The Narrow Path

[NDak 0]

The Fireclaw made a thud as the docking clamps of the orbital docking port engaged with the airlock. N’Dak stepped off the Fireclaw and onto the deckplating of the Docking Port. Waiting just beyond the Airlock was a young Erien carrying an ISD.

 

“Jolan tru,” Destorie said arching his brow at the little Erien. “Is there something I can help au with?”

 

“Jolan tru, Daise’Khre’Riov, I bring au an urgent message for the Fvillah tr’Khev.”

 

N’Dak’s brows arched further. “tr’Khev, ie?”

 

“Ie, he wishes to speak with au immediately.”

 

“He does, send him the message that I have urgent matters of the Galae to attend to, and then I will gladly speak with him”

 

“Na, he said au would say that. He wants au to come now.”

 

N’Dak was a little shocked by both the little Erien’s boldness and the fact tr’Khev was being a little pushy. He sighed deeply. “Very well then. Show me to him.”

 

“Hann’yyo. He is at his residence now, I shall take you there.”

 

A little while later N’Dak was led into a large courtyard surrounded by groves of trees. The morning sun glinted of the rocks of the path way. In the middle there was a large fountain. Setting next to it was tr’Khev.

 

N’Dak walked slowly towards him. “Shaoi dan Fvillah.”

 

tr’Khev arose from his seated position and walked up to N’Dak. “Jolan tru,” he said and pointed to a path. “Come, walk with me.”

 

“Very well.”

 

The two started down the path. It was wide and lined with floral bushes and large canopying trees. “Daise’Khre’Riov, aur leading the Empire down a new path, much like this one.”

 

“Ie?”

 

“Ie, a very dangerous path, see as it narrows up ahead.”

 

The path indeed narrowed up ahead. As the continued walking the path turned into little more than a ledge of an overhang. On one side was the safety of the hillside, the other a steep drop off into a misty abyss.

 

“Your actions have brought us here, onto a narrow path with peril dangerously close. Aur sabotage may cause the Vulcans and Andorians to interject as a third party if they discover that it was our sabotage and not some io elses. A war with the Andorians and Vulcans would weaken us dangerously.”

 

“They will na discover who it was, au should know as well as I do the Vulcans lack any real intellect.”

 

“It is na the Vulcans I am concerned with, it is the Andorians and Lloann’na that concern me,” tr’Khev said as they stopped on a ‘scenic’ overlook of the chasm. “And do na discount the Vulcans, they are na to be underestimated, be careful over underestimating au opponents, it will be aur undoing.”

 

N’Dak blinked slightly and looked over the edge to the deep abyss. One misstep and he would fall, the Empire would fall. “What are au saying?”

 

“I am saying that in the future au must be much more careful—do na fall. For time shall never forgive au. Clear?”

 

“Ie, it is indeed a narrow path we are traveling. I shall be more careful in the future, Rehhkai. I shall na fall.”

 

tr’Khev nodded knowingly, unsure if N’Dak would fall or not.

 

“If there is nothing else Fvillah, I have matters to attend to.”

 

“Jolan tru tr’N’Dak. May the Elements watch over au, for au hold the destiny of the Empire in aur hands. I trust we will na have this conversation again? Because if we do,” tr’Khev paused. “If we do, let us just say that au will na longer be in au position—because I will yy’a au myself..”

 

“Na we will not,” N’Dak made a slight bow. “May the Elements watch over us quii.”

 

N’Dak turned and began walking back towards the courtyard. The fate of the Empire, the Balance of Terror was in his hands, and he was walking a narrow path—with power and greatness on one side and peril, destruction, and defeat on the other.