Quick note:

Word Pronounciations

Balizsar- BA-li-zar

Vagrant- Vay-grant

Spika- Sp-Ick-a

Chapter 3: Extermination Ritual

"Chekov.." Kirk muttered and looked up into the faceless expression of the Guardian..his voice quivering in pain. "Why must I see this, Guardian...is this one of your torturous ways, letting a captain watch one of his crew members be killed?"

The Guardian just looked away jabbing the back of his scythe into Kirk's spine leading him downward towards the cheering crowds. Kirk kept an eye out for the young officer and the sharpened steel that was dangling up above in the air. Chekov's eyes were wide and he tried to shout to the Guardians to stop but the cheering overpowered the sound. When they descended to the ground level Kirk gave another plea to the Guardian.

"Please, I beg of you...let him go." Kirk prayed, the Guardian simply ignored him and looked towards the guillotine where Chekov was going to be murdered, beheaded and die.

"Sir...I didn't do anything wrong, I was only following the orders from my captain." Chekov tried to consult with the guardian who was in charge of the guillotine.

"Filthy vagrant! They're all the same!" the Guardian hissed coldly in the other language whacking his scythe against the guillotine. Chekov didn't seem to hear the guardian and flinched as the scythe bumped it.

Suddenly the threats and cheers from the crowd deceased and a gong sounded the presence of three men on the podium.

"All rise for the ruler of the Republic and his court!" a man announced, The crowds stood up to see a man with beady green eyes wearing a black robe with a yellow collar, the sultan seemed to raise his hands and nod, the other two men had the same black robes except one wore a blue collar and the other a green collar.

"Be seated." the blue collar said as the sultan sat down in the throne of the podium.

"Well my fellow Balizsars...before our Extermination ritual begins, we must report that new vagrants have invaded our fair planet." the chief declared. "And we have the pleasure to see them suffer under the intense heat and confusion of our ways."

"Death to vagrants! Kill them all!" the crowds chanted wildly.

"Yes, yes in a moment we will get to the fun..." the chief laughed and motioned towards Chekov. "We caught this one meddling in the magma stockpiles searching for our magic implements, our materials for shelter, food and drink. The Vagrant leader sent more of them...to stop our ways, to bring a black magic to our peaceful planet. So arise my children and join us in the great pleasure of the Extermination ritual!"

"YOU HEARD WHAT HE SAID KILL HIM!" a guardian shouted towards the guillotine and as if the guillotine had heard him the blade dropped.

"STOP!" Kirk yelled running from behind the guardian, the guillotine somehow heard him and stopped and floated in thin air again. The crowds gasped..the chief and his court fell silent and Chekov kept his eyes closed fearing the blade would fall again.

"What is the meaning of this?" the blue collard man asked. "How come that vagrant was able to stop the guillotine?"

"I am James T Kirk, captain of the SS Enterprise, I won't allow you to kill an innocent officer like that. I understand your tongue so I beg of you to leave my shipmates alone." Kirk bid, "We are stranded here and don't mean any harm to your peoples, let us find the parts of our vessel and we will leave."

"Oh Captain Kirk...I don't think we allow vagrants to scurry around our quarters looking for these parts of yours. We Balizsars can see right through you vagrants, you wield dark magic that is prophesied to destroy our civilization." the chief replied as the crowds started to boo.

"We do not wield any magic!" Kirk replied fiercely.

"Then how come you know the Tongue of the Snake Skinned?" the chief demanded.

"Snake Skinned?" Kirk muttered.

"I've had enough, Kill them both!" the chief snapped.

Suddenly the guillotine's blade swiftly charged towards Chekov's head. As it did so one of the guardians pulled out a small remote like device and after a final blood curdling scream from Chekov, the officer's head fell off the guillotine's flat bed and into a basket. Kirk's heart fell flat as he heard the chilling screams of joy the Balizsars made as the guardians circled the lifeless beheaded body and chanted.

One of the guardians put a hand on Kirk's shoulder. Kirk looked up at the faceless being and saw a smile behind the mask of the guardian.

"You know 'friend' right?" the guardian whispered in a woman's voice.

Kirk shortly recognized the woman's voice, but couldn't believe what he heard. The guardian took the small remote device from her pocket and pointed it at the captain. A jolt of electricity sparked through his body having a tingling sensation had the same tantalizing perceptions of being transported to another ship.

As the effect worn off Kirk seemed to materialized he thought he would be on a passing ship, but found himself to be in some sort of cave. Another beam of light appeared beside him to show the small ten year old child next to him. The girl smiled as she heard a voice come through the clearing.

"Vaga...silly girl where did you run off to?" a man with a red star ship uniform asked (in English) kneeling down with his arms wide open, the girl ran off and hugged the man. "Don't do that again Vaga I was so worried about you!"

The man continued to talk to Vaga like a faithful owner to his dog and kept ignoring Kirk, who was still trying to overcome the painful visions of Chekov's death. Another person wearing a blue uniform entered the room and saw Vaga with the man who was now patting the little girl's head.

"Timmins! Didn't Spika tell you not to treat Vaga like a ten year old? You don't want the intelligence speech again." the blue uniformed man said.

"Sorry Charlie, I haven't seen my children in so long. I can't help my fatherly nature Vaga is like a daughter to me." Timmins answered.

"I know. Everyone misses their family, I can't stand being here another day!" Charlie remarked irritated.

"I see you've freed another outcast Miss Vaga." a woman said entering the room, her eyes fixed on Kirk. Kirk had a very peculiar suspicion as he saw the woman who seemed to be an exact female version of Spock.

" Commander Spika," Charlie said kneeling down in a sign of respect. The Vulcan woman's piercing glare penetrated the Captain's thoughts. "We were.."

"No need to explain Malone." the Vulcan said and turned towards the other man. "I know you're heart rules your head Timmins, and I know you miss your family..we all do."

"Greetings, I am Spika.. captain of the Aquila Interceptor."

Thanks for the reviews all who wrote in..hope some more drop off after this chapter, and don't worry more information will be revealed next chapter..live long and prosper.

PF22