StarDestroyer.Net BBS

This is my first posted story, so be gentle. I will be posting newer chapters over the next few months.

I just want to say that the whole white hole thing is totally made up and a load of BS. I needed a plot device and I don’t like Q or superweapons.

Chapter 1

In the months following the Battle of Endor, the Alliance came to understand that it was stretched by the entering of hundreds of worlds into the loving arms of the New Republic. The new government had to come to terms that it’s military was unable to guard all of these new systems, and the heroes of the Rebellion were stretched to the limit in the attempt. The New Republic desperately needed fresh resources, new ships, and a new safe harbor for it’s fleet. They needed a miracle to help the Republic rearm and regroup.

The Frigate Virtuous was returning to Mon Calamari after helping in the defection of Commander Kam from the star destroyer Fiery End on Largos. After Endor and the battle against the Ssi-ruuk Imperium, Virtuous was to put in for repairs and to transport Commander Wedge Antilles and the remains of Red Squadron to an R-n-R secession at the vacation city of Poseidoia.

“Sir, there’s some kind of disturbance ahead that souldn’t be there.” said the young ensign at the primary nav station.

“What does it look like son?” Commander Alec Forain had seen the new Interdictor cruisers in action and preferred to avoid a direct confrontation with such a valuable cargo of information and experience.

“Sir, it isn’t artificial. It is too large. It looks like a black hole, but without a massive hyperspace disturbance. This makes no sense. Something that big should cause a great warping of hyperspace, but all I can make out is a spatial disturbance in realspace due to a bending on hyperspace.”

“Well, let’s see what’s going on. Helm, bring us out of hyperspace at the edge of that system. If that thing is an enemy force hiding behind a new toy, I want to be able to get a look before we pass them by. Chief of the Watch, I want you to call Commander Antilles to the bridge and inform General Solo that he is needed on the bridge. Comm, when we drop out of hyperspace, send a burst transmission to fleet command. Tell them we have encountered a strange unregistered anomaly in proximity to Mon Calamari and we are dropping out of hyperspace to investigate.”
Commander Forain was quite disconcerted by these recent developments. A new man to ship command, he was used to being a pilot. He had led Blue Squadron at Endor and was promoted to commander after leading the assault on three star destroyers, severely damaging one and disabling the other two for capture. He was forced into this command after the Virtuous’s commander had died during the battle while helping to man the guns on the Nebulon-B when she squared off against the star destroyer Conquest. Foren was placed in the command slot and forced to go retrieve a defector before the Imperials got to him first. Foren preformed extremely well for a first timer, blasting away dreadnought with the aid of Red Squadron, under the command of his old friend Wedge Antilles. Both were to receive medals and some much-needed RnR upon arriving at one of the few free worlds of the galaxy, though with the Emperor and Vader dead, that number had stated to climb by far more than the trickle the Rebels were used to.

“Transferring power to sublight engines… now,” related Lt. Commander Tour Kellen, the female Togrutan operations officer. In the engineering section, Lt Adari, a young Sullestian who had been with the crew of the ship since it’s capture, began pressing buttons to drain the lion’s share of the power form the advanced FTL drive to the main ion engines of the powerful cruiser. The mighty vessel opened a doorway from hyperspace to realspace.

Upon entering realspace, the Virtuous did as it had done a hundred times prior; it entered a higher state of alert. With shields raised and fighters being prepped, the Rebel Cruiser released a communiqué to the fleet currently in the orbit of Endor, which had been established as a temporary command base. Unbeknownst to the command crew of the Vrituous or general Solo who was leaving the Millennium Falcon for the bridge of the larger vessel, their burst transmission was picked up by a far closer force, about several thousand years and billions of lightyears away. The many intelligences on the other side of the anomaly decided that this new disturbance to their regular duties was worthy of investigation and thus sent a vessel of their own into the system.

“Commander, we have entered realspace and sent have sent a burst transmission to the fleet. We are set condition blue and are beginning sensor sweeps of the system,” reported Kellen. Forain walked over to his executive officer to read the results. She turned her head slowly to look at the tall Corellian. She remembered their first meeting when he had come aboard the ship. She thought of how her doubts over his command ability had been wiped away on his first mission. She had befriended the man after he had managed to pull off the defection of Commander Kam and cover General Solo’s extraction and Red Squadron’s rear action that allowed for the mission to be a rousing success. She, who herself had received a promotion for the service as the gunnery officer on Virtuous.

“Kellen, what do you and Lieutenant Markus think of the anomaly?” asked Forain.

“Sir, I don’t understand, it appears to be some sort of wormhole, but it is far too large to be that stable. I never heard of one getting this big before. It could be a Marker-type,” replied the young scientist. He had joined the Rebellion after his brother had been killed at Hoth while he was working on experimental weapons for a major heavy arms company. He had been assigned to the Virtuous shortly before Endor as the weapons officer and was forced to double as the ship’s science officer when the occasion called for it “Fifty years before the Clone Wars began, Dr. Marker theorized that massive wormholes would eventually form from the remains of a white hole’s expelled matter. While being stable, they would be very unpredictable on when they would form. It could be millions of years after the initial release of the matter. We could be seeing proof of his theory right before our eyes.”

“Well, this is great and all, but we aren’t really the kind of ship for this particular role. We’ll send a messenger to Mon Cal to get some kind of expedition together, but we can’t leave this thing sitting here without a way to warn passing vessels. The only reason we saw this thing was thanks to our advanced sen…”

“What’s going on here? I am trying to fix the quad guns on my ship after taking a hit from those ion gun when some marine and Wedge here coming running to get me.” General Solo had every right to be aggravated. His pride and joy had had one of it’s main guns shorted out by glancing blow from the guns of an Imperial dreadnought and the repairs had kept him awake for 24 hours.

Forain turned about to see the General and his friend come jogging up to him. “Sir, we seem to haven tripped over a major breakthrough in quantum physics. We were preparing to send someone to directly inform High Command. We don’t know the implications of this thing and we don’t want the Empire to know. Anymore burst transmissions form this area would peak the interest of any Imperial intel ships who might be listening. Just because they don’t have the codes doesn’t mean they won’t be curious about encoded long distance transmissions from on the route to such an important planet.”

Han responded, “I’ll go. The Falcon has the fastest hyperdrive and I just finished the final repairs. Besides, your better equipped to cover the area and I have enough swing to bring some help. Your orders are to hold the area. Wedge, your new metal will have to wait. You and Kellen hold the area.”

“Aye, sir. May the Force be with you,” responded Kellen. Han practically ran off of the bridge. The smuggler felt energized due to the fast that he would now be traveling under his ship’s own power and not wampbacking on the Nebulon.

“Wedge, are you sure we should let a man who looks like he’s had about ten shots fly a ship?”

Wedge responded to Kellen, “You want to try and stop him? That Princess Leia’s and Chewie’s jobs.”

Minutes later, the Falcon released from the ax-shaped vessel and zoomed back into hyperspace after clearing the anomaly. “Sir, now that they are clear, we want to send either a probe or the shuttle into that thing. The shuttle has been modified with better armor, sensors, and engines. As you know, we were helping to convert it into a scout ship by putting her though her paces on our last mission. It would be perfect to do some preliminary work while we wait for aid,” said Kellen. “Alright, but I do not want it to enter that thing. I just want it to deploy some probes and buoys and get some close in data. Wedge, could you…” “Sure, I’ll do it but I am going to need some help. Markus and Clayson, come with me,” ordered the Commander.

As they began to rise from their station, the vessel began to shake. “Ensign Alexai, what is going on?”

The nav officer answered, “Sir, there are gravity and magnetic waves emanating from the wormhole. Wait, something seems to be coming through. Whatever it is, its 700 meters long and really strangely designed. It appears to be scanning us with a rather weak sensor sweep. Maybe they are trying to avoid being belligerent?”

“Sir, the vessel is preparing to transmit a message. It appears to be visual, but there is no holographic component, just audio and video. Permission to receive the message sir? ” Forain answered, “Put it on Kellen.”

As the ship exited the wormhole, the ship began to scan the Rebels, finding a good deal to their technology to be far more advanced than their own. With this knowledge, the intelligences inside decided to respond to the earlier calls from the totally alien ship.

“This is Vice Admiral William Riker, commander of the Third fleet onboard the starship Titan, representing the United Federation of Planets to the unidentified alien ship. We wish only to make peaceful contact. Respond please.”

Conversations are easier to follow if you line break everytime someone different talks.

Darth Yoshi wrote:Conversations are easier to follow if you line break everytime someone different talks.

Thank you.

The second chapter will be posted sometime around Sunday.

Admiral Johnason, does this crossover come in the events of Star Trek: Titan, or is it just following off of Nemesis?

Structure would make this easier to read, i'm not going to go further than the first few paragraphs at this rate.

Also nitpick, wasn't REd Squadron officially designated Rogue Squadron by this point? It had been that since Hoth at the earliest and Wedge took command of the ROgues well before Endor. However if the REd Squadron you are referring to is different then I apologize.

Darth Fanboy wrote:Structure would make this easier to read, i'm not going to go further than the first few paragraphs at this rate.

Also nitpick, wasn't REd Squadron officially designated Rogue Squadron by this point? It had been that since Hoth at the earliest and Wedge took command of the ROgues well before Endor. However if the REd Squadron you are referring to is different then I apologize.

Wedge changed the name before Endor and then went back several after Endor. The story will cover those events and others.

Alright, here we go again.

Chapter 2

Commander Forain was floored by what he had just seen. This Admiral Riker had just announced that another human civilization existed somewhere out side of the Home Galaxy’s known reaches. Words failed him. He had no idea on how to respond to this new faction’s appearance. All he could think of was that it was up to him to make contact with this United Federation of Planets and hope that they were friendly. He was comforted by the fact that if this was what they called a starship, they couldn’t be too much of a threat. But before he could fully set his mind in order for a response, Wedge Antilles answered the all-important first contact.

“This is Commander Wedge Antilles of the All… the New Galactic Republic on board the cruiser Virtuous. We mean you no harm and extend the hand of the Republic in friendship. You are welcome aboard.” Wedge knew that he was pushing his orders by setting policy with a government he knew almost nothing about, but a lack of contact could be construed as hostile and the newly created Republic couldn’t afford a major diplomatic failure with a possibly extragalactic power.

Riker responded, “Thank you, I will be coming aboard shortly. Please clear an area of about 1.5 meters square on your bridge and lower your forward shields. Stand by.”

“Sir, I don’t think that is such a wise idea, it could be a trap. They may just want us to think they are weak and when we lower our shields, they will fire some sort of undetectable weapon,” reported Kellen.

Forain responded, “We have no reason to assume such. Besides, they aren’t able to penetrate our armor with the weapons they have it the amount of time that they would get with a surprise and they don’t appear to have open any tubes or launch bays. Let’s just humor them. They may just have some advanced hologram projector they want to show us. Let them close and lower forward shields. Let them make their move.”

The USS Titan revved it’s main sublight engines to a quarter of their maximum output, propelling the Sovereign class vessel towards the Nebulon. Then, with a bit of surprise to the crew of the Virtuous, the Titan came to a dead stop several kilometers. While the Virtuous’s command crew would be awed by what was to happen next right in front of their eyes.

“Commander look!” called out Lieutenant Commander Shaot, the Mon Calamari third officer and commander of the marine detachment. As Kellen and Forain turned to see, bright blue lights appeared in the cleared area of the bridge. For a moment, they seemed to fall away from the center bulb of light. Then human like shapes started to appear and focus in this reality. As if this was nothing out of the ordinary, six Starfleet officers, including Admiral Riker and Captain Elizabeth Shelby seemed to just walk out of the now gone lights as though they were walking out of a shuttle. The security officer and his marines were too astounded to raise their blasters out of their holsters.

After pulling his jaw back up to his face and shaking off his surprise, Forain walked up to shake Riker’s hand, after all he thought, they must be astounded just as much by our own marvels. He then realized the power f what he had just seen and made several quick mental notes of his guests. If they are willing to use such advanced technology to just get to a meeting with no real armored security forces to protect them, then the must be a peaceful and technologically advanced race with very little in the way of war. He could thus assume that he would have to show off the Republic’s cultural and technological sides instead of military toys. I wonder how we will break it to them that they have just walked into the middle of a civil war, though Kellen as she also began to approach the curious humans.

Riker was astounded at what he was looking at. Everyone was just staring at the away team as though Jesus himself had taken a dump on their nav console. He then realized that even the most advanced races could give up on technology even after the longest time if they never made a breakthrough or just didn’t care. This really could be their first sight of a transporter being used. He then noticed Commander Forain walking up to him with his hand extended in friendship. Well, thought Riker, I guess Jean-luc, Ben Sisko, or Kathy Janeway couldn’t get all of the good first contacts. “I am Admiral William T. Riker and on behalf of the United Federation of Planets, we thank you for your welcome and greet you with peace and a desire for cooperation.”

Forain listened to Riker and thought, he must be an explorer to have that kind of a rank and posture but still know how to be diplomatic enough to not be presenting with a show of power. He reached out and shook his hand. Thank the Force that some gestures are universal, thought Forain. Forain then spoke, “Well now that that is out of the way, why don’t we sit down to some food and get to know each other Admiral? Your ship or mine in about an hour? That should give us time to set up some background information and prepare our superiors. “

“Thank you for your hospitality Commander. We agree to your terms and propose that the official meeting onboard the Titan. We also invite your government to send an envoy to the Federation at such time as you feel necessary and expedient. Well, we will be off. Titan, six to beam over.” The moment Riker’s hand left his comm badge, the blue lights returned, engulfing the foreign travelers and pulling them back from whence they came.

In order to break the silence Kellen opened with typical Shilian humor, “Well, at least we didn’t start a war. Sir, I recommend that we send you, Commander Antilles, and Lt. Amoy. Amoy is one of the best pilots we have and she has special forces training and engineering training to boot. She would be perfect to take a mission such as this.” At the mention of her name, the young and beautiful Twi’lek stepped forward. She was the youngest member of Red Squadron and was known for being able to fly anything and everything. It was rumored that she had stolen a TIE interceptor by pretending to be a dancer for the base commander by using her beauty to defy his xenophobic tendencies, drugged him, killed the garrison by hiding to thermal detonators in the commander’s room (which was opposite to the armory) and then jumping into the interceptor before the base blew. However, she was generally a calm and friendly person, due to her training in the fighting and mental art of Ctach.

“Alright, Wedge, Amoy, I want the both of you to meet me in the launch bay in 45 minuets. Shaot, I want you there too with as much relevant info of the New Republic and our history as possible without compromising anything that could hurt our operations. I want no one else. We really don’t want to appear threatening. Ensign Alexia, inform Fleet Command on what we are doing. We can’t afford to pass up this kind of a deal,” said Froain. “Let’s get our dress uniforms on and get to the shuttle.” Forain felt weird about bringing Amoy and Wedge with him. While he was good friends with his fellow heroes, he and Amoy had fallen in love over the past year. When he had formed Blue Squadron during the previous year, she had been brought on at age twenty to cover the role squadron engineer and second in command. As his wingman, Ela’ti Amoy had become close to her commander, eventually falling for his charms. He receipted and they began a love affair three months before Endor. Wedge noticed her skills as a pilot after Endor and, while knowing that it might hurt Forain, asked her to join Red Squadron and told her that if she would stay he would pick her for Rogue Squadron when the work to bring back the legendary squadron was finished. In order to not kill his friendship with Forain, he asked Admiral Ackbar personally to allow Red and, when it was ready, Rogue Squadron to be stationed on the Virtuous. He agreed and figured out what was really going on when he promoted Froain an noticed how close he was to Amoy at the ceremony, but the Alliance had no regulations at the time involving fraternization, so he let it slide.

Riker and Shelby’s away team rematerialized in transporter room three on board the USS Titan, one of the older Sovereign-class battleships in Starfleet. Shelby and Riker’s careers had really taken off in the past decade. Riker had remained a captain for only three years; his performance was so exemplary that he had been allowed into the admiralty along with the New Wave generation gaining power in the Federation, a group dedicated to returning the Federation to it’s older glory by reinstating the monetary system and allowing for more open property laws, ending the older hereditary ownership claims to smaller businesses and allowing for the creation of small companies and unions. They had so far been extremely successful over the past eleven years, returning the Federation to the way it was in the time of Jim Kirk while allowing for open elections for the Presidency and not only for Council members and representatives. Riker and his beliefs in the strength of the individual to better society had become one of the symbols of this movement, but he was promoted due to his skill, not his newer political beliefs. Shelby was usually apolitical due to her belief that Starfleet should remain out of politics, but she believed in freedom and personally hoped for a more liberal Federation where everyone could better themselves and society at the same time while not abandoning their God-given freedom and free will. She had served Riker well, earning his trust and becoming good friends with him and his wife Captain Deanna Troi Riker, the head of Starfleet’s Psychological studies branch.

“Captain, I believe that we should ready a full diplomatic escort in the shuttle bay for our new friends. I don’t think that they have transporters and are going to be quite anxious to get a look at this ship. Tell Commander Hawk that as science officer, he will probably need to be ready for what ever comes at us. Also, Shelby, I want you to go get the Third First Contact File ready for our guests. They may want to see it. By the way, tell Lt. Xavier to contact Starfleet and apprise them of our current situation. If all goes well, you’ll make Admiral by year’s end.”

Shelby though for a moment and then responded, “Well, I wouldn’t be that optimistic sir, but I agree that this is the big one sir. Admiral, this is the first contact with and extragalactic government. They look like us, a multispecies republic with strong democratic forces. But I am worried. What do they mean by NEW Republic?” Shelby was usually more exuberant then this at the prospect of a first contact situation, but this was the first time that they had made peaceful contact with a far more advanced nation, which was why the Federation had the Third First Contact file. The Contact Files, known as the Three Commandments by most of the brass in Starfleet, were meant to be given to the representatives of a newly contacted nation. The First File was for less advanced cultures, giving them the proper diplomatic etiquette for dealing with the galactic community. The Second File was for equally advance cultures who needed only to know about the Federation. The Third File was to be given to more advanced nations in order to establish friendly contact with a superior power in such a way that would prevent the Federation from being absorbed by the other nation. Shelby considered for a moment the possibility that this New Republic should be avoided; no matter what they had to offer. She couldn’t shake off the worry that they may be stepping into something bad, but she realized that she was usually wrong about these things. She realized that her first instinct could be wrong. She decided right then and there to give these new people a chance. Luckily for the Federation, she made the right choice.

I want to apologize for the dealy, but finals took a lot out of me. The next chapter should be posted next week or sooner.

Chapter 3

“Commander, welcome aboard the USS Titan. I hope you find your stay to be pleasant,” said Riker as the Rebels exited the massive shuttle. Riker himself felt the craft was a little too pretentious, but, he reminded himself, there could be a very good reason for the size and armament of the Lamba-class shuttle.

Commander Forain politely responded, “Thank you Admiral. You have a might fine ship here. She appears very graceful and steady. We hope that you were not frightened by our vessel’s abrupt appearance. The wormhole is as new to us as it is to you. We ourselves were making for port when we picked this thing up in hyperspace when…”

Shelby interjected, “You are using hyperspace travel?! That’s amazing. We’ve only theorized about rupturing the hyper barrier, but you have mastered it? The farthest we have gotten in FTL travel is the use of overlapping subspace with real space to bypass relativity.”

Shoat almost laughed at her statement. They haven’t event breached hyperspace, he thought, these people are still in the Dark Ages. Compared to the New Republic, the Federation was in the Dark Ages. They had only been a nation for 200 years, with mixed tech levels among the member states. Shoat watched as Riker and Forain continued to talk about everything from food to religion and listened to Captain Shelby’s voice and she began to chat with Commander Antilles.

“May I call you Wedge, Commander?” asked an interested Shelby. Wedge, taken aback by the Captain’s forwardness, nodded back at the 40ish blond woman. “I am rather curious Wedge; exactly what do your people use for power? We have been unable to detect antimatter but you are able to put out a lot of energy.”

Lt. Amoy answered for her commanding officer, “We are using hypermatter reactors. We find it more stable and more efficient than antimatter.”

“And this is the State Dinning Room,” interjected Riker. “If you will all take your seats, then dinner will arrive shortly.” When all of the officers sat down, Riker began to speak again, “Well, I must say that we are impressed by you people. However, before we eat, I must inform you that I am not going to be the one to conduct the actual negotiations due to the fact that I lack the authority to do so. Before you came aboard, we received a signal that stated that the Federation High Council has decided to send one of it’s members to conduct the negotiations. He should be here in a day or two, given the fact that he was still touring the outer colonies on an inspection tour. As a matter of fact, we were escorting him when we had to break off and escort the new governor of the Louisiana Colony to Louisiana IV when we picked up on this new wormhole. I don’t think that she’ll mind. When she was a starship captain, she ran into things like this all the time. But knowing her, the Counselor will want her to tag along. This is her sector after all. But back to what I was saying; I can tell thought that you that the Federation is open to the friendship of the New Republic. But before we continue, I personally would like to know why you call yourselves the New Republic and what exactly is going on in this galaxy.”

Forain cleared his throat and began to tell the story of the Old Republic and of the tales of the Jedi, or as much as he actually knew. By the time the first course arrived, which tasted quite good to the Republic officers who had not had a good meal since the night after the Battle of Endor, Forain had started to talk of the Clone Wars and the rise of the Empire. Almost all of the Starfleet officers went pale after hearing about the atrocities of the Emperor’s reign. Forain was already describing the Battle of Hoth when the dessert arrived. When the ice cream and cheesecake was finished, Forain had finished the history lesson. Shelby and Riker both felt like they did when they were children when they finished watching all of Lord of the Rings. Commanders Hawk and La Forge were both stunned by what they had just heard. Geordi was amazed by the tales of these powerful ships and what they could do. He thought to himself that he would give both his legs to get to play around with those toys. Lt. Xavier, the young Andorian tactical officer, was mesmerized by the idea of this small band of rebel fighters toppling a massive fascist government with sheer grit and strength of spirit, along with decent starfighters and decent warships.
“Well, that’s about all I can tell you in one night and still allow for your side,” said the now horse Corellian.

Riker then proceeded over coffee and drinks to tell the Rebels the short story version of the history of the United Federation of Planets. His was a much shorter tale, spanning 200 years instead of the 25,000 that Forain and covered in less than three hours. He covered everything from Jonathan Archer and the founding of the Federation to the end of the Dominion War and the current reforms going on in the Federation. What spiked Shelby’s curiosity was the fact that when describing Jim Kirk and now President Spock, Wedge began to make silent jokes to Amoy and Forain about Han Solo and Luke Skywalker and how they compared to the two great Federation Officers.

After the coffee was finished, a young ensign entered into the room with a message for the admiral. Amoy watched with extreme attention as the ensign leaned over to whisper into Riker’s ear. She was able to read what were being said and able to notice the admiral’s reactions immediately. She leaned over to whisper into Forain’s ear precisely what had been told to Riker. Thus, before Captain Shelby was told the contents of the message, the entire group of Rebels was formulating a response. Of course, Riker watched what was going on as he informed Shelby of Starfleet’s message.

“I have just been informed that the Counselor is on his way here and will be arriving early. Commander, I hope you will be able to get a negotiator here within the next day or so,” announced Riker. He knew that this information may be a little disruptive to the moods that were hanging in the air, but he felt that expressing the desire to begin a diplomatic exchange quickly showed eagerness and willingness to create a stable relationship. However, he also felt that they might be moving excessively fast, but these people were far too good to pass up. The sooner that trade and diplomatic relationships started the better for the Federation.

Commander Antilles responded, “That suits us just fine. General Solo should be bringing a small taskforce here shortly, but in the mean time, I can act as ambassador. I have negotiated several diplomatic situations before and have brought several worlds into the Alliance. I don’t think Han would like it, but I have been given diplomatic security clearance and hold an acting ambassador title. It won’t hold the weight of law until they negotiations are verified by the Council.”

“Well then, if that’s it, I suggest we call it a night and allow for us to confer with our leaders. In the meantime, I will allow your crew to come aboard and to have access to the Titan. If you need any supplies, you are free to use our stores and medical supplies,” said Riker.

“Thank you Admiral. We wish to extend the same to your crew and officers in the spirit of friendship. I believe that Commander La Forge expressed interest in looking at the innards of the Virtuous. There’s more then enough room on board the shuttle. And I believe that the young Lt. Commander over in the corner talking to Shoat would also like to join us. Come forward Mr. Crusher, we don’t bite science officers,” said Forain.

Wesley Crusher walked towards the commander. Since his years on the Enterprise, he had learned to remain quiet when he was observing and was as proficient at reading people as Amoy. A lot of his youthful exuberance had been lost in the Dominion War, where he had distinguished himself as an effective science officer and tactical officer onboard the USS Jackson. He was now on the fast track to command and would probably have his own command within the next three years.

“Well sir, I would be delighted to join the Commander onboard the Virtuous, if that is alright with you Captain?” asked Wesley.

“Permission granted Commander. Geordi, you and Wesley can go with our guest, but I wish to ask that anyone who wants to come aboard use the transporters. I don’t mean to seem rude Commander Forain, but we would like to show your people our transporters if you don’t mind,” asked Shelby.

“That’s fine by us. We’ll clear a place in the fighter bay and set up a beacon for you to lock on to so you will not beam into a bulkhead. If your people wish to use shuttles, then you will have to wait. We will have to reequip our shuttle with the sensor pods that we pulled out so that we could come aboard. That’ll take about an hour, but after that, you can start landings,” announced Wedge. “However, Shoat and I would like to remain here on the Titan for the night and get to know your culture a little better.”

“I have no objections. You can remain Commander Antilles. Captain Shelby will give you the grand tour and show you to the guest quarters. To the rest of you, I’ll personally escort you to the shuttle bay and see you off. If you will follow me,” said Riker. As they left the room, he thought to himself that good or bad, he had just gotten the Federation into a much larger world.

I would really like some response to this story. If it is bad, how can I make it better if no one tells me what they think.

Chapter 4

From the planet surface, one could make out what appeared to be fast moving stars whizzing across the sky. Life on this world was only just starting to return to normal after the loss of it’s second moon. After the moon’s destruction, radiation and debris had pummeled the world, causing damage of one degree or another to most of the surface of the planet. Thousands of small craters dotted the surface of the planet where chunks of the fallen moon had lashed out against the mother world. But the damage could have been much worse. Most of the debris had been trapped in the planet’s orbit due to the detonation of the former moon and the aid of the new stars in the planet’s sky. And as the local inhabitants looked up in thanks to the inhabitants to the new stars, they thanked their new friends for their liberation from fear of death and oppression, those intelligences in the star looked down with the same thoughts of gratitude and appreciation.


Admiral Ackbar stared out the main window of Home One. He was lost in his thoughts about the course of the war and his own position in this new government. For the first time since becoming a flag officer, he contemplated himself as a commander and as an officer of the Rebel Alliance, now the New Republic. He was not an overly ambitious man, like the Bothan Fey’la, or too idealistic, like Mon Mothma. He only cared to protect the defenseless and carry out justice, but mainly to protect Mon Calamari from the dastardly Imperials. He realized that his desire to save his world had led him to become Supreme Allied Commander of the military forces of the New Galactic Republic. While he knew that he was qualified and battletested, he still worried that he could fail. Few really knew of his uncertainties in himself because of his ability to project confidence and authority. He had come through the ranks of the military far too fast for his tastes. He knew that he had been given this position to replace Dodonna and Bel Iblis and to provide some sense of experience within the upper ranks, but he had gone from commander to admiral in four years, with little battle experience during the Clone War and was a resistance fighter. Perhaps I should reach out to Iblis, he thought, and try to bring him back. Maybe if he were here, I wouldn’t be so worried about those lost friends and comrades out there, he thought as he saw a chunk of a MC-80 floated by. Why didn’t I see the trap, he thought. For such an important project and the Emperor, of course they would place a fleet here. Victory does not wash away my mistakes and those Rebels out there will never get to see the freedom they fought so hard for.

As the debris passed, Ackbar’s eye caught the image of something off in the distance. The object first appeared as a series of lines stretching across the stars. Then the lines quickly shortened and the obect became clear and visible. He knew what the announcement was going to be before the words of the operation’s officer reached his ears.

“Admiral, the Millennium Falcon has dropped out of hyperspace and General Solo is requesting that you speak with him about an urgent matter immediately. He is also sending message to the three Nebulon-Bs, four gunships, and the new Mark-II Assualt frigate, the Defender. He keeps screaming about something near Mon Cal, but he won’t tell us what it is sir. He says that he will only tell you and General Madine,” said the young captain.

After sighing from the indignation of having an inferior officer, especially one with Solo’s temperament, address him in such a fashion, Ackbar said, “All right, put him through to my station and get General Madine up here right away.”



“… And that’s all we know as of now Admiral. I just came to pick up a small force to bring back. If the readings that we were receiving are true, then there is a whole new galaxy sitting on the other side of that wormhole. And that’s not all sir. The reason that I wanted to bring the Assault Frigate was the we were picking up a major disturbance in the wormhole just as we were jumping. Something big may have come through,” said Solo.

“General Solo, you have a go ahead, but be careful. I don’t want an incident. Princess Leia is aboard the Defender and will be joining you. You are authorized to act on behalf of the Republic in matters of diplomacy and can carry out negotiations with whoever is out there Solo. Do you have anything to add General Madine?” asked the Admiral.

“Nothing at this time sir, but I advise increasing the alert level throughout the fleet. We don’t know anything about what’s on the other side of the wormhole or if this is merely a natural occurrence or the first stage of an invasion. More of these things could just pop up near other important worlds. General Solo, be on your guard. There could already be an enemy fleet waiting in the system. I also advise alerting Mon Cal to the threat of a possible attack,” insisted Madine. The general did not become the head of Rebel intelligence without considering all the angles.

“Ere on the side of caution General. May the Force be with you.”



Jean-Luc Picard hated to be in turbolifts. Ever since his days in the Enterprise-D and the numerous failures of turbolifts on that particular ship, he had always had the nagging feeling that the designers of starships were out to cause mass claustrophobia in the fleet. Of course, it had been a while since he had lived regularly on a starship. After the Remian Incident, he had only remained on the Enterprise for six more months. He had finally accepted a promotion to admiral and had taken charge of Starfleet Academy. Five years later, he retired from Starfleet and married Captain Beverly Crusher. He then left Earth to become ambassador to the New Romulan Republic after the election of Spock as President of the United Federation of Planets. Picard had been instrumental in the democratization of the Romulan people and the dismantling of the Tal Shiar. He was then elected to the Federation Council by the Sol sector one year before the present day. He really didn’t enjoy the politics, but he loved going out to the colonies and acting as the voice of the council in trade negotiations and peace talks. He rarely went back to Earth and usually voted from the field. Many felt that his friendship with the elderly Spock, who had been elected to his second term in a landslide, kept him from being dragged back to Earth and sit on the Council meetings instead of romping around the member worlds and colonies on government liners or starships.

Picard was ecstatic when Riker had informed him of First Contact with a new galaxy. This was a pretty big one in his book. The technology alone meant the Federation would do all in its power to ally with the New Republic. There would be reservations on the part of the conservative party and its members in getting involved in the political climate of another galaxy, especially with a nation as powerful as the Galactic Empire for an enemy. Then again, the Federation did stand up against the Dominion and would not let innocents and free peoples fall without trying to do something. After the Dominion War, the Federation changed. It was no longer considered pacifist or weak by any power anymore and had returned to the way it was during the time of Spock and Kirk. Spock’s election and the splintering of the isolationist in the Conservative party led to the rise of the New Wave politicians, of which he was one. In order to prevent a partisan split of the government, the Federation had allowed for limited capitalism inside it’s borders along with reinstating the Federation credit.

“Well Will, I have hurried up my arrival time by a few hours. I should be reaching the Titan around 0630. I want to congratulate you on a job well done. You have done your best to show the Federation in a good light and you have promoted good relations. You’ll make full admiral by the end of the year.”

Will replied to Picard by saying, “Thank you Councilor. I look forward to seeing you again Jean-Luc. Godspeed.”

Admiral Riker turned off the monitor in his quarters. He was glad to hear from his former commander about his arrival on board the flagship of the Federation. Riker greeted that fact with both pride and sadness. After the Enterprise had been decommissioned. She would be replaced by the Enterprise F in about a year. Rumors were flying about the new Independence-class explorer/battleships. They would be the first explorers to be that well armed and armored. After the return of Voyager, most of the technology had been installed in most Federation vessels, but the Independences were to be the first with the tech actually built into them.

Picard had finished the file that had been transmitted from the Titan. It was already on the desk of the President and would probably be in the hands of the Joint Chiefs by morning. Picard already knew what was going to happen. The Klingons would easily be allowed in, especially with Martok and Worf having brought the Federation and the Klingon Empire closer together over the past decade. He had been to see Martok a month before and they had become fast friends since the end of the war. Worf really had not changed much since getting on to the High Council. In Picard’s mind, he would always be the rock standing right behind him, like a mountain that nothing could ever bring down.

6 hours later

“Commander Forain, General Solo has returned and has brought quite a task force with him. He wants to speak with you ASAP,” said Kellen. She had been quite taken aback by the size of the force that the general had managed to drag back with him. Goes to show you, she thought, what a hero could do when he puts his mind into it.

“Very well, I’ll take it on the bridge.” Forain hated being awoken from a sound sleep, but when duty called, he could not allow biological needs to slow him down. He reached for his uniform and by the time he reached the door, he was at least covered. When he reached the lift, he had finished buttoning his tunic. By the time he reached the bridge, two minutes after being awoken, he was fully dressed with a cup of coffee in his hand. Solo did not even have time to greet his superior officer before he received his marching orders.

“Forain, I want you and Wedge to come aboard the Defender for the rest of the negotiations. I want Kellen to take the Virtuous to Mon Cal. She already knows her orders. Red Squadron will dock with the Defender immediately. I have received a message from this Picard guy. He will also be arriving on the Defender in about thirty-five minutes. His ship has just exited the wormhole. See ya in a few.”

“Well, let’s get moving Wedge. You too Amoy,” Both nodded in agreement and followed the Commander to the launch bay.



He was cold when he awoke. His skin had not felt metal in many years, though he was not a day older since the last time his nerves has felt that particular experience. He knew that he had been with his mother for a few moments before he was here. That was all he could remember. But he did remember who he was and where he had come from. He knew where he was, but did not know why or what he was supposed to do. As he rose form the floor, he saw a man that he had once demonized, but had come to respect over the years. He wondered what his mother would think of this man. But he decided to speak and not drag out the moment. And for the first time in ten years, his lips moved and a coherent sentence came out of them.

“Captain Picard, Captain Benjamin Sisko returning from extended leave. And no, I don’t know what exactly happened sir. All I know is that if I am here, then the Prophets have a stake in what you are about to do and that they want me here.”

Admiral Johnason wrote:I would really like some response to this story. If it is bad, how can I make it better if no one tells me what they think.

Some constructive critisism, then. The biggest problem, IMO, is that there's no antagonist and the lack of any friction between the NR and the UFP people. Sure, the Empire's out there, but they haven't made an appearance yet. Everything's going too smoothly.

Also, the huge blocks of text in the first couple of chapters deter people. Go back and edit them and more people will read them and the subsequent chapters.

Everything seems a little too hunky dory in the Milky Way if catch my drift. The Feds are reverting to their TOS form, the Romulans are more democratic and no longer a police state, etc. Throwing in a mention of how much the reunificationists needed to sacrifice to change Romulus in the wake of the events of Nemesis or how the Cardassian Union's still beaten to hell from the Dominion War would make things seem more realistic. Just about any sign of strife in the Alpha or Beta quadrants would be good.

Why is the Enterprise-J being commisioned so soon? What happened to F through I? The E-J was just a fugly ship, anyway.

It doesn't make sense for the Conservatives to be against turning back the clock on the Federation. Conservatives are usually for that type of thing, depending on just how conservative they actually are.

And one more minor nitpick, but the Feds' occasionally references to god and Jesus feel out of place. From TNG onward, trek barely ever mentioned religion, except for the Bajorans and their Prophets, and most of the Feddies never displayed any religion whatsoever.

IMO, this story's got potential, but you need a bad guy. A story without conflict is a story that won't hold readers for long.

The problems weren't supposed to come forward till the next chapter and I am still worling on a good enemy. I think I have a rogue Imperial Admiral or two, but I will still you Issard. The text has been fixed. The Cardissian Union is still recovering, but they will have made progress. The Enterprise J thing is a typo that has been fixed. Pirates will be on the rise in the Federation. The Federation seems to take More's Utopia literally and God is there, but under the rug. I figured I needed to flesh the characters out a bit.

The Conservatives are like a alagram of teh GOP from the entirty of the 20th century. They are economic conservatives and isolationist.

Admiral Johnason wrote:The problems weren't supposed to come forward till the next chapter and I am still worling on a good enemy.

Foreshadowing is your friend. Just having some anonoymous figure cackling and plotting in the shadows of the first few chapters would help to add a much needed sense of danger. Just don't over do it if you decide to take my suggestion.

Admiral Johnason wrote:The Conservatives are like a alagram of teh GOP from the entirty of the 20th century. They are economic conservatives and isolationist.

Restoring the Federation's monetary system and, I'm assuming, decreasing the amount of socialist programs isn't really economically liberal, I don't think. Perhaps a name change for this party that tried and failed to oppose the New Wave is in order?

Trogdor wrote:
Restoring the Federation's monetary system and, I'm assuming, decreasing the amount of socialist programs isn't really economically liberal, I don't think. Perhaps a name change for this party that tried and failed to oppose the New Wave is in order?

That was the trade off that brought the New Wave party to power.

Ah, I see. Works for me, then.

And now we get to the good stuff.

Chapter 5

Picard was absolutely floored by what had just transpired before his eyes. Out of nowhere, a ghost had appeared. He knew Sisko had disappeared on Bajor. Most thought that he had either gone crazy or just disappeared, but some thought that he had died destroying the Pah Wraiths, though this idea was mostly confined to Bajorian officers and those who served under Sisko on DS9. But before him now was the answer to what had happened to Ben Sisko.

“Welcome back Captain. I hope you know that we are nowhere near Bajor. You are in an entirely different galaxy. I want you to…”

Picard was unable to finish his sentence before Sisko began to shudder. His eyes began to glow and then pulse with blue light. Before anyone could speak to call security or a medical team, Sisko, or more accurately, the Prophets, paid one final visit to the beings of the Alpha Quadrant.

“We are no longer needed. The Sisko’s people are ready to exist without us. We do not abandon Bajor, we leave it to one day join us. We leave all to the beings on this realm. You are of age. We are done with our son. He was brought home to send our message. Now we can return from whence we came. We will always be with you. We are the field. We are now one with the Force. We are again.”

Upon the utterance of the final word, Sisko collapsed to the deck. The glow faded from his eyes and his body slowly spread itself out upon the floor. He looked as though he was asleep and all of his consciousness had been drained out of his mind slowly.

Commander Nurol, the execuative officer of the USS Grant and a Bajoran, stood awe struck for a few moments, like the rest of the bridge crew and the Councilor. But after seven seconds, he fell to his knees, bowed his head and spoke. “Glory be to the Prophets. Glory to be the Emissary.” He then began to pray.



Like a blue-green pearl hanging from a necklace, the world of Mon Calamari stood out amongst the backdrop of space. Hundreds of little shinning dots orbited this world of life. Each of those jewels was a spacedock repairing or building the ships that would be the backbone of the New Republic. Mon Calamari was a center of the Rebel Alliance and had been critical to the turn of the tide that sent the Empire into the dead spin that had gripped their government.

Out the dark black blanket, the shape of the Virtuous appeared and began the final leg of the mission that she had been sent to fulfill. In his room, Commander Kam had been thinking of his final mission with the Empire. It was supposed to be a suicide mission to hurt the Republic. He volunteered for the mission, but while having his body remade for the operation, he made plans to leave the Empire forever. He contacted a small cell of Rebels and joined in the escape from the Empire. He decided to go view the stars, the very things that had inspired him to join the Imperial Navy and see the galaxy. He was happy to finally reach his final destination. He knew that whatever was to happen next, they would remain as they were supposed to be and that what he was doing now would help end the fire that would consume them all.

But as he looked out among the sky he noticed a rather disconcerting fact. While he had noticed the vessel dropping out of hyperspace for a few hours, he knew that the delay would not offset his goals. But the new entry point into the system would. He was supposed to have a safety margin of ten hours before arriving on the main command station to release his information to the Rebels. But with the stop and the new entry point, he would be fifteen minutes overdue. Far too late for his tastes.

Commander Kellen had take out one of the spare X-wings, with Markus taking Lt. Commander Crusher out in a Y-wing and Shoat in another Y-wing. They had been allowed to stay with the Virtuous for her jump and would be the first Starfleet officers to see the wonders of the Alliance’s crown jewel first hand. Tour had been taken by their enthusiasm and decided to give them an added treat by giving them a joyride to the main station. They left the ship moments after leaving hyperspace and Wesley was already ecstatic. Geordi managed to keep himself more reserved, but he still marveled at the snub fighter.

Kellen called out from her cockpit, “Hey guys, that large tree shaped object over there is the main station. We will be a little overdue because of the new entry angle, but we would be only an hour of two later that usual. The Virtuous will be making what is call the Giller’s Run. They will slingshot past both of the twin moons for luck. It is an old Mon Cal tradition. When you drop out on the dark side of the planet, a ship has to clean itself in the gravity of the moons. All ships do it unless there is an emergency.”


Minutes later…

“Commander Kellen, before we reach the end of our second slingshot, I just wanted to say that most of us here on the bridge think that you and Commander Forain have done and amazing job.”

“Thank you Lt. Clayson, but you are already the third officer. Sucking up won’t get you to your promotion any faster. I only just landed and stepped into the space traffic control to see you in. We just put in our recommendations. You gonna need…”

“Commander hold on. Kam seems to be on the bridge. Holy shit, he’s got one of the blasters from his guards and he is covered in blood and that data pack he brought with him is glowing. In the name…”

“LONG LIVE THE EMPIRE!” would be the last words uttered by Kam and the last coherent word uttered on the Virtuous.

Clayson was cut off not so much by the explosion, but by the pressure loss when shrapnel sliced through the main window of the bridge. His last thoughts were that Shoat was right to want to take that thing apart, but he damned himself for wanting to keep it intact incase so not to damage the files inside.

The Virtuous died in the same manner as the Executor had at Endor. With her bridge gone, the ship could not slow down or change it’s fatal course. Most of the crew died in the explosion, but some in the rear sections lived just long enough for the inertia dampeners and anti-gravity to fail. They were totally crushed against the bulkheads as they were launched from their positions in their respective rooms into their respective walls. They were lucky. They were not forced to watch as the very thing that had been their lives for their tenure onboard her died like a wounded Eagle.

The ship accelerated as it’s arc became steeper and steeper. The final impact of the mighty warship was against an orbital fighter production facility. As the two became one and the bulkheads cracked and shattered, the main reactor on the Virtuous failed and spilled forth fire and death. It spread so fast that the armories were totally vaporized before they could detonate. The force of the blast totally shattered both the objects into pieces ranging in size from a pinhead to a large house. They fell upon the moon and peppered the surface. Most of the local settlements were spared any damage as they were able to raise the shields in time and of those that didn’t, they were spared by sheer luck.


Kellen watched the whole thing from the control center of the main station. General Rieekan was just as stunned as she was by what had happened. This was the worst act of sabotage committed against the Republic in it’s current form. They watched as thousands were forced to die and the heroes of the Rebellion could do nothing about it. No one in that room could maintain themselves. Tears streamed from the faces of battle-hardened officers as they were forced to look on as thousands of civilians died and a major fighter craft factory was blown apart.



The Star Destroyer Hazzard pierced the cold dark void around the base planet of Icon. They had been sent there by a new breakaway admiral to monitor the operation that one of his darker commanders had divised. They merely continued to orbit until they had enough news from their agents to confirm that the operation was a success. They had confirmed the loss of signal from their agent at the correct moment, but could not confirm the targets destruction. That was until they received a series of transmissions from Mon Cal to Endor. This was the first set of news messages on the Rebel holonet that they had paid any attention to since those from the ship carrying their man from a neighboring system of Mon Cal. The spirit of the bridge crew sank as they not only found out about the failure to reach the final target, but that the Rebels knew what had happened.


“… and I totally understand you failure captain and you are forgiven,” were the words uttered by the flag officer covered in shadow as the smoke cleared from the gaping hole where the heart of the captain should be. His body slumped and fell to the floor of the admiral’s office on the Super Star Destroyer Immortal.

The admiral realized two things at that point. First, he would need to have his office cleared and cleaned to get the smell of the burnt human flesh out. Second, he knew that his carefully laid plan to destroy the Rebel command post in his small chunk of the galaxy had failed, though he had cut down on fighter production. He knew that Mon Calamari was a dagger at his throat and must be removed from the equation if he was to stay free of his former superiors. Now the Rebels would trace the bomber to him (the admiral himself had ordered the creation of a trail so as to show that he had brought the Rebels to their knees) and they would send Ackbar to destroy him. He had hoped that the loss of the command post would draw local forces into that area, allowing him to finish them off and secure his powerbase. Now Issard would view him as weak and would do her best to make an example of him.

He would now be forced to find some way to hold of both forces, both seeking vengeance. One would be after him for betrayal, the other out of rage. And this failure came from a ten-hour delay in a nearby system to the final target. The admiral knew that he could not waste his time to figure out what had happened and what the Rebels had been so interested in. Hell, he thought, they had sent a task force there already and now that this had happened, they would undoubtedly send more. He would eventually get around to it, but he would have to rally his forces first to destroy Admiral Hemlock’s fleet before the Council and Issard sent him against this new kingdom. When he is over with that odd bat, he thought, and then he would turn his force against the Rebels and find out what had cost him his quick and stunning victory.

I know ths one is late, but I had to find a way to make up for the last chapter and I had to go back and figure out a lot of the later story. This one should be pretty good. The first of the really good battles is coming up.

Chapter 6

Three weeks later…

“Minister, I seriously don’t think these negotiations can get around the fact that the Federation is in no position to enter into your war. We simply lack the necessary technology to combat the Empire on a major scale. We have already established that we would be willing to give food and non-combat supplies to the Republic, and would be willing to even go as far as transporters and replicators, but ships are out of the question. Now, maybe in a few years we could deploy some ships, with your help. Now we are still willing to take in damaged ships and allow you to build bases in our space, but we would only do so if you establish a good exchange rate between the credit and the standard,” said Picard. Negotiations had gone sour after the terrorist attack on Mon Calamari and both the Republic and the Federation were still on edge. Both had increased their presence in the system many times. Both felt that the wormholes location in both galaxies near critical systems created new opportunities for trade and exploration. The Federation was quite willing to share resources and trade in exchange for passive membership in the Republic for the time being and technology. The Republic wished for safe-harbors for its ships and a safe place to move wounded and refugees after the attack on Mon Cal.

Leia was tired of being forced to haggle with Picard. It had been days since any process had been made in the talks. While Starfleet personnel and Republic ships had poured through the hole to explore and learn about their new allies, a permanent treaty seemed to be far off for the negotiators. Admiral Ackbar and Mon Mothma both were adamant that this treaty go through so as to help rejuvenate the treasury to the Republic, but money could only go so far if the Federation could not commit any men to combat. Both had decided to sit in on the talks, but the Admiral had been forced to leave before the actual talks could begin due to the attack on his homeworld.

“Counselor, how many times have we gone over this particular issue? We cannot set the exchange rate 3:1 in favor of the standard. Our economy can work with a 2:1 exchange rate in your favor, but right now, we need as much help as we can get. We realize that your people need assurances to protect against exploitations of traders and businesses, but we cannot allow economic domination of our people. But we would be willing to concede on military assistance. We will grant technical aid until such time as your people are able to from a deployable force,” said an exasperated Princess.

The most powerful member of the Federation delegation immediately stood up and said, “Minister, we have finally reached a logical agreement. We will commit to the treaty in its current form and are willing to continue negotiations. I suggest we break for dinner and return tomorrow to finish out the details and confer with the fleets we have brought into this system and to go over the details with our admirals and generals. Do we have an agreement?” asked President Spock.

Leia was taken aback by the abruptness of the President’s statement. After three days after his arrival, he had only felt himself ready to sit in on the negotiations today and had already broken the deadlock that Picard and Leia had wrestled with for the better part of a month.

“As you wish Mister President.”



Mon Mothma sat at her desk in deep thought. President Spock seemed to be one of the toughest negotiators she had ever met. His lack of emotion in his decisions allowed the Republic delegation little use of the sympathy card that Leia had used to garner Picard’s early concessions. However, Spock was a with a good heart and had been willing to immediately allow refugees and injured into Federation space and while the negotiations continued, these people were already receiving aid from the New Republic’s new allies. The Klingons on the other hand were ready, willing, and not-so-able to commit to action. Chancellor Martok had already volunteered as many marines as cold be sent and was already offering whatever technology could be used by the Republic. Mothma did enjoy the company of the Chancellor, who admired the courage that Mon had shown in her early days as a freedom fighter. While she wanted her people to have some cloaking devices to play with, her interest fell in with those of the democratic Federation. What’s more, for some unexplainable reason, Mothma found Spock quite attractive. Maybe it’s his voice, his mind, or those cute eyes, she thought. She was about to reach for a chocolate or two in her little deskdish when the door to her office opened and she was greeted by a young friend.

“Madame Chief of State, thank you for seeing me.”

“That’s quite alright Leia. Now, what did you need to tell me in private.”

“Mon Mothma, I really think that negotiations are moving far too fast. I know the situation for us is a little rough, but we are about to had over some of our most powerful technology to a people we know little about and I know that they feel the same way. Both our governments may share the same principles, but the differences could just be too big. Their government is just too big and I just can’t fathom how we could help keep their economy afloat at…”

“Leia, these people control some of the safest spacing lanes I have ever heard of. Imagine what they could turn out with our technology and their potential for growth is enormous. They may not be as weathered as we are, but they seem to have good heads in charge of their government and are liberal and democratic people. We can trust them. You yourself said that their capital planet was one of the most beautiful planets you have ever seen. And after their economic reforms, they would make perfect allies in the short term.”

“But Mon, we are still moving too fast. Admiral Riker has told us of protests and unrest over the new economy. Election reform is still a major issue for these people, and not for funding. They still can’t even decide how to hold them or which offices the want to be elected! Their military is a glorified defense force manned by a bunch of professors and diplomats. Riker and Sisko a pretty good, but how we could ever send them against the Imperials is a question will aren’t going to answer anytime soon.”

“I realize that they are rusty when it comes to war…”

“Mon, we are talking about a people who don’t even have hypermatter. Their weapons are totally laughable. They barely have a marine corps. A Neb-B could handle their best ships without a problem. They would need a full fleet to take on a star destroyer.”

“Leia, the treaty has gone through. We need their space and their resources. We can beef up their tech and make them like us in a few years. Hell, Ackbar feels they could have a ship up to our standards in a under a year.”

“But they are so young. For goodness sake, the humans in this galaxy have only been in space for four centuries and have yet to develop hyperdrive. There was even xenophobia among the humans involving skin color. Earth itself took forever to unite. These humans are incredibly passionate. Earth itself cranked out hundreds of civilizations and numerous religions that still exist. Their only just coming out of a major PC period.”

“Leia, your still not seeing the big picture. They have amazing potential for good and are deeply devoted to the ideas of freedom, peace, and justice. You talk about this world’s civilizations as though they were all bad. The United States and its allies seemed to be just like us in many respects. A good deal of their history seems analogous with our own. Don’t judge too harshly.”

“I still don’t trust them.”

“Leia, I understand your feelings, but we need all the help we can get.”

“Is that why you were so eager to take on Klingon and Starfleet advisers?”

“We are not selling secrets. We are improving the disposition of an allied power by giving the weapons they need to defend themselves against the Empire. And on that subject, what if the Empire finds a way into their galaxy? There are plenty of nations in their home galaxy that would ally with the Empire, even democratic one.”

“Now your speaking in hypotheticals. “What if this” and “what about that” don’t do us any good at this point in the game.”

“Leia, we can’t afford the loss of resources and troops to hold of the Empire if they got a hold of this new galaxy. I understand your fears, but facts are we need these people and your orders are to make sure we get their help. We can deal with other problems later.”

Leia felt angered at her superior/friend’s statements. She knew that the New Republic wasn’t that desperate. But Mon knew what she was doing. Leia resigned herself to the fact the Mon had made up her mind and that wouldn’t change unless the Federation turned out to be a pack of liars and cheats. So she rose up and said, “I guess your right. I think I’ll get some rest for later. Good evening Madame Chief of State.”

“Goodnight Minister.”

As Leia exited, the Chief of State relaxed in her chair. She was tired from the negotiations and just needed some time to relax and regroup herself. At least dinner would give her something to look forward to. She rose from her desk and made to way to the adjacent stateroom. Two guards stood at the door, fully erect and will to protect the stateswoman with their lives. She moved with a grace befitting a fit woman of thirty, even though she pushing 50. Her white dress gave her the appearance of an ancient priestess, which enhanced the appearance of her prodigious intelligence. She sat at the closest chair and waited for her companion. The door at the other end of the room opened and a tall man walked in, flanked on either side by agents on the Federation Secret Service.

“Good evening Mister President. It is good to see you again. It is a tradition on my homeworld that leaders who become close allies must also become friends. I felt dinner would be a good place to start.”

“Thank you Madame Chief of State. I hope you enjoy the meal that Jean-Luc recommended to me. I hope you will enjoy it. Admiral Riker and Admiral Sisko personally helped prepare this pot of Gumbo. I am told it comes from Louisiana on Earth. I have never been there personally, but I am told it is an… interesting place.”

“I believe that we will see Mr. Spock.”



The Super Star Destroyer Immortal glided through space as though she were a bird on the wind. What would appear like asteroids to the untrained eye from a distance was really a debris cloud from the fleet of Admiral Hemlock. The scarred remains of several Imperial star destroyers littered the path of the massive vessel, but would not even be considered a navigational hazard for the mighty command ship. As a piece of wreckage would close the distance, the massive green bolt of a turbolaser shot would streak across the sky and render the object out of existence.

The Admiral began to pace across the bridge. He was quiet angry that Hemlock was enough of a fool as to not surrender to his superior intellect and firepower. The old fool never knew when to quit, even with that bitch Issard pulling the strings that ran the Empire, thought the Admiral.

“Sir, we have cleared the proper amount of debris. It will look like some of the ships joined us. We managed to jam all comm signals the moment the fleet exited hyperspace. They really never saw us coming. We still have the majority of our fighters and we lost only one Victory star destroyer. A stunning victory if I say so myself sir. Your plan was perfect.”

“We gained no ships and have only losses. We are having to cover up the evidence that we were forced to utterly destroy a force of our fellow officers. That whore that has stolen the throne of our beloved Emperor has been taken over by a harlot. I will not allow Issard to run the Empire. And I also hate brown-nosers.” With that the Admiral raised his hand and struck the captain with significant force. The CO was taken aback by the strike, but only bowed and left the admiral’s presence. He knew he was in the presence of a man that was truly crueler than Vader himself.

The Admiral turned back to the window for a moment and stared at the loss to the Empire that he had been forced to unleash. He would make that bitch pay for what he had been forced to do. But for now, he would avenge the Emperor and Commander Kam, his stepson. The Rebels were the reason he had been forced to destroy his fellow officers, he thought. But first he must return to his home base and gather his forces. The he would strike with as much force as he could bring to bear on the new place of interest.