to make out It took
KTaal almost half a minute to confirm what he was seeing on sensors. Confirmed, sir. The writing is
Klingonese.
Can you identify the ship it came from? Kereth asked.
Making out a vessel name. The qul mI'wIj.
General, according to computer records, the qul mI'wIj is a class 7 cargo vessel registered on
QonoS, KIHQaS informed. Most recent cargo manifest included ten heavy disruptor cannons being shipped
to KosKarii for garrison protection.
Not even a warship! Kereth raged, sounding offended. This cowardly attack will NOT go un-
avenged! KTaal, KIHQaS, find me the ship that did this!
Yes, General, both officers responded.

* * * *

With no more specific leads helping to locate the mysterious ship that had attacked the cargo vessel qul
mI'wIj, the Vengeance began surveying star systems located nearby in the hopes of finding any clue that might
lead to the identity of the attacking ship or where it may have gone. It was as the Vengeance entered the third
system orbiting the star Krona that KTaal detected a reading of interest.
General, long range sensors are detecting an anomalous reading in orbit over the fourth planet of this
system, the science officer reported.
Report! Kereth ordered.
The planet is class-M, capable of supporting humanoid life, though no such life exists on the planets
surface. I am, however, detecting a large vessel in orbit with a distinctive radiation signature.
Radiation signature? Is the vessel Cybot? Kereth asked.
Based on readings from our previous encounter with a Cybot warship, I would estimate the odds that
what I am detecting is another Cybot warship carrying third-generation nuclear weapons. Kereths eyes
flashed an expression of anger mixed with pleasure at the news. I am also detecting some kind of large-scale
construction project occurring on the planets surface.
On the surface? Are the Cybots building a base from which they can attack KosKarii at will?
Hard to tell from our present position, General, KTaal replied. Perhaps if we could get closer?
KIHQaS, have the Cybots detected our approach yet? Kereth asked.
If they have, they are ignoring us for the present, the tactical officer replied.
Activate cloaking device. I want to be within half a dozen kellicams of their ship before we drop
cloak and open fire on them.
Yes, General, KiHQaS acknowledged before activating the Vengeances cloaking device. The
bridge lighting shifted to green as the vessel waivered out of sight.
A SUBSPACE CHATTER A Page 22 A Vol. 06, #10 A
Bring us in around behind the desert moon, Kereth ordered, pointing at the closer of the two moons
orbiting the fourth planet. That should allow us a better view of whatever the Cybots are building on the
surface as well as bring main armament to bear on their warship all the sooner.
The Vengeance invisible to both sensors and visual sighting slowly maneuvered toward the fourth
planet of the system and around the closer of its two moons. A cruel smile began to form on Kereths lips as
the Cybot warship moved center into the projected crosshairs of the tactical display on the main viewscreen.
Steady, the general implored. Steady Stand by to drop cloak and arm isokinetic cannons.
Prepare the thermal decimator.
As the bridge crew acknowledged the generals orders, TKaal turned to look at Kereth. General, I
have clearer sensor readings on the object being constructed on the surface, he announced.
What are these lo'Be Vos Cybots building, KTaal? Kereth asked, half his attention still focused on
the impending attack.
Based on these readings, I would hazard to guess they are building a new warship.
Now Kereths attention was fully on his science officer. What do you mean, a new warship? What
kind of warship?
I am detecting the power signatures of Federation, Klingon, and Morain impulse engines; Romulan
artificial singularity-powered warp drive; Kairn missile launchers; Federation phasers; photon torpedo tubes
A look of shock appeared on KTaals face as he looked at Kereth and added, And the power convertor grid
of a Klingon thermal decimator!
What?! Kereth hissed. Put this new ship on the viewer!
The main viewscreen blinked form the tactical image of the star-shaped Cybot warship the Vengeance
was stalking to a view of the surface of the planet below. It showed a half-completed vessel that looked like a
mix between a Klingon cruiser design like the VorcHa or NeghVar classes and the triangular shaped Kairn
battlecruisers. Automated cranes could be seen lifting engine components into place to form a completed warp
nacelle on one side, while barely perceptible robotic beings could be seen moving around atop the hull like a
colony of ants as they completed installation of the unmistakable design of a thermal decimator one of the
Klingon Empires most powerful offensive weapons.
If the Cybots launch a warship of their own with a thermal decimator aboard, they could be
potentially unstoppable! Kereth said loud enough for his entire bridge crew to hear, though he was only
remarking to himself.
Orders, General? Havok requested.
Send a communiqu to both KosKarii and the Federation Starbase 719, Kereth ordered as he
turned his chair to face his first officer. Include all our logs from the moment we broke orbit over KosKarii to
now, including all sensor readings and tactical and science logs.
To BOTH the starbase and KosKarii, General? Havok asked for clarification.
Yes, Havok. Both the Empire and the Federation should know what they are up against here, in case
the Vengeance is never heard from again. Kereth then turned his chair back to face the viewscreen as he
ordered, Battlestations! I must destroy this qabqu'boghghach before it ever reaches completion!
A look of satisfaction appeared on Havoks face as he turned to KIHQaS and repeated the order to
man battlestations.

* * * *

As the Vengeance still hidden under cloak completed its maneuver around the planets moon, a
surprise awaited the Klingon warship. Dozens of Cybot fighters each a sentient robot life-form of its own
hovered in space in front of the Klingon ship.
Perhaps we were not as stealthy as we originally believed? Kereth remarked with a cruel smile.
Our job to destroy that new Cybot warship will not be as easy as we hoped. KIHQaS, have crews man their
fighters.
A SUBSPACE CHATTER A Page 23 A Vol. 06, #10 A
Yes, General, the tactical officer acknowledged. She then reminded Kereth, We will, of course,
need to drop our cloak in order to launch our fighters against the Cybots, General.
Of course. Stand by to
Kereths next order was interrupted by the launch and quick arrival of a missile from one of the Cybot
fighters. Sparks flashed from several consoles around the bridge, and Kereth found himself unconsciously
gripping the arm rests of his chair tightly.
Damage report! he called out as the Vengeance stopped shaking.
Either the Cybots had an incredibly lucky shot, or they are able to detect us under cloak, General,
KIHQaS responded. We must assume the latter for now! Forward shield generators are off-line. Damage to
forward heavy disruptors. Kana is dispatching damage control crews to repair the shields.
Drop cloak! Raise shields to maximum. Bring us left to cha-Soch-pagh DoD wa'maH. As soon as
were no longer under cloak, launch the fighters and interceptors from the port launch bay. Then continue left
to pagh-Hut-pagh and launch the starboard bay!
As the Vengeance began to drop its cloak and visibly appear, the Cybot fighters that had appeared to
simply be drifting in space activated their main engines, quickly closing on the Klingon warship each
launching at least one missile at their target. The Klingons starboard shield managed to withstand the brunt of
the initial attack as the warship spun to the left and two dozen gintak fighters and tajmup interceptors launched
from the port-side hanger bay, using the bulk of the Klingon warship as a shield. But by the time the port side
of the Vengeance was facing toward the now-rapidly nearing Cybot warship and began launching another two
dozen small fighters and interceptors, the Cybot fighters has surrounded the Vengeance like a swarm of toxic
glob flies continuing to launch missiles and fire kinetic weapons at the Klingon craft.
Damage reports mainly minor systems were almost continuously arriving on the bridge when a
pedestal emerged from the deck just to the left of the command arena and a disembodied head appeared above
it.
Warning, the computerized voice of DelaH the Vengeances holographic AI announced.
Thermal decimator off-line. Overload to power couplings in section sixteen, deck nine.
Reroute power to main decimator capacitors, Kereth ordered the AI, hoping to circumvent the
damage the Cybots had already caused to his main armament.
Unable to comply, DelaH responded. The emergency repairs Commander Kana have authorized
for the forward heavy disruptors prevents the rerouting of power in sections sixteen, eighteen and nineteen.
Baktag! Kereht cursed. Does anyone have any GOOD news to report?
Commander Kana reports the forward shield generators are back on-line, KIHQaS reported with a
half-smile. We are fully shielded once again, though aft and port shields are down by fifteen percent.
Good! Kereth replied. Tell Kana to move right to repairs on the decimator! I need my weapons at
full!

* * * *

Down on deck ten, section nineteen, the half-human Commander Kana was just putting the tools she
had just used back in a drawer inside Box. The small robotic assistant designed and built by Kana while
aboard the original Proud Vengeance acted as a combination diagnostic computer, robotic repair unit, and
self-propelled tool box which allowed Kana to cut her repair time estimated nearly in half. Kana had started to
move back down the corridor toward main engineering when Boxs mechanical-sounding voice made her
pause.
Commander, Box said. I have received new orders from DelaH. The thermal decimator has been
severely damaged, and General Kereth requires it.
Kana rolled her eyes slightly before remarking, An engineers work is never done. She then turned
around and started heading in the opposite direction as she said, Link with the main computer, Box. See if you
can determine what is wrong with the decimator, so I dont have to spend the next hour troubleshooting.
A SUBSPACE CHATTER A Page 24 A Vol. 06, #10 A
As Kana moved down the corridor, bracing herself against the kardasnoth plating from time to time as
the ship shook from weapons fire, Box followed, responding, Power couplings to the decimator have
overloaded on deck nine, section sixteen.
Is that all? Kana remarked, turning to head toward a nearby ladder. I thought Kereth was giving
me something hard to do.

* * * *

Come about! Kereth ordered. Bring functioning weapons to bear on the warship on the planets
surface!
Coming about at one-half impulse power, the helmsman responded. On the main viewer, the planet
Krona IV appeared, its blue-green surface appearing peaceful from space, but not for much longer.
Lock photon torpedoes onto the coordinates of the new Cybot warship. Prepare to launch on my
order.
Torpedo tubes armed and ready, General, KIHQaS confirmed.
Bah!
The numerous forward-facing torpedo tubes of the new Vengeance let loose with several volleys of
photon torpedoes, which quickly streaked across open space and entered the atmosphere of Krona IV. Aware of
the battle occurring in orbit above them, the Cybots on the ground activated the functional weapons systems of
their new warship and managed to destroy the majority of the incoming fire before it reached the surface. The
few torpedoes that survived struck the ground around the new vessel tearing deep craters into the ground, but
doing very little damage to the new Cybot warship.
Meanwhile, on deck nine, Kana was evaluating the Vengeances main weapons power convertor with
the help of Box.
The positive couplings have de-polorized, Box reported after scanning the equipment. I am
accessing the supply inventory. We do not currently have any electroceramic relays in stock.
I told Kereth we werent completely ready to depart the shipyard! But he wanted to show off his
new vessel to the Federation Starfleet! Kana exclaimed before adding, The old fool! The half-human
engineer pulled out a scanning device of her own and started assessing the power grid. Do we have any
talgonite or bakrinium stock I can jury-rig a new power coupling from?
Accessing, replied Box. A moment later the cube-like robot responded, There is nine kelligrams of
bakrinium in our supply hold.
Contact engineering. Have one of the crew bring me several ingots, Kana ordered. You are
carrying the tools I need to put together several relays, dont you?
I do, Commander, Box replied. However, bakrinium will provide insufficient conductivity for the
power requirements of the thermal decimator.
I know, but we dont need it for prolonged battle, Kana said before adding, I hope.

* * * *

Kana to bridge, said the voice of the chief engineer through the intercom.
Kereth, who had just finished disciplining his gunner for having not destroyed the grounded Cybot
vessel yet, angrily punched the intercom control with his clenched fist. Go ahead, Kana.
General, Kana said. I have managed to make repairs to the power grid supplying the thermal
decimator.
Finally, some good news! Helm!
But there is something you must know! Kana added.
Kereth almost growled aloud as he said, What?!
A SUBSPACE CHATTER A Page 25 A Vol. 06, #10 A
The repair I made is temporary. I can make more permanent repairs once we get back to the Makura
Clan Shipyard or perhaps even the Federation starbase. For now, the repair will last only two, maybe three
shots with the decimator before it literally burns out the circuits.
It will have to do for now, Kana. Bridge out. Kereth then turned his attention back on the main
viewscreen.
Shall I target the Cybot vessel on the planets surface again, General? KIHQaS asked, a streak of
blood marking the corner of her mouth.
No! Helm, come about to wej-cha-pagh DoD pagh!
The helmsman acknowledged the order, then spun the Proud Vengeance on its axis to face the orbiting
Cybot warship.
Aim carefully, KIHQaS, we may only get one shot at this, Kereth advised.
Thermal decimator powered and ready to fire at your command, General, KIHQaS stated.
The generals eyes narrowed as he glared at the hated Cybot vessel. Finally, through gritted teeth, he
ordered, Bah!
The thermal decimator, located between two heavy disruptors on the bow of the immense Klingon
warship, glowed to life and projected a thick beam of energy. The beam intersected one of the upper arms of
the star-shaped Cybot warship and began cutting through it like a hot knife through butter.
Maw' tok! KTaal cursed as he flung the subspace communications earpiece from his ear. An eerie
sound coming from the speakers filled the bridge.
What is that wab?! Kereth asked.
That noise is filling subspace, jamming all our communications, whatever its source! KTaal
remarked, still rubbing his ringing ear.
It is the scream of the Cybot warship! KIHQaS said with sudden realization, a smile appearing on
the tactical officers lips. The entire bridge crew turned to look at the viewer, where the section of the Cybot
ship that had been cut off by the decimator drifted away from the main body of the vessel. The space in-
between was thick with a blood-like substance. Starfleet advised us that the Cybot ships were biomechanical
in nature.
Kereths own scowl became a grin as he remarked, If it bleeds, we can kill it. Stand by on the
decimator again!
Kana to bridge!
What now, Kana? Kereth replied angrily.
Power grid to the forward weapons has collapsed. He have no decimator and no forward disruptors.
Can you affect repairs again?
Negative. I warned you the patch was jury-rigged. As far as I can tell, nothing short of a full
overhaul is going to get these systems up and running again, but Ill keep working on it.
Kereth was unable to be angry with his chief engineer in spite of her news. Instead, he said, You
gave us a fighting chance. That is the best I could hope for.
General! KIHQaS exclaimed, gaining Kereths attention. Missiles incoming!
Kereth looked at the main viewer, where half a dozen nuclear-tipped missiles were closing on his
ship.
Our adversary is not so injured that it is willing to give up! Shields full!
KIHQaS barely managed to re-route power to the Vengeances shields before they detonated,
surrounding the Klingon warship in an ethereal light. It was as the nuclear detonations began to subside that
KTaal noticed the indicator flashing on his console.
General! Sensors are detecting the Cybot ship on the surface is lifting off!

* * * *

A SUBSPACE CHATTER A Page 26 A Vol. 06, #10 A
Kana exited the turbolift onto the bridge, quickly assuming a post at the engineering station. Her face
was dark with soot and grease, and the sleeves of her uniform were tattered, her hands almost black.
Ive managed to re-route power by-passing the weapons grid controls on deck nine, she remarked as
she activated the console. I think I can get you disruptors back at least, though they will be half-power.
Better than nothing. Good work, Commander, Kereth said as he resumed his seat at the center of
the bridge, holding on tightly as another pair of Cybot missiles detonated against the shields. Status of both
enemy vessels?
The older Cybot warship continuing to fire volleys of missiles at us and is maneuvering, General,
KIHQaS reported. Looks like theyre trying to keep us from escaping orbit.
As if a Klingon warship were going to run from a fair fight! Kereth remarked dismissively. And
the other?
The new Cybot vessel is currently exiting the atmosphere of Krona IV and will attain orbit in less
than ten minutes. Estimate they will be within their own weapons range at that time.
Two against one. Not the best of odds, but we have faced worse, Kereth remarked.
General, Ive analyzed the movements of the older Cybot vessel, KTaal stated. The Cybots are not
trying to prevent our escape.
Theyre not? Then what is their plan?
The vessel is slowly maneuvering closer to us, which is forcing our helmsman to maneuver to
maintain optimal weapons range.
Theyre trying to force us down! Kana suddenly exclaimed, understanding the Cybots plan.
Force us down? Kereth questioned.
If the Cybots can force us below thirty three kellicams in altitude above the surface of the planet,
atmospheric drag will force the Vengeance out of orbit, Kana explained. Below that altitude, we would have
no way to recover. The Vengeance would crash to the surface.
The blood drained form Kereths face in spite of himself as he looked toward the helmsman and
asked, What is our current orbital altitude?
Currently at forty one kellicams and slowly descending.
Maneuvering thrusters are trying to maintain orbit, but right now its a losing battle, Kana reported
after consulting her console. Thrusters are starting to overheat. Emergency safety systems will shut down the
reaction control systems in less than thirty seconds if we dont move to a higher orbit.
If we move closer to the Cybot ship, we will be unable to maintain weapons lock, and well be a
reclining targ for their missiles!
Deactivate the maneuvering thruster safeties, Kereth ordered. It may give us the time we need
It will give us time, but not much, Kana stated. At the rate of temperature increase and the added
stresses of skimming Krona IVs atmosphere, one or more of the RCS packs is going to explode within a
minute. If that happens, there will be no way we can recover in time. The Vengeance will definitely be lost!
Concentrate fire on the damaged older Cybot ship! Kereth ordered. If we can knock them out of
this battle, we can stabilize our orbit and perhaps still defend ourselves against the newer ship.
Firing all forward weapons, KIHQaS confirmed.
The Vengeance fired its weapons, several of the disruptor beams striking the orbiting Cybot vessel, but
with the exception of the few beams that hit the open wound of the arm that had been cut off, the half-powered
disruptors did little but make the Cybots angrier. Kereth pondered his options until his science officer alerted
him to a new concern.
General, long-range sensors are detecting another vessel dropping out of warp, one hundred thousand
kellicams off the starboard bow.
Another Cybot warship? Kereth asked with concern.
No! KIHQaS answered with delight. The warp signature is Federation!
A SUBSPACE CHATTER A Page 27 A Vol. 06, #10 A
To Kereths relief, an Intrepid-class Federation starship dropped out of warp, shields already raised,
and immediately armed its weapons systems. Within seconds, a volley of quantum torpedoes were streaking
across space to strike the orbiting Cybot vessel from behind.
Bellerophon to Proud Vengeance, said the voice of Captain Kdanz over the bridge speakers. Hope
you dont mind if we crash this party?
How did you know we were in need of aid? Kereth inquired.
Admiral Raiajh diverted us from another mission to KosKarii when she received your communiqu a
few days ago, Kdanz replied. We tried to let you know we were on our way, but subspace was jammed for
the last several minutes. I ordered Dar to push his engines as hard as he could as we tracked the source of the
jamming here.
I will accept your offer of help, Captain. But I do not want word of this incident reaching the ears of
Fleet Captain Koester!
My lips are sealed, Kdanz promised. Helm, come around on course two-eight-three mark nine.
Reload all torpedo tubes. Stand by all phaser banks!
The Bellerophon maneuvered around and pressed the attack on the older Cybot ship, compounding the
damage already done by the Vengeance. The Cybots lost interest in the Klingon warship for the moment,
turning their attention on the undamaged Federation starship. This opening allowed Kereth to move his vessel
back into a higher orbit, one higher than both Cybot ships.
Holding at fifty five kellicams altitude, the Vengeances helmsman confirmed.
Very good! Kereth replied with a hearty laugh. Come about. Bring weapons to bear on the new
ship just entering orbit.
On the main viewer, the new Cybot vessel looking like a cross-breed between a Klingon warship and
a Kairn cruiser entered the fray. It began firing its stolen weaponry; Federation phasers, Romulan disruptors,
and narrowly missed the Vengeance with its own captured thermal decimator. Only an unordered emergency
maneuver by the helmsman when KIHQaS reported the Cybots had powered their stolen technology prevented
the new Vengeance from being skewered by the captured Klingon technology.
That was too close! Kereth remarked. He then turned to speak to his chief engineer at her console.
Kana, are you sure we? The general was shocked to see the engineering console, though still activated,
was unmanned. Where is Commander Kana?
She left the bridge just before the Cybot ship fired its thermal decimator, sir, security officer ISar
replied.
Where did she go?
Unknown, sir.

* * * *

Several decks lower, Kana was crawling through the Klingon equivalent of a Jefferies tube, pulling
relays and re-routing power conduits. She singed her fingers several times as she worked quickly, hoping her
efforts would not be for nothing.
Attaching two final relays, she rolled over on her back sweat dripping across her face as she
painfully activated the communicator attached to the upper arm of her uniform.
Kana to bridge.
Kana! Where are you? Kereths concerned voice responded.
Thats not important. I think Ive managed to cross-circuit power to the decimator. Its either going
to work or its going to blow the forward half of the ship apart.
On the bridge, Kereth muttered the phrase, Thank Kahless. He then gazed with a determined look
at the enemy vessel on the viewer and ordered, Fire!
It took several seconds longer than usual for the Vengeances thermal decimator to glow with power
before discharging the beam of compressed energy. Kereths aim was perfect in spite of both vessels
A SUBSPACE CHATTER A Page 28 A Vol. 06, #10 A
movement, and the decimator beam struck the Cybot ship dead-center of mass, passing through with little
resistance. Almost the instant the beams energy discharge ceased, the Cybot ship went dark.
Is it dead? Kereth asked hopefully. His question was answered several seconds later when the
entire vessel erupted in a bright flash of energy. Some of the debris snapped and crackled as it collided with the
Vengeances shields. Still more glowed brightly as it re-entered Krona IVs atmosphere and burned up.
Orders, General? Havok asked, a distinct grin on the first officers face.
Status of the second Cybot ship? Kereth asked.
The Bellerophon is holding its own, though it has sustained minor damage to the secondary hull and
impulse drive, KTaal replied.
Bring weapons to bear on the remaining Cybot vessel. Arm the decimator! He then looked up
toward the closest bulkhead and quietly added to himself, I just hope you hold together.
The Vengeance turned in the direction of the battle between the Cybot ship and the Bellerophon, the
thermal decimator on its bow again glowing a bright orange. Having seen the Klingon warship defeat its ally
and now turn its attention on the older ship, the Cybots quickly calculated their odds.
General, the Cybot ship is jumping away! KTaal reported. Moments later the vessel on the
viewscreen disappeared as its FTL jump drive folded space.
The bridge remained tense for several moments, as everyone seemed to expect the Cybots would
quickly return attacking from some new vector but it soon became apparent the Cybots had retreated to lick
their wounds.
Kereth relaxed in his command chair, taking a deep breath before activating the intercom.
Good work, Kana! We wouldnt have survived without
General, this is Lieutenant DKlage, responded the voice of one of Kanas junior engineers.
Commander Kana has been transferred to sickbay with severe injuries from a power discharge in the
maintenance tube.
Damage report, Lieutenant?
I would not recommend firing the forward weapons again if it can be avoided, General, the engineer
replied. Likewise, the cross-circuiting Commander Kana performed to give you offensive weapons has
damaged our trans-warp capability. We are currently limited to warp five and no faster if you do not wish to
rupture the warp cores.
I think I can live with warp five for the time being. Begin what repairs you can. Bridge out.
Bellerophon to Proud Vengeance, came the voice of Captain Kdanz a moment later. What is your
status?
Were hurt, but not badly, Kereth admitted. Trans-warp capability is down. The Vengeance is
going to need some work in an orbital drydock if possible.
Weve got damage to our starboard impulse engine and buckling on decks twelve, thirteen, and
fourteen. We could use some dock time ourselves. May I suggest we set course for KosKarii? They have the
closest facility that can handle both our vessels.
The first round of blood wine is on me, Captain, Kereth agreed.

* * * *

Several days later, the new Proud Vengeance and the USS Bellerophon were in side-by-side drydocks
orbiting high over the Klingon colony of KosKarii. Captain Kdanz had just finished a meeting with the yard
supervisor, where she had argued that the Klingon impulse package he was offering was incompatible with
Federation technology not to mention too bulky and ugly for the small Starfleet vessel and insisted the yard
wait for the expected repair parts being shipped from Starbase 719 aboard the cargo carrier Erstwhile, and as
she exited the office almost ran square into the broad chest of General Kereth.
Your repairs must be going well, Captain Kdanz, Kereth remarked with a smile. I could hear your
voice fifty meters down the corridor and through a closed door.
A SUBSPACE CHATTER A Page 29 A Vol. 06, #10 A
Just emphasizing my expectations on the quality of the yards work, Kdanz replied. My chief
engineer is quite familiar with Klingon technology and workmanship and has been keeping the repair crews on
their toes, though it will still be at least a week before we can leave drydock.
The Vengeance will be pulling out of dock in just three more days, Kereth remarked. Assuming I
likewise keep the repair crews as you say on their toes. I am here to meet with the yard supervisor to make
sure that schedule remains intact. But in the meantime I have business with you, Captain.
Really? Kdanz said with surprise. What kind of business?
I have not had the opportunity to properly thank you and your crew for your assistance in the Krona
system. I would like to invite you and your senior staff aboard the Vengeance for dinner tonight.
As long as you dont serve gagh, I accept, Kdanz replied with a smile as one hand covered her
stomach as if simulating a tummy ache. I dont suppose we could talk you into a tour of your new ship as
well, could we?
You are a shrewd negotiator, Captain. I will make sure the cooks do not serve any gagh fresh or
otherwise as long as you do not object to Pippius claw. And I would be very happy to personally show you
around my ship. A look of pride crossed the Klingon generals face.
Deal. My staff and I will beam aboard at 1800 hours. And be careful, General.
Kereths expression quickly turned suspicious as he asked, Be careful of what?
The pride you are showing in your ship, Kdanz replied. Someone might mistake you for a human
Starfleet officer.
Kereth pointed an accusing finger at Kdanzs face before breaking into a wide grin. A moment
passed before his expression grew serious again and he asked, What do you think of the Cybots? Have they
finally been defeated?
I doubt it, Kdanz replied. Weve hurt them badly on several previous occasions, and they keep
coming back for more. One of the advantages of building your army on an assembly line I suppose. No,
General. It may not be tomorrow, or next week, or next year, but I have a feeling well be seeing the Cybots
again.
Good, Kereth remarked before turning toward the yard supervisors office door. And whenever
that is, the Vengeance will be there and be ready.

The End

- - - - -
The new Proud Vengeance


I KV Hem bortaStaH - DughtaH Class Cruiser-Carrier
A SUBSPACE CHATTER A Page 30 A Vol. 06, #10 A




A SUBSPACE CHATTER A Page 31 A Vol. 06, #10 A

Bridge


Main Engineering

Designs and drawings by Robert Lydford
A SUBSPACE CHATTER A Page 32 A Vol. 06, #10 A







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