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From the Author wrote:
A quick note to my readers,

Before I start, thanks to the fans of my Borg fanfic. It will be completed eventually, as time permits. I have to go back and reread a lot of it though, and have to decide where I want it to go. Special thanks to Mario for pming me with some encouragement.

I have not seen Nemesis, nor do I intend to. The closest thing I have seen is screenshots, reviews and plot outlines, and obviously the many complaints on how bad it was. This is not technically a "rewrite" more than a completely new story, one hopefully that people will enjoy more than watching Nemesis. The title will change once I've figured out a suitable one.

Unlike my Borg fanfic, I wrote everything with the end in mind. The ending has already been done. I'm going to try and avoid this becoming "episodic", but its unavoidable with the way I've decided to write it -- piece by piece, whenever I feel like it. Special thanks to the contributors from this thread, for the original idea.

As always, criticism, encouragement and ideas are welcome.

Now I present to you, Star Trek : Nemesis.

Brian

Update Log

8/3/05 - Update Log added. Mario has agreed to be co-author and editor of the fanfic. He's a great editor, and I'm putting his changes in right now. If you've already read the fanfic, read the first few chapters again, and take a look at Mario's handiwork.

8/15/05 - New chapter added, unedited.

8/19/05 - New chapter added, the first battle scene, one of many more to come.

8/24/05 - New chapter added about Sela's mind machine, also unedited.

9/20/05 - Long-awaited (or not) update, hopefully sufficient to satiate your appetite for now.

Star Trek : Nemesis

Main Characters (to be updated as the fanfic progresses)

Ambassdor Jean-Luc Picard

Sela of Romulus

Captain William Riker

Tomalak of Romulus

Spock of Vulcan

Captain Beverley Crusher

Captain Geordi LaForge

Governor Worf of the Klingon Empire

Commander Deanna Troi

Commander Data

Major S'tak of the Romulan Fifth Legion

Centurion Bachra of the Romulan First Legion

Prologue : The Remans

Remus was the political and economic backwater of the Romulan Empire, although it did have one notable resource -- the Remans.

The only apparent similarity between Remans and their distant Romulan cousins were their pointed ears. They were shorter, and the tallest Reman was probably shorter than the shortest Romulan. Despite their small yet robust stature, the average Reman could still be easily overpowered by the average Romulan.

Their skin was dark grey, adapted to their habitat, which was usually deep underground or in caves where illumination was lowest. The Remans smelled awful to the noses of most Romulans; the pungent Reman stench was extremely unpleasant to their Romulan cousins to the point of invoking nausea.

For thousands of years the Remans lived in small city-states, occasionally warring with themselves in petty struggles for land, power, and even religious differences. The denizens of Remus, which numbered in the billions, forgot the knowledge of the stars, and melded with the primitivity of their surroundings.

Remus had remained isolated and alone in the universe until the coming of Emperor T'pok I, in the early days of Romulan space travel. The exiles from the planet Vulcan, over the course of several millenia, had developed a distinct culture of their own on Romulus and a technological prowess that would one day shake the Alpha Quadrant.

After the launch of the first space probes, The Romulans discovered the planet Remus. Emperor T'pok, in need of a cost effective way to build a utopia for his subjects, sent military expeditions to capture Remans and bring them back to Romulus. Over the eons, these "domesticated" Remans blended into their new surroundings and worked within the hierarchy of imperialistic Romulan politics and military circles. Intermarriage eventually dulled many of the undesirable features of these indentured Remans.

For the Remans who remained behind, their medieval towns and cities remained largely unmolested, except for the annual "Tribute". Each year, the Romulans would "honor" the strongest of their sons by taking them away to a massive industrial facility on Remus, created by T'pok, for the purpose of slave labour.

Eventually, the complex would house nearly one billion Remans and millions of Romulan overseers. Factories were created for the betterment of working class Romulan citizens. Romulus was flooded by goods produced off-planet by enslaved Remans. Remus' rich soil also meant that each and every Romulan had more than enough to feed his family.

The ordinary working class Romulan all but disappeared. With so much free time, culture, art and science flourished. Since every Romulan was well-off, societal status and influence became more important than economic security. Politics and the military were the most obvious paths to success.

The innovation of replicators meant less demand for Reman slave labour, but they continued to be used as workers for tasks which Romulans found distasteful or dangerous. Starship construction was one of them. T'pok's base was converted over hundreds of years into a massive starship factory. The Romulan Star Empire would be sustained by the freighters and Warbirds produced by the Remans.

For all the prosperity that the Remans brought their lords and masters, the Romulans made little attempt to improve the living conditions of ordinary Remans, nor did they try and fully integrate Remans into their society. Romulan citizens were forbidden to form relationships with Remans, save for the few who lived on Romulus. Most native Remans lived in squalid camps, given bare essentials and left to fend for themselves.

As such, it was not the Romulans who truly controlled the Remans, but the Reman Elders. The wizened Elders were methodical and patient; they were able to observe and emulate the unsuspecting Romulans over a period of several thousand years.

It was written in the holy texts that one would come from the stars and bring salvation to the Reman people, and free them from their eons of oppression. This champion would be virtuous and bring hope to the Reman people. He would not be a Reman -- rather, he would be an outsider, one of the world but at the same time one not of the world. This champion would lead the Reman people into a new Golden Age.

With this prophecy in mind, drilled from childhood into the memories of every Reman, the Elders were able to unite the various factions of Remus and convince them to revolt against their seemingly invincible masters. The Remans had covertly built up huge stockpiles of weapons, equipment and information on their overlords. The Reman Elders knew their Romulan overseers had grown idle and complacent over the centuries.

The only thing left was to wait for a champion.

Book One : Sela of Remus

Fifteen Years Ago . . .

Centurion T'var wore the silver breastplate and helmet of the Romulan Legion. Adorning his waist was a utility belt containing a variety of gear, from scanning and jamming devices, to handheld explosives, even a portable forcefield generator. His spiked helm, ceremonial in appearance with its elegant rouge plume, was as much an implement of war as the disruptor rifle he carried.

After inspecting his weapon, T'var looked over the hundred soldiers under his command. They were all heavily armored like T'var, and each bore the same grim expression of soldiers preparing for combat. Each soldier under his command was personally handpicked. These men and women he had shared life and death with on the field of battle knew their role, and would execute their orders as their training dictated. Still, any display of cowardice would not stop T'var in playing the role of judge, jury and executioner.

He knew it wouldn't come down to that. Not that there was anything to fear; T'var was briefed on the full details of the mission. The Vulcans would be expecting a Romulan peace delegation. They would get a Romulan liberation force instead.

The pacifistic Vulcans would be no match for his elite soldiers. They were a cohesive, highly trained and well prepared unit. Without knowing the full details of their mission, however, their training would be put to the ultimate test. They would be the first wave. T'Var's men were to charge out, neutralize the enemy, and secure the landing zone. That was all they needed to know.

Centurion T'var reached up to his helm, and brought across the face mask dangling from the side across his chin. The others, on cue, did the same. T'var tapped a seqeuence of buttons on his forearm, as did his men. Their bodies flickered with the light of their personal force fields, protecting their vital organs from harm. His soldiers rose to their feet and lined up at the end of the shuttle, with their leader taking point to lead the assault.

A light on T'var's arm flashed red. Something was wrong. They were supposed to start their final approach to Vulcan. He could feel the stolen Vulcan ship level out and change course away from their destination. His mission had failed before it had even begun. Like many other soldiers since the dawn of modern interstellar warfare, T'var realized he and his men would never get to see the face of the enemy.

He looked over the faces of his unsuspecting soldiers a final time, knowing what was to come. Without warning, the ship and everything around him was suddenly destroyed by Romulan disruptor fire. As his body was torn apart, T'var's last thoughts were of his wife and children on Romulus, and what would happen to them now that he was dead.

"Commander Sela, do you have anything to say before you are sentenced?"

The trial was one of the most publicized in Romulan history. Usually military tribunals were not publicized, however this was a different matter. No one could hide the loss of two thousand Romulan soldiers, not even the Tal Shiar.

Senator Valarion had asked himself many times over what would happen after Sela's conviction? Conviction was assured. The citizens demanded blood. The politics would be tricky though. The failed assault on Vulcan was supported by many high ranking Senators and the uppermost echelons of the Tal Shiar.

One concept that was rooted in Romulan tradition was principle of leadership responsibility. Minor failures in the military or the political arena meant ostracization or permanent stagnation. Spectacular disasters, especially ones that cost Romulan lives, meant execution.

Valarion would make many new powerful enemies if he embarassed the Tal Shiar and make even more if he slapped Sela on the wrist. Presiding over a military trial was not a task that Valarion had looked forward to. So far, Sela had not given him anything to consider. She was hostile and angry, at times disturbed by even the most innocent of questions.

The Senator wondered to himself whether or not she was mentally stable; not only did the magnitude of her failure escape Commander Sela, she seemed to blame others for it, mostly the human Starfleet Captain named Jean-Luc Picard.

"Commander Sela, we have come to a decision.", said Valarion. "Although your failure...",

Valarion paused, letting the holorecorder catch Sela's face as he mentioned 'failure'. It would look good on screen. All of Romulus would see her anger, her irrational gaze that told the millions of Romulans watching that Sela truly did not understand her colossal mistakes.

"...THE failure was under your command, it has come to the attention of this tribunal that your incompetence was due to a combination of inadequate support, circumstances beyond your control, and..." Valarion stopped. "Medical reasons," he said softly.

His last words captured the attention of the Tal Shiar representative present, as well as that of the other judges, and the spectators in the audience chamber.

Valarion smiled. "Because of your...medical condition, this tribunal sees fit to grant you leniency. You will be banished to the planet Remus, for a period of fifteen years. You are also reduced in rank to Subcommander, and you are to have your military honors stripped. Such is the decision of this tribunal. Jolan Tru."

As Valarion finished pronouncing her sentence, the silence in the chamber was shattered with a cry for revenge from Sela that echoed through the walls and pierced the minds of the sons and daughters of Romulus who were watching on holostations throughout the Star Empire.

"Subcommander, the supplies and building materials are being unloaded as you ordered.", said Major S'tak. He was Sela's confidant, Sela's right hand man, and his close friend. When she was exiled, Major S'tak convinced the Arbiters to let him accompany her, along with a small Valdore class frigate. They had landed on the far side of the planet, away from the Romulan settlements as had been ordered by the judges. After landing, the Arbiters had permanently destroyed the Valdore's warp engines and impulse drive, rendering it forever immobile. The landing site had been well picked. It was on a lush grassy field, a clearing with the nearest tree cover at least a kilometer away. Behind the Valdore was a river, and to the right was a stony cliff, meaning that any potential attacker could never encircle them, at least not easily. Going through the river would be suicide, as the current was strong and the rapids would smash any flimsly designed boat on the rocks. The rock face of the cliff was steep and was nearly vertical, having no natural hand grips for a climber.

"I am not a Subcommander, as you are aware.", said Sela, glaring at S'tak.

"My apologies. I thought..."

"I want a defensive emplacement on that cliff. Send a squad to fortify the position and place a disruptor cannon on it. Has the entire legion disembarked?"

"Yes Commander." S'tak pointed at the several hundred men dressed in silver breastplates and helmets, their disruptor rifles slung over their backs, and using large shovels to dig a deep trench surrounding their ship. "Would it not be easier to replicate a large wall, or use a forcefield?"

"Are you a student of military history, Major?"

"Of course."

"Do you remember the battle led by T'pok the First?"

"He managed to hold off a brutal Reman attack from a well fortified position while being outnumbered thousands to one."

"Remans are like Klingons. They will charge mindlessly at us, with no regard for their own safety." Sela looked at a large disruptor cannon being installed behind the trench. "They will attack, to test us. We will be ready. We will not waste power replicating what we can take from around us. The wall will be constructed from those." Sela pointed at the treeline. "I want the clearing extended at least another few kilometers. When the sun sets, I want your watch doubled and sentries around the perimeter."

"Our sensors will detect any approaching enemy."

"Sensors can be jammed. The sentries are to be paired together, in constant communication with the Valdore. If contact is lost with any of them, for any reason, the whole Legion will man the stockade."

"Yes Commander." S'tak looked at the trench. "Construction of the stockade before nightfall will be difficult. I need more manpower."

"Take whoever you need from the ship. Ask Lieutenant T'vak for security, science and command personnel. Engineering personnel are to be left alone."

"Command personnel as well?" Major S'tak frowned. "The Lieutenant will not take kindly to his officers being used as manual labourers."

"They are not his officers. They are my officers. The Lieutenant will do as is ordered."

"Why not the Engineering division? A hundred more men..."

"They are working on a special project Major, and are to be undisturbed." Sela looked at the legionnaires constructing the fortifications. "Discipline must be maintained. Keep your men busy."

"There is no shortage of work Commander. The stockade alone will..."

"Good." Sela turned around, heading back to the ship. "I expect an attack Major, and I expect it soon. Make sure your men have their weapons on them at all times. If there is anything out of the ordinary, send a runner to me. Do not rely on communicators. Is that understood?"

"Yes, Commander."

Sela entered the ship through the landing ramp, and was saluted by the continuous flow of crewmen offloading equipment from the ship.

I commend you, for giving us what could be a Worthy Star Trek Ending (though, you can't do any worse than Nemesis)

Oh, this is going to be juicy! I can already see the proverbial wheels turning in Sela's mind, and I eagerly await the results of her special engineering team.

I see Tomulak on your list of characters. He was one of my favorite Romulans; I personally thought he would have been a more worthy nemesis to Picard than that prissy little ballerina, Shinzon. I'm wondering when Tomulak and Sela will cross paths; the very idea of two of them working in concert is nothing short of sinister. (INSERT DIABOLICAL LAUGHTER HERE)

Thanks for posting the update so quickly, B. Let me say here, outside of PM land, I'm honored to be working with you on this project. I hope we can do the Trek Universe some justice and show ppl what Nemesis should have been.

Can we have some more of the cra- I mean story?

The only apparent similarity between Remans and their distant Romulan cousins were their pointed ears. They were shorter, and the tallest Reman was probably shorter than the shortest Romulan. Despite their small yet robust stature, the average Reman could still be easily overpowered by the average Romulan.

In 'Nemesis', the average Reman's height was equal to the average Romulan's. The Romulans also used Remans as shock troops-- "Cannon fodder," according to Riker-- so the average Reman's strength shouldn't be that low.

Despite these changes, the setup seems good. Just be careful not to be too literal with the "Remans are cannon fodder" thing, or you'll end up with stormtrooper wannabes, like Cylons in the original 'Battlestar Galactica', or every other character in 'Judge Dredd'-- nothing more than a waste of time to the heroes (and the audience).

Sidewinder wrote:In 'Nemesis', the average Reman's height was equal to the average Romulan's. The Romulans also used Remans as shock troops-- "Cannon fodder," according to Riker-- so the average Reman's strength shouldn't be that low.

Despite their short stature, Remans will be a force to be feared. They will even end up killing a m... whops, did I give it away? And no, it won't be like how Data died in Nemesis. They will kill somebody, maybe Data, maybe Crusher, maybe Geordi, who knows maybe Picard.

Super-strength isn't really needed for competent soldiers anyway, and the Remans will be more than competent especially compared to the usual Trek security/ground forces.

Despite these changes, the setup seems good. Just be careful not to be too literal with the "Remans are cannon fodder" thing, or you'll end up with stormtrooper wannabes, like Cylons in the original 'Battlestar Galactica', or every other character in 'Judge Dredd'-- nothing more than a waste of time to the heroes (and the audience).

Making a strong Reman main character is one of the challenges I am facing right now. With established names like Picard, Sela and Tomalak, having a Reman main character work is going to be difficult. It is not impossible -- Lilly was a great character and possibly the only character to rival Patrick Stewart's acting skills in a Star Trek movie. However this is writing, and creating a Reman character to share the spotlight with established mains is difficult.

Brian

Master of Cards wrote:Can we have some more of the cra- I mean story?

Updates will be slow for the next two weeks, RL concerns.

Brian

Subcenturion Tomak cleared the brush in front of him. He had left his family, his friends and his home, for this. If it were not for the oath he swore to serve Sela to the death, he would not have come. It was still his choice of course, and nobody would have faulted him if he had stayed on Romulus to avoid being associated with a colossal failure. Tomak didn't see Sela that way though. Perhaps she would still lead them to grandeur. It was only seven years, and when your average lifespan was three hundred, seven years seemed like months. Sela still had many allies in the Tal Shiar and the Senate.

Once they returned, victorious, Tomak had no doubt Sela would be reinstated as a full Commander and would lead them to victory after victory, just as she had done many times over to garner her reputation as a soldier's officer. Tomak thought of the time Sela had let the legion loot an Orion Syndicate hideout, and keep the spoils of war. Not only had Tomak collected two years worth of pay in latinum, but he had fun with the Orion slave girls, who enthusiastically served their new masters. Tomak wished he had brought one of them with him, but the bulk of the legion had been left on Romulus, along with its "comfort women". He wondered whether they would be as open minded when he returned to Romulus.

Tomak couldn't finish daydreaming, as a green pulse lanced from the shadows, striking Tomak's chestplate. Tomak staggered back, his breastplate saving his life. Tomak lifted his rifle and dropped to the ground, screaming into his communications device implanted in his helmet. He fired his rifle on full automatic, the continuous green beam sweeping into the darkness and setting several trees on fire. Why hadn't his sensors worked? Why was his helmet's communicator blaring static? This was supposed to be a primitive planet, full of barbarians and slaves. Tomak heard a rustle in the leaves from behind him, and he swung around his rifle knowing full well that he had made a fatal blunder.

The assassins didn't make the same mistake twice, and this time several emerald pulses from all directions bracketed Tomak's upper body. The daggers tore through the space between his breastplate and neck, and his unarmored face. Green blood sprayed the forest's leaves, and the fire from the darkness intensified until Tomak's already dead body disintegrated, leaving only a small piece of his chestplate and his helmet to fall to the ground.

"Come in, Major.", said Sela. Major S'tak had never been in a Commander's quarters before. The room was spacious, but spartan. Most of the items on the wall were souveniers from Sela's conquests. There was a Bat'leth and a Federation phaser rifle displayed prominently on the wall. Her military honours were displayed alongside the trophies. These were the only vanities. A large desk with a vertical see-through screen, turned off, dominated a corner of the chamber. At the other end was the walk-in closet. S'tak would not be surprised if the only clothes Sela had in the closet were military uniforms. "Lights.", said Sela.

S'tak had never seen her off-duty before. Being a Commander, she had far greater latitude with her dress, and could have worn anything she wanted. Despite this, in his decade of service with Sela, he couldn't recall a single deviation in attire, even at diplomatic functions. S'tak couldn't remember when, if at all, he felt sexually attracted to his leader. She had always been the voice of discipline, intelligent and capable, a god to be worshipped.

Now, Sela was wearing a silk-slip on. She was sitting upright in her bed, the blanket far enough up so S'tak could see her small feet and slender but muscular calves up to her knees. Her arms were placed behind her, holding up her chest, so her breasts seemed to jut out in magnificence. Her golden hair, routinely tied in a functional bun, was released and extended down beyond her shoulders down the small of her back. Most Romulans had sharp features and dark hair, but Sela had round and light attributes. S'tak felt a pang of guilt as he realized he had been gawking at his exotic superior.

"Commander, one of our sentries has failed to report in. The Legion is manning the stockade and awaits your orders.", said S'tak. Sela's features, slightly bemused at S'tak's uneasiness, immediately hardened. She lept out of her bed, her blanket flung to the ground. "Have all sentries return at once. Awaken all watches, and have the ship go to battlestations. Is the disruptor cannon ready?" Sela said all this while deftly changing into her uniform. Sela didn't seem to notice, or didn't seem to care, that S'tak's mouth was open as she jumped out of her revealing night slip and into the grey uniform of the Romulan Navy. S'tak's discipline took hold. She was his superior officer. "Yes, Commander. The disruptor cannon is manned and operational on the cliff overlooking the clearing. There are twenty men assigned to it. A large stockpile of ammunition has been moved to the cliff."

"Excellent." Sela was in full uniform. She reached under her pillow and pulled out her disruptor pistol, tucking it into her belt holder. "Lead the legion from outside. I will be there shortly." Sela ran out of her quarters, leaving S'tak alone. S'tak stared for a minute at the silk slip on the floor, shook his head to focus himself, and jogged out of the room.

Damn, I like this one. Good tension and all sorts of possibilites. It's a shame that with all the background characters that Trek has created since TNG, that they decided to create a badguy for Nemesis. You clearly show that wasn't necessary.

Major S'tak walked by two legionnaires, who saluted him with fists to their chestplates. He brushed aside the cloth door, and entered an oval chamber buzzing with activity. There were dozens of operators wearing headsets, communicating with the legion's officers. The centerpiece was an informative yet simple display showing the tactical situation of the entire camp. Green dots were thick at the camp's edge. The legion had manned the wall. Larger green dots, signifying fixed disruptor emplacements and mortar teams, also littered the camp in an irregular fashion. Contours illustrated the different elevations of the surrounding terrain.

S'tak was immediately flanked by four officers, who briefed him on the situation. The entire legion had been roused, and was manning the wall as ordered. Artillery was prepared to fire on command. The disruptor cannon installed earlier on the overlooking cliff was operational. The Valdore had raised its shields and extended their shield bubble. There was one problem though. Their scanning equipment seemed to be malfunctioning, perhaps being jammed. S'tak's heart quickened. Jamming a Valdore's sophisticated sensor array was no easy feat, given it was one of the more modern ships of the Romulan Navy. Although her warp core and impulse drives had been gutted, their sensors had been left alone. S'tak asked for visual confirmation of the enemy, and an officer replied that the sentries had seen nothing.

"Major, I am detecting an energy signature powering up several kilometers away... one, two, three, five, ten...", said a female naval operator. Red blips popped up, several dozen of them, on the tactical screen. S'tak took one glance at the position of the blips and realized what was happening. "Artillery, prepare for counter battery fire!", shouted S'tak. All of a sudden, the microphones of every operator in the war room screeched. "Switch to point-to-point communications!", screamed S'tak over the confusion. Operators flipped switches, and the screeching ended.

The silent night became a symphony of deathbringers, rising to a creschendo as they battered at the invisible wall in the sky. Searing noises engulfed the room, and emerald brilliance shone through the war room's unsealed entrance as the Valdore's shields dissipated the onslaught. "I have triangulated the positions of the enemy artillery.", said a seated operator. S'tak grabbed the command microphone. "Counter battery fire, now!" The distinct whine of Romulan heavy disruptor cannons echoed. The orchestras of death from both sides competed for ambience. After a few seconds though, one side was clearly dominant, and crushed its opponent. The red blips, one by one, disappeared off the screen.

"Status report.", said S'tak.

"Enemy artillery neutralized. Shields down to fifty percent. Sensors are still being jammed. Observers report no visual contact.", said an officer. "Major, Lieutenant T'var is demanding to speak with you." S'tak sighed and grabbed the communication officer's headset.

"Lieutenant, what is the problem?"

"We cannot maintain shields around the camp. Withdraw your men to the Valdore."

"Under whose authority? Yours?" S'tak paused. "Where is the Commander?"

"I believed she was with you Major."

"I will not abandon the camp without a direct order from the Commander.", said S'tak. If they abandoned the camp, they would lose their only means of counterattacking the enemy and be forced to defend from the Valdore.

"As you wish Major. The decision is yours." S'tak gritted his teeth and slammed down the microphone. If the enemy attacked with another artillery barrage, the shields were finished. This was a calculated risk. He could withdraw his men right now. It didn't make any sense in the long run though. Even if the shields weren't extended, the Valdore wouldn't last forever, and retreating to the Valdore meant eventual defeat. "If one cannot defend, one attacks.", said S'tak. Other officers nodded in agreement. S'tak was about to pick up his microphone to give an order, when an operator gave a shout. Red blips started appearing near the treeline all at once. S'tak grabbed a pair of binoculars and ran out of the war room.

S'tak could see the bright sentry lights illuminating the exterior of the camp. There were several kilometers between the forest clearing and the stockade trench. Then, as if out of thin air, there were thousands of them charging through the plain. The legionnaires opened fire, illuminating the night with turquoise death. Mortar fire streaked through and cratered the ground, throwing up huge funnels of rock and dirt. Despite this, the enemy continued to charge, seemingly invincible. As they grew closer they entered the minefield. Something was wrong. The mines were not working. Several mines exploded, no doubt triggered by bewildered Centurions wondering how the enemy was navigating their gauntlet of doom. S'tak zoomed in with his binoculars, and saw a disruptor shot hit a Reman cleanly in the chest. The Reman kept coming.

S'tak ran into the war room and snatched a headset from an operator. "Cease fire, cease fire!" The deafening musical of the legion's firepower crashed, replaced by a furor of voices as operators spoke all at once in their microphones.

"Holograms.", said a voice from the door, slicing through the chatter. It was Sela. S'tak whipped around and saluted. "Commander, we are..."

"I am aware of the situation Major. Come with me."

Good chapter if a bit short. However, you sang the praises of the Valadore's sensors, they shouldn't have been fooled by holo armies.

Knife wrote:Good chapter if a bit short. However, you sang the praises of the Valadore's sensors, they shouldn't have been fooled by holo armies.

The Valdore's sensor array was completely useless and jammed. The "blips" were guesses of the position of enemy artillery and visuals of the holograms, not actual sensor readings. I guess I'll have to rewrite that part to make it clearer.

Brian

"What is it?", said S'tak. He stared at the contraption perched on Sela's head. It looked like a standard legionnaire helmet with a multitude of wires, gages, and switches. A cable was latched to the helmet's fore and lead to a computer console surrounded by scientists. Two crewmen were working on the helmet itself, adjusting it as Sela directed them. Sela didn't answer S'tak, and was engrossed in barking orders. S'tak crossed his arms and quietly stepped back to observe his Commander's designs.

The door to the cargo bay slid open with a hiss, and two legionnaires, one an officer and one an enlisted man, stepped forth. They had their arms locked around the prisoner's arms. The prisoner was handcuffed from behind, and a bag sheathed his bust. He occasionally stumbled, and every time he did the legionnaires grabbed him and shoved him forward, forcing him on. Crewmen, officers and legionnaires in the small cargo bay stood aside as the captive was lead to Sela. As the trio passed other Romulans, some of them reeled back as if hit by a barrage, and a few held their noses. When they were closer, S'tak noticed their noseplugs and deftly slipped his own into his nostrils just as the captive dashed right into S'tak. S'tak sidestepped, and the legionnaires grabbed their prisoner. One of the two guards, a private, made a fist and punched the prisoner squarely in the solar plexus with a sharp jab.

Sela stood up from her seat, took off her helmet, and strode towards the prisoner. She stopped in front of the two guards, who saluted her. She swung her knee up, slamming into the officer's stomach. As he buckled over, Sela threw her elbow onto the legionnaire's shoulders, knocking him to the ground. Sela kicked him on the ground in the head, arms and chest repeatedly. The legionnaire made no move to defend himself, nor did he wish to. "I gave strict orders that the prisoner was not to be harmed under any circumstances.", spat Sela, as she brought her boot onto the legionnaire's face. Other than the private grappling with the prisoner who happened to be looking in their general direction, and S'tak, the packed cargo bay ignored the punishment and went about their business.

Sela grabbed the prisoner herself, and threw him in the direction of two seats. The prisoner strugged, but was no match for the burly guards who strapped him tightly to the chair and forced a helmet onto him. The helmet looked odd, somewhat like the one Sela had been wearing, but with less gadgets and protrusions. It was oversized, and shook as the prisoner swung his head from side to side. When the captive was helpless, scientists and engineers surrounded him and accosted the helmet, working on a keypad embedded into the helmet's top and punching in data as another technician a few feet away called out numbers and figures. "Commander, the subject is a perfect match.", said the technician working on a datapad.

"Excellent.", said Sela. The entourage around the strapped prisoner faded, and only the technician and Sela were left within ten feet of the two seats. S'tak watched from several meters away. Sela grabbed the prisoner's hood, and lifted it from his head. The Reman snarled, and barked something unintelligible that S'tak's translation implant couldn't decipher. Sela shouted something back in the same tongue, and brought her head close staring at the Reman as he tried vainly to free himself from his bonds and bite his jailor. Sela laughed. "Save your strength, fool.", she said, this time in Romulan. She stood upright and sat down on the seat beside the Reman, putting on her helmet.

"What is going on?", said a whispered voice from beside S'tak. It was Lieutenant T'vak. S'tak ignored him, his arms crossed and intent on Sela and the Reman. The entire setup looked almost like a Romulan mind scanning proceedure. However, the Romulan mind scanner didn't need to be jury-rigged from a legionnaire's helmet, didn't need the entire engineering and science sections working on it, and certainly didn't need a friendly operator's mind connected as well. Something didn't feel right, and as the technician pressed a series of buttons, S'tak cried out. "Stop, stop it now!", said S'tak as he jumped towards Commander. The technician and several others stopped S'tak. "Major, the process cannot be halted!", shouted the technician.

"Release the Major.", said T'vak from behind. They did, and T'vak grabbed S'tak's shoulder and spun him around. "Explain this madness.", said T'vak. S'tak scowled. "I have only heard of this proceedure before. The Tal Shiar..." As S'tak mentioned the Tal Shiar, T'vak stiffened. "The Tal Shiar...", continued S'tak, "use this method to extract information from resistant prisoners. It is a variation of the Vulcan mind meld. The latent telepathic abilities in the operator are enhanced by stimulants and electrical impulses. Then, the operator is connected to the prisoner's mind and attempts to... extract the facts. The risk to the operator is great, and the proceedure is not used except under the most dire of circumstances."

T'vak frowned. "Why was I not notified?", said S'tak to the technician. The technician bit his lip, and shook his head. "The Commander left orders that both of you were not to be told of this until the proceedure had begun." T'vak grunted. "The Commander has never been reckless. We have efficient methods of retrieving information..." T'vak glanced at the two prone figures, both of them with their eyes closed serenely, "and there was no need for this. Perhaps the Commander is ill." S'tak shook his head. "The Commander is not ill Lieutenant. We are vastly outnumbered and surrounded. If we do not gain some advantage, we are..." The technician looked wide-eyed at S'tak, who gave a sharp look at the technician which implied for him to keep silent. "The mind probe will not work well on Remans.", said S'tak.

As he spoke, a sigh came from the two seats. Sela opened her eyes. "Incredible.", she said. The Reman was hunched over in his chair, motionless. The scientists, engineers and technicians surrounded the Reman and Sela. Sela swung her arms around wildly, shoving them aside as she took her helmet off. "Stand back, stand back!", growled S'tak, as he pushed his way to Sela. S'tak gripped Sela by the shoulders. "Commander, how do you feel."

"I am fine.", snapped Sela. "Dispose of the body." Two legionnaires unstrapped the Reman and carried him off. "Yes... Yes... I understand.", whispered Sela to herself softly enough so only S'tak could hear. S'tak furrowed his eyebrows in concern. Sela smiled. "Do not worry old friend, I am still sound of mind. Prepare a briefing for the senior staff in one hour." S'tak saluted, somewhat relieved by her assurance. Sela stepped to the doors, with S'tak in tow and leaving more than a few confused and aghast officers and crew.

After the briefing S'tak sat alone in his quarters for a few minutes, pondering the consequences of the briefing and what he must do. Sela had crossed the line. Her speech seemed passionate, of a champion who would lead the Reman and Romulan peoples to great glory. Not only did she say that, but she had unequivocally stated that she would be this champion, and that the Reman and Romulans would be united under a common banner once and for all, forging a new Empire that would shake the foundations of existence. S'tak remembered the sombre faces of disciplined Romulan soldiers silent in the briefing room, obediently listening but no doubt thinking only one thing in their minds -- that their Commander was a madwoman, and she must be stopped before she led them to ruin. Now, there seemed only one thing to do. S'tak must choose whether to side himself with the ursurpers, or with Sela.

There would be ursurpers, and many of them, once word got out of the expedition Sela was planning. They were to abandon the relative safety of their fortified position, and seek out the enemy in their own territory. There was a certain military soundness to it all, since they were outnumbered and there was no resupply, so the only correct move was to attack. However, Sela's plan was embroidered with delusions of grandeur, and no doubt word would leak from the classified briefing of her plans to be the first Romulan Emperor since the fall of the monarchy. The leader of the rebellion would be T'vak. T'vak had a loyal cadre of naval guards who answered only to him. Any mutiny would begin and end with T'vak. S'tak had his own allies, friends and comrades in arms who would follow him to the bitter end. S'tak commanded the legion, and they in short order could put down any attempted rebellion. T'vak controlled the ship, and he the camp. The only question remained was should he help Sela, whose friendship he valued but would sacrifice at a heartbeat for the safety of his men? The idea of Romulans killing Romulans was unthinkable, and S'tak's paramount concern was to avoid any armed conflict.

Then, there were only two options. He could go to T'vak now, and with his authority, T'vak's and a medical officer, they could declare Sela unfit for duty and relieve her. What then though? They were surrounded by Remans, who had yet to attack in force but from their probing maneuvers were preparing for a lethal strike. S'tak and T'vak would be in no better position in the morning after relieving Sela than they had been yesterday. They would be trapped like zoo animals, poked and prodded on until their masters grew tired and sent in a hunter to end their misery. The safety of his men, in the long run, would be jepordized by any delay in attack. If they were to survive the several years before their exile was lifted, they would have to take from the natives and live off local resources. The natives were unaccomadating and had every advantage though, and S'tak saw no militarily feasible way they could wage an extended campaign into foreign territory with so little supplies and an enemy who was sophisticated enough to match their technology and vastly outnumbered them.

The second option was an unpleasant one. S'tak stood up, his decision made. He went to a drawer, punched in a code, put his hand on the fingerprint reader to open the drawer with a hiss, and armed himself. Usually he had a disruptor pistol strapped to his uniform, but now he took out a belt with many small circular globes and a menacing rifle issued to him by the Senate for valor in combat which had never been used but which S'tak knew was a killing tool as much as it was a work of masterful art. S'tak strapped on a device onto his arm, and the green translucent shield shimmered over his body warding it from harm. As he did this, at the far end of his quarters, the door blew open and in jumped a security officer, screaming something about being under arrest. T'vak was not known for subtlety, but neither was S'tak. He turned and shot to kill at the door, sidestepping and keeping his rifle steady while pressing some buttons on his arm. The security officer disappeared in a shimmer of emerald, and more dove through the huge gash in the bulkhead firing their disruptors at S'tak's direction. A few hit S'tak's shield which strained to keep itself online against the incoming daggers of death. S'tak made it to the other end of the quarters, which had a computer console embedded in the wall, as he was bracketed by more disruptor fire as more security personnel waded themselves into the room and more were downed by S'tak's disciplined and accurate fire. He defty tapped a command code into the console wall and disappeared in a spiral of green just as two dozen disruptor blasts approached him which no doubt would have overwhelmed his protection.

S'tak began materializing in Sela's quarters. He was behind half a dozen naval security, who were already dragging Sela by the arms and surrounding their prize on all sides. The naval security, trained to listen to the distinctive sound of a transporter, all turned their heads and steadied their weapons at their target. Sela wrestled herself free and managed to grab a disruptor out of the careless security officer who had not latched his holster properly, and fired point blank at two of the guards, downing them. The other four reached for their holsters, but Sela rushed them and pushed them to the ground. One of them away from Sela had managed to draw his pistol, but S'tak was fully coherent now, and aimed his rifle at the security man's torso, felling him. He then moved his rifle from side to side methodically killing them one by one before they could respond. S'tak saluted Sela. "Commander, we must make out way to the camp, where we can fetch loyalist troops. We can easily wrest control of the ship away from T'vak..."

"No.", said Sela. "I made a mistake. This quest was my destiny, and I should not have spoken of it to the officers. I mistrusted T'vak, and I cannot trust others to come with me. I will go alone." She said this assuredly, almost with the same kind of rigor that Commander Sela would have once said, but now with an almost eminence about her as if she was destined to accomplish something. "Then I will go with you.", said S'tak. Sela did not argue, but picked up a second disruptor and took the energy packs out of the others, stuffing them in her pocket. "These incompetents will realize in short order that their attempt to assassinate us have failed. Follow me.", said Sela. S'tak followed behind him through the empty corridors. It looked like S'tak had placed the ship on security lockdown. "Commander Sela, Major S'tak. You are hereby charged with the murders of Romulan brothers and relieved of command. Surrender yourselves now.", blared S'tak's voice over the ship's intercom. Of course, what fools they were. T'vak had sent incompetents to arrest them, and now that they were dead they would be further justification for his borderline actions. S'tak checked his armband, and his transporter jammer was undamaged. They probably knew exactly where they were, but couldn't maintain an accurate enough lock.

Surprisingly though, S'tak and Sela reached the shuttle bay unmolested. "Turn yourselves in. There is no escape." S'tak knew this. T'vak had all the command codes, and probably had all the exits from the ship sealed and manned by a hundred of his most experienced men. Sela ran towards the empty center of the shuttle bay and stopped. She reached her hands out as if to touch something, and a shape shimmered into existence, one which made S'tak want to laugh in relief. Of course, Sela would always have a method of escape, and her contacts in the Tal Shiar had probably smuggled in this cloaked shuttle before they were exiled to this forbidden place. The hatch dropped and Sela and T'vak dove into their seats, instinctively manning their consoles as seasoned veterans.

"Commander, all systems are nominal. I have raised the shields. Engine efficiency at ninety-nine percent.", said S'tak. S'tak saw a bright explosion and saw green flashes directed at their shuttle which dissipated their peashots with glee. "Commander, I cannot access shuttle bay doors. There are men entering the shuttlebay. I detect heavy weapons signatures. The shields will not survive."

"Arm disruptors. Fire there.", pointed Sela just above the cargo bay doors. S'tak fired the disruptors unsure, knowing that the shuttle's weapons would not breach the hull. Surprisingly though the hull came apart and they were open to sunlight. Sela pressed a button and a joystick came up in her hand. The shuttle lifted up and Sela pitched the stick pivoting the shuttle in midair. Then they surged forward into the sky and passed through the Valdore's shields effortlessly, matching their frequency somehow. S'tak recalibrated the shields furiously to the rear to prepare for the reply, but it never came. "Commander, the camp is under heavy attack." S'tak looked down and saw thousands upon thousands of Remans closing in, and his sensors read that the Valdore's shields were on the verge of failing, the camp and the ship under heavy bombardment. "Commander our men are being overrun. Shall I return fire on the Remans?"

"No.", said Sela. In a few seconds they were beyond weapons range, and S'tak had a moment to think. He looked down at the visual display. The defensive perimeter was breached, the shields were down, and hundreds of Remans were charging through the ruins of the stockade. The legion was in orderly retreat, firing as they could at targets of opportunity but losing just as many as they killed now that the battle had degenerated into whoever could pour the greatest volume of fire at their enemy. The Valdore had lowered it's cargo bay hatch, and legionnaires were running into the ship. "What have we done.", said S'tak, shaking his head and slapping the console, unable to watch any longer.

"What we must do, for our people and the future. If we had stayed we would have died for nothing. Come with me S'tak, and we shall conquer worlds.", said Sela fiercely, holding S'tak's hands tightly and piloting the shuttle towards the horizon at the same time.

Very nice.

This story is good. Please keep writing and making some people happy