<\/p>\n
I noted the fact that she was standing alone with three men, apparently unafraid.\u00a0\u00a0 If she felt revulsion, she didn\u2019t show it.\u00a0 My own escorts declined to enter the room, and even the servant girls cowered just outside the doorway, refusing to come closer.<\/p>\n Maybe she was rational after all, I thought.\u00a0 Maybe all those old crones were just blowing smoke.\u00a0 Please, let that be it.<\/p>\n The Magdena Magna rose and greeted me like I was Elvis or something.\u00a0 \u201cElder Surat!\u00a0 You are very welcome here!\u00a0\u00a0 I had planned to join the gathering soon, after I attended to my business here, but it is just as well that you have joined us.\u00a0 Your\u2026 Captain\u2026 has just been attempting to enlighten me about your Federation.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, I was just telling the Magna\u2026\u201d Jim spoke up but the Magna held up an imperious hand and ignored him, continuing to talk, as Jim pointedly closed his mouth and gripped his glass with a barely concealed look of irritation.\u00a0 Apparently the old Kirk charm wasn\u2019t working here.<\/p>\n \u201cIn deference to you, Elder, I have personally \u2026considered\u2026 these males.\u00a0 Please understand my planning had not anticipated your honored presence.\u00a0 Therefore I apologize if these manlings have served particularly useful functions for you.\u00a0 I truly did look for reasons to spare them.\u00a0 But it was my judgment that my original preparations should go forward.\u00a0 I\u2019m sure you will understand.\u201d<\/p>\n Spare them?\u00a0 I was about to lose my pseudo-diplomatic cool.\u00a0\u00a0 I exchanged looks with each of my buddies.\u00a0\u00a0 Clearly some shit was hitting the fan, buried under all this strange veiled language.\u00a0 I felt like I was swimming through molasses.<\/p>\n This time, it was I who held up a hand to warn Jim.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t know what I knew, or suspected.<\/p>\n \u201cMagna, please tell me what is happening.\u00a0 What original preparations?\u201d\u00a0 I grasped for some way to break through the fog.\u00a0 I wasn\u2019t sure why, but the next question shoved itself out.\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cTell me, Magna\u2026 what happened all those years ago?\u00a0 What happened when the last starship came here?\u201d<\/p>\n If I was worried about offending her with this confrontation, it didn\u2019t seem that I had.\u00a0 She paused, maybe translating the question in her head, and then smiled, a closed and guarded smile.<\/p>\n Yep, there was a lot going on behind those deep eyes.<\/p>\n \u201cAh,\u201d she said, \u201cYou truly are wise, Elder, to penetrate to the heart of the matter. Yes, you have perceived correctly.\u00a0 It has taken me these thirty-five years to successfully create and perfect the precise and perfect response to that incident.\u00a0 Surely you must understand how the shame and grief of that time have been the tandem burdens I have carried on behalf of my people, all my life.\u00a0 From the time I was a young woman, I was given this sacred charge from my own mother, from our elders.\u00a0 I was taught from early age that my responsibility, as Magna, was to address this wrong, the dishonor brought on by this Starfleet.\u00a0 That one day, I must find a way to restore our honor and avenge my people.\u00a0 And now I have.\u201d<\/p>\n She had all our attention now.<\/p>\n \u201cPlease,\u201d I demanded, \u201cwhat, exactly was the original offense?\u00a0 What happened during that visit?\u201d<\/p>\n Her face darkened.\u00a0 \u201cSo.\u00a0 How interesting that your leaders have chosen not to tell you the truth.\u00a0 Then you truly do not know what that young man did?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe understand there was an incident, Magna,\u201d Jim spoke up.\u00a0 \u201cIt was reported that two Starfleet officers were attacked and killed \u2013 by your people.\u201d<\/p>\n I swear, the look she sent him made Jim physically draw back.\u00a0 I\u2019ve never seen such venom, though she kept that simian smile going, which somehow made it worse.<\/p>\n \u201cEither your man lies, or your Starfleet lies,\u201d the Magna addressed her reply to me, not deigning to answer Jim directly.\u00a0 \u2018The violence was not ours.\u00a0 It was the young man\u2019s.\u00a0 It was he who forced himself on our young woman.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut,\u201d Jim again, still determined to assert his authority, \u201cthen what about the other two?\u00a0 Are you denying you retaliated by killing them?\u201d<\/p>\n Again, she replied in my direction.\u00a0 I could feel how her hatred for the men in her presence was set aside when she talked to me.\u00a0 There seemed to be some instinctive adjustment, like she could never lump another woman in with what she felt for any man.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is what you have been told?\u00a0 This is what your people think of us?\u201d\u00a0 She broke off and spat, a shocking gesture from such an elegant woman.<\/p>\n Now she turned back to Jim, with the full force of her power.\u00a0 \u201cWe did not lift a hand in violence.\u00a0 There was no need.\u00a0 Those two died at the hand of the younger one, no doubt to cover his own despicable actions.\u00a0 He returned to his ship before we could deal with him, but the captain was not quite dead yet.\u00a0 In his cries of agony, he admitted to us what had been done.\u00a0 No, it is that young man who bears the blame for all three deaths.\u201d<\/p>\n Somehow my overloaded brain picked up on the math.<\/p>\n \u201cThree deaths?\u00a0 But who was the third?\u201d\u00a0 I asked.<\/p>\n \u201cThe young woman, of course.\u00a0 There was dishonor.\u00a0 She had to be sacrificed.\u201d<\/p>\n They killed the victim?<\/p>\n I took a deep breath and tried to muck my way through this, shooting Jim a cautionary look.\u00a0 He frowned, but kept quiet.<\/p>\n \u201cYou say he forced himself on a young woman.\u00a0\u00a0 This is difficult to imagine.\u00a0 Even young Starfleet officers are well-trained.\u00a0 Could it possibly have been a simple flirtation that got out of hand?\u201d<\/p>\n The Magna stared at me.\u00a0 \u201cFlirtation?\u201d\u00a0 she said flatly.\u00a0 \u201cI do not know this concept.\u201d<\/p>\n I realized I could be going down a dead end, but I had nowhere else to go.\u00a0 \u201cYou know, a mutual attraction, mutual desire, between two young people?\u201d<\/p>\n The Magna stepped closer to me, as if studying my face.\u00a0 I could feel her breath on my skin.<\/p>\n I could feel her doubt.<\/p>\n \u201cHow can an Elder of your years speak such nonsense?\u201d She stared into my eyes, as if looking for some giveaway that I was not who she had thought I was.\u00a0 It took everything I had to stare back with matching force and confidence.<\/p>\n I glanced at Jim.\u00a0 His imperceptible nod egged me on.\u00a0 I drew myself up a little taller, Uhura\u2019s earrings swinging musically, and gutted it out.\u00a0 \u201cUnlike you, Magna, I have traveled widely.\u00a0 I have seen many things.\u00a0 I view from a vast perspective.\u00a0 It is no doubt a\u2026 revulsive concept, but one must be thorough in one\u2019s analysis, isn\u2019t that right?\u201d\u00a0 I managed to breathe again, and went on.\u00a0 \u201cThese\u2026 manlings come from elsewhere.\u00a0 I am simply asking if there could have been a\u2026misunderstanding of intentions?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIntentions do not interest me,\u201d she said, coldly, but backing off a step or two.\u00a0 \u201cThe young woman was violated, assaulted so badly she barely lived long enough to allow the necessary rituals.\u201d<\/p>\n The force of the Magna\u2019s voice fell; she turned away from me for a second, then I saw her shoulders straighten as she turned back.<\/p>\n \u201cYou must understand, Elder.\u00a0 These wounds go very deep.\u00a0 The young woman was shamed.\u00a0 She had to be put to death if our family was to regain our honor.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYour<\/i> family\u2026\u201d I almost breathed the words.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was my own daughter, Elder.\u00a0 Your Starfleet robbed me of my only child.\u201d<\/p>\n Oh, dear god<\/i>. \u00a0It wasn\u2019t just cultural, it was personal.\u00a0 I had a sinking feeling we really were up shit creek.<\/p>\n I foundered frantically for something useful to say, but I couldn\u2019t think of a single thing that wasn\u2019t trite or hollow or inflammatory.\u00a0 So I just stood there, waiting for her to go on.\u00a0 And she did.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was the arrogance of one of your uncontrolled males, that Starfleet manling, that violated a member of the highest family of Ardros, a beautiful young woman who would someday have become Magna.\u00a0 It is a grievous loss.\u00a0 We allowed outsiders in, we were willing to trust, even though it was a masculine visitation, and thus against all our beliefs.\u00a0 And then we were betrayed.\u00a0 It has been my prime task to position my people so that we would never be vulnerable again, and I have achieved that.\u00a0 If I have deprived you of resources, Elder, I apologize.\u00a0 I have done what I had to do.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat have you done?\u201d\u00a0 The question broke through from Bones, who, like the others, had been listening in silent confusion and growing suspicion.<\/p>\n The Magna responded to his question without looking in his direction.\u00a0 \u201cI think you will admire our achievements, Elder.\u00a0 My scientists, through my guidance, have at last perfected a very effective… how would you say?… biological weapon, quite elegantly designed to target the very essence of the arrogant male.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd you\u2019re threatening to use this\u2026weapon?\u00a0 On us?\u201d Jim\u2019s voice was sharp.<\/p>\n \u201cI make no threats, Captain,\u201d the Magna smiled, again that smile of smooth and very, very canny, delight.\u00a0 \u201cIt is already done.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n < previous\u00a0<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 next ><\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" < previous\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 next > \u00a0 If I was expecting some unspecified disaster, I was surprised to find my comrades standing more or less at ease, empty glasses in hand, just having finished a toast with … Continue reading ![\"300px-The_Earth_seen_from_Apollo_17\"](\"https:\/\/hanilives.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/300px-The_Earth_seen_from_Apollo_17-150x150.jpg\")
<\/a>\u00a0 If I was expecting some unspecified disaster, I was surprised to find my comrades standing more or less at ease, empty glasses in hand, just having finished a toast with the Magdena Magna herself.\u00a0 An elegant woman, with the same simian shape to the head, and dark eyes that did indeed radiate intelligence.\u00a0 And damned formidable, too. I thought instantly.\u00a0 Not a woman you\u2019d want to cross.<\/p>\n