North Carolina Trekkie councilman says 'I quit' in Klingon

A North Carolina town councilman planning to run for U.S. Congress has quit his post by submitting a resignation letter in Klingon, the language of a fictional extraterrestrial warrior species on the "Star Trek" TV and film series.

David Waddell said he used Klingon to resign from the Indian Trail Town Council on Thursday because the fierce-looking science fiction characters valued integrity, honor and duty.

The letter indicated that Waddell, whose four-year term is up in December 2015, plans to resign at the end of this month.

"Teach (the) city (the) constitution," said the English translation. "I will return next time to (witness) victory."

Waddell, often a minority voice on the council, said he plans to mount a campaign on the Constitution Party's platform for U.S. Democratic Senator Kay Hagan's seat.

"I am going away, (but) I'm not done fighting," he said.

The city's mayor, Michael Alvarez, who also describes himself as a Trekkie, an avid "Star Trek" fan, said he did not immediately understand the letter and only realized Waddell was leaving when he started getting phone calls about it.

Alvarez said he was disappointed - both by Waddell's decision to leave the council early and his method of departure.

But he, too, has a sense of humor, the mayor said. He wished Waddell well, borrowing a saying from the Vulcans, Star Trek's logic-based species whose most famous member is Spock.

"Live long and prosper!" Mayor Alvarez said.

(Reporting by John Peragine in Lake Lure, North Carolina; Editing by Colleen Jenkins and Gunna Dickson)