My Enemy , My Ally " Romulans board the USS " Enterprise " – and Kirk joins forces with his deadliest enemy ! " My Enemy , My Ally is a Pocket TOS novel – # 18 in the numbered series , and the first in the " Rihannsu " series – written by Diane Duane . Published by Pocket Books , it was first released in . Commander - General Ael t ' Rllallieu is one of the Romulan Star Empire ' s most decorated starship commanders , but she has become increasingly disillusioned with her Empire as they throw away honor ( " mnhei ' sahe " ) for riches and power . She has spoken out in front of the Senate one time too many and sent out on an " honorable " tour of duty to the Neutral Zone . Ael soon escapes from the broken - down warbird " Cuirass " and its disloyal crew and returns to her own ship , " Bloodwing " . She and her crew , including her son Tafv and close confidant Aidoann , cross the Neutral Zone and destroy " Cuirass " using Klingon - augmented gunnery circuits . She purposely initiates the conflict between " Bloodwing " and " Cuirass " close to where Captain Kirk and the " Enterprise " are patrolling the Zone with the starships , , and " Inaieu " . In Federation space , Ael meets Captain Kirk face to face for the first time . She tells him about two secret projects currently under way in her home space : Sunseed , a device to destabilize a star and create ion storm s , and a project to harvest Vulcan genetic material to enhance the telepathic abilities of the Romulans . Kirk sympathizes with her , but says he cannot in good conscience order the " Enterprise " across the Neutral Zone . That changes , however , when the all - Vulcan crew of the " Intrepid " is captured and taken into Romulan space . Kirk accepts Ael ' s plan to have " Bloodwing " " capture " the " Enterprise " and take her into Romulan space – coincidentally passing right by Levaeri V , the station where the mind research is going on . Summary . " Bloodwing " and " Enterprise " succeed in breaking away from the escort sent to meet them , and launch their attack on Levaeri V . However , while nearly half of " Enterprise " s crew is on Levaeri , Tavf stages an attack of his own – on the " Enterprise " . With the help of the loyal Romulans still on board " Enterprise " , including Khiy and Eriufv , the crew manages to repel the invaders . Tafv , though , is mortally wounded . After the " Intrepid " crew is rescued and Levaeri V destroyed , " Enterprise " , " Bloodwing " , and " Intrepid " successfully battle several Romulan ships sent to destroy them , by seeding Levaeri ' s primary with Sunseed . Ael sees Tafv in " Enterprise " s sickbay , but McCoy tells her that no matter what , he will die . When Ael asks him why he betrayed her , he responds that it was " mnhei ' sahe " , his loyalty to his cousin ( Ael ' s niece ) who had been exiled for losing the cloaking device to Kirk . Ael releases him from life support , doing what " mnhei ' sahe " requires of " her " . Before Ael beams back to " Bloodwing " , she tells Kirk that she is now exiled from her home . She tells him that they will burn her name , essentially saying that she no longer exists , for " " A Rihannsu without her name is nothing " " . She tells Kirk what all three parts of her name mean , and then giving him the greatest gift of all , she tells him what her fourth name means – " " The name by which only one closer than kin may know her " " . On Earth , Kirk hangs a pennant with Ael ' s first three names on it in a secluded valley , ensuring that the Commander and her memory will live on . Memorable quotes . " " . . . Entirely too many ion - flux measurements , according to Mr . Chekov , who has declared to the bridge at large that his mother didn ' t raise him to compile weather reports . ( Must remember to ask him why since meteorology has to have been invented in Russia like everything else . ) " " " However , even Spock has admitted to me privately that he looks forward to solving this problem and moving on to something a little more challenging . His Captain agrees with him . His Captain is bored stiff . My mother didn ' t raise " me " to compile weather reports , either . " " " " Mr . Naraht , are you quite sure of that figure for the iridium ? " " " " To six decimal places , sir ! Zero point three zero four one four one two two . " " " " That is " eight " decimal places , ensign . " " " " Oh . I ' m sorry , sir ! I thought you might like some more . " " " " Aha ! The truth " will " out ! That ' s it ! You only like that boy because you knew his mother the Horta – and she liked your ears ! " " " " Gentlemen , I will be open with you . I am a warrior , and I find peace very dull . But honor I cherish ; and I see , with the completion and release of this technique , the rise of a new Romulan Empire that will have lost the last vestiges of the glory and honor of the old one . I have sworn oaths to that Empire , to serve it loyally . To stand by and do nothing about the destruction of the ancient and noble tradition on which that Empire is based is to put the knife into oneself . I will not . " " " " I was thinking of capturing the " Enterprise " . Would you mind ? " " " Mnhei ' sahe . " I ' m sorry , Captain , but you would ask me to render one of the most difficult words in the language . It ' s not quite honor – and not quite loyalty – and not quite anger , or hatred , or about fifty other things . It can be a form of hatred that requires you to give your last drop of water to a thirsty enemy – or an act of love that requires you to kill a friend . The meaning changes constantly with context , and even in one given context , it ' s slippery at best . " " " " I suppose I ' d better get down there and see how Scotty ' s doing with ' blowing up ' his engines . . . " " " " I bet he ' s doing most of the ' blowing up ' himself . " " " " Mr . Chekov , amen to that . " " " " What use is a word that means only one thing ? " " " " The translator is having problems . You have little round flying insects on Earth eating a ship named ? And " you " ask " me " about the danger of names ? " " " " How ' s Lieutenant Sjveda ' s music appreciation seminar coming along ? " " " " Classical period still , sir . Beethoven , , , Barber , , . Head hurts . " " " " I beg your pardon , " " the man said merrily in a British accented voice , apparently looking right at Jim , " " but is this Heathrow ? " " " " Brother , have you ever taken a wrong turn ! " " was Jim ' s first thought . " " HEUOPIK EEIRWOINVSKY SHTENIX GFAK HU MMHNINAWAH ! " " " " What the devil was that ? Sounds like you ' ve got a problem down there , Lieutenant . A malfunction that shouts . " " " " No , doctor . It ' s taken us the last half - hour to get it to do that . " " " " Daisemi ' in rhhaensuriuu " " " " meillunsiateve " " " " rh ' e Mnhei ' sahe yie ahr ' en : " " " " Mnahe afw ' ein qiuu ; " " " " rh ' e hweithnaef " " " " mrht Heis ' he ehl ' ein qiuu . " " " " Never complain about our transporters again , y ours are even worse ! " " " " Physician . . . stuff thyself . " "