Warhammer: The Time Traveler

Chapter 320 Landing on Genesis Star (Fourth Update)

The information from the Enterprise's sensors sent a chill down the spines of everyone on the bridge. The approximate landing point of the Klingon landing module, after repeated calibration and comparison, highly coincided with the location of the photon torpedo beacon where Spock's remains were situated!

"They...they're after Spock?" Uhura's voice was filled with disbelief and astonishment.

“Not necessarily,” Chen Yu’s synthesized voice calmly analyzed, his core logic working at lightning speed. “A more reasonable guess is that, in the Klingon scans, the only clear, stable beacon on that planet with obvious Federation technology features was the photon torpedo compartment that contained Spock’s remains.”

On a newborn planet teeming with unknown disturbances, this was the most conspicuous landmark. They might have mistaken it for a vital Federation beacon station, a data storage point, or even… a component of some unexploded creation device.

In any case, the Klingons were heading straight toward Spock's remains.

Regardless of their specific objectives, Spock's remains are in extreme danger.

If the Klingons get their hands on it first, the consequences will be unimaginable—Spock's soul will not find peace, McCoy will continue to be tormented, and the dignity of the Vulcans and the Commonwealth will be trampled upon.

"There's no time to hesitate!" Kirk declared decisively, his voice firm and resolute. "We must land immediately and find Spock before the Klingons!"

He quickly appointed his men:
“Sage Chen Yu, I need your judgment and your squad’s ground combat capabilities.”

“Carol, we need your scientific knowledge to deal with the planetary environment and the creation-related phenomena we may encounter.”

“McCoy…” Kirk looked at the doctor, his eyes filled with complex but firm emotions. “We need you…we need Spock’s Katra to help us find him, or rather, to guide us.”

Bringing McCoy along was risky, but necessary. Only Spock's Katra within him could provide the most accurate guidance in the complex planetary environment.

"Mann Squad, fully armed, are responsible for ground reconnaissance and assault duties for the landing force! We're about to engage the Klingons in an encounter battle!"

"Understood, boss!" Mann's deep voice came through the communicator, carrying a hint of excitement at finally being able to move and the composure of a mercenary facing a tough battle.

Ambassador Sarek stepped forward; his very presence was a silent demand.

“Ambassador Sarek, you…” Kirk hesitated, as it was too risky to involve a diplomat in a ground assault mission.

“Captain Kirk,” Sarek’s voice was steady but unwavering, “that’s my son. I must go.” His eyes held the deep, suppressed emotions and unyielding resolve of a Vulcan.

Kirk looked at the peculiar group before him—the commander and medic of the Starfleet, top scientists, a Vulcan ambassador, an otherworldly mechanical sage, and armed mercenaries from another dark future. He took a deep breath.

"Alright. Everyone, assemble in the shuttle hangar! Immediately!"

Soon, the group gathered inside the shuttle.

Kirk was fully armed and gripped his phase gun tightly; Carol checked her science instrument bag.

McCoy appeared somewhat agitated; the fragment of Spock's soul within him seemed to give him a strong sense of the approaching corpse. Chen Yu's massive mechanical body almost occupied a corner of the cabin, his crimson optical lenses scanning the external environmental data.

Meanwhile, Mann's squad was giving their incendiary weapons, plasma cannons, and various heavy weapons a final check, their faces filled with excitement and focus at the prospect of finally being able to put on a big show.

"Attention everyone," Kirk gave his final briefing over the communications channel, "Our primary objective is to locate and secure Spock's remains, and our secondary objective is to ascertain the Klingons' intentions and strength."

Try to avoid a full-scale firefight, but if attacked, Mann's team, I authorize you to use all necessary means to retaliate and ensure the safety of the expedition team.

"Understood, Boss/General/Sage." A jumble of responses echoed in the cabin.

The shuttle engines roared as it ejected from the Enterprise's belly, shooting like a bullet into Genesis's colorful yet deadly atmosphere.

The cabin was filled with violent vibrations and friction noise. Outside the window, clouds of ever-changing colors rushed by, and below, the newly formed and unfamiliar landscape was faintly visible.

The shuttle broke through the clouds and resolutely swooped down toward the place where the signals overlapped.
-
The shuttle cautiously flew low over the newly formed and rugged surface of Genesis. Below, the landscape was colorful and strangely shaped, with fluorescent rivers flowing through it and rapidly growing, never-before-seen crystal forests.

Soon, their target came into view—the Klingon cruiser.
It lay listless in a valley torn apart by the impact, its hull damaged in many places, emitting wisps of black smoke. The enormous impact had carved a deep trench in the ground.

Clearly, the ship and its crew paid an extremely heavy price in order to break through the blockade and make a forced landing.

The shuttle landed on a relatively flat plateau about a kilometer from the Klingon wreckage, kicking up a cloud of shimmering dust.

"Mann Squad, establish perimeter security! Assess the Klingon's hull condition!" Kirk's voice came through the helmet communicator.

"Understood!" Mann responded in a low voice, then gave a series of tactical hand signals. Rebecca and Dorio quickly took up high ground on both sides of the hill, setting up heavy weapons to monitor the surroundings.

Pira launched a miniature drone to perform a close-up scan of the Klingon shipwreck.

Valerie, Jack, Falco, and Mowell formed a strike team, which, led by Mann, approached the silent behemoth quickly and quietly in tactical formation.

Using the rugged terrain and the massive crystal clusters as cover, they quickly approached the damaged part of the ship.

The interior was deathly silent, save for the faint crackling of metal as it cooled and the strange cries of some unknown creature in the distance.

"Entrance secure, entering," Mann's voice came through.

On the shuttle side, Kirk, Chen Yu, Carol, and McCoy, who was in somewhat unstable condition, waited anxiously.

A few minutes later, Mann's report sent a chill down everyone's spine:
"Captain, the ship is empty. We have found multiple battle damage and signs of internal explosions, as well as Klingon blood, but no bodies. It seems... they evacuated after the crash, taking all the equipment they could and... possibly some wounded."

An empty ship?! Kirk's pupils contracted sharply. The Klingons had abandoned their ship? This didn't fit their usual practice of going down with their ships, unless… they had a more important objective, and time was of the essence!
(End of this chapter)