"Personal Log: Stardate 59107.6. It has been four hours since the destruction of Volvan. I can't believe a race can be that bent on destroying everything. Well now we have discovered a Klingon Battle Cruiser here in the Gamma Quadrant. No one really can suspect as to why but the mystery is here, and Captain Maruu has left it in my hands to find out what is going on. This is what I live for. I can't believe I now have an opportunity to really shine. I think that I am going to ask Lt. K'Lara to join me for a few reasons. She is Klingon and would know just as much as I would, but she also spent some time on board a Klingon ship. It would be just a normal course of action. Besides, K'Lara is magnificent woman: full of emotion and very beautiful; what more can a man ask for? I wonder just what she thinks of me? We have been out to space for just under a month, but I feel that I really can open up to her. I have never felt that way about anyone; I think that it is about time that I do to someone. Why not K'Lara? Anyway, time is of the essence! It is time for me to do my job."
Lataro walked around his quarters for a minute. He wasn't sure as to what exactly he must do or what the captain really wanted from onboard the battle cruiser, but he was going to perform up to par. He left his room and headed for the turbolift and noticed the quietness on board the ship. The halls were quiet but full of people. Most still contemplated the massive destruction that occurred. However, in the hallways were different control teams welding and reconfiguring different systems. They had to reroute power from these decks until they were back in operation. Ensign Trent had the repair teams well under way and fixed the problems in Engineering. Now his teams were focused on the structural damages that the explosion had created.
Jonathan Lataro entered the turbolift and told the computer to go to the Bridge, but it made a stop on Deck Five, where K'Lara entered. She smiled but faintly. "Hey, you okay?" he asked sincerely.
"I am as fine as I can be," K'Lara replied. "Computer, Bridge." There was a little bit of silence.
"You know if you need someone, I am here for you. You should know that."
"Yeah, Jon, I know. I hear the captain has asked you to investigate that ship."
"Yep! I am getting some information about the ship from whatever we have in the database, but without the ship's designation we can't get all that much."
"Oh." K'Lara was sort of hinting at the fact that she wanted to go on the away team. Jonathan picked up on it but was stringing her along. "So who do you have going on the away mission?"
"Well, I was thinking Ensign Trent, Barrows, and maybe one other. I may need to have someone from medical." He toyed with her.
"Oh." She replied.
"Hmm. I do need someone else though. Do you have someone in mind?"
"No," she said coldly.
The turbolift door opened onto the Bridge. They walked on and reported to each position, Lataro to tactical and K'Lara, who wasn't due to relieve helm, went to the science station and played with a few keys.
"Jon," Captain Maruu said. "I am not comfortable sitting here for too long. So I need you to get over there and get right back as soon as possible."
"Aye, sir."
"Have you got your away team assembled?"
"Yes, sir. They are meeting me in Shuttle Bay One."
"Shuttle Bay?"
"Yes, Sir. The radiation emanating from the remains of Volvan and something in the debris field is hindering us from transporting over. So we are going to take a runabout over, of course with your permission."
"Of course."
"Away team to Shuttle Bay One." Lataro said into his com badge.
[Acknowledged.]
He entered the turbolift and turned around.
"Lt K'Lara, aren't you also assigned to the team?" Captain Maruu asked.
"Yes, sir. She is!" Lt. Lataro yelled from the turbolift. K'Lara turned and smiled and ran for the turbolift. "After all it would be prudent to have a Klingon to investigate a Klingon ship. Also, I need the best pilot we've got!"
She entered the turbolift. "Shuttle Bay One." Lataro said. The turbolift wisped away.
"I can't believe you. You had me on the team all along and you never told me," she said.
"Just playing with you. I had you in mind from the moment the captain had me prepare an away team."
"Good! I would never have forgiven you if you hadn't put me in it."
"Girl! I would never had done a thing like that to you." He leaned over and gave her a quick kiss as the lift doors opened. There was no one there waiting to get on the lift as he jumped back quickly. "We have got to be careful around the rest of the crew."
"Agreed."
Location: USS LaForge
Inside the runabout, Ensign Trent was already strapped in. Lt. Richardson was also strapped in adjusting his tricorder to ensure it worked properly. Lt. K'Lara took her post at the helm with Lt. Lataro sitting beside her. "Initiating take off procedures. Bridge this is the LaForge, leaving Shuttle Bay One," K'Lara said.
[Acknowledged, LaForge. Hurry back now, ya hear?]
The LaForge flew through the debris field at one-eighth impulse. K'Lara handled the shuttle expertly. Once they were free of the debris field, they noticed the battle cruiser had gaping holes throughout the hull. What looked like the bridge was now an indention in the plating. "Whatever hit that ship hit it hard!" Trent said.
"I know. It takes a lot to do that kind of damage to a battle cruiser," K'Lara said.
"Well obviously we are not going to be able to beam over unless we had environmental suits." Richardson said. "Let me scan the ship. I am reading no life signs whatsoever!"
"I don't think that there would be anyone left alive after a hole that size being ripped in the hull, Doctor," Trent said.
"K'Lara see if we can come close to landing the LaForge on or near that hole," Lataro said.
"Aye, sir." K'Lara placed the runabout near the hole within ten meters. "This is nearest I plan to get. I don't want to risk the ship."
Ensign Trent and Lieutenants Lataro and K'Lara put on environmental suits to prepare to beam over. Richardson felt it best to stay on board the runabout.
Location: Klingon Battle Cruiser
They beamed over and saw that the ship was gutted by fire. There were no one left on the ship, either remnants of life of actual bodies. "They must have been blown out to space," Trent said.
"Let's go to engineering. There is something that I want to see," K'Lara said. They followed K'Lara for she knew which way it was to engineering. A few doors that didn't open were pulled apart by Lataro and Trent as they finally entered engineering. Engineering, to Trent's amazement, was still intact for the most part. Their warp core was fried, but many components were still functional and operational, just off line.
"Trent. See if the cloaking device is still operational," Lataro said. "K'Lara, see if you can patch into the computer; I want to see what we have got."
K'Lara punched in some keys and immediately information started coming in. "Doctor, get ready to down upload this data."
[Okay Lieutenant. Go Ahead.]
"Lt. Lataro, come here," Trent said. Jonathan walked over to where Trent was. "Look. The cloaking mechanism is still functional. I think that I can have this adapted to the Virgo in a few weeks, days if I have all the right parts."
"Cool. The captain would be very happy. Let's get it and get it over there!" Lataro said.
"It will take me about 20 minutes to dislodge it from the ship."
"Very well get to work on it."
"Yes, sir."
Lataro walked over to K'Lara. "How are you doing over here?" he asked her.
"Fine. Here is what I have. This cruiser was the J'Rigagh. It was assigned to the Second Militia, whose mission was like ours, to explore the Gamma Quadrant. It had a detachment of two Birds of Prey when it engaged an unknown force. According to the description and their logs, it looks like the Kirusans. That is all I have right now. The upload should be complete in about ten minutes," K'Lara stated.
"Good. This ship is starting to give me the creeps!"
The upload completed on schedule as did Trent's project with the cloaking device.
Location: USS LaForge
They returned to the runabout.
"I am glad to see that you made in back in one piece," Richardson said sarcastically.
"Not too much over there to really cause a major scare," Lataro said.
"Let's get back to the Virgo. I am sure the captain would like to see this
information we got!"