IKC FHew 7C6110
Lest we forget... – A price to pay
by HoD Ro' Matlh & Soghla' Jared
Post Details
The flight to Klingon space was otherwise uneventful. Within three days they had arrived at one of the few dockyards that still serviced House Matlh. The two ships were surrendered and the four crewmen returned to the FHew.
Jared had been dreading this moment. He wound his way carefully up to the boom. He stopped for a moment next to his quarters wondering if he should just pack and go but then dismissed that idea. When you never aged and never died, there was no point putting off the inevitable.
He moved on to the next door. HIchop and Beq YIghegh had already cleared out HoS' stuff. It was no doubt packaged in the hold to be returned to his kin.
He walked quickly on to the last door before the Bridge. He could hear Ro' inside so he pushed it open with as much enthusiasm as he could muster.
The old Klingon was facing away, rummaging in some kind of trunk. He knew who had come through the door. He always did.
"I understand if we're through," Jared began. "I wasn't straight with you. I didn't actually lie about Miletus, but I wasn't straight with you. People got hurt, people got killed, and I understand if we're through. You need to be able to trust your people."
"There's not many things my people agree on. Generally, we avoid the very sight of each other if we can. But there's a few things we share in common. Things a little too important to fight over - stuff that all other priorities get set aside for. The Deplorable Words and machines like them are one of them. Possibly the biggest one of all."
"There's no way any of the cultures you know would have survived the wars that would have started if anyone had figured out how to use that machine. A few decades and there would have been barely any of you left. I've seen it before. And the scary thing is that those weapons are just the beginning. Once a culture learns how to use the technology not just wipe out life, but to actually harvest it's energy..."
"The galaxy's too old to go down that road again. I had to destroy that thing whatever price it came at."
"But... I understand if we're done. I understood that might be the price of this trip from before we started."
Ro' turned and looked at the small Vetus as he ran through his prepared spiel. He had been looking for something in his room but stopped now. He let Jared ramble into silence and waited a moment before he said, "How long have you been on this ship, Jared?"
Jared blinked. This was the sort of thing he was awful at - counting time in small increments. Like less than a century.
"Uuh... a... decade or two? I think..."
"You told us that if we went to Miletus we would find ships for the Matlh fleet. That we did. You allowed HoS and Hegrup to die in battle, rather than kill them silently like a Romulan or Cardasian would. Where is the harm done? You have been with Me for 23 years, and you still do not understand this about Klingons?"
He walked over to him and clasped him firmly by the shoulders, "You did not break your word, and I know you tried to warn us off from the danger in that facility many times. However, you have left me with two serious issues."
"First, I now have no Tactical officer. Since you killed him, you now hold his rank, and it is your job to find someone who will man that station in his place, since I know you will not do so yourself. I would personally prefer a Klingon to do it. Far too many aliens on this ship now."
"Secondly, Hegrup's gear has not been cleared out of your room. I expect that done before we ship out. You have three hours while we refuel."
Jared blinked. And then nodded.
"Yes sir!" he responded with a smile.
Ro' watched the small creature scuttle from his room. He knew Jared was right. The Wailing DOoom was a weapon that would be missused regularly, and yet... Again Ro' had been deprived the chance of a glorious death.
"Qu'vatlh!" he swore suddenly remembering. "Who are we goig to get to do the cooking now?"
by HoD Ro' Matlh & Soghla' Jared
Post Details
| Title | A price to pay | |
| Mission | Lest we forget... | |
| Author(s) | HoD Ro' Matlh & Soghla' Jared | |
| Posted | Thu Nov 11, 2010 @ 10:50am | |
| Location | Ro's Quarters | |
| Timeline | After delivering the Ships to House Matlh docks | |
| Tag | Jared, Ro' |
Jared had been dreading this moment. He wound his way carefully up to the boom. He stopped for a moment next to his quarters wondering if he should just pack and go but then dismissed that idea. When you never aged and never died, there was no point putting off the inevitable.
He moved on to the next door. HIchop and Beq YIghegh had already cleared out HoS' stuff. It was no doubt packaged in the hold to be returned to his kin.
He walked quickly on to the last door before the Bridge. He could hear Ro' inside so he pushed it open with as much enthusiasm as he could muster.
The old Klingon was facing away, rummaging in some kind of trunk. He knew who had come through the door. He always did.
"I understand if we're through," Jared began. "I wasn't straight with you. I didn't actually lie about Miletus, but I wasn't straight with you. People got hurt, people got killed, and I understand if we're through. You need to be able to trust your people."
"There's not many things my people agree on. Generally, we avoid the very sight of each other if we can. But there's a few things we share in common. Things a little too important to fight over - stuff that all other priorities get set aside for. The Deplorable Words and machines like them are one of them. Possibly the biggest one of all."
"There's no way any of the cultures you know would have survived the wars that would have started if anyone had figured out how to use that machine. A few decades and there would have been barely any of you left. I've seen it before. And the scary thing is that those weapons are just the beginning. Once a culture learns how to use the technology not just wipe out life, but to actually harvest it's energy..."
"The galaxy's too old to go down that road again. I had to destroy that thing whatever price it came at."
"But... I understand if we're done. I understood that might be the price of this trip from before we started."
Ro' turned and looked at the small Vetus as he ran through his prepared spiel. He had been looking for something in his room but stopped now. He let Jared ramble into silence and waited a moment before he said, "How long have you been on this ship, Jared?"
Jared blinked. This was the sort of thing he was awful at - counting time in small increments. Like less than a century.
"Uuh... a... decade or two? I think..."
"You told us that if we went to Miletus we would find ships for the Matlh fleet. That we did. You allowed HoS and Hegrup to die in battle, rather than kill them silently like a Romulan or Cardasian would. Where is the harm done? You have been with Me for 23 years, and you still do not understand this about Klingons?"
He walked over to him and clasped him firmly by the shoulders, "You did not break your word, and I know you tried to warn us off from the danger in that facility many times. However, you have left me with two serious issues."
"First, I now have no Tactical officer. Since you killed him, you now hold his rank, and it is your job to find someone who will man that station in his place, since I know you will not do so yourself. I would personally prefer a Klingon to do it. Far too many aliens on this ship now."
"Secondly, Hegrup's gear has not been cleared out of your room. I expect that done before we ship out. You have three hours while we refuel."
Jared blinked. And then nodded.
"Yes sir!" he responded with a smile.
Ro' watched the small creature scuttle from his room. He knew Jared was right. The Wailing DOoom was a weapon that would be missused regularly, and yet... Again Ro' had been deprived the chance of a glorious death.
"Qu'vatlh!" he swore suddenly remembering. "Who are we goig to get to do the cooking now?"