Day of Honor - Treaty's Law

by Dean Wesley Smith

  He leaned back in his chair. On the screen in front ofhim the ships still floated above the planet. It was a place he hoped to never visit again. As far as he was concerned, the Klingons could have it.

  "Lieutenant Uhura, hail the Farragut. "

  "Aye, sir," she said. She turned her chair slightly. "I have Captain Bogle on-screen, sir." Captain Bogle's smiling face filled the screen. "Captain," he said. "From the looks of your face, your vacation was successful. "

  "Nothing like a little fun in the sun," Kirk said. Bogle laughed. "Glad it was you instead of me. I hate too much sun. Give me a nice rainy day anytime. "

  Kirk laughed this time. "Ijust might agree with you on that right now. " Then Kirk got serious for a moment.

  "Captain," he said, "I want to officially thank you and your crew on behalf of the crew of the Enterprise. "

  "Accepted with pleasure , Captain," Bogle said, nodding slightly.

  "And, Kelly," Kirk said, staring seriously at his friend's face, "let me convey a personal thank you as well. "

  "Kirk," Bogle said, "you're welcome . Just remember you still owe me a drink. "

  "I think it j ust might have to be more than one," Kirk said.

  "I'll hold you to that, Kirk," Bogle said, laughing.

  "Farragut out."

  The screen returned to the images of the ships orbiting the planet.

  "Captain," Spock said, "the Narr ships are leaving orbit. "

  In a tight formation, the seven wing-like ships moved away from the planet. Between them they towed the hulk of the dead Narr ship.

  Then, as one, theyj umped to warp and were gone. "Lieutenant," Kirk said, "signal Commander Kor that we are leaving. "

  "He's hailing us, sir. "

  Kirk laughed. "I thought Klingons hated to talk. Put him on-screen. "

  The Klingon's face filled most of the screen. "Kirk," Kor said, his voice back to the full, loud brassy sound Kirk remembered. "You have taught us much. We will remember this day for generations."

  "I only honored our treaty," Kirk said. "As you would have done. "

  Kor bowed slightly, in what Kirk took to mean agreement.

  "Kirk, someday our battle will come. "

  "Kor, I'm looking forward to it."

  Kor laughed. "As am I, Kirk. It will be a glorious day. And a glorious fight. "

  With that the screen cut off. The planet on the screen looked almost empty without the Narr ships in orbit. But it was a nice empty.

  "Mr. Sulu, lay in course for Starbase Eleven. This crew has some shore leave to finish. "

  "Yes, sir," Sulu said, smiling.

  "Besides," Kirk said. "It's going to take me some time to level out this tan."

  It took a moment before everyone on the bridge, except Spock, broke into laughter.

  Epilogue

  KERDOCH LET his gaze travel around the large room filled with his family. The smells of the hurge dinner still filled the air, even though his story had been a long one. He blinked and tried to focus on the present. When he told his story of that great battle with the Narr, he always seemed to take himself back. He relived the revenge cycle. The fear oflosing his family. The hardships ofbattle.

  Now, j ust from telling the story, his old bones were tired. Deep down tired. But he wasn't quite finished yet. He had to continue for just a moment longer.

  All eyes were still on him. All attention was still focused on his story of that battle all those years before . Every year he held their attention with the story, and many knew it by heart. It seemed that this year he had mesmerized them again. It was not his telling. He knew that. No, it was the importance of the message of the story.

  He took a deep breath and let the warmth of the room ease the tiredness in his old bones. Then he continued with the last of the story.

  "Commander Kor and the Narr representative met, as they had said they would, twenty days later. Their agreement has stood for all these years. "

  He looked around at this family.

  "But that agreement is not why we celebrate this day. Agreements come and go. But lessons remain always. "

  He stared down at his grandchildren, who sat at his feet. A five-year-old boy, his eyes bright with fire,

  stared up at him. "Young K'Ber, can you tell me the lesson?"

  K'Ber sat back a moment, his eyes even brighter at the privilege of being picked by his grandfather to answer a question during the telling of the story.

  Kerdoch wanted to smile at his grandson, but instead kept very still.

  The young boy finally said, "The enemy has honor."

  "Good," Kerdoch said, smiling at the boy, who seemed to light up at the attention. "We learned that day to celebrate the honor of the enemy as well as the honor of the warrior. "

  Again Kerdoch looked up and caught his wife's gaze. She was smiling at him proudly, as was his

  oldest son. That day long ago he had been more than just a farmer, or a colonist. He had been a Klingon warrior. And the retelling brought back the pride he had felt then.

  "As Klingons," Kerdoch said, "we have always given honor to those among us who fight. Dying in battle has always been our most honorable death. But it must be remembered that to our enemies, we are the enemy. "

  Around the room a murmur broke out as his words sank in. They were words to be remembered by them all, as he had done all these years.

  He stood and held up his arms over his famlly gathered in the large room. "Today I tell this story to remind us all to honor those who fight and those who die in battle . Let this Day of Honor be remembered always."

  Around him his family stood, cheering, all talking at once.

  Again he had done his duty. For another year the story would be remembered. And so would the important lesson that went with it.

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  —Agent Orange (January 2006)