TNG 28 - Here There Be Dragons (c) by Star Trek

Author:Star Trek [Star Trek]
Language: deu
Format: epub
Tags: \Star Trek
Publisher: Pocket Books.
Published: 2011-01-02T07:59:40.373000+00:00

The Black Knight grunted as he swung his sword down in a vicious arc. Worf brought his own blade up to block the blow. The two metal edges sang as they collided under the force of the blow, showering sparks. The impact strained Worf’s arms, but he laughed with the pleasure of the combat.

It was time to do the unexpected.

Releasing his sword, he grabbed the surprised knight’s still-upraised arm. Twisting about, he applied leverage and all of his strength. With a howl of surprise the Black Knight was thrown over Worf’s shoulder, and he slammed down onto the turf. Worf dropped upon him, wresting the sword from the stunned man’s fingers and then holding the point of the blade to the man’s exposed neck, visible under the rim of his helm.

“Do you yield?” he demanded.

The knight’s face was invisible behind the faceplate, but his exhaustion and fear were apparent in his voice. “I . . . yield,” he conceded.

Worf let the sword fall and jumped to his feet as cheering broke out among the king and the other knights. Barclay hurried across the field, grinning. Then his face fell, and he yelled a wordless warning.

Spinning about, Worf fell into a crouch. The Black Knight had regained his feet and had drawn a knife from a hidden sheath. Weaponless, Worf’s eyes narrowed as he watched the wicked blade close in. Then, with a roar of rage, he lashed out with his right foot. Passing beneath the startled knight’s guard, it connected with his stomach. Even though he wore a chestplate, the force of the kick slammed him from his feet. Worf limped over to where he lay and glared down at him.

Barclay ran up, panting. “Are you okay?”

Worf glowered. “This man was not honorable,” he complained. “He cheated.”

“Well, I tried to make the program realistic,” explained Barclay. “That sort of thing happened a lot, you know. The idea of chivalry was—ah—accepted and believed in. But it wasn’t always practiced.”

With some disappointment Worf turned away from the fallen man. “Computer,” he called. “End program.” The scene vanished, and the bare walls of the holodeck returned. Worf looked down at Barclay. “Thank you for your help. This has been a most entertaining diversion. But we must return to duty now.” He shook his head slightly. “I had hoped that a human society based on chivalry would appeal to me. Perhaps I was mistaken.”

Barclay nodded. “The problem is that although they have high ideals, people don’t always live up to them. It’s not the fault of the ideals. It’s just human weakness.”

Worf looked down at him. “The same, I must confess, can even be the case with Klingons. It appears that the appeal of ideals is universal—as is the failure of all races to consistently attain those goals.”

“I hope I didn’t disappoint you,” Barclay said anxiously.

“No. The program was most enjoyable.” Worf strode toward the door while Barclay scurried beside him to keep up. “The cheating knight was a good reminder that our expectations and desires are not always met in the real world.

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