Star Trek: The Original Series: Rihannsu: The Bloodwing Voyages (98 page)

In the workout room, with its hung-up floor mats and its floor scuffed and scarred from thousands of games and bouts, all of Ael’s little crew were waiting for her when she came in. They stared at her, for she was, for the first time, not in uniform. She was dressed all in pale silver-gray—breeches, tunic, boots—like one going to a wedding or a funeral, and in her hand she held the Sword.

She slipped it out of the scabbard and glanced at Aidoann, who stood off to one side. The blade glinted in the hard light of the room as she tossed the scabbard to Aidoann. Her second-in-command caught it.

“Too long this mighty heirloom has lain hidden,” Ael said. “But, for life or death, it will do so no more. I will not sheathe it again until we are done, or our work is done. Ships the Imperium has spent, lives they have spent, and what little honor they had left they have spent hunting the Sword. Now the Sword shall come hunting them. Let us see how well they like it.”

The cheer from them nearly deafened her as Ael left the workout room and made her way back up to the bridge. There she laid the Sword naked over the arms of her command seat, and stood behind it a moment, looking out at the main viewscreen’s image of the stars.

Then Ael went out, and the Sword lay alone in the stillness and the starlight, with the cold, still, blue-shifted fires streaking and glittering on its blade.

Translator’s Note:
This glossary is not intended to be exhaustive, but rather merely a general guide to various terms of interest. In many places translations are approximate due to inadequate equivalents in the translating language.

aefvadh
—“Be welcome.”

aehallh
—monster-ghost. An illusory creature: cognate to “nightmare” in Terran tradition, a creature that “rides” the dreamer to his perdition. Also, the “image” or illusion that one being has of another; as opposed to the true nature of the being in question.

Ael
—proper name, fairly common on ch’Havran. “Winged.” In other usage an adjective with connotations indicating a creature that moves quickly, gives one little time to make out details.

afw’ein
—reason, as in use of one’s faculties, rather than as the “excuse” one contrives to explain one’s behavior.

Aidoann
—proper name, uncommon. “Moon.”

aihai
—plains, plain country. Flatlands: cognomen “prairie.”

aihr
—“this is.” Indicative noun prefix or infix.

Arrhae
—proper name, der. “arrhe,” q.v.

arrhe
—worth-in-cash. Originally derogatory (a servant who performed the duties of slaves below his/her rank; modified to be “a servant more worthy of higher position than those awarded it”).

au’e
—“Oh yes.” (Emphatic from “oh
yes!
”)

auethn
—advise me—answer a query.

ch’Havran—
(planet) “of the Travelers.”

ch’Rihan
—(planet) “of the Declared.”

daise
—prefix; chief, principal, senior, foremost (etc.).

daisemi’in
—chief among several (choices, candidates).

deihu
—“elder”; a member of the Senate; regarded as an equivalent to the Terran “Senator”: cf. Latin “senex.”

Eisn
—“homesun.” The G9 star 128 Trianguli.

Eitreih’hveinn
—the Farmers’ Festival.

enarrain
—senior centurion; colonel of infantry, commodore of Fleet forces. Minimum rank at which the officer may command more than his own vessel.

erei’riov
—subcommander; captain of infantry, lieutenant commander of Fleet—usual rank for a first officer.

erein
—antecenturion/subcenturion (translation sources vary); officercadet of infantry, ensign of Fleet forces.

fvai, fvaiin
—child’s riding-beast and house-pet (in larger houses) analogous to the Terran Oligocene-period
Mesohippus
in size—that of the Holocene-period
C. familiaris inostranzewi
(Great Dane)—though only approximate appearance.

fvillha
—Rihannsu analogue to Terran “praetor”: originally a judicial-level official with some executive powers (now much expanded). Cf.
fvillhaih,
“Praetorate.”

galae
—fleet; most specifically, space-fleet, since the battles of Rihannsu history were principally land-based. However, there was a later, enthusiastic adoption of massed airpower in both the offensive and defensive modes, and it is here, rather than in naval tradition, that the term has its origins.

haerh, haerht
—cargo space, cargo hold.

haudet’
—fr.
haud,
writing, and
etrehh,
machine. Computer printout: sometimes, screen dump as well. Cf.
hnhaudr,
“data transfer”: direct protocol transfer from one computer to another.

Havranha, Havranssu
—native(s) of the planet ch’Havran.

Hellguard
—872 Trianguli V, a failed colony planet hastily and incompletely evacuated after “the Second Federation Encroachment.”

hfai, hfehan
—bond-servant; one earning a wage but without the liberty of changing employers at will.

hfihar, hfihrnn—
House(s); noble families, not dwellings.

hlai, hlaiin
—large flightless birds farmed for their meat; similar to the Terran ostrich,
Struthio camelus.
The very largest ones are also sometimes tamed for children to ride. This, however, renders their meat unusable.

hlai’hwy, hlai’vna
—“held” and “loose”
hlai;
domesticated and wild (game) birds.

hna’h
—activation-imperative suffix: e.g. “Fire!” “Energize!” “Go!”

hnafirh
—“see,” but not an active verb: passive with an implication that someone else must cooperate in the act by imparting or sharing information. Cf.
hnafirh’rau,
“Let me/us see it.”

hnafiv
—“hear,” as above:
hnavif’rau,
“let me/us hear it.”

hnoiyika, hnoiyikar
—predator, similar to the Terran weasel
mustela frenata
—but 4 feet long, excluding tail, and 3 feet tall at the shoulder. Notorious for their vicious habits and insatiable appetites.

hrrau
—at/on/in: a general locative particle or infix.

hru’hfe
—Head-of-Household. The senior servant among domestic staff, appointed as overseer and servants’ manager.

hru’hfirh
—Head-of-House, euph. “The Lord.” Most senior member of a noble family.

h’ta-fvau
—“To last-place, immediate-return!” (Come back here!)

hteij
—transporter, transmat. Not considered as a reliable form of travel, most of the time (possibly understandable, considering that the technology is purchased second-hand from the Klingons).

hwaveyiir
—“command-executive center”; the flight bridge of a ship, as opposed to the combat-control area. (See
oira.
)

hwiiy
—“You are”: sometimes imperative.

ie’yyak-hnah
—“Fire phasers!”

iehyyak
—“multiple” rather than “several” phasers, especially in reference to shipboard phaser-banks.

khellian
—arch. “hunter”; also the name of a minor Praetorial house.

khoi
—“switch off,” “cease,” “finish.”

khre’riov
—commander-general; equivalent to a colonel of infantry or a commodore of Fleet forces.

kllhe
—the annelid worm, introduced to domestic
hlai
-pens, which ingests the acidic dung and thus processes it to usable fertilizer. Also an insult.

kll’inghann
—the Klingon people (However, see
lloannen’mhrahel.
)

Levaeri V
—fifth planet of the Levaeri system (identified with 113 Tri): site of an orbital station at which various biological researches were conducted until the destruction of the base by Federation forces and the renegade ship
Bloodwing.

lhhei
—“Madam.”

llaekh-ae’rl
—“laughing-murder”; the practice or
kata
forms of a common Rihannsu unarmed combat technique. Provenance of the name is uncertain.

llhrei’sian
—diarrhea as a result of mild food-poisoning; a term exactly equivalent to “the runs,” “the Titanian two-step,” “the (any number of edible objects) revenge.”

llilla’hu
—that will do, “That’s just enough”: barely adequate, sufficient.

lloann’mhrahel
—the United Federation of Planets; however, the word translates most accurately as “Them, from There” (as opposed to “Us, from Here”). The Klingons, once encountered, were promptly named
khell’oann-mhehorael
(More of Them, from Somewhere Else).

lloann’na
—catchall title for a UFP member, translating exactly as “a/the Fed.”

lloannen’galae
—Federation fleet, battlegroup, task force; the word has aggressive connotations which do not differentiate between warships and unarmed civilian vessels, but then the Rihannsu have seldom seen the need to regard other ships than theirs as other than potential enemies.

mnek’nra, mnekha
—“well, good, correct, satisfactory.” Inferior-superior and superior-inferior modes, respectively.

mnhei’sahe
—the Ruling Passion: a concept or concept-complex which rules most of Rihannsu life in terms of honor.
Mnhei’sahe
is primarily occupied with courtesy to the people around one: this courtesy, depending on circumstances, may require killing a person to do him honor, or severely disadvantaging oneself on his behalf. There are many ramifications too involved to go into, but generally
mnhei’sahe
is satisfied if all the parties to an agreement or situation feel that their “face” or honor is intact after a social (or other) transaction. NB: The concept has occasionally been mistranslated as implying that a given action is done “for another person’s good.” This is incorrect; such a concept literally does not exist in Rihannsu. One does things for one’s own good—or rather, the good of one’s honor—and if properly carried out, the actions in question will have benefited the other parties in the transaction as well.

nei’rrh
—small birds, similar in size and flight characteristics to the Terran hummingbirds (fam. Trochilidae), with a poison-secreting spur on the upper mandible of the beak. Also an insult, referring to a person annoying or dangerous out of all proportion to their size, status, or (usually) worth.

neth…nah’lai
—either…or.

nuhirrien
—“look-toward”; the quality of charisma or mass attractiveness.

oal’lhlih
—“announce the presence/the arrival.”

oira
—“battle-control”; aboard warbird-class and smaller ships this is the same bridge-deck (see
hwaveyiir
) as the standard flight-control area, although rigged for combat; but on the larger, Klingon-built
Akif
and
K’t’inga
-class vessels the word refers to a separate, heavily armored area deep in the command prow.

qiuu, qiuu’n
(
oaii
)—all, everything, “the lot.”

Ra’kholh
—Avenger. A popular ship-name in the Rihannsu Fleet.

rekkhai
—“sir”; inferior-superior high-phase mode.

rha, rh’e
—“indeed,” “is that so” (colloq. vulg. “oh yeah?”).

rrh-thanai
—hostage-fostering. Sometimes the making of peace by the exchange of children, each to be brought up in the other’s tradition to further understanding and harmony; sometimes the exchange is to simply provide leverage and a surety of good behavior: “Don’t do this, or your son/daughter will die.” Fosterings often start in one context and wind up in another.

S’harien
—lit. “pierceblood”; the name, in Old Vulcan, chosen by pre-Sundering Vulcan’s most famous swordsmith as a reaction against the teachings of Surak: the name was also given to his swords.

siuren
—“minutes”; or at least, the Rihannsu equivalent, actually equal to 50.5 seconds.

sseikea
—a scavenger, analogous to the Terran hyena
Crocuta crocuta
and employed as an insult in the same way.

ssuaj-ha
—“Understood!” (Inferior-superior mode.)

ssuej-d’ifv
—“Do you understand?” (Superior-inferior mode.)

sthea’hwill
—“I request (an action) be done at once.” (Superior-inferior, courteous mode.)

ta krenn
—“Look here, look at this.”

ta’khoi
—“Screen off.” Usage for voice-activation equipment and (if used to another person) very explicit superiority.

ta’rhae
—“Screen on.” (See above.)

th’ann, th’ann-a
—“a/the prisoner.”

thrai, thraiin
—predator, analogous to the Terran wolverine
Gulo luscus;
and possessed of similar legendary traits for persistence, vengeful stubbornness, and ferocity.

tlhei
—“my word”; occasionally as in “my (given) Word” but more usually “my command/order/bidding.”

urru
—“go to…” A non-mode imperative, which (if circumstances permit) can be used from low to high as well as the more usual vice versa.

vaed’rae
—“Hear me/attend me.” More imperative than “listen,” and more formal.

vah-udt
—“What rank?” “Who are you (to be asking/doing this)?”

vriha
—highest, most superior.

yhfi-ss’ue
—“travel-tubes”; the public transport system, of five rail-mounted cars, powered by electromagnetic linear motors, carrying 20 persons in an enclosed weatherproof tube.