Max loaded the USS Kennedy up the next day & headed out. It was here, amongst the stars, in solitude that he preferred. Max was given the Aeres transponder code to find her. The second he left Sol, Max put ship to warp 7.5 & let the computer do the rest. It would be, at the very least, a multi-day trip. He was given a single order, stop at DS9 to refuel. The Journey to DS9 would be a few days, so Max took the time to work on a blade design that is easily concealed that conforms to starfleet standards for personal weaponry. It took him two days to come up with a concealed boot dagger.
Attachment 9272
When he finished the design, Max sat in the cabin, just staring out into space. Max thought back to when he lost his arm.....
He was a front-line combat soldier. Scarred, muddied & freezing his arse off. This was the coldest he was since doing cold climate training on Andor during his academy days. His ballition was trying to hold a small hunk of rock that the Klingons wanted in their push to relcam anything that they lost. Max had a large burn on his uniform from a near-deadly disruptor shot. He & his group was losing ground, there was no escape, no hope. They were holled up in an ice cave, with no wheres to go. Max's commanding officer was planning out a strategy that would somehow, allow them to get out. Max thought about his paper on the traditions of the Klingon Honor Code He interrupted his CO.
- Sir, I think I might have an idea.
(CO)- Go.
- If someone here challenges their commanding officer to Honourable combat, hand to hand & we win, their compelled by honor to pull back.
(CO)- That's extremely stupid.
- Sir, with respect, we need to do something stupid. Otherwise, we're all corpses!
(CO)- *SIGH* I'll go-
- I volunteer to do it.
(CO)- You don't have-
- I have top marks in combat training, with a special focus in close quarters weapons and Martial techniques. Sir, we don't have much of a choice.
(CO)- Dawson, scout out a suitable sniper post.
Dawson set out to find a suitable nest. Max went to a case they had in the cave & pulled out a long, elegant sword.
- I made this on my post-grad leave, while waiting for my first posting.
(CO)- You give Dawson instructions on how you want to proceed. This is your game. Bring the thunder.
- *SMILES* Thank you.
Max sheathed the blade, adjusted his tunic and marched bravely out of the cave. The minute he left, Max hit his commbadge and said,
=^= Billy, just keep anyone from interfering. No kill shots. Understood? =^=
He heard a noise from the comm device, taking that as confirmation. Max pulled his sword out, raised it high and yelled, in klingon:
- commanding yaS jagh, qaqaD quv Darurmo' Hembogh DujDaj yuQvam lugh. SoHvaD jatlh nuq?
A red transporter beam dazzled in front if him. When the light dissipated, a Klingon General appeared before him, laughing..
- You have some gall to call me out, human. You must have some Klingon blood in you.
Max took the first swing & the general blocked it deftly.
SOMETIME LATER....
Max woke up with a splitting headache, in a sickbay. He went to get up, but couldn't. He tried to wipe his brow with his right hand, but found that it was missing.
- Well ain't that just peachy!
He cursed under his breath. Two officers approached him as he tried to sit up. One of them was his CO, the other...
- Do you realise how stupid that little stunt that you pulled was?! Challenging a god damned general to OPEN HAND TO HAND COMBAT?! ARE YOU INSANE?!?!
- (Max) Love you too, Dad.
His father had received the rescue call from the ground group. The ship that he was assigned to was destroyed shortly after they beamed down to engage the klingons.
- Thank God we were in range. The IKS B'ortu was just leaving orbit when we got there.
-(Max) That's because I studied Klingon Honor code & knew we had a slim chance of getting out alive AND...with the planet.
- Thank god you had the skill to drop the general.
Max smiled and started to go into his report, but was stopped by his father.
- Your CO gave us all the details.
-(Max) What will happen to my arm?
The Doctor came over and said,
- You'll be transferred to Starfleet Medical & fitted with a prosthetic, should you wish it.
Max nodded and said,
- Got anything to get rid of this headache?
A beep roused him from his thoughts. It was DS9 ops.
- USS Kennedy, you are pre-cleared for docking.
- (Max) Which Pad am I on?
- Two.
It took him a few minutes to dock. He'd spend the day at DS9, then head out for the Aeres.
END POST 2