Description

Star Trek: Klingons – Blood Will Tell                      Comics Lot
Featuring the Complete Cover A Collection. Awesome!!
Writers: Scott Tipton & David Tipton
Artists: David Messina & Elena Casagrande
Colorist: Ilaria Traversi
Letterers: Neil Uyetake & Robbie Robbins
Editors: Dan Taylor & Chris Ryall
Covers #1A,4A,5A by: David Messina
Covers #2A,3A by: Joe Corroney

To Boldly Go Where No One Has Gone Before.Star Trek is an American space opera media franchise based on the science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry. The first television series, simply called Star Trek and now referred to as “The Original Series”, debuted in 1966 and aired for three seasons on the television network NBC. It followed the interstellar adventures of Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) and his crew aboard the starship USS Enterprise, a space exploration vessel, built by the United Federation of Planets in the twenty-third century. The Star Trek canon of the franchise includes The Original Series, an animated series, five spin-off television series, the film franchise, and further adaptations in several media.

And now IDW Publishing presents, “Star Trek: Klingons – Blood Will Tell”. The Klingon moon of Praxis has exploded, and it is shortly before the events of Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country. On Qo’nos the leader of the house of Kahnrah sits in his study and considered the future of the Klingon Empire. Gorkon talks of peace, others talk of war his vote may be the deciding factor. His granddaughter a young warrior named K’Halynn enters, and he begins to recount the great history of their family and in turn the history of the Klingon and Federation conflict starting with the story of their cousin Kagh at Organia leading to the occupation by Kor and insurgence by the Federation.

Stories/Spoilers
In issue #1A, it is Qo’noS, not long after the explosion at Praxis, and K’aylynn approaches her grandfather, Kahnrah, asking him why he still broods. She asks why the Empire does not simply take what it needs, after all, that is what he taught her. He notes that he has been wrong in the past and that Gorkon speaks of a different way and that his vote is the one which will make the difference on the council. He has been reading journals and reports from all of those who have had experience with the Humans, trying to decide what option is best. He tells her that the blood of the House of Kahnrah can be traced back to the days of Kahless himself right through the days of the augment virus, through to the incident at Organia. “Commander’s log entry 5373, IKS Vortha. Commander Kagh recording. As the Federation continues its incursions into our space, we have increased our patrols into our more distant territories, to make certain the mongrel Humans seize no more of what is rightfully ours.” Kagh and his crew detect the approach of a constitution-class warship from the Federation. It out-guns the Vortha by 40%, but Kagh notes that “six Klingons are worth more than any ten Humans.” They set an intercept course, while still under cloak, and send their logs to the High Council. They fire, striking two direct hits, but the enemy ship only takes minimal damage. The vessel brings its phasers to bear and destroys the Klingon vessel. The council reacts poorly and sends a fleet of ships, led by Kor, the newly appointed governor of Organia, and the last son of his house, a royal house. His first officer was Kahlor, son of Kolox, another member of the House of Kahnrah. Kor wonders why the Federation would only send one vessel to take the planet, and Kahlor insists that the Humans are overconfident. With the approach of the fleet, the Federation ship leaves the area. The Klingons beam down into the midst of the primitive, agrarian society and look for the person in charge to inform him of their intentions. “From the journal of Kahlor, son of Kolox. We expected little resistance from the Organians, based on their reaction to our arrival. Not that it would have done them any good. The commander explained the new order of things, and the harsh repercussions that would come with any attempts at rebellion. The Organians immediately acceded to our commands. Within a matter of minutes, the Empire was in control.” In the middle of the Organians stands one who is not a placid weakling. Kor singles him out, and he introduces himself as Baroner. The Klingons also took a Vulcan trader away for questioning. Kahlor expresses his mistrust of Baroner, who has been appointed as the liaison for the Organians. Kor agrees with Kahlor’s misgivings and suggests that it is best to keep such a man close at hand. He also notes that if they are Federation spies, the Vulcan will not be able to hide it from the mind sifter. “The mind sifter’s interrogation process revealed nothing, so the Vulcan was released, and Baroner was informed of his new duties as liaison. Hours passed, and it seemed peace on Organia was at hand. Such was not the case.” A large explosion rocks the compound. The ammunition depot has been destroyed, and two figures were seen fleeing the scene. A brief interrogation reveals that Baroner and the Vulcan merchant were, in fact, Federation spies. In fact, they were the Human captain of the ship seen earlier and his science officer. Kor gave them some time to think and returned later, only to find the cell completely empty. He orders his guards to gather up 200 Organians in the town square. At the same time, the Federation fleet was approaching, and the Starfleet spies attacked Kor’s office directly. Oddly, their weapons all became too hot to the touch, and the same happened overhead in the vessels in orbit. Back on the Klingon and Federation home worlds, an Organian appeared, also talking to those in Kor’s office, dictating that both sides would immediately cease their hostilities. The 200 Organians that the Klingons had killed earlier had somehow not been harmed at all, and neither side was all too happy at the prospect of a peace treaty. The Klingons gave it consideration and guile was their next option…

Next in issue #2A, Morning on Qo’noS, K’ahlynn attacks her grandfather, Kahnrah, with her Bat’leth, but she has underestimated his speed and strength. He brings up the conversation from the prior day about espionage and tells her that they can both learn a lesson from the “tale of Gralmek, and the mistakes that led to his own dishonor…” Gralmek was a distant cousin of the family, born a mach ghott, a “small fish”, small in stature and strength. He tried his best to fit in and stand his ground, but he was too weak. When the opportunity came to prove himself on a dangerous and painful mission, he was the first to volunteer. From the mission log of Gralmek: Finally, a chance to prove myself in the eyes of my family and the Empire. I was quickly escorted off to a series of briefings about my new mission: working for Klingon intelligence. Due to the interference of the Organians in their previous encounter, expansion of the Empire could now only be gained through peaceful means. As such, the next step of the Klingons is to try sabotage. Gralmek’s forehead ridge and brow were sanded down, his skin dyed with acid, holes drilled in his forehead, and spinal ridges shaved, all to better simulate the Human anatomy. His recovery took eight weeks, and during that time, he discovered that it was not reversible. The next phase was to teach him to act like a Human, and to brief him on his mission, to assume the identity of Arne Darvin, a member of Starfleet, and poison a shipment of grain just before it is delivered to Sherman’s Planet. From the mission log of Gralmek: The High Council had secured for me a Starfleet uniform and forged credentials to get me on board the Lexington, which was ferrying my target to Deep Space Station K-7. Once on board, it was merely a matter of finding him and choosing the opportune moment to introduce myself. After finally encountering the real Darvin aboard the ship, Gralmek kills him, refusing to stab him in the back, stating in his log that “one has a right to look his killer in the eyes.” When the ship finally arrived at K-7, Gralmek met his new commander, Nilz Baris. Over time, he began becoming loyal to the man, despite his being an irritant. However, when Baris discovered that Klingons were nearby, he issued a Priority One Alert, calling in Federation support. A ship arrived almost immediately, the Enterprise, complete with its overconfident, pompous, and reckless captain. Gralmek liked the captain, Kirk, despite himself, because he held no respect for Baris. With the increased security presence, it would making poisoning the quadrotriticale a bit more difficult. A frontal route to the grain was no longer possible, but Gralmek had been studying the plans of the base in detail, and with his position, had security access everywhere. He arrived at the grain container, and quickly poisoned it, before returning to his quarters. How will my courage and ingenuity be recognized in the Great Hall, I wonder? I hope it’s a statue. I like statues. “All glory to Gralmek,” the plaque will read. “Acquirer of worlds.” I hope it’s a large statue. Remember to strike this passage out before sending report back to Qo’noS. Three days later, the ruse was uncovered due to the reaction of the tribbles, brought aboard the station by an itinerant merchant, Cyrano Jones. The Klingon captain that had arrived at the station, Koloth was an unfortunate party to defusing the charade, as the vermin responded to him in the same manner as Gralmek. When the ruse was up and Dr. McCoy discovered that Gralmek was truly a Klingon, Gralmek gave himself up, almost immediately. Koloth was forced to depart the station in humiliation but was assured that no fault laid with him. At that moment, he discovered that his ship was infested with tribbles. Meanwhile, Gralmek spent time in a Federation prison before he was returned to the Klingons. After a debriefing, he was taken to the Great Hall and chastised for his actions. He asked if he would be sent to Rura Penthe, but the cost of a barge would not be worth the time but was discommended instead. Kahnrah explains to his granddaughter that Gralmek was never seen or heard from again, and that the age of espionage ended as soon as it began. Kahnrah was still at a crossroads when it came to the vote though.

Next in issue #3A, “Commander’s log entry #3854, IKS Korthos, Commander Krell recording. With our destination almost in range, I have assembled my command crew for a briefing.” The crew of the Korthos is en route to the planet Neural, a primitive, pre-first contact world. Krell gives his crew the run-down on their mission – the planet is protected by the Organian peace treaty, but they are to push the treaty to its limit and plant the seeds of Klingon philosophy with the primitives that live there. The Klingons beam down to the planet and are almost immediately attacked by a Mugato. It goes straight for Krell, and he grabs it by the jaws and breaks its neck. As he does, two more approach and Krell turns to face them with a snarl. The two beasts run off, but not before Krell notes that Kragg and Mahtahk, his crewmates, are dead. Krell discovers the inhabitants of the world and begins to watch them. He discovers that they are split into two groups, one in the hills, the other in a village. He watches those in the hills, seeing a young woman and her lover, the leader of the Hill People. He heads down to the village and begins watching them, spotting an argument, weapons, and a street fight. He sees one young man chasing prey, but when it escapes, he settles to eat berries in a cave. Krell introduces himself and talks to him about what he would like him to do. He introduces him to a flintlock firestick. Apella agrees to a pact with him and pledges his loyalty. “Commander’s log entry #4136, IKS Korthos. Commander Krell recording. This is my tenth visit in as many months to Neural. Each time, I bring more weapons and advice to Apella, and with every visit, Apella’s people hold a greater advantage over the Hill Dwellers. all proceeds smoothly.” Apella is late meeting Krell and explains that there was a quarrel among his people due to skins and a woman taken from the Hill People. Krell tells him to give the woman to the man who killed the most of her people. Krell tells him about other improvements to the guns that can be done, including rifling the barrels for a truer shot. The alarm goes off and they discover two intruders, Kirk, and McCoy. Krell is knocked unconscious, and one flintlock and barrel is taken. Krell contacts his ship, and they report a Federation starship in orbit of the planet. Krell tells Apella to track down the intruders and that he would return in two months, as scheduled. Two months later, Krell returns, and the village has been destroyed. Apella tells him that the Hill People have equal numbers of everything, despite only having stolen the one rifle. And that each time they manufacture more, the Hill People also have equal numbers. Krell will not assist Apella and his people because the Federation will ensure that they’re always at a perpetual stalemate, and that to continue to assist them would be foolish and futile.

Next in issue #4A Kahnrah and K’ahlynn are on the steps of the Museum of Military Triumph and Conquest when they meet with Morglar, a Klingon Captain of a starship, who currently has three months left of his cycle as Overseer of the Museum. Kahnrah tells him of the explosion at Praxis and the decision he is faced with. Morglar comments that he has had experience with Humans before stating “if sinking a blade into Human flesh can be called firsthand, then yes, I’m as much an expert as any Klingon.” He begins to reminisce about when he served as the security officer aboard the Voh’Tahk under Kang seventeen years earlier. They were returning from a bat’leth competition on Munjeb III when they received a distress call from the Blortlh, another competitor at the tournament. When they arrive at the source of the signal, the ship is nowhere to be found and appears to have been destroyed by a Federation starship. As the Klingon vessel prepares to attack the starship, its warp core is breached, obviously the result of an attack. Radiation floods the ship and forty of the four hundred crew members are able to make it to the command pod with its heavier shielding. Kang ascertains that James T. Kirk is commanding the enemy vessel, stating “I should have known!” He orders Fron’Chak, his transporter chief, to beam them to the planet’s surface as his last duty before he dies of radiation exposure. When they arrive on the planet’s surface, they confront the crew of the Federation vessel and Kang claims their ship for his own. Unfortunately, when they beam up to the ship, they are beamed up separately from Kirk and his Vulcan first officer, Spock, and easily disarmed. The Humans beamed over the other survivors from the Voh’Tahk before destroying the ship. Shortly after, Kirk came and punched Kang, accusing him of sabotaging the ship, stranding hundreds of his crew on the planet below. Regular objects about the room were then replaced by swords. Even the phasers of the Enterprise crew were replaced with them. After a brief battle, Kang heads toward the engineering area, while Morglar and two of his security team, Jurva and Woroth explore the rest of the ship. They discover a conservatory where Woroth’s arm is bitten by a plant before Jurva slices the plant in two. As they exit the room, they come across several Federation officers. After a brief skirmish, the Federation crew are left dead, but so is Woroth. Now two, Jurva and Morglar continue to seek the armory. As they continue to search, they come across groups of Humans, some seeming familiar, but manage to kill them or drive them off each time. Suddenly Kirk’s voice comes across the intercom, “this is Captain Kirk. A truce is ordered. The fighting is over. Lay down your weapons.” Morglar writes it off as lies until Kang’s voice follows, “‘this is Kang. Cease hostilities. Disarm. The Klingons and Humans all gather together and share food, drink, and stories. Morglar is surprised to discover Woroth alive and uninjured. Kirk and Kang explain what occurred, as an alien creature was forcing them to fight and feeding off of their hatred of each other. Morglar sees a Human he fought and compliments him on his ability, and the Human responds that he is honored with the compliment. Morglar finishes his story, telling them that he faced Humans again on several occasions after, and while they were still his enemies, he “no longer hated them blindly”, pointing out that it is much easier to hate a race you’ve never met. He encourages Kahnrah to ask the Humans for help and heads back to work. K’ahlynn expresses surprise that she’d never heard the story before and her grandfather points out that the Klingon High Council chooses which stories are archived, and which are forgotten. With that done, he tells her that he must prepare to go to the council to cast his vote to ask the Humans for help.

Finally in issue #5A, As Kahnrah walks down an alley on Qo’noS, he hears the sounds of heavy boots coming from behind, heading toward him. He thinks to himself how the upcoming vote (on asking the Federation for assistance after the destruction of Praxis.) by the High Council will forever change the course of Klingon history, and he was acting as if he were untouchable. He approaches a train and boards it just as the doors close, but he has been spotted. When it reaches Antaak Square, the car empties but for four assassins armed with Bat’leths. He ducks through a door at the end of the car into the next car, but does not run, and stops in wait. As the first assassin comes through, he stabs him in the chest. The second approaches, and he dispatches him also. He continues moving through the train and finds himself in the control room against the last two assassins. He kicks one out of the way and the other swings his Bat’leth, striking the control panel. The train, having lost its control systems crashes to a halt. Kahnrah pulls himself from the wreckage and runs into another alley, where he encounters his grand-daughter, K’ahlynn. He tells her about the assassins and asks her to help him. She slaps his hand aside and refuses. He realizes that she had warned the opposing voices in the council of his decision, and that is why the assassins chased him. She attacks him and as she leaps over, he kicks her leg out, knocking her to the ground, and then strikes her with the blunt side of his Bat’leth, disarming her. He tells her not to follow and climbs a ladder. Follow him, she does, asking how he can sell their race “out to those filthy HaDIbahs,” referring to the Humans as animals. She tells him that she was tasked with keeping an eye on him, but still believed that he would choose wisely. Another fight ensues, and she gets the better of him, putting him on the ground on his stomach. She lines up her weapon and says, “I take no joy in this, grandfather.” He grabs his knife, stabs her in the chest and responds “nor do I…” As she dies in his arms, he tells her that he will look for her in Sto-vo-kor at the right hand of Kahless. He takes a moment to mourn before heading to the Great Hall. He slams open the doors just as Chancellor Gorkon’s motion is being voted down due to the deadlock. He takes the floor, holds up his weapons and states that there must be another way, the way of the blade is insufficient. He throws his weapons aside and states that the Klingons must change, throwing his vote in with Gorkon. With his vote breaking the deadlock, the proposal becomes law. General Chang approaches him and tells him that his granddaughter died well and not to despair. Gorkon takes Kahnrah aside and thanks him, raising a toast “to peace.” Kahnrah responds with, “to a surviving empire.” As they finish their drinks, Gorkon apologizes for the cost to Kahnrah, but notes that their future may yet be bright. As they leave the hall, he notes that he has “always wondered what Earth looks like. It should be a memorable journey…”

Comics lot contains: Star Trek: Klingons – Blood Will Tell {Complete Cover A Collection} (2007) Issues #1-5. IDW Publishing

Comics are bagged & boarded and will be carefully / securely packaged then shipped via USPS Priority Mail to ensure that it arrives to you perfectly and quickly.

All First Printings
Publisher: IDW Publishing
Publication Date: 2007
Format per comic: FC, 32 pages, Comic, 10.25″ x 6.75″
UPC: 827714111293

Collectible Entertainment note: Comics 1A,2A,3A,4A,5A are in Fine to Very Fine condition.  Very Nice Set!  Please See Scans!!  A must have for any serious Star Trek and/or Science Fiction collector / enthusiast.  A very fun & entertaining read.  Highly Recommended.

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