Martok (2375–present). First appeared in the DS9 episode “In Purgatory’s Shadow” (though a changeling impersonating him appeared in the earlier DS9 episode “The Way of the Warrior”). Ascended after the death of Gowron in “Tacking Into the Wind.”
Glossary of Klingon Terms
Most of the language actually being spoken in this novel is the Klingon tongue, and has been translated into English for the reader’s ease. Some terms that don’t have direct translations into English or are proper nouns of some kind have been left in the Klingon language. Since that language does not use the same alphabet as English, the transliterations of the Klingon terms vary depending on preference. In many cases, a more Anglicized transliteration is used instead of the tlhIngan Hol transliterations preferred by linguists (e.g., the more Anglicized bat’leth is preferred over the tlhIngan Hol spelling betleH).
Below is a glossary of the Klingon terms used. Anglicized spellings are in boldface; tlhIngan Hol transliterations are in bold italics. Please note that this glossary does not include the names of locations, people, or ships. Where applicable, episode, movie, or novel citations are given where the term first appeared. Episode citations are followed by an abbreviation indicating show: TNG=Star Trek: The Next Generation, DS9=Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.
bat’leth (betleH)
Curved, four-bladed, two-handed weapon. This is the most popular handheld, edged weapon used by Klingon warriors owing to its being favored by Kahless, who forged the first one. The legendary Sword of Kahless now held by Chancellor Martok is a bat’leth, and most Defense Force warriors are proficient in it. [First seen in “Reunion” (TNG).]
bekk (beq)
A rank given to enlisted personnel in the Defense Force. [First referenced in “Sons and Daughters” (DS9).]
bolmaq
An animal native to the planet Boreth that makes a bleating sound and tends to run around in circles a lot. [First referenced in Honor Bound.]
chech’tluth (chechtlhutlh)
An alcoholic beverage best served heated and steaming. The word seems to derive from the verbs meaning “to drink” and “to get drunk.” [First seen in “Up the Long Ladder” (TNG).]
chuSwI’
A rodent that mostly lives underground and makes an annoying noise.
Dahar Master (Da’ar)
A warrior who has attained legendary status in life. [First referenced in “Blood Oath” (DS9).]
d’k tahg (Daqtagh)
Personal dagger. Most Defense Force warriors carry their own d’k tahg; higher-born Klingons often have them personalized with their name and House. [First seen in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock.]
gagh (qagh)
Food made from live serpent worms (not to be confused with racht). [First seen in “A Matter of Honor” (TNG).]
ghISnar cat
Small animal, apparently not a very vicious one, though with perhaps a predilection for trying to sound fiercer than it actually is. [First referenced in “The Way of the Warrior” (DS9).]
ghIntaq
A type of spear with a wooden haft and a curved, two-bladed metal point. Also the name given to a person who serves as a close and trusted advisor to a House. It is possible that the latter usage evolved from the first, with the advisor being analogized to a Househead’s trusted weapon. Sometimes Anglicized as gin’tak. [Spear first seen in “Birthright Part 2” (TNG); advisor first referenced in “Firstborn” (TNG).]
glob fly (ghIlab ghew)
Small, irritating insect with no sting and which makes a slight buzzing sound. [First referenced in “The Outrageous Okona” (TNG).]
grapok sauce (gha’poq)
Condiment, often used to bring out the flavor in gagh or racht. [First seen in “Sons and Daughters” (DS9).]
Gre’thor (ghe’tor)
The afterlife for the dishonored dead—the closest Klingon equivalent to hell. Those who are unworthy spend eternity riding the Barge of the Dead to Gre’thor. [First mentioned in “Devil’s Due” (TNG).]
grinnak (ghInaq)
A game. [First referenced in Honor Bound.]
jatyIn
According to legend, spirits of the dead that possess the living. [First mentioned in “Power Play” (TNG).]
jeghpu’wI’
Conquered people—more than slaves, less than citizens, this status is given to the natives of worlds conquered by the Klingon Empire. [First used in Diplomatic Implausibility.]
jInjoq
A type of bread. [First referenced in A Time for War, a Time for Peace.]
khest’n (Hestlh’ng)
Interjection with no direct translation. [First used in The Final Reflection.]
klin zha (tlhInja)
A popular board game. [First seen in The Final Reflection.]
klongat (tlhonghaD)
A beast native to Qo’noS that is much larger than a targ and more difficult to subdue. [First referenced in Honor Bound.]
kuvrek (Quv’eq)
An animal that prefers the shadows.
lotlhmoq
Predatory bird native to Qo’noS that swoops into the water to catch food.
Mauk-to’Vor (ma’ to’vor)
A death ritual that allows one who has lost honor to die well and go to Sto-Vo-Kor by being honorably killed by a Housemate or someone equally close. [First seen in “Sons of Mogh” (DS9).]
mek’leth (meqleH)
A swordlike one-handed weapon about half the size of a bat’leth. [First seen in “Sons of Mogh” (DS9).]
meyvaQ
A sex aid.
nagh
The name of a waterfall on Qo’noS. The word literally means “stone.”
petaQ
Insult with no direct translation. Sometimes anglicized as pahtk. [First used in “The Defector” (TNG).]
Qapla’
Ritual greeting that literally means “success.” [First used in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock.]
QaS DevwI’
Troop commander on a Defense Force vessel, generally in charge of several dozen soldiers. Roughly analogous to a sergeant in the modern-day army. [First used in The Brave and the Bold Book 2.]
qelI’qam
Unit of measurement roughly akin to two kilometers. Sometimes Anglicized as kellicam. [First used in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock.]
qutluch
A weapon favored by assassins, one that leaves a particularly vicious wound. [First seen in “Sins of the Father” (TNG).]
racht (raHta’)
Food made from live serpent worms (not to be confused with gagh). [First seen in “Melora” (DS9).]
raktajino (ra’taj)
Coffee, Klingon style. [First seen in “The Passenger” (DS9).]
Sto-Vo-Kor (Suto’vo’qor)
The afterlife for the honored dead, where all true warriors go, crossing the River of Blood after they die to fight an eternal battle. The closest Klingon equivalent to heaven. [First mentioned by name in “Rightful Heir” (TNG).]
taknar (taqnar)
An animal, the gizzards of which are sometimes served as food. [First referenced in A Good Day to Die.]
targ (targh)
Animal that is popular as a pet, but the heart of which is also considered a delicacy. [First seen as a pet in “Where No One Has Gone Before” (TNG) and as a food in “A Matter of Honor” (TNG).]
tik’leth (tIqleH)
An edged weapon, similar to an Earth longsword. [First seen in “Reunion” (TNG).]
tIq
A river on the planet Qu’vat. The word literally means “long.”
toDSaH
Insult with no direct translation. Sometimes Anglicized as tohzah. [First used in “The Defector” (TNG).]
trigak (tlhIghaq)
A predatory animal with sharp teeth that it bares before attacking. [First referenced in Honor Bound.]
warnog (warnagh)
An alcoholic beverage. [First seen in “Rightful Heir” (TNG).]
yIntagh
Klingon Numbers:
1: wa’
2: cha’
3: wej
4: loS
5: vagh
6: jav
7: Soch
8: chorgh
9: Hut
10: wa’maH
20: cha’maH
30: wejmaH
40: loSmaH
50: vaghmaH
60: javmaH
70: SochmaH
80: chorghmaH
90: HutmaH
100: wa’vatlh
1000: wa’SaD
Acknowledgments
First and foremost, thanks to John J. Ordover, who was the one who, way back in 1999, said it would be nifty if I wrote the first novel featuring Worf as Federation Ambassador to the Klingon Empire following Deep Space Nine’s finale, and also indulged me in my desire to have most of the action take place on board a Klingon ship. After Diplomatic Implausibility was released in 2001 to much acclaim, John was then the one who let me bring that ship, the I.K.S. Gorkon, back in my “starship team-up” duology, The Brave and the Bold, published in 2002, and then signed me up to write standalone Gorkon adventures, the first two of which came out in 2003, and the third of which you’re holding in your hands.
John worked on the plot for Enemy Territory with me before departing Pocket Books to explore some strange new worlds of his own, and the series was handed over to Marco Palmieri, an editor of magnificent skill, erudition, insight, and, most of all, patience. Some of the best work in my career to date has been under Marco’s tutelage, and I’m thrilled that he’s going to be the caretaker for Klag and the gang going forward.
Several of the characters herein first were brought to life on the screen, and I owe the actors who played those roles a huge debt: the late David Graf (Leskit in DS9’s “Soldiers of the Empire”), J.G. Hertzler (Martok in numerous episodes of DS9), Sterling Macer Jr. (Toq in TNG’s “Birthright”), Tricia O’Neill (Kurak in TNG’s “Suspicions”), Tony Todd (Rodek in DS9’s “Sons of Mogh”), and most especially the big man himself, Brian Thompson (Klag in TNG’s “A Matter of Honor”). Thanks also to Keith Hamilton Cobb, whose portrayal of Tyr Anasazi on Gene Roddenberry’s Andromeda was the inspiration for Lokor, and the late André the Giant, whose portrayal of Fezzik in The Princess Bride was the inspiration for Goran.
For aid and assistance above and beyond: Dayton Ward, whose military expertise has always been most helpful; Tammy Love Larrabee, who designed the Gorkon and its brother ships (see the specs in the back of The Brave and the Bold Book 2), not to mention the Jakvi-class ships mentioned in Chapter 10; David Mack, from whom I stole General Goluk, and who is one of the best sounding boards I know; Dr. Lawrence Schoen, head of the Klingon Language Institute, for consistent linguistic aid, and also to Dr. Marc Okrand, who created the Klingon language in the first place; John M. Ford, for The Final Reflection in general and for Battle-cruiser Vengeance in particular; the rock band Jethro Tull, in its many and varied incarnations over the last thirty-five-plus years, whose music has always been inspirational to me; and Paula M. Block and John Van Citters of Paramount Licensing, who continue to be the best licensing folk ever and whose comments and suggestions always make the book better.
The usual reference sources: The Star Trek Encyclopedia and Star Trek Chronology by the tireless Mike & Denise Okuda; The Klingon Dictionary by the redoubtable Dr. Okrand; Star Charts by Geoffrey Mandel; and the various companions for Star Trek (by Allan Asherman), The Next Generation (by Larry Nemecek), Deep Space Nine (by Terry J. Erdmann & Paula M. Block), and Voyager (by Paul Ruditis). Also the folks on the various online bulletin boards, who keep us all honest: Psi Phi (www.psiphi.org), the Trek Literature board on the Trek BBS (www.trekbbs.com), the Simon Says Trek Books board (www.startrekbooks.com), and the Star Trek Books and DS9 Avatar Yahoo! Groups (groups.yahoo.com). Plus, the Malibu Gang, the Geek Patrol, and the Forebearance for all the usual reasons.
And finally, last but never least, Terri Osborne, who was even more helpful than usual in kicking my butt to get this book finished.
About the Author
Keith R.A. DeCandido numbers among his accomplishments the Nobel Prize for Economics, winning three Olympic gold medals, fifteen years spent in the Peace Corps, being named an advisor to four different Presidents, doctorates in literature, psychology, and art history, and lying like a rug in the first paragraph of his author bios.
In truth, he has written many many novels, short stories, comic books, eBooks, and nonfiction books in tons of media universes. Besides the prior two I.K.S. Gorkon novels—A Good Day to Die and Honor Bound—he has also written the Star Trek novels Diplomatic Implausibility (which introduced the Gorkon), Demons of Air and Darkness (part of the highly successful line of post-finale Star Trek: Deep Space Nine novels), The Brave and the Bold Books 1–2 (the first single story to encompass all five TV series), The Art of the Impossible (part of the New York Times best-selling Lost Era miniseries), A Time for War, a Time for Peace (the best-selling finale of the acclaimed nine-book Star Trek: The Next Generation miniseries), and Ferenginar: Satisfaction Is Not Guaranteed (half of Volume 3 of the Worlds of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine miniseries). His Star Trek short fiction has appeared in Gateways: What Lay Beyond, Deep Space Nine: Prophecy and Change, New Frontier: No Limits, and Tales of the Dominion War, and he wrote the four-issue Next Generation comic-book miniseries Perchance to Dream. He codeveloped and edits the monthly Star Trek: S.C.E. eBooks starring the Starfleet Corps of Engineers, and has also written nine eBooks in the series.
Forthcoming Trek work includes Articles of the Federation, a novel about politics in the Star Trek universe, as well as short fiction in the tenth-anniversary Voyager anthology, Distant Shores. He’ll also be telling Klag’s story in the Tales from the Captain’s Table anthology, and assures all and sundry that there will be more I.K.S. Gorkon adventures as well (he’s already hard at work on Book 4).
Keith has also written in the universes of Gene Roddenberry’s Andromeda, Farscape, Serenity, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Marvel Comics, Resident Evil, and more. His original novel Dragon Precinct was published in 2004, and his award-nominated anthology Imaginings: An Anthology of Long Short Fiction was published in 2003. He lives in New York City with his girlfriend and their two cats, Marcus and Aoki. Find out too little about Keith at his official Web site at DeCandido.net or just e-mail him directly at [email protected].
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