[Tlhingan-hol] Who's up for another story?

[Qov]

I was looking for a prefixes exercise to help 
someone off list and found on my hard drive a 
file which was promisingly entitled, 
"prefixes.doc".  It was written one morning in 
November 2001. I'm really not sure why. Perhaps 
it was originally intended as a little primer 
demonstrating various prefixes but it went so far 
off the rails that I apparently abandoned it.

It's about a thousand words, three chapters of 
the beginning of a story. I assume I wrote this, 
as opposed to copying someone else's story for 
later study, in that ten years don't seem to have 
changed my style much and in just three pages it 
already shares with nuq bop bom:

* an alien unexpectedly speaking Klingon
* interspecies marriage
* an Andorian slave
* cultural misunderstanding
* sentient beings eating one another
* injured hands
* first aid
* the hazards of infection
* general subversion of the Klingon "glory of war" doctrine

I don't even remember writing this thing.  I 
wonder what else is on this hard drive!

Because people like translations, it's followed 
by an English translation. The main character is 
a common soldier, and fairly vulgar, but there is no combat in the story.
----
wa’ ­ rInpu’DI’ may’

yuQ machDaq luDan romuluSngan QaS, tlhIngan QaS 
je. jo luSeH luneHmo’ qaStaHvIS cha’ DIS vaytaH. 
toq yuQ, ‘ach ‘Itlhbe’ nganpu’. toplIn 
lutlhIlbe’. Soj SuqmeH, Sung Du’mey weH negh, ‘ach roD roghvaH lubuSHa’ novpu’.

rInpu' wa’ may’. DaHjaj Qaplaw’ta’ 
romuluSnganpu’. che’ronvo’ yIttaH tlhIngan loD 
rIQ. Doy’chu’. jolmeH QuvDaq yItlaHpa’ leSnIS. 
qachHom tu’DI’ ’el. qachHomDaq Sung be’ mer. 
qulDaj retlhDaq joDtaH Sung. Soj vutlaw’lI'. 
lojmIt waQmo’ tlhIngan, Haw’laHbe’. tlhIngan bej.

ghu’ qel tlhIngan. nIteb Sung HoHlaHba’, ‘ach 
‘oy’ Hoch SomrawDaj. ‘utbe’chugh vangqangbe’ 
SuvwI’. be’ ghIj qabDaj ‘e’ loS tlhIngan.

tlhIngan Hol Hoj jatlhchoH Sung. jatlh <choHoH’a’?>

tlhIngan mer SoQDaj. jot ghogh ‘ej tlhIbHa’ Hol. 
qoy’be’. jatlh SuvwI’ <choboQbe’chugh vaj 
bIHegh.> buQ ‘e’ Hech ‘ach Doy’qu’mo’ ngaDHa’ ghoghDaj.

mu’tlhegh qel be’. mISlaw’. jatlh <qaboQchugh vaj choHoHbe’’a’?>

jach SuvwI’ <baQa’! maSutlhbe’ jay’> jatlh. <chaq qaHoH, chaq qaHoHbe’.>

Sung lughIjbe’law’ mu’mey. <De’ ‘oHbe’. 
bI’elpu'DI’ choHoH pagh choHoHbe’ ‘e’ vISov.> 
jatlh. ‘unvo’ yuvtlhe’ pep ‘ej Soj nuD. Soj 
larghlaHmo’ tlhIngan tlhoS QublaHbe’. <bIghung’a’?> jatlh be’. <jISoprup.>

ngugh be’ HoH neHchoH tlhIngan. nuQ. ghungqu’ 
tlhIngan ‘a be’ QIp tlhochnIS. <jIghungbe’> jatlh.

<jIghung jIH> jatlh be’. qul DopDaq ‘un nechmoH. 
‘un bIS’ubDaq ngawDeqDaj tey. ghaH retlhvo’ 
jengva’ Suq. ‘unvo’ jengva’ tebchoH. buy’chu’DI’ 
jengva’, ‘unDaq yuvtlhe’ lanqa’ ‘ej quSHomDaq 
ba’choH. qIvDu’DajDaq jengva’ lan. jatlh <chaq 
SoHvaD ‘eybe’ Sojmaj, ‘ach DaSopchugh DuHoSmoH>.

<HughlIj vISIjchugh ghaytan Soj ‘eymoH ‘IwlIj> 
jatlh tlhIngan. HoHmeH yap HoSDaj. taj lelchoH, be’ ghoStaHvIS.

HughDaj So’meH be’ wa’ ghop lo’. <lIHoHta’DI’ lISop’a’ romuluSngan?> jatlh.

HoSDaj lunatlh mu’mey. jaghchaj Sop’a’ 
romuluSngan? Sovbe’ tlhIngan ‘ach SomrawDu’ 
pujmoH qech. taj chagh. Dejbe’meH QIt torchoH. 
puj ‘e’ leghlaHmo’ be’ QeHqu’ tlhIngan, ‘ach 
SomrawDaj ra’meH yab, tlhoy Doy’ yab. ratlhbogh 
HoS natlh QeH. tortaH ‘ej tlhuH neH.


qIvDu’Dajvo’ tlhIngan qIvDu’Daq jengva’ buy' Qay 
be’. vangbe’ tlhIngan. tlhIngan poghmey 
lupe’lu’chu’bogh legh be’. Dat lam ‘Iw je tu’lu’. 
romuluSngan ‘Iw ‘oHbe’. poS ghopDaq tlhoS cha’ 
nItlhDu’ luchevlu’pu'. nIH ghop ngejlu’law’. <yIleS> jatlh be’. <qaQorgh>.

nItlhDu’DajDaq Soj woH be’. tlhIngan nujDaq Soj 
lan. tuHchu’ tlhIngan. ghaH nuS chay’ ‘e’ ngIl 
be’vam? HoSqa’DI’, be' HoHta’DI’ HoH’eghnIS tlhIngan..

yIvchoH tlhIngan. ngugh Soj ‘ey law’ bortaS ‘ey puS.

vulchoH tlhIngan ‘ej Dej. ravDaq chuS nuHmeyDaj SutDaj je ‘ach luvemmoHbe’.

cha’ ­ jajlo’

QIt vem tlhIngan. ‘oy’ porghDaj naQ. Soj 
larghlaH. ghungqu’. QongDaqHeyDaq Qot. ghaH 
‘emDaq ghoghmey nov Qoy. QongDaqDaq tlhe’'eghDI’, 
tamchoH ghoghmey. mInDu’Daj poSmoH. SaH cha’ nuv: Sung be’, ‘anDorngan loD je.

SIbI’ chol be’. QongDaq retlhDaq Qam ‘ej tlhIngan 
bej. jatlh <Hagh qoHpu’ neH HeghtaHvIS 
SuvwI’pu’>. Qaghbe’meH yeplaw’. vIHbe’ be’.

wa’Hu’ ram wanI’mey qawchoH tlhIngan. ba’choH. 
ghopDu’DajDaq Sev lutu’lu’. Sung nIvnav tuQtaH. 
Say’ DIrDaj. Say’ jIbDaj’e’ jay’. QongtaHvIS tuHmoHtaH be’vam maw’.

QamtaH be’. qa’meH vIttlheghDaj jatlhta’mo’ 
loSlI'. ... qa’meH vIttlhegh. tuHmoHmo’ QoS’a’? 
vaqqa’’a’? qa’meH vIttlhegh lajchugh, 
tuHqa’moH’a’? wIvmey qel tlhIngan. jottaH be’. 
pa’ reDDaq QamtaH loD. bItlaw’ ghaH. be’vaD jatlh 
tlhIngan <bIHeghvIpbe’>. choHbe’law’ be’ yInroH, 
‘a ghup loD. wuq tlhIngan. jatlh <jIghung. DaH Soj HIqem>.

leSchoH ‘anDorngan. quSDaq ba’choH ‘ej loQ joq 
ghopDu’Daj. nom tlhe'’egh be’ ‘ej tlhInganvaD 
jengva’ qem. jengva’Daq ghab jav QImmey je 
lujablu’. QongDaqDaq jengva’ lan be’ ghIq QongDaq 
retlhvo’ tlhIngan taj woH ‘ej jengva’Daq lan. 
ghopDu’Daj nuD tlhIngan. Sevmey Hot ‘ej nItlhDu’ 
togh. SaH Hoch. HotlaH Hoch. ‘oy’qu’. ghopDu’Daj 
luQIDqu'lu’pu’mo’ Qatlh SopmeH Qu’, ‘ach boQ be’ ‘e’ nIDqa'be’. bejbe’.

‘anDornganvaD jengva’ qem be', ej ghaH retlhDaq 
ba’choH. SopchoHDI’ ‘anDorngan, ghov tlhIngan. 
Duj toy’wI’’a’ ghaHpu'. melqor ‘oH pongDaj’e’. 
wa’ ben ngaq raQ luweHtaHvIS romuluSngan, 
toy’wI’’a’pu’ jonta'. toy’wI’’a’ matlh ghaH. 
tojbe’. motlh toywI’ QIv moj ‘anDornganpu’, ‘ach 
toy'wI''a' ghaH je melqor SoS'e'. toy'meH boghpu' 
melqor.  toH. melqormo’ tlhIngan Hol jalthchu’ be’.

SoptaHvIS ‘anDorngan, qevpobDaj yach be’ ‘ej 
jawtaH. Sung Hol lujatlh. yajbe’ tlhIngan, ‘ach qIDlaw’ be’. mon ‘ej loQ Hagh.

QamchoH be’ ‘ej bIQ bal’a’ woH. lojmIt poSmoH ‘ej vegh.

mejta’DI’, ‘anDornganvaD jatlh tlhIngan. <QIp’a’ pagh yoHqu’’a’?>

mon ‘anDorngan <yoHqu’ ‘ej valqu’ ‘ej ‘IHqu’ ‘ej loQ maw’>.

Hagh tlhIngan. jatlh. <DaSawta’’a’?>

jatlh ‘anDorngan. <HISlaH>

jatlh tlhIngan <qaHoy’. nItlhabmoHpu'’a’ romuluSngan?>

jatlh ‘anDorngan <ghobe’. jInarghmeH wa’ vIHoHta'.>

jatlh tlhIngan <maj. DaHoHpu'mo’ qatlhabmoH. DaH QImmeyvetlh HInob>

tlhInganvaD QImmey qem ‘anDorngan. QIm woH 
tlhIngan. tochDajDaq ‘uch. pel’aQ ghormeH Ho’Du’ 
lo’, ghIq pel’aQvo’ QIm tlhutlh.

chegh be’, bal’a’ ‘ugh qengtaHvIS. jatlh <naDev 
nInejbe’ romuluSngan ngIvwI'pu'. bIratlh 
DaneHchugh vaj mebma’ SoHbej.> yotlh lughoS be’ ‘anDorngan je. wIjwI’ chaH.

leS tlhIngan. Dargh wIb tlhutlh. mejrupchoH. HIp 
tuQmoH. nuHmey woH. lojmIt vegh.

mej ‘e’ legh be’, pochtaHvIS. <romuluSngan law’ tIHoH> jatlh.

qolmeH QuvDaq chegh tlhIngan ‘ej beq tlhejqa’.

loS waQ Dup chu’ wIv ra’ghomquv. yuQvamDaq ghor 
QaS lo’be'choH. romuluSnganpu’ SangmeH nuHmey HoS lo’choH.

wej ­ wa’ nem

wa’ nem tepqengwI’Daq paw Hung QaS chu’. 
ramvetlh, tachDaq ghom. mangHom chaH HochHom’e’. 
not may’mey SIQpu', vaj mIymeH nep.

<romuluSngan boSuvpu’’a’? qu’!>

<jeylaH SuvwI’ nIv. wa’logh, loS vIHoHta' qaStaHvIS wa’ tup!>

<ngeD Qu’! romuluSngan vIHoHmeH wa' nItlh neH vIpoQ. qatlh vagh DaHoHbe’?>

<romuluSngan la’ be’nal vIqeylI’mo’ ratlh loS nItlhDu’ neH>

‘IjtaHvIS wa’ mang Qup, mon, ‘ach jeSbe’. poSDaj 
retlhDaq ba’choH ra’wI’. mon ra’wI’. jatlh <romuluSngan DaHoHbe’’a’?>

<vIHoHta’ ‘ach Qujchaj rurbe’ Qu’. DaSIqchugh, 
chaq not bISIqqa’. nIv betleH. nIvqu’ nISwI’ beH>

<qatlh DujlIj DatlheDpu'?>

<vIQaylu’pu'. qaSpu’DI’ cha’maH chorgh jar, 
nawloghwIjvaD ratlh jIH neH. latlhpu’ HoHpu’ rop romuluSngan je>

<qewwI’lIj chevpu'’a’ romuluSngan?>

HIvje’ ‘uchbogh ghopDaj bejchoH mang. <may’ 
vIqawchu’be’. qaStaHvIS wej jaj ngemDaq 
romuluSngan DISuvtaH. rInpu'DI’ may’ tlhoS poS 
qewwI’ qaywI’ je luchevlu’pu'. ropyaHDaq qaywI’ 
lutI’ta', ‘ach ngImchoHpu' qewwI’>

<Sogh vIpoQ. wa’leS SoH qanum. nuq ‘oH ponglIj’e’?>

<qoreQ, qaH.>
----
One - after a battle

Romulan troops and Klingon troops occupy a small 
planet. As they both want to control the 
resources, fighting continues for two years. The 
planet is inhabited, but the inhabitants are not 
advanced. They do not mine the 
topaline.   Soldiers raid the native arms for 
food but generally the aliens ignore the natives.

One battle has ended. Today it would seem that 
the Romulans have triumphed. An injured Klingon 
man is walking from the battlefield. He is 
exhausted. He needs to rest before he can walk to 
the beam up coordinates. When he finds a hut he 
goes in. Inside he surprises a native woman. The 
native is stooping beside her fire. She seems to 
be preparing food. As the Klingon blocks her 
door, she cannot flee. She watches the Klingon.

The Klingon considers the situation. He can 
obviously kill the native unaided, but all his 
muscles hurt. He's not willing to do what's not 
necessary. The Klingon waits for his face to scare the woman.

The native starts to speak Klingon. She says, "Are you going to kill me?"

Her speech surprises the Klingon. The voice is 
calm and competent. She does not beg. The warrior 
says, "If you do not assist me, you die." He 
intends to threaten, but because he is so tired his voice is unstable.

The woman considers the sentence. She seems 
confused. She says, "If I assist you, then you won't kill me?"

The warrior cries out, "Shit! We're not fucking 
negotiating," he says. "Maybe I'll kill you, maybe I won't."

The words didn't seem to scare the native. 
"That's not information. When you entered I knew 
that either you would kill me or you wouldn't," 
she said. She raised the lid of the pot and 
examined the food. The Klingon almost couldn't 
think, because he could smell the food. "Are you 
hungry?" said the woman. "I am ready to eat."

Now the Klingon starts to want to kill the woman. 
The Klingon is very hungry but he needs to 
contradict the woman. "I'm not hungry," he says.

"I'm hungry," says the woman. She moves the pot 
sideways beside the fire. She scrapes the bottom 
with a stirring stick, gets a plate from beside 
herself, and starts to fill the plate from the 
pot. When the plate is completely full she puts 
the lid back on the pot and sits on a stool. She 
places the plate on her knees. She says, "Perhaps 
our food is not tasty to you, but it will strengthen you if you eat it."

"If I slit your throat your blood will probably 
make the food tasty," says the Klingon. His 
strength is sufficient to kill her. He starts to 
draw a knife, proceding towards the woman.

The woman uses one hand to hide her throat. "Do 
the Romulans eat you when they kill you?" she says.

The words sap his strength.. Do Romulans eat 
their enemies? The Klingon doesn't know, but the 
idea weakens his muscles. He drops the knife. In 
order not to collapse he slowly kneels. The 
Klingon is very angry that the woman can see that 
he is weak, but his mind is too tired to command 
his muscles. Anger has consumed his remaining 
strength. He kneels and just tries to breathe.

The woman transfers the full plate from her knees 
to the Klingon's. The Klingon takes no action. 
The woman sees the Klingon's cut up gloves. There 
is filth and blood everywhere. It's not Romulan 
blood. On the left hand two fingers have been 
severed almost. The right hand appears infected. 
"Relax," says the woman. "I will take care of you."

The woman picks up food in her fingers. She 
places it in the Klingon's mouth. The Klingon is 
utterly ashamed. How does this woman dare to 
ridicule him? When he is strong again, the 
Klingon wil need to kill himself once he has killed the woman.

The Klingon starts to chew. At this moment food is sweeter than revenge.

The Klingon loses consciousness and collapses. 
His weapons and clothes are noisy on the floor but they don't wake him up.

Two - dawn

The Klingon awakens slowly. His whole body aches. 
He can smell food. He is ravenous. He's lying on 
some sort of bed. Behind him he can hear alien 
voices. When he turns over on the bed, the voices 
become quiet. He opens his eyes. There are two 
people: the native woman and an Andorian man.

The woman immediately approaches. She stands 
beside the bed and watches the Klingon. She says, 
"Only fools laugh while warriors die." She seems 
to be careful not to make an error. The woman doesn't move.

The Klingon remembered last night's events. He 
sits up. There are bandages on his hands. He is 
wearing alien pajamas. His skin is clean. His 
fucking *hair* is clean. This crazy woman 
continued to shame him while he slept.

The woman is still standing. She is waiting 
expectantly because she has said a replacement 
proverb. Is she sorry for shaming him? Does she 
mock him? If he accepts the replacement proverb 
will she do it again? The Klingon considers his 
options. The woman remains calm. The man is 
standing by the wall. He seems nervous. The 
Klingon says to the woman, "You are not afraid to 
die." The woman doesn't seem to flinch, but the 
man swallows. The Klingon makes a decision. He 
says, "I'm hungry. Bring me food now."

The Andorian starts to relax. He sits in a chair 
and his hands shake a little. The woman turns 
quickly and brings a plate for the Klingon. 
There's a chunk of the midsection of an animal 
and six eggs. The woman places the plate on the 
bed and then picks up the Klingon's knife from 
the side of the bed and puts it on the plate. The 
Klingon examines his hands. He touches the 
bandages and counts his fingers. Thet are all 
present. They can all touch. They hurt a lot. 
It's hard to eat with such badly injured hands, 
but the woman doesn't try to help again. She doesn't watch.

The woman brings a plate for the Andorian, and 
sits beside him. As the Andorian starts to eat, 
the Klingon recognizes him. He was a ship slave. 
His name is melqor. A year ago while raiding a 
support camp, Romulans captured the slaves. He 
was a loyal slave. He didn't trick. Usually 
Andorians made inferior slaves but melqor's 
mother was a slave too. melqor had been born to 
be a slave. So, the woman was fluent in Klingon because of melqor.

While the Andorian eats, the woman strokes his 
cheek and chats. They speak the native language. 
The Klingon doesn't understand, but the woman 
seems to joke. She smiles and laughs a bit.

The woman stands up up and picks up a water 
vessel. She opens the door and goes through.

Once she has left, the Klingon says to the 
Andorian, "Is she stupid or very brave?"

The Andorian smiles. "She is very brave, and very 
smart, and very beautiful and a little bit crazy."

The Klingon laughs. He says, "Did you marry her?"

The Andorian says, "Yes."

The Klingon says, "Congratualtions. Did the Romulans set you free."

The Andorian says, "No. I killed one in order to escape."

The Klingon says, "Well done. I set you free for 
killing them. Now give me those eggs."

The Andorian brings the eggs to the Klingon. The 
Klingon picks up an egg. He holds it in his palm. 
He uses his teeth to break the shell and then drinks the egg out of the shell.

The woman returns, carrying the heavy water 
vessel. She says, "The Romulan patrols won't look 
for you here. If you wish to stay, then you are 
indeed our guest." The woman and and the man go 
out to the field. They are farmers.

The Klingon relaxes. He drinks sour tea. He 
becomes ready to leave. He puts on his uniform, 
picks up his weapons and goes through the door.

The woman sees him leave, while she is planting. 
"Kill many Romulans," she says.

The Klingon goes to the beam-up coordinates and rejoins his crew.

Four months from now, the High Command will 
choose a new strategy. They will stop using 
ground troops on this planet and start 
obliterating the Romulans with energy weapons.

Three- A Year Later

A year later new security troops arrive on a 
freighter. That night in the bar they meet up. 
Most are cadets, never experienced battle, so in order to brag, they lie.

"You've fought Romulans? Right on!"

"A superior warrior can defeat them. Once I killed four in a minute."

"Easy! I only need one finger to kill a Romulan. Why didn't you kill five?"

"Seeing as I was in the process of using my 
middle finger on the Romulan commander's wife I only had four left."

One young soldier smiled as he listened but 
didn't participate. The commander sat down to his 
left. The commander smiled. He said. "You don't kill Romulans?"

"I have killed them, but it's not like their 
game. If you point at one, perhaps you will never 
point again. A betleH is superior. A disruptor rifle is best."

"Why did you leave your ship?"

"I was transferred. After twenty-eight months I 
was the only one left in my squadron. Romulans 
and disease had killed the others."

"Did a Romulan cut off your ring finger?"

The soldier glances at the hand holding the 
tankard. "I don't remember the battle clearly. We 
were fighting Romulans in the woods for three 
days straight. When the battle was over my left 
middle finger and ring finger were practically 
severed. They mended the second finger in 
sickbay, but the third one turned putrid."

"I need a liutenant. I'll promote you tomorrow, What's your name?"

"qoreQ, sir."
---
It was really cool to read a story when I didn't 
know what was going to happen next -- and I 
didn't have to figure it out for myself, 
either.  I'm confused about where the tepqengwI' 
deposited qoreQ and his less experienced 
companions. I'm curious about this commander who 
is so hard up for officers that he ventures into 
the bar to promote the least idiotic of the 
fresh-off-the-boat recruits. Must be a remote 
colony. And what does it have to do with 
prefixes? Is this some kind of illness, this need to write stories?

- Qov