MSNPC Dempok: Watching from the wings (NT)

[Daniel Eastham]

((IKS S’Tarahk - Ready Room))

K'Tang: This is Commander K'Tang of the IKS Jej'yan.  We have intercepted a Romulan D'Deridex class warbird on route to attack the Ko'Val colony.  All systems badly damaged.  We may not win this hunt today.  My Klingon brothers, my Klingon sisters... avenge us and grind this Green Blood worm to the ground...

::Dempok lent back in his chair in the sparsely decorated ready room. He'd watched the message a half dozen times and every watching only ever caused more questions to emerge in his mind. Why now? Why would the Romulans try and push for an offensive when their republic was a mere shadow of it's former glory. Why colonies? Why would they attack worlds that meant so precious little? The death toll was rising with each passing moment and yet they were no closer to stopping it from increasing further.

Now they had lost another ship, as well as the colonies. Already the green beast had claimed three more warbirds and severely damaged one of the older yet resilient D7's that had tried to intercept her. But those were Captained by hot-headed warriors who sought only glory forged in combat. Dempok hadn't survived this long by playing that same game.

He tapped his console off, grinding his teeth as he quietly pondered, looking up only when his door opened to show his first officer leant against the doorframe::

Dempok: Another attack?

Tekal: No Councillor, intelligence from the border indicate two Starfleet vessels en-route to the enemies area.

::That wasn't surprising. Crang was making no effort to hide the fleets heading towards the border in an attempt to show the Romulans who was the bigger dog in the sector. That posed another question, their intelligence regarding the Romulans had not indicated any sort of movement of their own fractured fleets. Either they were being cowards, or they were simply oblivious to the larger picture.::

Dempok: Which ships?

Tekal: The USS Avalon has already made headway into frontier space, with the USS Albion seemingly heading on the same course.

Dempok: Albion... 

::He furrowed his ridged brow in concentration before leaning back and letting out a loud chuckle::

Tekal: Councilor?

Dempok: The Albion, if I remember correctly is the support ship for Starbase 118, do you remember the Aegis and her crew from my subjegation of Tilanna?

Tekal: They fought with honour, beside us.

Dempok: That they did. I'd wager Commander Taybrim is sat on that bridge at this very second, good. That means, we have an ally and so do they. It also means Starfleet knows something that we, as in the Empire, do not.

::The question is, what was that 'thing'. One Starship venturing near imperial space was usually cause to cast a curious eye towards the Federations going's on, but two meant something was afoot. As much as he respected the Federation as allies, their intelligence sharing opaqueness despite the alliance was maddening::

Tekal: General Crang has asked us to join his fleet...

::Dempok stood himself up, fingers resting on his desk::

Dempok: No, not yet. Set course towards the Albion and shadow her, remain cloaked and as for that oaf Crang i'll tell him I might very well have a lead but i'll need to investigate further.

MSPNC Councillor Dempok

Captain of the IKS S'Tarahk

By

Major. Tatash

Marine Lead

SB118 Operations

C239108T10