| Stories → Star Trek: Conflict → Episode Fourteen |
Edward Shield must face the consequences of the challenge he made to save Nox's life.
Summary[]
Chapter One[]
On Qo'noS, the Sons of Azetbur and their uncle T'Krang drink in the Hall of Warriors, a place to honor those Klingons who fought honorably in battle and died as they had fought. K'Ragdha says that they should have gone someplace else, since there are Halls of Warriors on every colony world of the Klingon Empire. Just then, Gor'kang and Gor'goR make sport of K'holl, whose tolerance for blood-wine is almost nil due to being infected with the Augment virus. When T'Krang scolds their behavior, K'Grall says that the honor of their house is gone, since they cannot slay Nox. In answer to all of their hopes, a Klingon messenger arrives and delivers them all a message: K'hallA has engaged their enemy and invites them to witness her victory.
Over Narendra III, the hour wanes on. Yare' Liin is not at all happy that she won't get the chance to kill Edward Shield as she had planned. She gathers the other members of the old mutiny together and asks them for her support. However, they want to prove their loyalty to their captain, rather than betray him again. Loghri reminds them of how Captain Shield dispatched Gradl, and says that this Klingon [expletive] won't be any different.
Rookwood, however, has a plan to liberate Nox, believing that the Klingons of this universe are the same as the Klingons of the mirror universe; who do not feel obligated to honor any agreement made with an enemy. She then finds Katie, and gets her help, and the two of them beam onto the USS Admonitor, whose downed shields allow for people to beam onto it.
Chapter Two[]
On the USS Admonitor, Lianna Young wakes up from her "light coma" caused by Nox's saliva entering her blood when he bit her. Cadet Howard, who treated her, says that the ship is swarming with Klingons. Rather than try to find Nox and punish him for his mutiny, Young sends a private communique to the Enterprise-C via comm-badge to rescue her. No immediate answer is given, but Rookwood and Katie rescue her shortly after the message is sent.
They fill her in about what is happening, and Young, remembering the dagger in her stomach, courtesy of Kor, thinks the Klingons mean some treachery. She takes the transporter and beams herself onto the Enterprise-C to confront Shield face to face.
Meanwhile, Rookwood and Katie make for the Bridge to save Nox. Too late they discover that the Klingons who were "swarming" the ship only came for Nox, and have beamed onto Narendra III with their prisoner. Rookwood takes Nox's shot-gun, Katie and Y'Radu and beam down onto Narendra III to face the Klingons.
Chapter Three[]
The Sons of Azetbur arrive over Narendra III shortly. K'hallA sends a message to the Enterprise-C that their hour is half-spent, and reminds them that she will order her brothers to destroy both ships and all of their crew if the Federation-petaQ try any treachery.
Meanwhile, Edward Shield is preparing for the battle in a little-used cargo bay. He gets a call from his quarters that he needs to report there at once. Upon arriving, he finds Lianna Young there. Though she tries to hide her feelings beneath her rough exterior, she breaks down and kisses him on the lips: she then says that if that meant anything to him, he won't give himself to be killed by the Klingons. Shield tells her that he has always loved her - as the sister he never had - and thanks her for her consideration. She is not hurt much, because she already knew that he wasn't going to change his decision: she just kissed him to show that she loved him and would miss him.
He then reveals to her everything he knows about Nox and what he did, and then tells her that he has to save him. Incredulous, she asks why anyone would give their life for someone who hurt them personally? Shield reminds her that Jesus Christ, the very person he claims to serve and believe in, did the same for humanity. He says that it would give his life purpose, laying it down for an undeservant. She then tells him that she will be there for him, hoping that he will succeed.
Chapter Four[]
On Narendra III, Rookwood attacks the Hall of Warriors, armed only with Nox's shot-gun. Nine fall before she is subdued. K'Ragdha says that, despite this treachery, her deeds in battle are worthy of any Klingon. She is about to be killed, but Katie comes to her rescue. The two seem utterly outnumbered until Werner, Loghri and Young beam down: they claim that they have come to witness the duel and that Rookwood and Katie are with them. Despite her fear of Klingons, Young says that it would be dishonorable to kill honored guests. K'Ragdha agrees and they are released.
The other brothers of K'hallA beam down on to Narendra III and K'hallA angrily admonishes Edward Shield that the hour is up. Solemnly, he beams down and faces her: he is armed only with his jian. K'hallA insults it as being no weapon worthy to be brought against a bat'leth. He retorts by saying that if she is afraid of something new, he will oblige her: this gets the result he wants. Offended at being called "afraid", K'hallA says that she'll fight him hand-to-hand if need be. They then prepare their fight to the death, with K'hallA asking that Kahless await for the coming of her "mother" to Sto-vo-kor.
The battle is fast-paced but long-lasting. None can accurately describe the fury of the battle. Though Shield is at no time possessed by the "voice", he fights with a vigor unnatural to that of his race. K'hallA herself is quite formidable with a bat'leth. For six hours they fight on: neither call for a period of rest. However, Shield is beginning to tire. While he is thus, he begins to see this battle as his life; he is drained of all his energy, and yet he is still being opposed.
This gives him new strength, which allows him to continue. K'hallA's Klingon anatomy make her still capable to keep on fighting, but she begins to see this enemy as something different: rather than like any other human petaQ, he fights with honor. He chooses to keep on fighting, even to the death, proving his honor. But she is honor-bound to send her mother to Sto-vo-kor, and must do so by slaying Nox, which she will do if she can slay this man.
If. She begins to believe that this might be the first battle she might fail to win. She also fights on with renewed vigor. During the fight, Shield begins to grow weary and K'hallA breaks his left leg. Even so, he refuses to lie down in defeat. Just wanting him to "stay down", she head-butts him with her Klingon ridges, which usually kill any human. But he gets up with a bruised and bloody forehead, and is disoriented for a moment. She cannot believe her eyes. Even so impaired, Shield refuses to give up.
He drops his sword and goes into hand-to-hand combat with K'hallA. Blood - both red and pink - is shed, and bruises are dealt to both sides. But Shield does not relent: he breaks her right arm.
Chapter Five[]
The two continue to fight, even with broken limbs and blood flowing from every cut. It looks as if they will gnaw each other to death when their limbs can't move them on. K'Ragdha tells his sister to stop the fight, since it is clear that neither can win. But both fighters faint from sheer exhaustion. K'Grall comes to kill off Shield and Nox, but Young says that Shield offered to fight that his friend, Nox, might live. The Sons of Azetbur are impressed by his honor, and they declare their allegiance to him, though they will never be content to be in the same place as Nox.
Later, K'hallA wakes up on the IKS R'AguhM. K'Ragdha tells her the entire story, even that their weapons were so hot that none could touch them for three hours. The ground, also, where they stood was broken in some places. K'hallA says that she has not seen such strength in her entire life. She then gives command of the IKS R'AguhM to him, and asks to be beamed on to the Enterprise-C.
She finds Edward Shield in Sick Bay, where his leg is being repaired by Dr. Boreas. She tells him that he admires his valor in battle, and would be honored if she could serve his ship. He then tells her about his mission to end the corruption: this she feels very strongly for, since there is corruption in the Klingon Empire. Upon this, she swears her allegiance to him and he makes her part of the crew.
Trivia[]
- Soundtrack Information: Duel Between Shield and K'hallA.