But then, to add insult to injury, they received a disaster call from Khitomer—they were under attack by Romulans. Had the convoy remained on-station, had Kravokh heeded Kang’s advice and only sent two ships, then they would have been only two hours from Khitomer. Now they were at least seven hours away.
When they received the distress call from Khitomer, the first thing Kang said was, “Is thiscall genuine?” He stared right at Kravokh as he said it.
“It is a disaster beacon, sir. Those cannot be faked.”
K’mpec was touched by the young officer’s naïveté, though it was true that disaster beacons were harder to fake than simple distress calls, as they had several added layers of identity markers. That was why the original disaster call when Praxis exploded still got out, despite attempts by the High Council to suppress them.
“Set course for Khitomer, maximum speed.” Kang gave the order without consulting Kravokh. The chancellor, for his part, said nothing. The first sensible thing he has done this day,K’mpec thought.
“Sir,” Kang’s pilot said, “do you mean maximum speed of the convoy or of the Sompek?”
Kang did not hesitate. “All ships are to execute at their maximum velocity. If some are left behind, so be it!” His voice rising with every word, Kang cried, “We will not leave our comrades to die at the hands of Romulan filth!”
A cheer went up around the bridge, including several of the councillors and their bodyguards.
Only Kravokh remained silent.
However, when the cheers died down, the chancellor did speak. “Captain Kang, while I appreciate the need for dispatch, given the circumstances, I do not appreciate my convoy being taken—”
“It is not yourconvoy, Kravokh.” Kang looked directly at the chancellor, not bothering to rise from his chair. Kravokh’s office required a modicum of respect, but Kang was not giving him even that. “Icommand this fleet’s flagship. And we have seen the result of the last time I ceded my command to you. I will not make that same mistake twice.”
A strong chancellor would have killed a ship captain that made such a pronouncement, especially in front of so many other members of the High Council. In fact, a strong chancellor would not have needed to do so, because those other members of the High Council would be falling all over each other to do it themselves.
Instead, they stood their ground.
K’mpec had known that this day would come. The battlements on which Kravokh stood had been crumbling since Narendra III—K’mpec knew this, because he had been standing on the same unsteady land. But where K’mpec had spent the two years since building a new fortress, strengthening his position, Kravokh had stayed in place.
Now Kravokh’s defenses were gone. He stood alone with no one and nothing to defend him.
“Kravokh, son of J’Doq!” K’mpec bellowed the name, his deep voice echoing off the bulkheads of the Sompekbridge. At this, the bridge quieted down. “For the second time in as many years, you have let your obsession with Cardassia cloud your judgment—and allow Klingons to die dishonorably. As I stand before these warriors, I assure you—there will not be a third.”
On the word third,K’mpec unsheathed his d’k tahg.
“Do not be a fool, K’mpec.” Kravokh took out his own dagger, and looked around the bridge. “We do not have time for such idiocy! I am your supreme commander, and I—”
“Youare the fool,” Kang said. “If somehow you survive K’mpec’s assault, you will face a phalanx of warriors who will gladly take their try.”
“It is a good day to die, Kravokh,” K’mpec said. “Let the final memory of your reign be that you died with honor—in combat.”
Kravokh shook his head. “You are allfools. You have no idea what is at stake. The fate of the Empire could well hang in the balance, and you do not see it— cannotsee it.”
His voice almost a whisper, K’mpec said, “What I see, Kravokh, are hundreds of Klingon corpses—the victims of your incompetence. The dead cry out for vengeance.”
All around the bridge, a chant started. Though he was not sure who started it, soon everyone, even Kang, had joined in: “K’mpec! K’mpec! K’mpec!”
Kravokh whirled around at all of the councillors who had betrayed him. Some of them, K’mpec knew, were the some ones who cheered his victory over Grivak in Council Chambers twelve years ago. Kravokh’s eyes fell on one in particular—Ruuv, who had been Kravokh’s aide when he was a mere councillor, elevated to the Council when Kravokh ascended to the chancellorship. At the sight of Ruuv cheering on Kravokh’s opponent, the chancellor’s shoulders sagged. “So be it, K’mpec. If I am to die this day, it will be with my eyes open and a weapon in my hand.”
K’mpec smiled. “As it should be.”
Then there was no need for words.
Though neither swift nor agile, K’mpec yielded to no one in his ability to wield a d’k tahg.In his younger days, he had been feared throughout his home planet of Mempa IV; he achieved champion standing in the Mempa Knife Duels for seven years running before his Defense Force career took away his ability to participate regularly.
Kravokh was most skilled with swords and other, longer weapons. He was good enough with the d’k tahgto hold his own, but he was no match for K’mpec. The councillor’s own prodigious belly proved more of an impediment than his foe. But K’mpec had challenged him with a d’k tahgand—especially given his lack of support among his peers—he was in no position to demand that a different weapon be used.
More fool him,K’mpec thought as he blocked a clumsy thrust of Kravokh’s. K’mpec countered with a punch to his enemy’s belly, causing Kravokh to bend over forward, then quickly followed with a slash at the chancellor’s neck.
Now bleeding profusely from the cut, Kravokh slashed back clumsily, enough to keep K’mpec from moving in for the kill. However, Kravokh chose to hold the wound shut with his right hand, leaving him with only his left to fight. This,K’mpec thought, will end soon.
“You do not know what you are doing, K’mpec. The Empire will fall to ruin if we do not crush the Cardassians and reclaim Ch’gran!”
“The Empire is already falling to ruin, Kravokh. But the fall stops here— now.”
K’mpec threw a punch at Kravokh, who instinctively blocked it with his knife hand. The blade penetrated K’mpec’s gauntlet and flesh, but the pain was nothing, the wound minor—besides, it left the chest open.
With a powerful thrust, K’mpec’s d’k tahgpenetrated Kravokh’s heart.
The erstwhile chancellor fell to the deck of the Sompekbridge.
The cheering of K’mpec’s name had died down as the fight had progressed—though K’mpec had mostly tuned it out in any case—but now the chanting grew louder and louder, even as K’mpec knelt down besides Kravokh’s fallen form. There was no need to pry his eyes open, as they stared straight up at the bridge’s ceiling.
Then he leaned back and screamed to the heavens. Most of the bridge crew did likewise.
As K’mpec removed the coat of office from Kravokh’s body, Ruuv said, “Long live K’mpec! Long live the Klingon Empire!”
Cheers filled K’mpec’s ears.
He allowed himself to enjoy the cheers for several seconds before holding up one hand. “Enough!” That quieted the bridge. “There is much to be done. The Empire has a long road ahead.”
In as close to a deferential tone as he was likely to ever hear from the old captain, Kang said, “What are the chancellor’s orders?”
“Proceed as before, Captain. Our first priority is Khitomer. The rest—” he looked down at Kravokh’s fallen form “—will be dispensed with in due time.”