Star Trek Hunter
Episode 27: The Sword of Destiny
Scene 18: 'Iw
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27.18
'Iw*
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An odd chuckling sound filled the early pre-dawn darkness of the Carolyn Kirk Saavik Wildlife Preserve and Cultural Heritage Site located on the large central island of the Soda Toer Archipeligo on the federation colony of Rising Sun. Hundreds of voices - thousands of voices - were chuckling mirthlessly.
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The sound grew in intensity under a glorious sunrise, the reliability of which had given the planet its name. Thousands of humans and romulans were kneeling in the fields. They had fallen to one knee after having stepped into chucklehorn burrows. The romulans were in uniform as were the majority of the humans - members of the 101st United Earth Marines who had taken to calling themselves "Sauron's Orcs." A few other humans were in civilian clothing but wore caps bearing the initials RSR (Rising Sun Rangers).
These warriors were dead, but their bodies continued to fight for air - air that could now only be used for chuckling. Their mouths and eyes were open wide - their faces frozen into manic expressions as their bodies were wracked with spasms, causing them to make a loud, chuckling sound for which the tiny, indiginous herbivores that had poisoned them were named.
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Klingon ground forces had compelled a small number of andorians to walk across these fields as well, but, being light and agile, most of the andorians managed to avoid the hidden lairs, only to face a line of klingon warriors at the other edge of the field. Only a small number of humans and almost none of the romulans made it through this deadly gauntlet. Each had been provided a single, bladed weapon of their choice but after having been kept prisoner for weeks, the stress of crossing a mile of deadly terrain and seeing their comrades meet a horrifying fate, there was little fight left in them. Planetary Governor Mor'rgoth had restricted the weapons available to the klingon warriors who were waiting to engage these few survivors - they were only to use a d'k tagh or other sort of knife in order to make the fights more interesting for him to watch.
Colonial Nancy Hope, General Hokitha and a small number of nikamsitiri watched this carnage helplessley, chained to peytons that had been driven into the rock foundation of the ancient, pentagonal, open-air shelter that still served as Governor Mor'rgoth's headquarters. The nikamsitiri were restrained by their necks and feet, their wings bound to their sides.
Mor'rgoth was in an uncharacteristicly good mood, urging the allied humans, andorians and romulans across the field. "Do not delay! Every 13.5 of your minutes that go by I will kill another of your flying petaqs!" He made good on this threat with a massive battle ax, embedding it into the chest of one giant bird after another. It was a fatal wound designed to provide a long, agonizing death.
The klingon planetary governor turned to the largest bird. "But worry not, wing leader - or whatever you call yourself. You I will not kill. You I will…"
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Governor Mor'rgoth was taken by surprise as the bird easily snapped free of its chains and in a fluid lunge siezed the governor's head in its beak, in a single motion biting and twisting the planetary governor's head off and spitting it out. This gruesome missile bounced and landed a few feet away from his newly decapitated corpse.
Several nearby klingons advanced, weapons raised.
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"STOP!"
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General LariS's voice was sufficient to prevent a retaliatory attack. For the moment, the nikamsitiri wing leader remained still.
"Stay put!" LariS said to the bird, then stepped forward to the line where the combined romulan, human and andorian fighters were bieng slaughtered. "ENOUGH! Let them through!" She turned to the fighters. "Drop your weapons. This fight is over. Colonial Koth, corrall and care for the prisoners." She gestured toward the thousands of animated, chuckling corpses. "And clean that up."
A number of klingons milled about the former governor's newly decapitated body and others around his severed head in confusion. LariS turned quickly and walked toward them.
"Do not lift your voices for him," LariS said to them. "Mor'rgoth was our greatest general, but he will not be joining the honored dead in Stovokor. His heart was green with corruption. He did not fight for honor. He fought for the love of causing pain."
LariS stepped in front of her prisoners, turned to face the klingon soldiers who were starting to gather. "I am taking Mor'rgoth's place as planetary governor. General Keqi'S, you are promoted to Adjutent General. You will serve as my adjutent. Your first order is to secure all of our prisoners, planetwide, and ensure they are treated according to the requirements of the Khitomer Accords."
"Gener… Governor LariS, the Khitomer Accords have been broken," Keqi'S replied.
"Nevertheless, you will obey my order." LariS spoke without anger, but her stern tone and expression made it clear that her orders were not to be questioned.
"Yes, Governor," the newly promoted Adjutent General Keqi'S responded.
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"Understand me," LariS said in a loud voice, "and make others understand. This is my world now and I will have peace on it. If this world is to be held for House Surga as a protectorate of the Empire, we must make these people our people. Prisoners of war are to be held according to the requirements of the Khitomer Accords. Criminals are to be tried according to local customs, but under our supervision."
She turned to the chained Col. Hope and General Hokitha. "General Keqi'S, why are these prisoners still in chains?"
"Karq," said Keqi'S in return. She gestured to a nearby soldier, who, in turn, stepped foward and began the rather intricate process of freeing the two allied leaders from their chains.
"You will order the remainder of your forces to surrender," LariS said to Hokitha. She turned toward Hope. "And you will do the same and advise all resistance fighters to surrender. They can expect fair treatment if they comply. They can expect death and seizure of their families' property if they do not. The fighting continues in orbit, but on the surface of my world, this war is over."
"And the empty shell of General Mor'rgoth?" asked Keqi'S.
"Compost," said LariS. "Let his blood nuture the flowers."
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*'Iw (thlingn Hol - blood)
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27.18
