| 'ay' cha' | |
|---|---|
| laSvargh tIn qach wa'DIchDaq Saq puvwI'. lojmIt poSmoHta'DI' beq, puvwI'vo' tlheD choraQ. porghDaj lamHa'moHta'. ratlh pagh 'Iw. DaQDaq Habqu' jIbDaj. | The flyer set down at the main building of a large factory. The crew opened the door and Chorax departed the flyer. He had cleaned up his person. No trace of blood remained. His hair was pulled back in a ponytail. |
| qach 'el choraQ 'ej SIbI' pIn yaH ghoS. pa' 'elDI' ghaH, QamchoH Hoch. "choraQ, tlhoraQ puqloD QoraQ tuq, pIvan" jatlh chaH. | Chorax entered the building and went straight to the main office. Everyone stood as he entered. "Chorax, Klorax's son, of the House of Krorax, we salute you," they said. |
| yu' choraQ "nuqDaq ghaH loDnI'wI' toraQ'e'? pa'DajDaq ghaH'a'?" | "Where is my brother, Torax?" Chorax demanded. "Is he in his office?" |
| "HIja', joH" jang vay'. | "Yes, Lord," someone replied. |
| toraQ pa' 'el choraQ. Doj pa'vam mIp. benmey law' wo' batlhvaD yejquv woQmo' DIbmey Hev QoraQ tuq. yotlhmey lI' wIjmeH 'ej woj choHwI'mey lIngmeH chaw'mey Hev tuq. DIbvammo' wo'vaD veSDujmey nobnIS tuq. DaH laSvarghmeymo' mIpqu' QoraQ tuq. veSDujmeymo', wo' rIpmeyDaq potlhqu' QoraQ tuq. | Chorax entered Torax's office. The office was sumptuous. Years ago, the House of Krorax had received privileges from the High Council for the good of the Empire. It had received licenses to farm some valuable lands and to produce nuclear reactors. In exchange for these privileges, the House had to supply warships to the Empire. Now, because of its factories, the House of Krorax was very wealthy, and, because of its warships, was very important in the councils of the Empire. |
| 'elDI' choraQ, leghbe'law' toraQ. loQ mon choraQ. laSvarghmey vu'taH toraQ 'ej Du'mey Dujmey je vu'taH choraQ. choraQ qan law', toraQ qan puS. choraQ parlaw' toraQ. meq Sovbe' choraQ. chaq veSDuj ra' neH toraQ. chaq HatlhDaq wam neH. chaq choraQvaD naD nIv nobta' vavDaj tlhoraQ 'e' Har toraQ. meq Sovbe' choraQ 'ej SaHbe'. | Torax did not appear to notice when Chorax entered the room. Chorax smirked. Torax managed the factories and Chorax managed the farms and the ships. Chorax was older than Torax. Torax seemed to hate Chorax; Chorax did not know why. Maybe Torax wanted to command the warships. Maybe he wanted to hunt in the fields. Maybe Torax believed that their father Klorax had favored Chorax more than he. Chorax didn't know, and he didn't care. |
| jatlh ghaH "toraQ, naDev jIH. nuq DaneH? vengDaq jIchegh qatlh 'e' DapoQ?" | "Torax, I'm here," he said. "What do you want? Why did you demand that I return to the city?" |
| choraQ legh toraQ. "toH, choraQ. tay'qa' tlhoraQ puqloDpu'." qaStaHvIS DIS puSbe', tay'be'taH choraQ toraQ je. "chay' yIn qorDu'? pIvtaH'a' Hoch?" tay'be'taH je toraQ qorDu' je. | Torax looked at Chorax. "Well, Chorax. The sons of Klorax are together again." It had been several years since Torax and Chorax had gotten together. "How is the family? Is everyone well?" Torax and the family had also not gotten together. |
| "pIvqu' Hoch. tugh jeraQvaD qaS nentay." | "Everyone is well. Jerax will celebrate the Rite of Ascension soon." |
| "cheptaH'a' QoraQ tuq?" | "Is the House of Krorax prospering? |
| loDnI' qechmey Sov choraQ. vay' ja' 'e' junlaw' toraQ. "cheptaH QoraQ tuq 'ej potlhtaH QoraQ tuq net Sov. bIjun 'e' yImev. qaSta'DI' DIS law'qu', qatlh DaH jIH chorI'?" | Chorax knew his brother. Torax seemed to be avoiding saying something. "Everyone knows the House of Krorax is prospering and important. Stop being evasive. Why have you called me after so many years?" |
| qaStaHvIS tup law' tam toraQ. bItlaw' ghaH. pay' jatlh " reH chepjaj 'ej potlhjaj QoraQ tuq. qatlh mapotlh? wa' meqmo' mapotlh. woj choHwI' wIlIng 'ej choHwI'maj lo'taH Hoch wo'." | Torax was silent for a few minutes. He appeared uneasy. Suddenly he said, "May the House of Krorax always be prosperous and important. Why are we important? We're important for one reason: we manufacture reactors that the entire Empire uses." |
| "veSDujmeymaj yIlIjQo'" chel choraQ. | "Don't forget about our warships," added Chorax. |
| pay' ghel toraQ "toqbogh yuQ chu' lutu'pu' Humanpu' 'e' DaSov'a'? qaDan 'oH yuQ pong'e'." | Suddenly Torax enquired, "Did you know that the Humans have discovered a new inhabited planet? It's called Cadania." |
| "HIja'. qatlh potlh De'vam? reH yuQ chu' tu'taH DIvI'." | "Yes, so what? The Federation is always discovering new planets." |
| "Hachqu' yuQvetlh nganpu'. HoS lIngmeH jan motlhbe'qu' lughaj. 'otlh bIr rIHwI' 'oH jan pong'e'. HoSghajbej janvam. wo'Daq janvam lIngchugh vay', chaq notlhchoH woj choHwI'. notlhchoHchugh woj choHwI', chaq 'oH je' pagh." | "The inhabitants of this planet are highly advanced. They possess a very unusual power-generating device. They call it a cold photon energizer. The device is certainly powerful. If anyone begins manufacturing this device in the Empire, nuclear reactors could become obsolete. If they become obsolete, maybe no-one will buy them." |
| vaq choraQ "toH, qay''a'? verengan DaDa. jIHvaD Dajbe' malja'lIj." | "So, is this a problem?" Chorax mocked. "You're acting like a Ferengi. Your business dealings don't interest me." |
| "SoHvaD Daj'a' veSDujmeylIj? Daj'a' Du'meylIj? wa''e' yIyaj, loDnI'. Huchmo' DIbmeymaj wIghaj. woj choHwI'maj je'chugh pagh, vaj tugh ngab Huchmaj. ngabchugh Huch, vaj nurupDI' yejquv wIDIllaHbe'. tugh tuqmajvo' chaw'mey yaHmoH yejquv 'ej latlh tuqvaD nob. chaq Dujmey Du'mey je nge'. chaq tugh ngabchu' QoraQ tuq." | "Do your warships interest you? How about your farms? Understand one thing, brother: we have our privileges thanks to money. If no-one buys our reactors, our money will soon vanish. If our money vanishes, we won't be able to pay our taxes to the High Council. Soon the Council will take away our licenses and give them to another House. Maybe they'll sieze the ships and the farms, too. Maybe soon the House of Krorax will completely disappear." |
| loQ tam choraQ. ghel "chay' mavanglaH?" | Chorax was silent for a moment. Then he asked, "What can we do?" |
| "qaDanDaq majaHnIS 'e' vIHar. 'otlh bIr jan lIngmeH mIw wIje'nIS pagh wInIHnIS. wIje'laHbe'chugh pagh wInIHlaHbe'chugh, vaj laSvarghchaj wIQaw'nIS." | "In my opinion, we must go to Cadania. We must buy the process for manufacturing the cold photon device, or we must steal it. If we can't buy it or steal it, then we must destroy their factories." |
| "<majaHnIS> qatlh 'e' Dajatlh? chotlhej'a'?" | "Why do you say 'we'? Are you coming along?" |
| "HIja'" jang toraQ. | "Yes," answered Torax. |
| "qatlh? nIteb veSDuj vIra'laH." | "Why? I can command a warship on my own." |
| "vIQochbe'. veSDuj Dara'taHvIS, jInISbe'taH. 'ach malja' wIbuStaHvIS, SovwIj yap law', SovlIj yap puS. pa' jISaHnISba'." | "I agree. I won't interfer with your command of the ship. But when it comes to business, I know more than you do. I must be there." |
| ghoH neH choraQ, 'ach lugh toraQ. yapbe' choraQ Sov, malja' buStaHvIS. "luq. jIQochbe'. ghorgh mamej?" | Chorax wanted to argue, but Torax was right. Chorax didn't know enough about business. "OK, I agree. When do we leave?" |
| "ghorgh mamejlaH?" ghel toraQ. | "When can we leave?" asked Torax. |
| Qub choraQ. "verghta' vorcha' veSDuj QImerogh 'ej tugh mejbeHqa'. DaH veSDujvam poQbe' Hubbeq 'ej pagh Qu' ghaj 'oH. qaSDI' - ghmmm - cha' jaj QImeroghDaq matenlaH." | Chorax thought. "The Vor'cha class warship Krimerog has just docked and will soon be ready to depart. The Defense Force doesn't need this warship right now, and it has no assignment. We could embark in the Krimerog in - hmm - two days." |
| Qam toraQ. "majQa', choraQ. roD ghol maH 'e' vISov, loDnI'. 'ach DaH qoch maHlaH 'e' vItul. nuwuvtaH QoraQ tuq. malujbe'nISbej. qaDangan pegh wISov pagh qaDan wIpej." | Torax stood. "Excellent, Chorax. I know we've usually been competitors, brother, but now I hope we can be allies. The House of Krorax is depending on us. We must certainly not fail. We'll know the secret of the Cadanians or devastate Cadania itself." |
Copyright Klingon Language Institute. Reprinted with permission from jatmey, volume 3.
© 1997 - 1999 Terrence Donnelly