Unity II: Shadows of the Night, Redux (Complete)

[Sonnenburg]

You're hitting on a very salient point, and I appreciate you sharing that with me. Here's how I would "defend" (for lack of a better term) this. One of Luke's returning elements was the moments that kept hitting him where he thought he had time to consider things, and because he didn't he lost it (near end of chapter 1, end of chapter 10, middle of Garak scene in 28 ). And Seven has been hiding it since WWE 21. The events of Seven's re-awakening have in essence also woken them up to realizing that they've both cared about each other for three years and their timid natures wound up denying them what they could have had... and almost preventing them from ever having it. The time has come to stop playing it safe and grab the opportunity that's here.

Just to speak to the jump-roping itself too, I'm about to say something very audacious and call a topless woman bouncing her boobs as being multi-tiered. The obvious thing Seven's doing is bringing out the front-line artillery in the battle of the sexes, and the obviousness is part of the second point she was making to Luke, which was "I'm not just sexy, I'm fun! I like to goof around, I like to amuse you." She's also saying, "Look, I'm a senior officer on the flagship, but I'll reduce myself to this if it'll convince you."

[rhoenix]

One of Luke's returning elements was the moments that kept hitting him where he thought he had time to consider things, and because he didn't he lost it (near end of chapter 1, end of chapter 10, middle of Garak scene in 28 ). And Seven has been hiding it since WWE 21. The events of Seven's re-awakening have in essence also woken them up to realizing that they've both cared about each other for three years and their timid natures wound up denying them what they could have had... and almost preventing them from ever having it. The time has come to stop playing it safe and grab the opportunity that's here.

Ah, that would be the part that I didn't take into account - the timescale. I didn't know three years had passed since they met - I'll have to read it again.

In this case, I have no problems with the above. I was under the misperception that only a few months had passed, storyline-wise.

Just to speak to the jump-roping itself too, I'm about to say something very audacious and call a topless woman bouncing her boobs as being multi-tiered. <snip examples>

Actually, you wrote that quite well, I think - for her to do such a thing, for a person who plans tactically every move she makes, implies a great deal of trust and care, psychologically speaking.

Thank you very much for replying as you did, Sonnenberg. I look forward to the next (revised) chapter with as much patience as I can muster.

[Trogdor]

Not to sound like an attention whore here, but I see this has had a large number of views... and nobody had any comments on Seven of Nine jump-roping topless? Boy are you people jaded.

I had to take my last final and move out of the dorm today, you should've waited for me! It seemed kind of on par with Seven's silly new personality, but the "Very bouncy" part had me cracking up.

Poor Harry.

[Sonnenburg]

[snip]
Thank you very much for replying as you did, Sonnenberg. I look forward to the next (revised) chapter with as much patience as I can muster.

Thanks very much, and I'm glad you brought the point up so I could clarify it.

[Sonnenburg]

I had to take my last final and move out of the dorm today, you should've waited for me! It seemed kind of on par with Seven's silly new personality, but the "Very bouncy" part had me cracking up.

Poor Harry.

Thanks! This was a fun chapter to write.


I'll confess, and Dalton will back me up on this, but I agonized over the proper word to use to refer to Seven's gament that she wore coming out of the shower. "Panties" seemed too sexual and "underwear" sounded too grandma-y and "underpants" always makes me think of Fry from Futurama, so a lot of sweat was expended trying to find the right word to use for the occassion. "bikini bottoms" became the final selection thanks to his dedicated search for truth. I salute you, Rob!

[Sonnenburg]

Part XXXVI


Luke didn’t move as he heard the pop and slowing “whir” sound of Seven’s alcove completing the regeneration cycle. She must have had trouble sleeping too, he thought distantly as he felt her crawl onto the bed. He felt her warm breath on his earlobe; “You’re not fooling anyone,” she whispered.

He rolled back over and looked at her; she did a remarkable job of covering up her worry with a small smile, but he could feel it. “A lot’s on my mind,” he said.

“I know,” she said, taking hold of his hand. “You’re concerned about your father, aren’t you?”

He sighed deeply, wishing he could sleep. It seemed that his sleepless nights had returned. Funny, he thought he’d finally gotten past them that first night with Annika; that just her presence could take away whatever anxiety was in him. “That obvious?” he asked, his words muffled by the arm dangling limply over his face.

“I understand why you’re concerned,” she said. “But do you have to do this?”

“He’s my father. I can’t do nothing.”

“Luke,” she said, pushing his arm back out of the way and turning him more towards her, “Let me point out a couple things. The delta quadrant is currently in the hands of the Borg and the Empire, and you know both would love to get their hands on you. Also, your father left for a reason; he doesn’t want to be found. He’s decided to leave the past behind, and I think he’d want you to accept that.”

“You just don’t want me to go,” Luke said.

“Yes,” Seven said. “I don’t want the man I love flying into the middle of Borg territory. Better call Borui and tell her to bring the straight-jacket.”

“Seven,” he said, “I have to do this.”

She held his hand between hers. “Why?” she pleaded.

Luke laid back on the pillow with exhaustion. “I’m tired, Seven. So tired of grieving. Owen, Beru, Biggs, Ben, Yoda, all my friends during the rebellion, I’m just tired of having to say goodbye to them all. I’m tired of losing them, Annika.” He put his arm around her and pulled her closer. “I don’t want to lose my father too; not if there’s a chance.”

She leaned down and kissed him on the forehead, then rested his head on her chest. “Just promise you’ll be careful,” she whispered.

“Don’t worry,” he said. He felt the gentle rocking motion of her body, and his lids started to get heavy. The distant beating of her heart and slow, hypnotic breathing helped him relax, and mercifully he fell asleep.
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While Luke was finally finding a few brief hours of peace, hundreds of lightyears away Leia also found herself facing a difficult choice. Like Luke, she wanted to just drop everything and join in the search for her long lost father. Unlike him, she had responsibilities that, at this time, refused to be ignored. Once again, she had been forced to choose the Republic over her family, and it pained her that it was necessary; the inevitable increase of that family thanks to her swollen belly only compounded it. It certainly didn’t make the discussion she was engaged in any more pleasant.

“Mr. President,” she said, trying to be patient, “we have waited for some time now for aid from our Milky Way allies. The Republic is facing its most desperate hour. How can you sit there and refuse us the aide we so desperately need?”

“Ambassador,” he replied, “I understand your concerns, but we have to be very careful moving against the Borg at this time. We’ve seen the devastation a Death Star has already done; we don’t want to attract the attention of another.”

“With all due respect,” Picard said, “we’re going to have to face the Borg sooner or later. It’s a much smaller galaxy now, Mr. President, and it’s time we realized that we can’t rely on distance to protect us from the Borg.”

“Yes, Jean-luc, but there’s a big difference between preparing to defend ourselves and provoking the enemy.”

“Mr. President,” Leia pleaded, “The Republic is trapped between the Borg and the Ssi-Ruuk. We need your help, or my people will be destroyed.”

“I’m sorry,” the president replied. “I truly am. But we don’t have the forces to engage either one at this time without leaving the Federation too weak to defend itself. You’ll just have to be patient.”

“Mr. President,” Picard said, “My colleague is too polite a woman to say this, so I will. We are obligated to help them by treaty, and to ignore it would be a disgrace. The Republic has been under assault by the Borg for a year now; they need our help. We agreed to be military allies with them, and we need to stand by our word.”

The president leaned forward. “I have heard from several sources that the government you speak of no longer exists. If that is true, then we are absolved of any involvement.”

“Well I guess there’s only one way to find out,” Picard said. “We’ll need to send ships through the wormhole.”

“Let me be frank,” he replied. “If the Borg launch a major offensive at the Federation, we'll need every ship available to stop it. We can’t afford to send a fleet off to the Republic now. I’m sorry, but that’s the truth.”

“Mr. President,” Picard begged, “please. We gave them our word.”

“And I regret having to break it. But in the face of simple self-preservation, we have no choice.” He turned to Leia. “I hope your Republic survives, I truly do. I know your leaders are capable and your ships strong; I believe they have a good chance.”

Picard stood up in anger, as opposed to Leia’s graceful rise. “I can only hope that this isn’t another of Q’s tests,” he said. “Because I believe this time, we have surely failed.” The two walked out of the president’s office, Leia feeling his pent up anger.

“Don’t worry,” she said as they walked through the corridors of the capital.

“I’m sorry,” Picard said. “On behalf of the most spineless people in history, I’m sorry.”

“Jean-luc, don’t be upset. You need to learn in diplomacy the fine art of accepting negative news,” she smiled a little, “Even if it is from a wizened old nerf.”

“Any word on the Romulans and the Klingons?” he asked as they turned the corner towards the turbolift.

“None so far,” she said. “Level 1,” she announced as the doors closed. “Have you heard those rumors?” she asked. The word had been going around that, with the fall of Coruscant, there wasn’t any real Republic left any more. If true, that left Leia as the representative of a government in exile.

“I’ve learned not to put much stock in rumor,” Picard said, but she could tell his true feelings; he was as worried as she was. Had the news of Coruscant chilled him as it had her? she wondered. She had been planning on returning to the Senate after the war, but the need for a diplomat to the Romulans, someone they trusted, required her to delay those plans. Otherwise, she and Han would have been there. Just like Alderaan, she narrowly missed death through terracide.

As for Picard, he narrowly missed a similar fate. Had it not been for Thrawn’s deception he too would have perished on Coruscant, far from his own home. She still couldn’t imagine it, the destruction of the very center of the galaxy for millennia. They stepped off the turbolift towards the front entrance.

“As much as I hate agreeing with that pompous windbag,” Picard said, “he does have a point. The Republic has a powerful fleet; there’s a chance they could succeed.”

“I hope so,” she said. “Otherwise it seems as if our entire revolution was for nothing.”
--------------------------------------------------------------

Across the galaxy, hundreds of Borg cubes exited the wormhole into the Milky Way, quickly moving to hyperspeed to continue their long journey. The previous year had seen them assimilate much in the way of species and technology, and the resources gained had certainly further enhanced the Borg. Anansi’s plans seemed to have reached their fruition, and now all was ready for the next step.

The Borg have no interest in politics. To them, claiming to possess space is like claiming to possess a shadow, it simply is. No, for them, the galaxy was a vast untapped collection of raw materials waiting for addition to the collective. Species, technologies, materials, planets, all that could add to their perfection. The time was now coming to consume the galaxy; and very soon all would be Borg.
--------------------------------------------------------------

The senior officers sat gathered in the conference room as Riker stepped in, quickly taking his place at the head of the table. “Orders have come in from Starfleet,” he announced. “We’ll be shipping out tomorrow.”

“Oh, Starfleet finally remembered us,” Sullice said.

“Yes,” Riker continued. “We’ll be traveling into what used to be the Demilitarized Zone for the next couple of weeks.”

“Wait a minute,” Borui said. “Starfleet is sending the flagship there instead of towards the front lines?”

“Yes,” Riker said. “Apparently there has been some problems with one of the Cardassian factions. We’re being sent in to deal with that problem.”

“We stand at the brink of total war with the most powerful race in the galaxy,” Seven said, not even looking at any of the others, “And we’re going to try and scare off Cardassians.” She sighed. “That is idiotic.”

“The Cardassians have the Helium Bomb,” Riker said.

That silenced the dismissive remarks of the crew. They knew what the bomb was, a highly unstable helium matrix that was devastatingly powerful and capable of ignoring any defensive shielding. The previous station here at Bajor had been destroyed by the helium bomb, so no one better understood its power than them.

“How did they manage that?” Dr. Crusher said. “I thought you and Jean-luc purged the files on the bomb?” she asked Seven.

“We did,” Seven replied. “They must have gotten it some other way.”

“Starfleet’s been investigating the recent Cardassian activities,” Laforge said. “That’s why we’ve been delayed. We think they received the technology from the Empire.”

“The Empire doesn’t trade military equipment,” Seven said. “Thrawn insists on it.”

“The same Thrawn that controls the Borg,” Borui pointed out. “This is probably exactly what he wants; have us go chasing around with the Cardassians while he moves his scheme forward without interruption.”

“You’re probably right,” Riker said. “But unfortunately we’ve no choice but to dance to his tune for now; the Cardassians have already threatened a number of colonies with destruction if they do not accept their authority."

"Some of you weren't here," Laforge said, "but we pulled the same duty during the Dominion War. The Enterprise alone is a powerful ship, but its reputation can do as much as a small fleet when it comes to maintaining the status quo, leaving more ships available for engagement."

"Exactly," Riker said. "The Federation hopes that the mere presence of the Enterprise in the area will convince the Cardassians to back down, but it is a dangerous situation. Civilian lives are at stake; we have no choice but to do whatever we can to protect them.”

“Drills start at 1400,” Laforge said. “We’ve been in dock for a while; we need everyone on top of their game.”

“Any other questions?” Riker asked. “Dismissed.” He watched them exit, thinking about what all has happened since they put into dock. New revelations, new changes, it seemed it wasn’t the same galaxy any more. Well, he thought as he finally got to his feet, whatever galaxy this was, it was time to get out and defend it; it’s what the Enterprise is best at.
--------------------------------------------------------------

Thrawn looked over the final report on Imperial expansion with a raised eyebrow and a bit of a scowl. 87% of all former Imperial systems had now accepted the authority of the Empire. It should have been a cause for celebration, but this only added further credence to his concerns. He had projected two to three years to retake that much territory, and it had happened in less than one.

It was inevitable of course. Thrawn had a keen understanding of how beings think, and despite all the notions of nobility and sacrifice, the plain and simple truth was that the first concern of any species was basic self-preservation. “When neither their property nor their honor is touched, the majority of men live content.” Macciavelli, Thrawn thought, was a very astute student of humanoid nature. And given the fact that they faced total destruction at the hands of the Borg while the Republic, crippled as it had been, was unable to defend them, they were only to willing to accept the authority of anyone who could protect them from their enemies.

The restoration was finally nearing completion. The remaining systems would eventually give in to Imperial control, he had already begun the small steps that would ensure that. He had seen personally the completion of the first new Star Destroyer for the Empire from the Kuat Drive Yards. But it was far from over. The Milky Way galaxy remained for conquest too, although in an entirely different form...

Why could no one else see the Borg as he did? His studies of their ships, the closest Borg get to art, had shown him that they weren’t just a race of obsessed killers, they had so much to offer. The Borg are timeless, and through them, Thrawn would be as well. The galaxy was his, true; but what would that matter when his body wore out and he gave in to time? Like the Emperor, it would only be broken up on his demise, or fall into the hands of incompetent fools. What was the point of conquest if one’s territory eventually fell away again? Why build something that cannot last?

That was the part Picard had never understood. He simply could not get past what the Borg were to see what they had to offer. The acquired technologies of thousands of species and millennia of development to push the biological sciences to the limits of understanding. How could he not have seen what the Borg could give? Would you rather let the plaque in the sand speak for you, or would you rather be there to say “I am Ozymandias, king of kings. Look on my works ye mighty and despair.” The Borg had more than power, the Borg had the means for immortality. Yes Picard, it is a symbiosis; I no more control the Borg than they control me. Why betray them, given what they had to offer? After all, which was preferable: to command the galaxy for a few decades, or to be able to watch the fear of those who stood before your advancing fleets for a million glorious years? Yes, Thrawn was only to happy to be part of what the Borg had to offer. Their strength, his skill; what could possibly stand against them?
--------------------------------------------------------------

The door opened and Ysanne Isard looked up at her captor. "Good afternoon," the Blessed One said. "Things are approaching the inevitable conclusion, and I'm afraid that means that it's time to tie up all the loose ends." Isard protested, but it was blocked by the gag. "Now now, we both knew this day would come, although you probably weren't looking forward to it as much as I have." The Blessed One seemed to mull aloud as she walked the room. "I'd be lying if I said you haven't been useful. Your information has helped the Cult spread across the Empire and accelerated the rise to power." The voice became a growl. "Of course, it's your fault it fell in the first place." Isard snarled at her captor as best she could.

"I keep ex-Admiral Daala in the room next to this one," the Blessed One continued. "Her usefulness is limited, except when it comes to directing my ire at someone." She walked up to Isard. "Do you know why I despise you both so much? Hm? It's because you had it so easy... Do you have any idea how hard it is for a woman to earn her way into high positions within the Empire?" The Blessed One snarled. "Our talents were ignored because of this pointless boy's club attitude; those of us who got anywhere did so by blood and sweat, by doing the dirtiest of work that was demanded." She shook her head with a look of contempt. "But not all of us earned their way here. You two slimed your way into high command, reaching beyond the limits of your talents, so your failures were on display for the entire galaxy!" She slapped Isard hard across the face. "You made us look weak and incompetent! You made our work even harder!" She seethed. "Three years! Three years of fighting tooth and nail to get back to what I had, and it's all because of idiots like you two! I could have taken the helm and held the Empire together, I was the successor, and your pathetic scheming ruined everything!"

Isard's eyes flicked up to her captor and spoke a few words into her gag. She was back-handed again for her trouble. "Instead I've been left with a collection of crazed dreamers and an alien who thinks the Borg would make a good ally. Your pathetic hubris has turned the grand Galactic Empire into a farce! And left me with years of work to try and rebuild!" The Blessed One glared at her. "But I'll do it. I'll do it, and you know why? Because I am Sith, and there is nothing beyond my reach if I wish to have it. None of you can imagine what you've tried to interfere with." She ran a hand over Isard's head. "Still, while you are a pathetic master, you are an adequate servant. So, I will give you a chance, Ysanne, if only to spite the old boy's club. Live as my servant, or die now."

She gestured, and the gag was wrenched from Isard's mouth. Isard glared up at her with hatred on her every feature. "Go to hell, Mara." She seized as her throat was constricted.

"That name," Darth Whind growled as Isard's throat was crushed, "has no meaning for me."

[Crazedwraith]

Gasp! Who would have guessed it? Very nice chapter. Esepcially the insight into your Thrawn's frame of mind.

[Sonnenburg]

Thanks!

[Ghost Rider]

Good stuff, and two points. I like the particular aspect of Thrawn comparing his deeds to Ozy and giving the thought of what he doesn't want to happen.

Overall good stuff, and enjoyed also the end bit with "So where's Mara?"

[Star Empire]

Thrawn's scene brings back a question I've had for awhile. What does he plan on doing? He isn't going to destroy the Borg, and they can't coexist with the Empire forever, so am I correct in assuming, eventually he plans on assimilating it too.

[Sonnenburg]

Good stuff, and two points. I like the particular aspect of Thrawn comparing his deeds to Ozy and giving the thought of what he doesn't want to happen.

Overall good stuff, and enjoyed also the end bit with "So where's Mara?"

Thanks. Yeah, I've always thought of Thrawn as more of a long-term thinker. The Borg make him consider something his real conterpart never had the option for: true immortality.

[Sonnenburg]

Thrawn's scene brings back a question I've had for awhile. What does he plan on doing? He isn't going to destroy the Borg, and they can't coexist with the Empire forever, so am I correct in assuming, eventually he plans on assimilating it too.

Why can't they co-exist?
Remember that the Borg and Thrawn are incapable of deceiving one another. As far as Thrawn can tell, they'll follow the agreement: they follow his lead and he will continue to provide them with things to consume. When the two galaxies run out of acceptible fare, there's an entire universe out there waiting.

[consequences]

Hmm, ptential hole there. Something about how Isaard was transferred from the Lusankya, or how the Lusankya somehow survived the destruction of Coruscant would make things flow better.

Unless of course, such was provided, and somehow I missed it.


In any case, verily, thou shouldst killeth Janeway already milord.

[Sonnenburg]

Hmm, ptential hole there. Something about how Isaard was transferred from the Lusankya, or how the Lusankya somehow survived the destruction of Coruscant would make things flow better.

Unless of course, such was provided, and somehow I missed it.


In any case, verily, thou shouldst killeth Janeway already milord.

From part XII: "Ysanne Isard was strapped immobile in restraints when the Blessed One walked into the room. They’d left the Lusankya days before, but their current position was unknown; not that it would have done her any good to know."

[consequences]

Hmm, ptential hole there. Something about how Isaard was transferred from the Lusankya, or how the Lusankya somehow survived the destruction of Coruscant would make things flow better.

Unless of course, such was provided, and somehow I missed it.


In any case, verily, thou shouldst killeth Janeway already milord.

From part XII: "Ysanne Isard was strapped immobile in restraints when the Blessed One walked into the room. They’d left the Lusankya days before, but their current position was unknown; not that it would have done her any good to know."

Right. I was just testing you, yeah, that's the ticket.

AKJA

[Sonnenburg]

Oh, I feel foolish now, walking into that trap.

[Daltonator]

I'll confess, and Dalton will back me up on this, but I agonized over the proper word to use to refer to Seven's gament that she wore coming out of the shower. "Panties" seemed too sexual and "underwear" sounded too grandma-y and "underpants" always makes me think of Fry from Futurama, so a lot of sweat was expended trying to find the right word to use for the occassion. "bikini bottoms" became the final selection thanks to his dedicated search for truth. I salute you, Rob!

I live to serve!

[Sonnenburg]

Part XXXVII

An Imperial shuttle left the battered remnants of an old Corellian Corevette that had served for her base of operation. For now her name meant nothing. She had assumed dozens of identities over the past three years, none her own. The name Darth Whind was unknown to almost all, and few knew of Mara Jade. The fact was, she was alone now; no master, no apprentice, the last of the Sith. As she pulled back on the hyperdrive controls she thought absently about that time, the day it all came crumbling down.

Vader had tricked her, it was that simple. It was the only way he could have defeated her; she was younger, stronger, faster than he was. And yet, he'd caught her... and while he'd rejected the Dark side, he still showed no mercy. She still bore the scars; one just under her right breast where the blade entered, the other beneath her right scapula where it exited. The blow was mortal, and she had collapsed to the floor as she died. That had been the fatal error, she thought grimly; like some bizarre trail of dominoes it had led to the fall of the Empire. A single moment, she thought with disbelief. Had she dispatched Vader the Emperor would have finished off Skywalker, Picard, and the cyborg and the victory would have gone to the Empire. It was that close, she thought, that close to victory, and it all went wrong.

But it wasn’t bad luck, that much she knew. Luck is only an excuse; the truth was that it was the destiny of the Death Star to fall, and for the Emperor to die with it. But destiny did not say that that was the end.

The powers wielded by the Emperor were truly unknown to both his enemies and allies. Even Mara had not known the extent of his abilities. She had seen the events through his eyes, recalled them with agonizing slowness. There was the flash of warning of imminent danger, and the realization that there wouldn’t be time to react to the approaching explosive. Not in reality at least. But in the mind, especially the mind of one so in command of the Force as he, one second can be an eternity. There were records of Jedi with the ability to actually transfer life energy into another, to heal even the most mortal of wounds. That required time and laying on of hands, but those Jedi had no idea the power of the Dark Side.

The Emperor gave her new life and a new purpose. She’d lurched onto the transporter and escaped the demise of the Death Star, although with... unexpected consequences. By the time she arrived at her destination she'd found herself being hunted by Hirogen and just trying to stay alive. Getting off the planet had taken too long; by the time she'd returned, the slide was too far gone. She'd been forced to watch it all collapse... all she could do was hope that she could rebuild it. Thrawn would prove his usefulness in that regard, though only for a short while. He was clever enough to rebuild what was lost, but that would eventually make him a threat. Fortunately, she'd already prepared for that eventuality.

The shuttle came out of hyperspace and slipped into the dock of the Incaciad, the command ship of the Empire in lieu of Thrawn’s absence. With the finishing touches of her Imperial uniform she exited the shuttle and marched with a crisp step to the man who was now in command of the Milky Way territories of the Empire. She stepped into the room with the standard military step she’d perfected over the years, not distracted in the least as General Taar gave a dressing down to Admiral Hulliss.

“You will move the battalion to the indicated coordinates admiral,” Taar said with barely restrained anger. “That is an order.”

“I will not endanger my fleet to indulge Thrawn’s puppet,” Hulliss replied. “The ships stay where they are.”

“Admiral,” he said, the fury behind his soft words evident, “you will move those ships or you will be removed from command.”

Hulliss laughed. “And how precisely do you plan to do that?”

Taar glared at him. “Do nothing, and find out.”

Hulliss smile vanished suddenly. “Very well, general. I will move the battalion immediately.”

“Good,” Taar said, and cut the holo, turning around to sit on his desk. “These admirals will be the death of us all,” he muttered.

“If I may say sir,” Mara said, “you certainly showed him who’s in authority.”

Taar nodded slightly in acknowledgement, but he clearly was distracted by what had just happened. “What do you have to report, lieutenant,” he said, looking at Mara’s rank insignia.

“Report from Imperial Security Bureau,” she said, handing it over.

He took it from her and glanced at it as he went to set it aside, only to look back at it in amazement. “Impossible,” he whispered.

Yes, she thought, it certainly is strange isn’t it. Definitely something you’ll want to tell Thrawn when he returns.

“He was executed,” he mumbled. “How could he possibly have escaped?” He looked up at Mara as if suddenly realizing she was there. “Dismissed,” he said, and she turned, unable to hide the small grin she bore as she stepped out of his office. Yes general, she thought, Picard’s alive. What are you going to do about it?
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It had taken some time, but the information Garak provided them had pinpointed the system Boba Fett had traveled to. The Millennium Falcon descended just outside the remains of a camp; “remains” being the operative word. It seemed that whatever had happened here had left little evidence of who lived here and why. That matters little to a Jedi.

The trio descended the ramp of the Falcon with their weapons drawn, their eyes closely monitoring any signs of an ambush. They hadn’t detected anyone in the area, but they knew better than to take chances with either Vader or Fett. “Looks deserted,” Han said, holstering his blaster but still tense. “Whatever happened here looks like it happened a while ago. There’s some growth inside that shelter over there that looks to be months old. I’d say we missed the party.”

Luke nodded as he looked around. There was no sign of his father’s presence anywhere; just as before, he seemed to have vanished. Except that this time Luke had a little more to work with. “Keep an eye on things,” Luke said. “I don’t expect this to take long, but I can never tell for sure.”

Han nodded in agreement but his tension didn’t decrease. “Just don’t start assimilating anything on me, okay?”

Luke walked over to the remains of the shelter, taking a seat among the spreading vines and ashes. He looked within, trying to find out what had happened here. The memories were distant, but after some concentration he finally started to see something.

Vader sat in a position rather similar to Luke’s on this very spot, contemplating what was to come. Despite all that had happened he still was strong in the Force, and knew what was to come. Nevertheless, he accepted it as his destiny, and waited with patience. Finally he heard the footsteps crunching on the soil outside the door. “Enter,” his deep voice rumbled.

He didn’t turn to look, but he knew who was there; he recognized his presence. “You traveled a long way to find one as unimportant as I,” he remarked to the bounty hunter.

“A contract is a contract,” Fett replied. “’Always fulfill the contract; there are no exceptions.’”

“I understand,” Vader replied.

Fett was quiet for a moment. “I thought I’d give you the opportunity to surrender. The Cardassians want you alive.”

“Yes,” Vader said, “But not for very long.”

The scene vanished, and Luke struggled to return to it. These distant memories were hard to focus on, but he renewed his effort and met with some success.

Vader stepped over the ridge, his every sense alert for the latest attack by the bounty hunter. There was a snap-hiss sound as he lit his blade, and he stepped carefully over the top of the small ridge. Suddenly he turned around as two blaster shots came from behind, his blade snatching them out of the air. He rushed in the general direction, alert for signs of where Fett might be hiding. There was a slight disturbance, and he leaped into the air. As he passed overhead the trap went off, but failed to catch the former Dark Lord as he turned and landed, blade at the ready, watching for a sign that the bounty hunter was coming to check his trap. After a few seconds he moved onward, as it seemed the bounty hunter was too clever to be taken in by his own trick. There was a small clattering sound of shifting rocks, and with slow steps Vader approached-

Luke lost it again. It was very frustrating, but he pressed onward, trying to find out what had happened.

Vader crouched near the smashed wreck of what had been his home, Fett’s small missile having succeeded only in damaging property. The past few days had been especially dangerous; Fett was getting more and more aggressive in his attempts to catch him. He kept alert for any signs of him; he’d been attacking Vader at a distance. He knew he couldn’t match him in one-on-one combat so he was trying to stay away from him while he attacked. Vader had been looking for the opportunity to change that.

He caught a glimmer of movement, just a few meters away actually. He sprinted in a slightly different direction, hoping to confuse Fett. At the same time, a group of rocks suddenly shifted behind him, causing the bounty hunter, for just a second, to become distracted; it was all Vader needed.

Fett turned back and saw Vader fall out of the sky at him. His blaster fired; three shots, center of mass. If Vader had been anyone else, he’d be dead. Pity for Fett, he thought as he sliced through the blaster rifle, he wasn’t. Fett fired his cable, but Vader deflected it easily with the Force. He swung; cyborg fist met Mandolarian helmet. Fett lost his balance as his helmet cracked on the impact and he fell down. Vader put one foot on his chest and held his lightsaber just over Fett’s face. The only sound was the buzz of the blade and Vader’s breathing.

“For being an honorable man,” Vader said finally, “I will spare your life this time; and only this time. I am leaving here; do not follow.” He considered for a moment, and then swung his blade through Fett’s right arm, severing the limb. “Go to a medlab,” he said. “Don’t follow me.”

Luke shook his head. Moved on, he thought grimly. So, he is still alive, but just as strongly hidden as he was before. But at least he could take comfort in knowing the truth. Maybe he could search the surrounding systems- No. His father was trying to evade the best bounty hunter in the galaxy, he certainly would have put a great deal of distance between himself and this planet. Then Vader said it again. “Don’t follow me.”

Luke’s eyes widened as he realized Vader was speaking to him. “Father.”

“Don’t, Luke,” he warned. “Don’t follow my path.”

“Father, we want you to come back with us!”

But Vader said nothing as the planet faded into an office, and slowly the metallic exterior of Vader was removed, revealing the tortured soul beneath. He wore Jedi robes, his face wet with sweat and stitched with desperation and grief. His breathing was tormented, as if unable to believe he could be capable of his actions. “What have I done?!” he lamented.

And then a figure appeared, one that froze Luke’s breath at the sight. “You are fulfilling your destiny, Anakin,” said the Emperor in a beguiling tone. “Become my apprentice. Learn to use the Dark side of the Force.”

Luke's father seemed like he couldn’t even look at him while he thought, as if he knew how wrong it all was, but was willing to turn the other way, to ignore the evil that stood before him. “I will do whatever you ask,” he said, his tone filled with pain and defeat. “Just help me save Padme's life”. Luke could see on his every feature the oh-so familiar sense of fear and despair. “I can't live without her.” And to Luke’s horror, he got down on his knees before the most malevolent man in the galaxy. “I pledge myself to your teachings.”

“Good. Goooood,” the Emperor crowed quietly. “The Force is strong with you. A powerful Sith you will become.” His father showed reverence before the hateful man as he said the words that would shake the galaxy for decades to come. “Henceforth, you shall be known as Darth... Vader.”

Luke shook his head as he watched. How could it have come to this? How could his father have given in to this evil? “Understand now, you do.” Luke turned, and there was Yoda, with Obi-Wan at his side. “See you the path your father walked? See you where it ends? You must turn back, Luke.”

Luke’s breath froze in his lungs. “You... you can’t mean-“ He looked into their faces. “I’ve followed the light side,” he said firmly.

“Not always,” Obi-Wan said.

“She was in danger!" Luke said. "She was hurt! How did you expect me to react when someone I care for suffers?!"

"As a Jedi," Yoda said plainly. "Care, you must; as we care for all life." He shook his head. "But you... you have shown selfishness. Jealousy. The stepping stone to fear, they are." He looked into Luke’s eyes. “Train yourself to let go of everything you fear to lose.”

Luke’s breath quivered with fear. “No,” he said quietly. “No, I won’t.”

“Luke, beware your feelings,” Obi-Wan said. “You have become a slave to them.”

Luke looked about in despair; when he spoke, the words practically exploded from his mouth. “I have devoted my life to fighting darkness and evil.” His face betrayed his frustration. “And I have never asked for anything! All I want is Annika; why can’t you let me be happy?!”

“Because if you walk this path,” Obi-Wan said, “then you will become the very darkness and evil you now oppose.” His face was downcast. “As your father did.”

“Never!” Luke insisted.

“Twice have you failed,” Yoda said.

“But I’ve learned from it!”

“No,” Yoda said with a weary shake of his head. “You have not. Still afraid to lose her... still afraid to let go.”

Luke trembled in anger and frustration and fear. “No!” he shouted. “Annika’s mine! I won’t sacrifice my love for her on an altar built by dead men!”

“Luke, you must learn to control your feelings,” Obi-Wan said.

“I have,” Luke said firmly. “I will follow your teachings, but there are some places I refuse to go. Love, joy, what good is defending the galaxy if we have to turn our back on them?!”

“No one says you must, Luke,” Obi-Wan said. “But you have allowed love to turn to hate, joy to turn to despair. You cannot control these emotions.”

“Your greatest strength, Annika is,” Yoda said. “Yet also, your greatest weakness.”

“Learn to distance yourself, Luke,” Obi-Wan said. “Your feelings can be used to serve the Dark side.”

“I won’t give in to darkness,” Luke said. “But nor will I give up Annika. She has shown what she’s willing to give up for me, now you’re asking me to give back less?”

“Control, Luke.”

“I am in control!”

“Forewarned, you have been,” Yoda said, “yet still you refuse to see.”

“Luke,” Obi-Wan warned, “you must turn away from this path, or you will face the enemy alone.”

“I won’t,” Luke said. “I’ll have Annika at my side.”

Yoda shook his head. “That is why you will go alone.” Luke fumed and turned to leave, but Yoda called after him. "Luke! Remember your training!" Luke turned back, but his face bore disdain. "A Jedi will only use the Force for knowledge and defense." He shook his head. "Not to attack. Never to attack. Never to destroy. The way of the Dark side, that is." Luke turned and vanished. Yoda sighed. “Told you I did. A mistake, the girl was.”

“You admitted yourself, she is also his greatest strength,” Obi-Wan said. “To lose her would have destroyed any hope the galaxies had.”

“Weak, she has made him,” Yoda said. “Vulnerable.”

“I do not deny that,” Obi-Wan said with a weary tone. “I wish we could help him.”

“Into the shadow of the Dark side, we cannot tread.”

“I know,” Obi-Wan said. “We’re just left to watch. I only hope that if he fails... that she can finish what Unity demands.”

[Chris OFarrell]

Damnit Chuck, the way you can spin the Eu, Prequels, OT and your original version into fucking Gold never ceases to amaze me.

[Crazedwraith]

Huzzah! Poor Dumb Bounty Hunter, actually thinks he can take down Vader?

[Sonnenburg]

Huzzah! Poor Dumb Bonuty Hunter, actually thinks he can take down Vader?

Silly rabbit!

[Sonnenburg]

Damnit Chuck, the way you can spin the Eu, Prequels, OT and your original version into fucking Gold never ceases to amaze me.

Thanks very much.

[Ghost Rider]

At least he's going over to the Dark Side for a woman, and not someone I question "She's got breasts?".

I did like that Yoda and Obi Wan are trying but having real problems because of the need to express what is happening and what does happen. The most interesting difference between Anakin and Luke of the movies is simple. Luke had no one single target to focus his love essentially. He loved his friends, not just Leia. With vader it was Padme/Mom, and then Friends. A singular focus is much easier to feel joy, but also much much easier to fear and get anger over any danger that could come to pass.

[Sonnenburg]

At least he's going over to the Dark Side for a woman, and not someone I question "She's got breasts?".

True dat.

I did like that Yoda and Obi Wan are trying but having real problems because of the need to express what is happening and what does happen. The most interesting difference between Anakin and Luke of the movies is simple. Luke had no one single target to focus his love essentially. He loved his friends, not just Leia. With vader it was Padme/Mom, and then Friends. A singular focus is much easier to feel joy, but also much much easier to fear and get anger over any danger that could come to pass.

That's pretty astute. Near the end of RotJ when Vader suggests that perhaps Leia will turn, Luke goes apeshit. I think it's because of the same reason he's trying so hard to redeem a father he never knew, because everything close to him has been lost over the years, and now maybe there's a chance he can finally have something like that, a relationship that's more than just a friendship, even a close one. In that one statement he'd be losing both his father and his sister, and with it all those secret desires.

[Sonnenburg]

Part XXXVIII


“Anything?” Han asked.

Luke walked back to where the Falcon waited, then shook his head. “He’s alive, but that’s all I know.”

Chewie let out a quiet roar. “Yeah, we’re both sorry for you, Luke.” He looked around again. “What do you want to do now?”

Luke walked up the ramp. “There’s nothing else we can do,” he said, a bitter edge to his voice. “Let’s go home.”
--------------------------------------------------------------

Thirty Republic capital starships arrived at Deep Space 19 just days after the Borg had traveled through the wormhole; a fortunate thing for them, since they represented the last of the Republic fleet. That’s not to say there weren’t other ships, but at the moment they were either in the hands of independent worlds or being acclimated into the Imperial navy. Admiral Vacor, who had taken command after the disappearance and presumed destruction of Ackbar and his ship, had come here because -he’d admitted- he had no idea what to do now. He was a soldier, used to finding ways to thwart his enemies. Now, he only knew that his government was under attack and he had no way of knowing who or how to fight.

Leia was heartbroken at the confirmation of her worst fears; the Republic was gone. This small fleet, plus the few that had escaped the initial Borg attack the previous year, was all that remained of their forces. No one admitted allegiance to the Republic, and she was horrified to learn that most of the galaxy had turned to the Empire for leadership during these dark times. Years of labor and sacrifice to topple that evil government, and now it was back as strong as ever. Was there any hope?

There was a small glimmer of hope in fact. Her old friend, Admiral Riklin, had gained a great deal of political pull since he led the victorious attack against the Death Star, and he’d convinced the Senate to contribute a hundred vessels to defend the Republic. While a small number given the scope of the problem, it certainly meant that they had a chance of trying to accomplish something, of perhaps allowing the Republic to maintain a small foothold from which they could grow. If the Empire could come back, she thought optimistically, so could they.
--------------------------------------------------------------

Throughout history there has been a problem with the quartering or positioning of soldiers and other military forces. The issue is not one to be taken lightly, as one can easily point to the examples of history where such positions had important consequences. The lack of troops in China resulted in many deaths during the Boxer Rebellion. At the same time, the very presence of troops in Boston lead to an incident dubbed the “Boston Massacre,” with the standard hyperbole of the day; and became a contributing cause of the American Revolution. The question simply is, how to have troops ready to defend, without actually provoking a battle? There remains no easy answer.

There was also no answer as to whether or not the attack on the New Ontario colony was provoked by the presence of the Enterprise in the former Demilitarized Zone, or happened despite it. Riker would leave it up to tomorrow’s historians to decide. For now, his concern was in stopping the attack and rescuing the innocent victims on the planet below.

“Evasive maneuvers,” Laforge said. The Helium Bombs that the Cardassian’s now possessed could easily destroy the Enterprise in a single shot. Fortunately, the weapons were so slow that any evasive ship would never be hit unless it deliberately flew into the torpedo.

“Open a channel,” Riker ordered. “Cardassian vessels, this is the USS Enterprise. Withdraw from this world or we will be forced to fire.”

After a few seconds: “No response, sir,” Lightner reported. “Sir, one of the Cardassian ships fired a torpedo at the surface.”

“Phasers,” Riker ordered quickly. “Try to shoot it down.”

“I can’t sir, it’s just beyond the horizon.”

“Ahead full,” Riker said. The great ship accelerated in a vain attempt to reach the torpedo in time.

“Torpedo has impacted,” Lightner reported.

Riker shook his head with disgust. “Target the Cardassian ships,” he ordered. “It seems they want a fight after all.”

The sleek form of the Galaxy-class ship approached the blocky-shapes of the Galors that hovered nearby. Its phaser connected with the closest vessel, causing it to shudder under the impact. The other two had already turned and were quickly moving to Warp, the other doing its best to follow suit.

“Target its engines,” Riker said. The phaser struck several times, piercing the shield and causing the Galor to float slowly through space.

“Hit and run,” Laforge said. “Maybe they were just trying to frighten the colonies into submitting.”

“They did a lot more than frighten,” Riker commented. “Send down an away team,” he ordered. “They’re going to need some help.”
--------------------------------------------------------------

Geordi Laforge, Dr. Crusher, Lt. Lightner, Seven of Nine, and several medical and security personnel appeared on the planet below. As feared, the weapon had proved devastating, but fortunately it hadn’t actually struck the colony itself. However, given the destructive capabilities of the bomb, that hadn’t mattered much. Trained Starfleet personnel are accustomed to putting their fears and hates aside in the face of danger or disaster, but the sight of the collapsed homes, some filling the sky with threads of black smoke, the screams of the wounded, and the sheer level of destruction made it difficult. Professionalism won out, but only just.

While Dr. Crusher and her staff quickly rushed to the aid of a small group of wounded nearby, Seven of Nine had her tricorder out, carefully scanning their immediate area. “Any sign of any residual bomb particles?” Laforge asked.

“None so far,” Seven replied. She moved on in the general direction of ground zero while Laforge checked in with Dr. Crusher.

“We’re going to set up this area here as a triage center,” Dr. Crusher told him as she rushed to stop the bleeding on an elderly man. The artery in his arm must have been severed, and the blood arced through the air with each pumping of his heart; it wasn’t pretty. “We’re going to need some help on this,” Crusher said.

Laforge nodded. “Laforge to Enterprise. It looks like they’ve suffered some pretty serious damage down here; heavy casualties. I think we’re going to need a full-fledged relief ship here to deal with it.”

“Acknowledged,” Riker’s voice said over the comm.

“Commander,” came Seven’s voice almost immediately after, “I’ll need a transporter lock.”

“You found some bomb material?” he asked as he gestured for the security members to follow.

“Almost a gram,” Seven said.

“That much?” Laforge said with disbelief. “How stable is it?”

“Unknown, although I’ll try not to sneeze for the next few minutes.”

“Will the transporter destabilize the fragment?”

She thought for a moment. “I’m not sure, but it’s the best shot, sir,” Seven remarked. “Right now a heavy footstep nearby could set it off, assuming it isn’t an impurity.”

“You don’t know for sure?”

“I’m doing passive scans,” Seven said. “I can go active if you like, but if it starts raining nanoprobes you’ll know what went wrong.”

“Transporter Room 1,” Laforge said, “Lock on to the sample and beam it into space.”

“Be careful,” Seven warned. “There’s heavy ionic activity this close to the blast site.”

After the bomb fragment was disposed of the group continued their effort at finding and treating the wounded. It was sickening; it seemed almost no one had escaped injury during the single attack. Laforge directed two of the crewmen to start clearing debris that was blocking a door while he rushed over to help others carry a woman out on a stretcher over some rubble.

“Commander,” Dr. Crusher said, “Any word on when that relief ship will be arriving? We’re running out of space on the Enterprise and the area’s filled with wounded.”

“They’re on their way, doctor,” Laforge said as he helped push some of the beams out of the way. He reached over and pushed the door controls, but nothing happened. He pushed it again.

“The controls for the door have been disabled,” Lightner said, looking at his tricorder.

“Anyone in there?” Laforge asked.

“Nine,” Lightner said. “Looks like one of the other buildings fell on this one; the rubble collapsed some of the walls and ceiling.”

Laforge thought quickly as he watched several more screaming and moaning people get led towards their makeshift camp. “Phaser?” he asked.

“Not sure how stable it is,” Lightner replied. “Transporter would be safer.”

“Can’t chance it with the ionization,” Laforge said. “Plasma cutter should work.”

“It’ll take time,” Lightner pointed out.

“Maybe, but it’s the safest course.”

“Commander,” Seven said as she came up, “no other signs of bomb material in the area.”

“That’s the first good news I’ve heard all day,” Laforge remarked, tapping his communicator. “Enterprise, send down a plasma cutter, we need to cut through a door.”

Seven looked over at the structure. “This door?” she asked.

“Controls are damaged,” Lightner said. “And there are wounded in there.”

Seven looked at the door carefully as the sound of the transporter temporarily drowned out the wails from the injured. As Lightner went to pick it up Laforge saw Seven walk up to the door. In a flash her left fist jerked out and her assimilation tubes pierced the wall just over the housing of the door controls. After a few seconds there was a grinding sound and the doors finally strained opened several inches. “Good work,” he commented as he grabbed one side of the door while Seven grabbed the other.

“I’m a girl of many talents,” she said as they heaved and pulled it open, rushing to find several seriously injured people inside. One had already perished, but it looked like the others might have a chance, and they helped move them out of the building towards the camp. As they walked over they watched the shimmer as dozens of personnel suddenly beamed into the area, ready to help supplement their own relief efforts. One of the officers stepped over to Laforge.

“Luis Mendez,” he said shaking his hand. “USS Hood. What’s the situation?”

“Cardassian attack,” Laforge replied. “Colony’s been partially evacuated but it’s going to take some time.”

“We’ll start transporting some of the more seriously wounded to our ship,” Mendez said. “In the meantime, we’ll need you to continue your evacuation efforts, commander.”

Laforge nodded and moved his team back into the colony, looking for survivors. “Laforge,” came the message over the comm. “Some of the Cardassians have beamed down to the surface, probably armed.”

“Oh good, I was afraid this was going to be too easy,” Laforge said with weariness. Hopefully the ions from the bomb helped interfere with their transporters enough to cause a few mishaps. Laforge never wished ill on anyone, but in a combat situation with civilians at risk, he’d take every edge he could get. The group pulled out their phasers and started their return to the main portion of the colony. As they approached there was a few low moans from a nearby structure, and carefully they moved in to check it out. More wounded, Laforge thought grimly, holstering his phaser for a moment to take a closer look. One of them was bleeding pretty bad. “Take them back to the triage,” Laforge ordered as he pulled out his phaser again. They followed the group to the edge of the building as they carried the wounded, Seven and himself staying near the building to watch for any Cardassian ambushes. Unfortunately, they were looking in the wrong direction.

“Turn around slowly,” came the guttural Cardassian voice, and the two held up their hands as they faced their captors.

“Officers,” one of them remarked. “They’ll make better hostages than the colonists.”

“Agreed. Drop your weapons.” They did as they were told, Laforge kicking himself for allowing the situation to get this bad. He lowered his hands a little as their attention waned, but Seven kept hers the same, widely spread with her palms facing the Cardassians. Is she going to try it? he wondered. Suddenly there was a muffled crunching sound. “Someone coming?” one asked as he quickly turned around.

Immediately Seven dropped her right hand into a fist and pointed the plasma discharger at the other Cardassian, the green blast connecting before he could pull the trigger. At the same time the discharger exploded, causing Seven to cry out in pain as she grabbed her hand. Laforge, seizing the opportunity, snatched up his phaser and fired into the other Cardassian as he turned back to shoot. He rushed over to Seven, looking at the burnt flesh. Visible now was the network of tendons and circuits that were underneath, and he could see from her grimace she was in excruciating pain. His eyes alert, he started leading her back towards the triage. As they walked several more Cardassians came around the corner, but before they could see them he fired. He had no choice really; Seven needed to see a doctor right away and the situation was hostile. Still, he didn’t like it.

“What happened?” Dr. Crusher asked as she rushed over to Seven, her medical tricorder out.

“Our first field test was only partially successful,” Seven said, her voice shaking with agony.

“Lightner,” Laforge ordered. “We’re not going to get anything done with those Cardassians causing trouble. Take your team, flush ‘em out. Try not to kill any more than you have to, there’s been enough death here for one day.” Lightner nodded and gestured for his security detail, who quickly moved into action. In just over an hour, the remaining Cardassians were either dead or held in a makeshift security zone, allowing the relief effort to continue without interruption.

After fourteen hours the colony had finally been evacuated, thirty-seven thousand, eight hundred and nineteen people. The time to take to rebuild would be months if not years, and these people would probably never forget this day for the rest of their lives. And it was all the result of something that took less than a second to act, Laforge thought bitterly.
--------------------------------------------------------------

Luke watched the drones move slowly across the garden towards him, and he lifted his lightsaber in anticipation. Not here, he thought emphatically. You may have assimilated the Enterprise and taken the rest of the galaxy but Vulcan is my home now, and you won’t get it without a fight. He moved quickly, slicing down the drones as they approached, his green blade dancing through the air. He raised his saber as the next approached, and hesitated. “Annika,” he said in disbelief.

7 of 9 cocked her head. “Lower your weapon and surrender.”

Luke’s arms dropped and he stumbled back, her eyes never leaving him. “No,” he said as he looked into her beautiful face, now lifeless.

“Your assimilation is inevitable,” she said. “Your resistance is futile.” She started to move towards him.

His vision blurred from the tears as he continued to step away. “Please Annika,” he said desperately. “Remember who I am.”

She tilted her head. “You are Luke Skywalker, Jedi Knight, sibling of the head of the Republic.” She paused as she consulted with the Collective. “Your distinctiveness will be added to our own perfection.”

“Annika,” he said, holding on to the last shred of hope. “Please... I love you.”

Her face never changed. “Love is irrelevant.” She walked towards him, and he slowly backed away. “We have taken the galaxy,” she said. “World after world has fallen before us. We are now one mind with one purpose. There is nowhere you can go to escape us, and even if you did, what purpose would you have? We know you have lost all that mattered to you. Become one with us; it is the only way you will ever be with her again.”

“No,” Luke said with a desperate choke in his voice. “I won’t help you!”

“You will,” 7 of 9 said. “You will become one with the Borg. You will help us move towards perfection. Resistance is futile,” she closed in, “sweetie.”

Luke ground his teeth and swung, separating her head from her shoulders. As her body fell he dropped to his knees, shaking with grief. When he looked up, he saw her head lying near him, almost as if she were still watching him, accusing him. You had the power to prevent this, she seemed to be saying. Is this what it means to be a Jedi? To abandon the people you care about? You said you loved me... did you mean it? Or was that true only from “a certain point of view?”

Luke looked up further, and there were more drones... more of the ones responsible for this. He got to his feet, and a murderous rage filled him. He screamed as he charged, cutting them down with blackness in his heart, reveling in the chance at revenge. And with each passing moment he felt stronger, the Dark side filling him. They were on all sides, but it didn't matter; he was invincible. With power like this, there was nothing that could stop him from punishing everyone responsible for ruining his life! Borg, Imperial, Federation, all of them would die!

The scene faded away into darkness, and Luke stood there, alone with his thoughts. No symbolism this time, nothing but a vision of what the future could hold for him. There’s no right answer, Luke, he thought. Ben, Yoda, they’re right. You’re so afraid to lose her... no matter what you do, that fact is undeniable. All you can do is learn how to let her go... except, he loved her so much! It would be next to impossible. The only way he could do it would be leaving her; he knew it. Otherwise, he was only going to hold onto her tighter. “Why?” he asked the darkness, his voice saturated with grief. “Why can’t you just let us be happy?” But it didn’t answer him. He shook his head in grief. He had to leave her... it would kill him, but he had to leave her.
--------------------------------------------------------------

Riker rubbed his eyes in his ready room as he continued looking over Laforge’s report on the evacuation. Incredibly, only fourteen percent fatalities, a good percentage considering the devastation of the weapon that was dropped on New Ontario. His people had done well, he thought with approval; their time in dock hadn’t taken the edge off at all.

It was these Cardassians that troubled him. This insanity was a direct result of the splintered forces that were fighting for control of the former Cardassian territory. He had always thought Cardassians were a problem, but he hadn’t realized just how short a leash the Central Command had kept on them. While the piracy had diminished over the past year it still wasn’t that uncommon, and unprovoked attacks like this, pointless destruction really, was starting to become eerily common. The whole universe has gone mad, he thought with exhaustion.

Fortunately there was a bit of good news. Apparently, not wanting to look horrible next to the Romulans, the Federation had finally agreed to give a small fleet to the Republic to deal with their problems. In just a few days the Enterprise would be traveling to Deep Space 19, hopefully to finally do something about the Borg. Say what you want about them, but at least the Borg don’t perform acts of destruction for its own sake.

He continued reading the report on the rescue efforts at the settlement, and something suddenly clicked. He slowly lowered the PADD as he rolled it over and over in his mind. “Oh... my... God,” he said slowly. “That’s it.” And suddenly his exhaustion was gone as he laughed and smacked his desk in exhilaration. “That’s it!”