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<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><font face="Calibri">Mission:
Death in the Shadows</font></span></p>
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<span style="color: rgb(33, 33, 33); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><font face="Calibri">Day:
9</font></span></p>
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<span style="color: rgb(33, 33, 33); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><font face="Calibri">Stardate
2446.02.09</font></span></p>
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<p dir="ltr" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;">
<span style="color: rgb(33, 33, 33); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><font face="Calibri">(Klingon
K’t’inga Class Battle Cruiser Kang- Bridge - Commander- Captain Vazzini – 1357)</font></span></p>
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<span style="color: rgb(33, 33, 33); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><font face="Calibri"><br>
</font></span></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 254, 254);"><font color="#212121" style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">“</span></font><font color="#212121"><font face="Calibri" style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Captain,
therre</span></font><span style="font-family: -webkit-standard; white-space: pre-wrap;">’</span><font face="Calibri"><font face="-webkit-standard"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">sss a ssshhip decloaking aft,</span></font><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">”
Montoya called out. “They’re firing.</span></font></font></span><font color="#212121" face="Calibri"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">”</span></font></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 254, 254);"><font color="#212121"><font face="Calibri"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br>
</span></font></font></span></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><font color="#212121"><font face="Calibri"><span style="background-color: rgb(254, 253, 253);"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Vazzini,
for the first time in his adult life, was surprised, but reacted immediately, “Inconceivable!? Reinforce aft shielding now. The Hades. It’s one of the only Federation ships with cloak capability.</span></span></font></font></span><font color="#212121" face="Calibri"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">”</span></font></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><font color="#212121"><font face="Calibri"><span style="background-color: rgb(254, 253, 253);"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br>
</span></span></font></font></span></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><font color="#212121"><font face="Calibri"><span style="background-color: rgb(254, 253, 253);"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">The
Kang rocked heavily at the initial </span></span></font></font></span><font color="#212121" face="Calibri"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">impact of the quantum torpedoes. Explosions burst out from instrument panels throughout the bridge. The smoke from
the fire suppression system filled the air. Vazzini looked at the helm to find that the helmsman, Fizik, was on the floor unconscious, perhaps dead. He jumped down to the station and began to pilot the ship himself. Fortunately, K’tinga class ships were a
bit sturdier than they looked and there was no obvious structural damage. But there would be soon.</span></font></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><font color="#212121" face="Calibri"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br>
</span></font></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><font color="#212121" face="Calibri"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">“Shields are at 19%,” the Gorn announced.</span></font></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><font color="#212121" face="Calibri"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br>
</span></font></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><font color="#212121" face="Calibri"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">“Transfer all available power to the shields,” Vezzini ordered. This fight was not going to last as long as
he had thought. The Hades had spoiled his fun. He had fallen prey to the most classic of blunders, “Always expect the unexpected.” He had not expected the help the Illuminar received.</span></font></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><font color="#212121" face="Calibri"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br>
</span></font></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><font color="#212121" face="Calibri"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">“More incoming torpedoes,” the Gorn called out.</span></font></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><font color="#212121" face="Calibri"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br>
</span></font></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><font color="#212121" face="Calibri"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">There was only one logical conclusion to this scenario. He was reminded of one of his favorite mottos. “A
good death is its own reward.” He smiled and nodded to himself. He transferred power to the engines and set course. He hit the engage button and the Kang shot forward, directly towards the Illuminar.</span></font></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><font color="#212121" face="Calibri"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br>
</span></font></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><font color="#212121" face="Calibri"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">“What are you doing?” Montoya called out.
</span></font></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><font color="#212121" face="Calibri"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br>
</span></font></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><font color="#212121" face="Calibri"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">“This battle is over,” Vazzini replied. “How do you want this to end this?”</span></font></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><font color="#212121" face="Calibri"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br>
</span></font></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><font color="#212121" face="Calibri"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">The Gorn looked at Vazzini for a moment and gave the closest approximation of a smile that it could. “Procccceeed.”</span></font></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><font color="#212121" face="Calibri"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br>
</span></font></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><font color="#212121" face="Calibri"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Vezzini smiled as well as the Kang approached the Illuminar, and the Hades’torpedoes approached their engines,
he moved to the engineering station and pushed the dead body that was laying across it out of the way. He began to release the barrier between the matter and anti-matter mix chamber. An alarm went off.</span></font></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><font color="#212121" face="Calibri"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br>
</span></font></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><font color="#212121" face="Calibri"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">=^=Warning, warp core breach imminent.=^=</span></font></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><font color="#212121" face="Calibri"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br>
</span></font></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><font color="#212121" face="Calibri"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">“I know,” Vazzini said as he watched the image of the Illuminar grow in his view screen, and the torpedoes
from the Hades drew ever closer. The question remained, would they be close enough to do what he wanted.</span></font></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><font color="#212121" face="Calibri"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br>
</span></font></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><font color="#212121" face="Calibri"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">“Torpedo contact in 5…4…3…”</span></font></p>
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</span></font></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><font color="#212121" face="Calibri"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">(reply any)</span></font></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><font color="#212121" face="Calibri"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">(posted by Al Muir)</span></font></p>
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