Fun with Klingons

Enterprise has encountered many life forms as she glided past stars, quasars, planets, and asteroids. She has met and encountered other ships, some good, some bad; the Andorian Annessa was one such ship. She had her blue skin, long white hair and antennae; she wielded her staff with a sharp blade at the tip. Prise got along with her; they even helped each out other from time to time. Then there were those sneaky Orions: Vana wore almost nothing; she considered herself seductive and always spoke in double entendres. She wore a belt adorned with a set of blades. You could never tell which side she was on: Vana would flip on you if someone offered her a better bargain. Prise had to watch her constantly; she wasn't loyal to anything but sex and trafficking. Then there were the Vulcans: they were honest, dependable, and emotionless. T'Spa reputation alone would often deter enemies from engaging her in combat. T'Spa was a great warrior/ship because she was Vulcan and used logic when she fought. She would tell me it was because she followed the Way of Surak.

Then Prise watched slowly Intrepid turn Vulcan; it was a sight to see, she became part of the Way of Surak. primarily manned by all Vulcans. But Intrepid was a great warrior for centuries, her name had been synonymous with power; it was a shock to see her humbled. Intrepid was destroyed by slow eating monster, she would be missed.*

But nothing irked Prise more than the Klingons; they were oafish, selfish, and arrogant. When Enterprise encountered her first Klingon, it was an experience she would never forget. Kaymer was boisterous and unapologetic; Prise couldn't stand her. Kaymer wore battle armor complete with breastplate, and sported a ridged forehead and sharp teeth. She had dark, nearly charcoal skin and bushy brows. She carried a bat'leth blade in a two-handed grip, and she presented herself as proud and unafraid.

One thing Prise learned in her first encounter with Klingons was that Kaymer talked a lot; as a matter of fact, she talked so much it almost put Prise to sleep. That was her first mistake.

"Earthling, what are you doing here?! Get out of my space!" Kaymer snarled.

Prise just stared at her with her staff in hand.

"You think you're better than me because you're part of the Federation? Our Empire can take you and the Federation. We fight with honor; your death will bring me more honor."

Prise started to wrap up her gown into knots on the sides, exposing her muscular legs.

"I don't fear you, Earthling."

Enterprise continued to stand in silence.

"I will take you and your sisters down!"

"Okay," Prise said nonchalantly

"We Klingons take what we want-and we want this planet."

"Okay."

Kaymer kept spitting out threats.

"When I kill you, Earthling, it will be swift!"

Prise realized that Kaymer's spiel was a stall tactic; she quickly scanned the area and saw a shadow in the distance. Prise repositioned herself just in time to barely avoid a disruptor beam from another Klingon sister. Prise raised her shield to deflect it, firing her staff and then throwing herself into a shoulder roll. She sprung to her feet and took aim at Kaymer, who threw her blade in Prise's direction. Prise deflected the blade and returned fire, but she was firing from a bad angle and missed her shot. She moved forward and to her left to avoid another disruptor blast from the second sister. Kaymer was now unarmed since she had thrown her blade at Prise. Kaymer raced to retrieve her blade, her failed attempt to counter attack was miscalculated, she picked up her blade and charged with a battle cry towards Prise.

Prise charged the other Klingon sister first in an attempt to get the upper hand, the two warriors faced off and began fighting hand to hand; Prise was able to knock down the other sister, with the weapon dropping. Then Prise picked up her staff, she was able to maneuver towards Kaymer before she could swing her blade and strike her in the chest. Kaymer involuntarily yelped, stumbling back from the assault, but found Prise's staff pointed at her throat. Prise turned slightly toward the other sister, daring her to charge.

"I will take her life; back off now!"

Prise heard a growl from the other sister.

"Peace, Marak! There will be other opportunities with this one," Kaymer hissed.

"Yes, I can see we will meet again, Klingon, but today is not the day!" Prise snarled with venom in her eyes. She was mad at herself for letting her guard down. Prise belatedly remembered Lexi's warning about how sneaky the Klingons could be.

The second Klingon backed off to save her sister, and Prise slowly let Kaymer get up and walk toward the other.

The two women stood next to each other, attempting to stare down Enterprise.

"We will meet again, Earthling."

"I'm sure we will, but not today!" Prise settled into a battle stance, at the ready.

Marak and Kaymer backed off and warped out of her presence.

**Enterprise had to leave and get help; she had surmised that the next time she encountered them, there would be more than just two Klingons. The call went out for reinforcements to protect a civilization that was basically just a bunch of sheepherders. Kirk and Spock were down there on the planet, trying to uphold the Federation principles of freedom. There was nothing she could do to help when a company of Klingon troops with little regard for humanoids was already down there.

One solar day later, the Exeter, Lexington, Hood, Excalibur, and Enterprise were en route to intercept the Klingons. Prise gave them her version of her encounter with the Klingons.

"You were right, Lexi. They are sneaky when they attack. They don't come straight at you like most enemies."

"I'm glad you realized that before it was too late, Prise. That knowledge will serve you well in the future."

"I noticed that they do a lot of talking about their pride," Prise said.

"I noticed that too, but that's their downfall; they talk too damn much-it's boring."

When the Starfleet sisters met at the appointed place, the Klingon sisters were waiting, with Kaymer in the lead. This time she didn't carry her blade, but wielded a disruptor instead. The Starfleet sisters took their positions as planned, with Prise in the lead.

It was a standoff, with each one waiting for the other to take the first shot. The first shot would lead to war. The Klingon sisters snarled and Kaymer spoke first:
"Looks like the pale Earthlings have returned. Are you ready to fight to the death or run?"

"The last time we met, I had a spear at your throat. It was you who feared death; you pleaded like a child to your sister! Prise taunted. Hood and Exeter laughed.

The remark hit home and made Kaymer's purple blood boil. Being accused of cowardice was the gravest insult in the Klingon culture. She aimed her disruptor at Prise.

"Stand down, sister!" Marak snapped.

"NO! She is spouting lies against me!" Kaymer snarled. Suddenly her weapon became too hot to hold and she dropped it, gasping her hand in shock. Kaymer turned to her sisters, only to see them drop their weapons as well.

Prise's shield and staff became too hot to bear and she dropped them too.
"OUCH!"

Her Starfleet sisters also dropped their weapons.

"What is happening to our weapons?" Lexington asked.

A white ball of energy formed between the Starfleet sisters and the Klingon sisters. A voice came from the ball:

"My name is Ayelborne. I have interfered in your war against each other. We were once beings like yourselves. We have reached out beyond the stars to find peace among other races and planets. For thousands of years, you have been used as the instruments of war, but I-or we-will demonstrate the instrument of peace. You were created for peace, and you shall be used for peace."

Kaymer snapped at the voice: "How dare you? What gives you the right!"

Ayelborne calmly replied, "Can you use your weapons? No; I have prevented that."

"I was always used for war. How can I stop now? It's my life!" Prise argued.

"You will learn to be used for peace; in time, you will learn."

Ayelborne disappeared.

Prise turned to her sisters in confusion; they did not comprehend what had happened either. For centuries, the fleet had been used for battle; to strive for peace was unheard of. Prise and all her sisters had always been fighters. The new concept Ayelborne advocated was foreign to them. Prise turned to her sisters:
"It is time to go; we have a lot to ponder."

"I don't understand, Prise. What did he mean, 'In time, you will learn'?" Hood asked.

"I don't know. I don't know," Prise answered, shaking her head.

They all turned to head home, but they couldn't take their weapons-they were still too hot to handle.

The Klingon sisters left as well; they were even more confused than the Starfleet sisters about what the alien being had said. "Can we live in peace with them? Impossible."

"Yes, hissed Kaymer : "Impossible! I had those Starfleet sisters! One day there be a reckoning."

Days later, Enterprise sat in her chaise, her mind still perplexed over the word 'peace'. Over the centuries, it seemed to her that peace was something mankind desired, but it was always temporary. Prise placed her two forefingers together and wondered what would bring her own peace, the peace of knowing that all her sisters survived.