ILLUMINARRPG: (07–1105) tlha'nISta'. Tags Trei/Any.

[Frank Truelove]

Mission:  For Honor
Day: 7
Stardate: 2446.04.30

(Q'onoS — Imperial City — Hall of Warriors — aCSO LT tlha'nISta' — 1105)

Lanista was half-Klingon, but she'd never undergone the Rite of Ascension.
She'd never even held a kor'tova candle, for that matter. Whatever path she
might have trod as a warrior within the Empire was preempted when her
mother died. Rather than making some show of avenging her mother's death,
Lanista instead undertook an endeavor to honor that legacy. In Federation
space. On Vulcan. (And, ultimately, in Starfleet.)

Lani' had undergone the Vulcan Kolinahr. She had failed it more than once,
possibly setting the record for doing so multiple times. In that, she'd
outdone her mother. "Mom" had only attempted (and failed) it once.

Still, while having never passed either test, Lanista saw the Klingon rite
and the Vulcan ritual as basically the same. They both delved the emotional
make-up of the subject. They both determined the path the aspirant would
walk thereafter. They were both, from Lani's perspective, essentially
ultimately trivial and archaic. Having not done one, and having repeatedly
failed the other, did not preempt "the path walked" moving forward.

The half-Vulcan/half-Klingon woman had reflected multiple times on the
similarities between pre-Surak Vulcans and Klingons of any and all eras.
Both species evolved on desert planets. Both races had had violent paths.
Both cultures were dominated, even today, by a central historical figure:
Surak and «qeylIS» ("Kahless"). Lanista maintained that pre-Surak Vulcans
and Klingons couldn't have been that different from each other. She often
imagined first contact between them, if it had occurred pre-Surak. It would
have gone very differently but also gone very well, Lani' thought. If
events had transpired in such a way as to prevent modern Vulcans from
encountering and allying with Humanity, would Starfleet even exist?
Certainly, the initial encounter between Klingons and the
inherently-argumentative Tellarites would have been disastrous…

Having access to a time-pod purloined from Temporal Investigations by
Section 31, Lanista had been tempted occasionally to go an investigate her
theory about an otherwise hypothetical past interaction. It was a chronic
emotional impulse which she always quelled. Her curiosity in the matter did
not, and never would, outweigh the needs of the many. It was a science
experiment best not attempted.

However, while a trip into ancient history was not in Lani's future, the
aCSO of the Illuminar did very much hope that Ariel Trei's Rite of
Ascension would be the beginning of a long and prosperous journey. Trei's
four declarations were indicative of the thought and effort engaged in
beforehand. Each spoke to clear-headed self-awareness.

"'jISaHbe'chugh Qoylu' (After today I no longer fear death).'" This was
eminently logical. To fear death made no sense whatsoever. In terms of the
space-time continuum, one spent far longer periods both before one's birth
and after one's death not alive. Death could be forestalled but not
prevented. Fearing any particular means of death made sense. And of course
an aversion to severe pain was a good survival instinct. But to fear death
itself? That did not make sense.

"'maHajqu'chugh nuvpu'  (I may appear weak but my will soars like a steel
eagle).'" Lanista wondered if 'I may appear weak' wasn't a jab at the
Klingon tendency to assess things in terms of their possible threat and/or
prowess. Was Trei calling them out, in essence saying, as Humans would,
"don't judge a book by its cover" or "judge me by my size, do you?" If so,
that added to reference to a metaphorical steel eagle was potentially
masterful 'shade.' A steel eagle would inevitably put Klingons in mind of
their vaunted Birds-of-Prey! The use of 'soar' as the action verb would
encourage those bearing witness to reflect upon their own glories and
thereby to look forward to Trei's!

"'ghot luHajchugh nuvpu' jIHa''eghrup. (I will fight the devil to get what
I am after).'"  The devil. Lani' surpressed a slight smile. Klingons
claimed to have slain their gods. They simultaneously professed to have no
devil while being acquainted with the habits of that of Human, and while
maintaining a belief in such things as QI'tu, Sto'Vo'Kor, and Gre'thor.
Fek'lhr and Kos'Karii. By escalating metaphor from steel eagles to demons,
Trei must have succeeded in expressing the strength of her convictions.
This was an admirable communication of ambition for one who was to be a
«joH» ("Head-of-House").

"'qochmeywIj vIchopmoHDI', qochmeyvetlh vIDelbogh  (I fear my rage will
rampage out of control.'"  Only this one declaration was something Lanista
did not believe she would herself have said. But then, Lani' had been an
Engineer, and was a Scientist. Engineering and almost all Sciences were
predictable. They were, or could be made to be, under control. However, in
Trei's case, this statement carried forward from the previous three could
be construed as a warning, particularly after a declaration of willingness
if not intent to 'fight the devil.' It could be taken as, and probably was
intended to be, "Don't stand in my way."

The utterances were all, taken together, applaudable so Lanista applauded.
She found herself wishing she'd brought down her spear and shield from her
private arsenal. There was something almost visceral about banging an aegis
with an implement of war to make a joyful noise. Also, the shield in Lani's
possession made a quite satisfying clang when banged on.

"Most impressive," Lanista said to her shipmate when within earshot of
Ariel Trei.

(Reply Trei/any)
(Posted by Frank)
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