The talks took place over course of ten nighttimes

the time flowing fast with each cadenced story

each night there was risk of their being discovered

each night they ignored it in favor of reaching

a small new beginning founded in compassion

respect, admiration, clear eyes without clinging

to past hurts and wounds, their preconceived notions

of each other's cultures, their lives, their suffering.

Neither tlhIngan nor Federation knew what would happen

Jim had no grand plan to incite anarchy

that would lead to more war, pain, destabilization

they went there to witness, to listen, to see.

Whatever came next, who knew?

The eleventh day, they wanted to stay longer

but SeplH'ne told them they all must leave

rumors had reached the ears of steel mNoS

warbirds were coming to seal any breach.

"It is likely," she said, "I will be executed

any excuse, real or not, will serve to put me

into the arms of the gripping, shredding mind-ripper

they will discover the truth there easily."

"You knew this would happen." "Yes."

"You knew, and you let us, you asked them to speak."

"There are some things worth dying for, Kirk,

you have done it.

They speak of your death with a terrible grief."

"If you're going to die, then why not come with us?

We can give asylum, there's got to be a way.

I won't leave you here to face death alone

I want you to see those lemon trees someday."

"And what of my children? My son and my daughter?

If I leave, they will be punished for my crimes to pay

on Qo'NoS, there are no outstanding debts, Captain

everything must die. Everyone has their day."

"Then what of the others? Will they be executed also?"

"They all came to speak, knowing full well

the likely outcome of breaking silence of hell.

We are the dead, Spock, of a different degree

your people died swiftly. We live knowing we

in one way or another will die, broken, forgotten

returning to silence of the bloodless ghostly."

"What if we talked to mNoS?" "Do not, Nyota Uhura,

mNoS has no mercy. He will not listen to you

he listens to no other. Only death will relieve

his grip. Do not attempt to kill him, Enterprise.

If you do, tlhIngan honor demands war between us."

"You're asking us to wait." "Wait for the death of mNoS

then open a channel for our worlds to have peace

my tlhIngans here will spread word of your visit

so laying the groundwork for possibilities."

And in the next generation, when tlhIngans joined starships

the officer Worf would claim ancestry

as descending from she who stood, qumwl' of lhedaS

saying before mNoS words that tlhIngans would speak

when taking their oaths to honor their planet,

from SeplH'ne, queen who reigned over the dead and the weak.

"I stand here accused of crimes thus committed—

of speaking to aliens to learn of their ways

of upholding the honor and rights of our species

of living with valor and courage in my day

I stand here accused of treason and murder—

for refusing to torture a peace-seeking race

for refusing to hold trial without justice or honor

for keeping my principles, knowing when not to obey

I stand here accused of living and showing

what is just, what is right, what is wrong, what we pay

to live without freedom and honor forgoing

I stand here to die with my honor this day."