The battle raged. The field swamped with Spam, densely packed flames wreathed the trekkie lines. JME2 watched with increasing hated anger in the nefarious Darth Wong's control room.
The bans kept raining down on the trekkies the end seemed nigh.
But then came the sound...surrounding the posters....
The sound of Gaters....
In choppers....
Mixed loads of rebuttals, flames and Spam slammed into the warsie forces.
On the surface below the great battle. Another fight raged. The battle for the server generator.
The trekkies fought phaser to Blaster, hand to hand, vibroblade to mek'leth
They were losing. All hope of forcing a draw via shutting down SD.Net was fast dying.
zzingKER-CHUNK. The distinctive sound have an Asgard transporter was heard just before the staff blast rained down the battle. As a horde of Kull Warriors blasted away. Leading them was the enigmatic and through dashing CRAZEDWRAITH he effortlessly blasts Stormtroopers with his left hand Staff while catching phaser burst with his right hand ribbon device.
One warsie, more multiverse-ly educated than his offish compatriots threw his vibroblade at CW it passed through the goa'uld shields and straight through CW's ethereal form and bounced of the breastplate of the Krull behind him.
The Krull easy massacred trekkie and warsie the armour absorbing every megajoule of Blaster fire, every Phaser flung Nadion even blades bounced off their solid plate armour.
In the control Room Wong realised his danger. The Krull were about to blow the server....
Wong: Nooooooooooo...
CW: Yes. *CW blast server*
Alyeska: All JME2 fans, the server is down I repeat the server is down all forces retreat to fanfiction.net....
Wong: arrrghhhhhhh.
The scenario melts down around JME2 as Wong's twisted face faded. It was replaced with that of Robert Walper...
The simulation has fully faded. The gaters, warsies and trekkies all gone. Replaced by a simple room with yellow grid work on the wall.
JME2: gasp! It was a holodeck all along. That evil Walper was trying to guilt me into finishing my fanfic by making me think my fans were fighting a dying for me...
RW: and I would have got way with it to if it weren’t for the Marty-sue over there...
-Bang- RW collapses before the smoking barrel of CW's shotgun.
CW: nobody calls me a Marty-sue and lives. Muahahaahahahahahaha!
EDITED: Quite through for typos.
Star Trek/Star Wars: The Best of Both Worlds
Moderator: LadyTevar
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Crazedwraith
- Emperor's Hand
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- Location: Cheshire, England
Last edited by Crazedwraith on 2004-10-16 09:16am, edited 1 time in total.
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Crazedwraith
- Emperor's Hand
- Posts: 11924
- Joined: 2003-04-10 03:45pm
- Location: Cheshire, England
Not at all. I appreciate the loyalty and affection you guys have shown for this fic and this was very amusing.Crazedwraith wrote:Just to dissapate anyconfusion, that was a rpely to Walper's own silly post and is likewise only meant to encourge JME2 to post another chapter. If only to stop my badly written posts from continuing
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Robert Walper
- Dishonest Resident Borg Fan-Whore
- Posts: 4206
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- Location: Calgary, Alberta, Canada
If I was going to cuss at you, it would be in different languages. Or in your case Rob...Robert Walper wrote:Take special note...I think JME2 is cussing us out in his own way.JME2 wrote: Not at all. I appreciate the loyalty and affection you guys have shown for this fic and this was very amusing.
"Irrelevant. Your attempts at intimidation to increase the completion of this fanfic will not succeed. Resistance is futile. The Collective followers of JME2 must grow."
Edit -- the ---
-- was in reference to CW's post.this was
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Crazedwraith
- Emperor's Hand
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- Joined: 2003-04-10 03:45pm
- Location: Cheshire, England
Well here's one reason for delay (and a peace offering). With Theo Gary's permission, I have take his basic BOBW fanart concept and with my decent skills in PhotoStudio, expanded upon it.
Thus, I give you a Star Trek/Star Wars poster. This fanart is by no means final; I'm sure to keep tweaking and alterting it, but here it is thus far (For dial-up users, it's a very large file so you have been warned):
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v329/ ... cover1.jpg
Thus, I give you a Star Trek/Star Wars poster. This fanart is by no means final; I'm sure to keep tweaking and alterting it, but here it is thus far (For dial-up users, it's a very large file so you have been warned):
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v329/ ... cover1.jpg
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Robert Walper
- Dishonest Resident Borg Fan-Whore
- Posts: 4206
- Joined: 2002-08-08 03:56am
- Location: Calgary, Alberta, Canada
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Robert Walper
- Dishonest Resident Borg Fan-Whore
- Posts: 4206
- Joined: 2002-08-08 03:56am
- Location: Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Just teasing you.JME2 wrote:Axum's presence is hardly consolation for you, is it?Robert Walper wrote:I find your lack of cubes disturbing...
It looks good. The only criticism I might add is some of the shots don't seem to fit the rest of the poster. For example, Luke and several other shots are clearly drawn, while others are real ones. Perhaps a shot or two from the SW DVD collection could fix that...I'm working on getting a good shot of a Fusion Cube, but I may settle for an ordinary cube. Other than the aforementioned lack of cubes, what did you think of it?
In some ways, I agree you. But since the SW-portion of the story is set during the NJO, I wanted to go with the characters' apperances from that era (and plus I love the Japanese covers).Robert Walper wrote: It looks good. The only criticism I might add is some of the shots don't seem to fit the rest of the poster. For example, Luke and several other shots are clearly drawn, while others are real ones. Perhaps a shot or two from the SW DVD collection could fix that...
Disclaimer: Star Trek created by Gene Roddenberry and owned by Paramount Pictures. Stat Wars created by George Lucas and owned by Twentieth Century Fox and Lucasfilm. I own the story and any original characters/species. No copyright infringement is intended.
Star Trek/Star Wars: The Best of Both Worlds: Part XVIII
"If the human race wishes to have a prolonged and indefinite period of material prosperity, they have only got to behave in a peaceful and helpful way toward one another."
-- Winston Churchill --
Author’s Warning: This chapter contains possible spoilers for Star Wars: Episode III -- Revenge of the Sith; proceed with caution.
***
Location: Coruscant
The Galaxy Far, Far Away
With short, yet eloquent strides, NRI Director Dif Scaur passed through the remaining droid-manned security checkpoints into the NRMOC War-Room. Admist the bustle, significant veterans of the Rebellion’s fight place against the Empire -- often given the nickname of “The Gray Carrde” -- gave orders and made preparations. In the corner of the chamber, space, Director Scaur watched on, space, reflecting upon everything that had occurred within the last few standard hours while he had the time; the meeting was scheduled to begin shortly.
The tension within the War Room was palpable and disconcerting and with good reason. At first, when the initial spy and resistance reports had come in from the Inner Core and Hutt space that the Yuuzhan Vong fleet was on the move, they had feared the worst and that Coruscant would come under assault from the invading enemy.
Now, it wasn’t as if Coruscant had never been attacked in its existence. Over the course of the last five millennia, the ancient Sith, the Confederacy of Independent Systems, the Empire, and even the New Republic itself had gone after the universal symbol of galactic power and control. But for Coruscant to fall into the hands of the Yuuzhan Vong was a frightening, and over-all terrifying thought, even for him.
Thus there had been some minor relief in knowing that the capital was not the intended target. Unfortunately, that was when they had received the transmission from General bel Iblis and had learned that the Naboo system was in fact their intended destination. Or rather, the Sol System on the other side of the wormhole and with it, the Federation‘s own capital world, Earth.
The Republic Senate was still reeling from the news that Chief of State Fey’lya had been perhaps fatally wounded in a bombing and their continued impediment and bureaucratic micromanagement of the war effort had delayed the launch of the Sixth Fleet towards Naboo. Some in the camp of Kuati Senator Viqi Shesh had even suggested that the Federation was responsible for the bombing and was working with the Yuuzhan Vong to overthrow the Republic and establish a joint-control over the galaxy.
As to whether or not Scaur actually believed that, well…
He sighed to himself at that thought. They had had less than a month of contact with this United Federation of Planets. And while they had many similarities with the New Republic, there were essential differences in their respective cultures and it wasn’t just engine speed or the strength of their turbolasers against their phasers, etc.
The Federation, as he understood it from the data that had been gathered, was three years removed from the end of a war with a major local power known as the Dominion, a war that had destroyed devastated most of their Quadrant. He acknowledged to himself that it was possible that the Federation, or elements, were conspiring with the alien invaders in order to prevent a renewed contact that could devastate the order they had fought for.
But then, why attack Earth? True, it could be simply a necessary publicity image, as the taking of Duro had shown. But surely the Federation, if this theory were correct, would realize that the Vong was going to, well, screw them over once their agenda had been achieved. Unless they were too ignorant or had a wild sabbac card up their sleeves…
And even if they didn’t, there were several races that could pose potential problems to the Republic’s interests in the long term as long as that wormhole remained open: the Dominion and the Borg Collective were of particular interest, even with the reports of an apparent rebellion succeeding in the case of the latter.
He treated that note on Unimatrix Zero with a health degree of skepticism. After all, it had taken the Rebel Alliance the better part of three decades to not only topple Palpatine, but to restore democracy, freedom, control and order to the galaxy. For this Unimatrix Zero to successfully overthrow the Collective in the space of less than two years, even with the actions of one Admiral Janeway -- it just didn’t jibe with him.
The many possible scenarios and conspiracy theories rumbling through his mind made his head ache. Fortunately, the briefing had begun so he was able to push the thoughts to the back of his mind -- for the time being, anyway. But whatever the developments would turn out to be, he was going to, as soon as it was possible, check in with the Alpha Red and Blue divisions; it may very well become prudent to accelerate the development of Scaur’s own secret weapon…
From halfway across the galaxy, holographic representations of Generals Antilles and Clechu flickered above the main holographic generator. Rieekan was the first to speak.
“What news, General?”
Antilles hologram looked grim
“We’ve just reverted to real space and doesn’t look good. We’re reading numerous derelict ships or wreckage, Republic, Federation, Yuuzhan Vong, or other.”
“Any word from the Naboo?”
“Their communications networks are still online. Based on what they’re sending out and from path of devastation, the Vong completely ignored the system itself, except for obviously the --”
There was a long pause as Antilles went silent, his holographic eyes widening.
“Wedge?”
“Something is coming through the wormhole. Scan that, now. It’s apparently a New Republic ship We’re getting a hail. One moment.”
Wedge was silent as he gazed at an unseen subordinate on his flagship, the recently commissioned Defender-class Star Destroyer Mon Mothma. Suddenly he responded, a look of disbelief upon his face.
“I don’t believe it.”
“What is it?”
“The battle for Sector 001 is over. The Yuuzhan Vong fleet has been totally annihilated.”
If the doors of the NRMOC meeting chamber were not soundproof, the droids and humanoids manning the security consoles would have registered one, unanimous phrase emanating from the room.
“What?!”
***
Location: Earth
Sol System, Alpha Quadrant, Milky Way Galaxy
The battered, but still functioning Enterprise-E limped slowly into orbit around the Federation capital world, the momentary burst of speed that had saved the crew from certain death at the hands of the mystery ship’s radiation surge having all but burned out the flagship’s hastily repaired impulse manifolds. They were running on RCS thrusters now until an Engineering Team from Earth Station McKinley or tugs got to them.
However, whatever that mystery ship had been, the Thalaron wave it had unleashed upon the alien armada had all but wiped out the Yuuzhan Vong’s invading armada. Only a handful of vessels had been spared destruction at the hands of the deadly biogenic weapon and were now gathering at the far edge of Earth’s orbit. They were obviously trying to determine what to do.
As Master Skywalker saw it, there were three possible options: They could flee back through the wormhole, make a stand, or lay down their arms and surrender to the Federation; technically, this was their space, despite their status as New Republic enemies and the impounding and imprisonment of the Yuuzhan Vong would therefore fall to Starfleet.
For a moment, a smile hint of a smile tugged at the corner of Luke’s mouth. It was funny that with the political aspects of the conflict. That usually fell into Leia’s area of expertise, though he was on his way there with the dubious political actions of the Advisory Council in its relationship with the Jedi. The thought quickly faded, though as he was reminded at the cost of the battle through the view screen (Luke still found it somewhat disconcerting that the Federation didn‘t use transparisteel and relied on view-screens rather than viewing ports; the bridge felt too confined for him at times).
The Jedi Master seriously doubted the third choice, though the first was more plausible. The Vong hierarchy would need to learn of their defeat and the fleeing of the Burning Death and Nas Choka’s armada, though not usual from what they had learned of Vong combat, would suffice -- though once news spread through the New Republic, agents like Nom Anor would without a doubt pass the information onto their Supreme Overlord.
Local space was quickly filling with the crumbling remains of yorrik coral as the surviving Republic, Federation, Klingon, Nubian, and Unimatrix Zero craft. The remains of Jag Fel’s Chiss Clawcraft Squadron could also be seen among the ships that had made it to safety in time as the Enterprise maneuvered alongside the equally battle-scarred Ralroost. Minutes earlier, one of the surviving Republic ships, the Winds of Alderran, had made a micro-jump towards the Terran-end of wormhole, to transmit to the Republic the news of their unexpected victory against the Yuuzhan Vong.
Despite all of the damage that the Enterprise-E had suffered, crew members diligently manned their posts and Captain Picard stood overlooking the damage caused by the Yuuzhan Vong boarding party, Master Skywalker behind him. Luke’s attention was focused more on the view-screen and the swirling chunks of Yorrik Coral and the few remaining Vong ships.
This was possibly the only time that Luke was glad that the Yuuzhan Vong were inexplicably not part of the Force; the feeling of thousands upon thousands dying in one place in one instant from the Thalaron weapon would probably have equaled the ripples sent through the Force years earlier by Kueller’s detonations on Almania and Tarkin’s destruction of Alderran.
Yet while it might soothe others with the knowledge that the lives of an enemy that threatened everything they had fought for during the Galactic Civil War had been ended, it only stirred more emotions of bewilderment in the aging Jedi Master. Ben and Yoda’s teachings were that the Force was all life and that life was sacred, the lessons which had helped guide him to redeem his farther rather than kill him aboard the second Death Star.
The appearance of the Yuuzhan Vong at Helska IV two years before had thrown those lessons, lessons that he had passed onto the new Jedi Order, completely into whack. The Yuuzhan Vong possessed no midichlorians, the particles that he had learned from Ben’s journals, Master Vodo-Siosk Baas’ Holocron, and the few Jedi that had survived the Purge were responsible for Force sensitivity and life itself. How could an race that lacked this particle not be felt in the Force, yet still be alive?
This question had haunted him since he and Mara had scouted the Ex-Gal-4 outpost on Belkadan and run across their first Vong warrior. He had sought an answer from the best medical experts in the galaxy and through meditation in the Force, but had been unsuccessful. He had wondered if it was in his understanding of the Force After all, his training had been rushed and incomplete. He had accepted that when he had approached Mon Mothma and the Senate all those years before asking for the funds to establish the Praxeum. If there was indeed an answer, it was likely the old Jedi Order had possibly found it.
Yet their encounter with the Enterprise-E a month before had once again sent his thoughts into a jumble. Dr. Crusher’s medical scans taken when Mara had gone into labor had revealed to the Jedi Master that like the Yuuzhan Vong, there were no traces of midichlorians within the cellular structures of the Milky Way Galaxy’s inhabitants.
Yet, not only were they alive, but unlike the Yuuzhan Vong, he could feel them through the Force. He could feel the confusion and swirling thoughts within the head of the French Captain standing next to him. He could feel the feelings of sadness sixteen decks below in Sickbay as D. Crusher drew blankets over the bodies of the young Starfleet officers that had given their lives to stop the Yuuzhan Vong from seizing the Federation flagship.
So how was this possible? Was the problem in his own perception of the Force or was it something unique to the denizens of this galaxy? Luke knew one thing, though. If they had contact with the Quintessence again -- and with the warnings that Q and the Stranger had given about the threat of this Merging, he had no doubt that they would -- he would bring this question before its members, hoping that at least one of them had an answer.
***
“Captain, we are being hailed by the Ralroost.”
“Put it through.”
As Data called prepared to open the channel with Krey’Fey’s ship, the Captain turned towards his Jedi colleague. But Picard saw Skywalker was engaged in other matters, starring at the crackling view screen as the remaining Vong ships hung there. Picard assumed he was reaching out with his Force-abilities, or whatever he called them and decided it was best not to disturb him.
“This is Captain Picard, go ahead Admiral Krey‘fey.”
“Ralroost here. Well done, Captain. Well done indeed. That was quite a risk you took in going after the Sunulok”
“Risk is our business, Admiral.”
“Risk or not, that was something. And am I hearing this correctly, that you have Tsavong Lah, correct?”
“We do. We’ll keep him and the other Vong warriors that were captured in our brig until we can transfer them to Iwo Jima-class assualt ships or to the surface -- once it’s secure of course.”
“You’d better keep them sedated as well. The Vong, ah, don’t exactly react well to the concept of being captured by enemy forces.”
At that point, the turbo lift doors swished open, revealing Worf and Mara and helping to ease Luke’s worried nature. A glimpse of his infant son would help to totally erase that worry. Both were battered and bleeding from having fought at the advance of the Vong’s invasion of the Enterprise.
“He’s right. Every time we’ve captured a Vong warrior, they all committed suicide upon waking up. You’d better carefully scan them too; even if restrained, they have a few genetically engineered surprises built into their bodies and armor to help on the way to the afterlife.”
Mara spoke of out of experience, the memories of the suicide of the female Vong infiltrator that she and Anakin had captured at a Courscanti tapcafe eight months before. From the back of the bridge, Worf muttered something in his native tongue. If Threepio had been there, he could have easily translated it; Leia had immediately added many Milky Way languages to his already impressive repertoire after the Enterprise had brought them to Earth. As it was, Data easily understood what the former diplomat had said and quickly responded.
“I highly doubt that the Yuuzhan Vong’s afterlife is in fact Gre’thor, Commander.”
Everyone just starred at them and Data, sensing he had made a mistake, went back to analyzing the data he was getting from what remained of his console. From the other end, Krey’Fey ignored Data’s comment and picked up the conversation where it had left off.
“Mrs. Skywalker is indeed correct. The same can also be said of the remaining Vong ships.”
“What if we offered them the chance to surrender?” Picard asked. Luke shook his head.
“It wouldn’t make a difference. With the exception of what happened last month and each case, they’ve fought to the last man. We can offer it, but I seriously doubt it will make a difference.
“I agree with Master Skywalker. If they get rowdy, we can handle them. It’s your homeworld I’m worried about. Can Starfleet contain the forces that landed before the destruction of the fleet?”
“I’m not certain. From the last transmissions we got, Starfleet was in the process of assembling Federation Marines and the Hazard Team to combat the Vong warriors, but before the Warmaster boarded the Enterprise, we lost contact with them. We’ve been trying to hail them, but to no avail.
Krey’Fey took a moment to contemplate this.
“What course of action would you suggest, Captain? Again, I ask since this is your planet, after all..”
“If we can’t reestablish communications in the next few minutes, we’ll prepare to beam down to --”
A string of consoles along the rear of the bridge suddenly sparked violently, the explosion of sparks narrowly missing Mara and Worf, though hitting one of the Ensigns manning the console. As Federation medics began to treat him, Geordi’s voice floated over the comm-system.
“If you’re wondering what just blew up, it was the transporter circuits. It’s not my fault; the remaining overloads shorted them out before we could contain them.”
Annoyance crossed Picard’s face, annoyance that was quickly erased as a thought came to his mind.
“Admiral Krey’Fey?“
“Yes Captain?”
“I have just learned our transporters are offline. We’ll shuttle ourselves down. You might as well send down any Republic officers you can spare.”
“I’ll rally what I can and join you shortly. Krey’Fey out.”
Picard turned towards his first officer.
“Number One?”
“Understood sir. I’ll have the Cousteau readied --”
Picard shook his head.
“The Captain’s yacht could work, but in light of the situation, I believe it would be better to prepare the Argo instead.”
Riker raised an eyebrow.
Named for the ship of Greek mythology, the Argo was the result of Starfleet policy adapted after the Dominion War that encouraged crews to develop and build their own specialized shuttlecraft, an attempt to see what engineering teams that had no access to shipbuilding facilities could come up with. The then-updated logs of the U.S.S. Voyager and their custom-built Delta Flyer was what had inspired Riker, Picard, and La Forge to work on the Argo.
What worried the Enterprise’s first officer was that construction on the Argo had just recently been completed and it was untested. Not only that, but the Argo’s vehicle was more for recreational purposes than combat. Though Riker had been able to persuade the Captain to install a phaser-cannon, the planned clip-on ablative armor plates had not yet been attached -- or for that matter, replicated.
“Are you certain, sir?”
“Yes, Will. We need a combat shuttle and since we’re flying into a war-zone, the Argo will be more than adequate. Mr. and Mrs. Skyalker, Mr. Data, you’re with me. Number One, you have the bridge. “
***
Location: Naboo System
That Galaxy Far, Far Away
Outside the sensor range of the Mon Mothma and the rest of the New Republic’s Sixth fleet, the Scimitar lay at rest, the Reman Warbirds’s impulse engines dead-silent. Their run towards the Terran end of the wormhole had taken less than a minute thanks to the brief burst from their now-Transwarp enhanced engines. And thanks to the dispatch of the Republic cruiser Winds of Alderran, they had been able to slip through the wormhole undetected.
However, it was not as if Shinzon was worried about the Republic detecting them.
The cloaking device that the Reman flagship carried had been “borrowed” from Tal Shiar think tanks during the final stages of the construction of the battleship. The new, improved device had been the result of the Dominion War.
During the war, the Dominion had been able come up with anti-cloak penetration methods that had made any and all Romulan cloaking devices, from the mighty D'deridex-class capital ships to the unit installed on the Federation’s Defiant prototype. The Tal Shiar and the Romulan Ministry of Science, in one of their few joint-ventures, had made the development of an improved cloaking device one of their highest priorities for the war effort. Their goal had also been to develop a device that could fire through the cloak, utilizing the few scraps of data that had been found on Klingon General Chang’s B’rel-class Bird-of-Prey.
However, the scientists working on the project had done Chang one better. The new, improved device stood no chance of detection by conventional means, Federation or Dominion and capable of not only firing while cloaked, but usage of shield generators in that state.
It had taken a hundred different avenues and turns before Shinzon had learned of the prototype and another thousand to acquire the device during that crucial phase of the final months of the war, when the Tal Shiar and the Ministry of Science’s attention had been focused on the perplexity of the Breen’s energy dampening weapon.
And thus, here it was, nestled within the bowels of perhaps the most fearsome ships that had thus far come out of Romulan space, one of three crucial pieces of technology that would not only allow Shinzon to survive his genetic condition, but assure control over Romulan space.
“We are ready, Shinzon.”
The Centurion nodded from his chair of command.
“Commence primary ignition, Vkruk.”
This was it, the true test. The run for the wormhole had been merely a warm-up to their ultimate destination in this far, far away galaxy. The information on their target had come through the New Republic’s attempts to piece together the mysteries of the Clone Wars in light of the information purges that the Emperor had instigated following his ascension to power. It was through these efforts that Shinzon had learned of a lonely world beyond the Republic’s Outer Rim and just south of the Rishi Maze -- Kamino.
Its current status was unknown. Like Naboo, the world had apparently sealed off its borders following the end of the Clone Wars and wanted no contact with the New Republic. There were even rumors that to prevent Palpatine from initiating sanctions or other reprisals against them, they had destroyed their cloning equipment.
For their sake, Shinzon hope that wasn’t true. After all, the usage of the Thalaron generator that he and Vkruk had appropriated during the height of the Dominion War had been necessary to save, well, himself. He would hate to have to make the Kaminoans the second race from beyond the Terran-Nubian wormhole to experience the joy of a Milky Way galaxy bioorganic weapon.
The stars on the Scimitar’s view-screen at first appeared to stretch as was typical of warp-engines. Then they narrowed even further and with a flash, had been replaced by a swirling mass of energy that was consistent with the reports on the Borg’s Transwarp technology as gathered by the U.S.S. Voyager.
“We have achieved transwarp velocities, Shinzon.”
The Praetor nodded, a sensation of relief spreading through his body, a feeling that was quickly interrupted by a sharp jolt of pain through his lower abdomen. Vkruk was instantly at his side, performing the Reman healing and detection techniques that had managed to survive throughout centuries of brutal Romulan occupation.
“It’s spreading and quickly,” Vkruk whispered into Shinzon’s ear.
“Do what you can, Vkruk,” Shinzon rasped, hoping once again as his Viceroy immediately went to work that for the Kaminoans’ own sake, they still had their cloaking technology.
***
Location: The Quintessence
Somewhere in the Universe
“Yes, Vergere, you. You are the key to delaying and/or stopping the Merging.”
Vergere was silent, trying to absorb this latest shocking piece of information that had been presented to her by this literal gathering of gods, gods who were now muttering amongst themselves once again. For the first real time during the course of the meeting, the silence and murmuring was broken not by Q, but instead by M of all people.
“Is that truly wise, Stranger? To mention this to her this early into the fight, it seems risky. It’s a play on ego.“
Q couldn’t help but glare at M at that remark.
“It’s funny hearing that from you since it was your own play on one’s ego that set off the Q-M War.”
Q was not exaggerating. It had taken not a long-winded declaration, but a simple pointless insult of “Your mother wears…” to send the Q and the M on the road to war so many years ago -- if, once again, such a measurement of time was possible in either Continuum.
Yet, even as his response came out, Q’s suspicion grew as M‘s words filtered through his mind. Did M know something that he didn’t or did he simply have a great grasp of the problem? That more than anything pissed him off. He was Q, the Alpha and Omega, the trickster, and the master of the one-liner. As an omnipotent entity, he should have had a clear view of the dramatic structure of the Merging, of its beginning, middle, and end. If he couldn’t, he wouldn’t have been worth of the letter; he would have been a P or an R.
Yet, he didn’t even know what Vergere’s role in all of this was or what was going to happen. He was beginning to understand what Picard went through on a daily basis, of boldly venturing off into the unknown, where no one in their right mind had gone before, regardless of the dangers and the treasures, both subtle and gross, that Q had told him of after he had introduced to le capitaine to the Borg.
As if sensing once again what was on his mind -- another point of Q’s annoyance; he liked his own motives and thoughts to be unreadable -- the Stranger addressed the Quintessence.
“Let us not allow old wounds to cloud our judgment and focus on the problem at hand. We will have greater concerns from this point on.”
***
Location: San Francisco
Earth, Sol System, Alpha Quadrant, Milky Way Galaxy
With great strain, Shuttle-bay Two’s doors creaked open. As the shuttle-bay’s force-field was lowered, the Argo engaged its main thrusters and within a few seconds was clear of the Enterprise and beginning its descent towards San Francisco. The shuttle was quickly joined by other shuttles and combat craft, Republic and Federation. Through the cockpit windows, Luke could see a pair of E-Wings take up an escort around the Argo.
Built by FreiTek, the company run by the Incom design team that had defected to the Alliance during the Galactic Civil War and had brought with them the X-Wing prototypes, the E-Wing had been envisioned as rugged, advanced combat vessel and as a possible successor to their most famous craft. Unfortunately, despite its prominence in the Republic fleet, the fighter had never gained the degree of popularity that the X-Wing had due to problems with the laser cannons overloading and the required usage of anything above an R7 for ship functions (Mara had also wryly pointed out shortly after their marriage that another possible reason was that no one had yet blown up a Death Star with the E-Wing).
Despite the fact that he himself had never been comfortable with the fighter, Skywalker still silently thanked Krey’Fey for the favor as he piloted the Argo closer and closer towards the Earth city. Captain Picard had been quite impressed with Luke’s maneuverings during the battle and has asked him to pilot the shuttle as he readied the Argo’s vehicle for the conflict ahead.
If it had been twenty-four years earlier, Luke would have been bursting with pride at Picard‘s trust and faith in him. However, those days were long past. “Adventure. Excitement. A Jedi craves not these things,” as Yoda had taught him all those years ago -- and of course had had seen all too well what pride could do to individuals during his time as a Jedi.
From the air, he could see that the main bulk of San Francisco appeared intact. Of course, appearances could be deceiving and as they circled above the main Starfleet Command building towards Embassy Row he was proven right. Fires were blazing and occasional phaser blasts were visible. Worst, Luke, while he could still feel his son’s Force signature, could also feel the blank voids characterized by the Yuuzhan Vong.
At that moment Picard came into the cockpit and saw the same look on the Jedi Master’s face that he had seen on the Enterprise earlier and on Mara Jade as they had readied the Argo. Though not a Jedi, Picard could guess what was on Skywalker’s mind.
“We’ll get to your son; don’t worry.”
It didn’t help assure the worry in Luke’s face, but he chose to try to bury it.
“I’ll set us down right there.
Picard nodded solemnly.
“Alright, let’s do it.”
***
The Argo hadn’t even touched down when the rear hatch slid down and the vehicle roared to life down the ramp and through the devastated Embassy Row. Though built only to carry three passengers at once, they had managed to cram everyone on board. Picard was behind the wheel, Mara was manning the rear-mounted phaser cannon, with Data scanning ahead along his tricorder and Luke with his Force abilities.
The scene that greeted them was not as bad as it could have been, but it was still bad.
The Warmaster had landed a good number of warriors before the sudden destruction of their fleet. What had worked in the Federation’s advantage was the Vong’s lack of experience in fighting against Starfleet; after all, while the Republic and Federation combat ideologies and tactics were similar, they were different enough to cause enough hesitation in the Vong troops.
But that hesitation hadn’t lasted forever.
The Yuuzhan Vong had gone for Starfleet Command, but had not been aware that the main command staff had spent the battle kilometers away in Bunker One and so there had been limited casualties there. There were still sounds of phaser fire being exchanged in the distance, but it was more or less in the clean-up stages
But for as many Vong corpses that they encountered, there were also the bodies of Starfleet security personnel and Federation marines deployed earlier by the Iwo Jimas. What also disturbed Picard was that, as far as he could tell, he couldn’t see any bodies or sign of the Hazard Team. Were they simply on the other side of Embassy Row or had something else happened?
Though the ambassadors from the multitude of worlds in contact with the Federation were secured elsewhere, that hadn’t stopped the Vong from lashing out at several of the Embassies. Any lamp posts or other signs of technology has been smashed to pieces by amphistaffs and thud and razor bugs.
The scene reminded Picard once again of the images of the devastation that the Jem-Hadar had unleashed upon Cardassia Prime at the end of the Dominion War, of the graveyard at Wolf 359, and even horrors going all the way back to his time as the skipper of the Stargazer.
“Captain, we have company.”
Picard glanced at Data and saw what the android was speaking of. New Republic Military speeders were joining the Argo’s vehicle. Picard could see General Garm bel Iblis in the one that pulled directly right alongside them, promoting a hint of a smile on Luke’s face at seeing the grizzled, aging Corellian. It was a testament to Iblis’ nature to be right in the heart of things.
“Krey’Fey and Senator Shesh will be joining us shortly. I --”
The General trailed off, surprising Luke. This was not like Garm at all.
“I’m sorry. This is just…too many bad memories, Captain Picard. I‘ll meet you at the Embasy.”
Bel Iblis speeder pulled ahead, leaving the Captain and his companions as they surveyed the wreckage of Embassy Row from the Argo‘s vehicle. Picard broke the silence.
“He‘s been fighting most of his life, hasn‘t he? I can see it in his eyes and posture.”
Luke nodded.
“And not just in the Galactic Civil War either. Garm was the Corellian Senator during the final days of the Old Republic. He witnessed a good number of the brutalities caused by Clone Wars; even participated in several of operations against Count Dooku and General Grievous.”
Picard seemed slightly confused for a moment.
Now the Captain too.
“Are you all right Captain?”
“Yes, ah, Forgive me. I‘m trying to recall that data from the texts you provided, but there‘s so much information to sort through all at once.”
Luke smiled softly.
“I used to say the same thing when I was growing up on Tatooine. My uncle Owen was also chastising me about being too slow in the head. The former was a fallen Jedi and political leader of the Separatists, the latter was the main military leader for the Confederacy. Dooku unfortunately was one of the reasons Palpatine was able to eventually turn public opinion against the old Order and justify their extermination.”
“And I assume your father’s role in the rise of Palpatine didn’t help your cause?”
“People like Mon Mothma and Admiral Ackbar were able to see past it. People like Fyor Rodan and Viqi Shesh on the other hand have done everything they can to persecute us at a time when we should have been unified. They’re playing a tune that everyone else seems intent on following, even if they know it‘s not true.
“And are they justified in doing so?”
Luke knew that Picard didn’t truly mean it; it was simply a rhetorical question. Even driving the vehicle, Picard was still exhibiting his Starfleet role of diplomat.
“Captain, I’ve honestly tried. I’ve worked hard to establish a new Jedi Order that combines the best of both worlds from what I’ve learned under the tutelage of my old masters. And yet, it seems that no matter the circumstance, we are required to sacrifice even more to placate a galaxy where we’re no longer welcome.”
The silence returned to the vehicle as they approached the Embassy where the Noghri and the droids had taken refugee before the battle had begun. The Republic speeders, with their superior speed, had made it before they had, encouraging Luke and Mara to dismount the vehicle before they had even stopped.
****
“Kyle, can you hear me?”
There was a brief silence. Then --
“Don’t talk so loud. I’m trying to sleep, Master.”
Luke smiled faintly at Katarn‘s customary sarcasm, wondering how Jan Oors had put with it for as many years as she had spent working alongside Kyle.
The interior of the Embassy wasn’t in much better shape. Kyle and Lt. Munro had made their stand here, but even a Jedi and a Hazard Team officer hadn’t been able to stop the few Vong warriors that had gotten through the Federation marines and security perimeter. Munro himself lay to the side, a deep amphistaff puncture visible through his shoulder.
Munro’s personal armor had protected him from the brunt of the puncture, but it would still hurt like hell in the morning. Republic medics were already apply bacta patches as the Federation doctors treated Katarn. An interesting role reversal, Picard noted, and one that he hoped would be a sign of what could be achieved if the New Republic and the United Federation of Planets worked together.
They quickly proceeded down the hallway. Aside from the Republic soldiers that had gotten there earlier, more Vong littered the corridors the closer they got to the central control room. Outside the room, however, lay the fallen form of these Vong’s slayers, Adarakh and Meewalh. Luke could feel through the Force that there was no sign of life emanating from their bodies.
Damm. Leia wasn’t going to like this. While she still found the Noghri’s constant presence around her annoying at times, she had come to accept and respect them. To have two more fall to the Yuuzhan Vong was another blow to the personal losses their family had suffered in the war.
“Ben!!”
Mara’s cry jolted Luke back to the moment at hand. In the main control room, Artoo was off to the side, beat up in some places, but otherwise fine. Threepio was standing next to Naboo’s elected monarch, Queen Quital, who was sitting quietly in a chair, comforting the child of two of the greatest Jedi of the current Order.
And at her feet…
From behind him, Luke could hear Picard swear softly in what he believed was the Captain’s native language, French. At the feet of Quital were the bodies of both Yuuzhan Vong and Starfleet personnel. But these were not the bodies of ordinary personnel or Starfleet marines.
They wore the uniforms of Starfleet cadets.
***
Location: The Quintessence
Somewhere in the Galaxy
The Stranger raised himself up from the confines of his chair, floating slightly above the Quintessence‘s representatives.
“As you know, both of these galaxies are star-crossed, so to speak. They are the temporal and spatial junction points of all of existence. Unless actions are taken now while we have the chance, a reign of terror and conquest will be initiated. Call it the Yuuzhan Vong Invasion or the Wormhole War or whatever you like; I don’t care. But it is the start of the end of all existence
He looked down at Vergere once more.
“We will fight the Merging on our own terms. But in your case, it is different. The key to victory against the Merging on your temporal and spatial plain lies within your own understanding the Yuuzhan Vong and in the world where you first encountered them.”
Vergere was surprised for a moment. There was a world she never thought she would hear again from a non-Yuuzhan Vong warrior.
“Zonama Sekot.”
***
Location: Presidential Office
Paris, Earth, Alpha Quadrant, Milky Way Galaxy
The office that was used by the President of the United Federation of Planets was designed to accommodate large amounts of people that were ushered in to meet with the President. The office had undergone many changes over the decades, and not just due to the stepping down of the Federation’s political leaders following the conclusion of their terms.
But despite the large number of accommodations, the room still felt cramped.
Many of the highest names in both the Federation and Republic governments were now present in one gathering. These included Admiral Uhura, Senator Shesh, Queen Quital, Axum, Leia Organa Solo -- Han and their children were busy trying to repair the Falcon as well as to help Federation engineers understand Republic technology as Starfleet was assisting in repairs to the Republic fleet -- , the Skywalkers, and Picard.
The battle to save Sector 001 from becoming a Yuuzhan Vong staging ground had been successful, but costly. As Luke and Krey’Fey had predicted, the remaining Yuuzhan Vong ships had refused all offers of surrender and had launched one final attack on the fleet. The Federation had suffered forty percent casualties. Half of the orbital defense platforms had been destroyed or seriously damaged and that didn’t even count the Mars or Terran-Nubian defense perimeters.
The Republic losses had tallied roughly along the same lines in terms of ships and fighters. Unimatrix Zero’s fleet had taken the brunt of the Vong’s fury -- understandable given their status as former machine drones as well as the bombshell that Axum had dropped and that Tsavong Lah had corroborated while on the Enterprise-- and they had suffered sixty-percent casualties of their own ships, surprising even if they were liberated Borg ships.
Krey’Fey was now speaking.
“Despite the losses, this is still a great victory for the Republic. We have stopped the largest Yuuzhan Vong fleet to attack any Allied planets or forces thus far, we have destroyed their flagship, and the Warmaster himself is a prisoner.”
As could be expected, Shesh coughed quietly, calling attention to her. Krey’Fey sighed.
“Yes, Senator?”
“Many of those losses wouldn’t have happened had it not been for the presence of Jedi, particular at Embassy Row.”
Luke didn’t turn to face Shesh, but continued looking out the window overlooking the City of Lights.
You just can’t resist an opportunity, can you Senator Shesh?
However, what happened next surprised everyone as Grey’si batted one eye at Shesh.
“Senator Shesh, may I speak freely to you for a moment.”
“By all means.”
“Shut up!”
For Leia, Luke, Mara, and even Picard, those were the two best words they had heard all day. Shesh was taken aback for a moment
“I beg your --”
“I don’t care what the hell your agenda is with the Jedi is or if this anti-Jedi sentiment is political in nature. It will however not enter this discussion, am I clear?”
Shesh’s own eyes glared dangerously and appeared ready to blow a nerve -- and in the experience of the Republic personnel, this wouldn‘t be the first time a Kuati had done so. But she calmed herself.
“If you will excuse me for a moment?”
Grey’si nodded.
“By all means.”
The doors opened, permitting Shesh to exit the Presidential office and presumably blow that fuse on one of her aides or Greysi’s. There was silence as everyone looked at each other.
“Well, that’s not going to help us build bridges with her,” Leia said at last.
Grey’si sighed.
“I’m sorry. On Andor, there’s still lingering anti-Vulcan attitudes going back to before the formation of the Federation and the destruction of the P’Jem monastery. I grew up listening to it and I am personally sick and tired of similar sentiment across other worlds. You and your people, Master Skywalker, are fascinating and the effort you contributed to stopping this advance commendable. To have someone like that Senator step on you is, well, disconcerting, But I digress; we must now get back to business.”
He paused, taking a sip of Bolian tonic water -- he absolutely loved the stuff, a love going back to his time in the Andorian military -- before continuing.
“The Federation Council will reconvene in four days to vote on a declaration of war against the Yuuzhan Vong and total alliance with the New Republic. I have little doubt that with the bombing and now with this attack, they will overwhelmingly approve the declaration. Admiral Krey’Fey?”
The Bothan Admiral nodded in agreement.
“I have spoken with General Antilles. The Senate will be doing likewise in the same time-frame. Therein lies one of two problems. The first is that many like Senator Shesh and if her attitude during the initial meetings was any indication, they will be hesitant to support such an alliance. The second is Borsk Fey’lya. He may very well die from the injuries sustained from the bombing.
He let this announcement sink in before continuing.
“I have spoken with my cousin and he is in agreement that the New Republic and United Federation of Planets must stand united or fall together to the might of the Yuuzhan Vong. Despite this fleet, our estimates show that 2,000 ships was not a significant portion of the fleet and we will need to be ready. If the Chief of State dies before rallying the Senate, than Shesh’s and others like her will make things even worse politically. Mr. President?”
“Thank you Admiral. Captain Picard, you will be the Federation’s olive branch to Coruscant, an attempt to show them that we are for this alliance and of the benefits that the Federation can give to their galaxy.”
Picard look slightly stunned.
“Is there a problem, Captain?”
“Aside from the issue presented by warp engines, the Enterprise-E is in no shape to undertake such a trip to the Republic Capital.”
“Admiral Krey’Fey and I discussed that; either Ralroost or the Crix Madine will ferry you to Coruscant along with a group of your own hand-picked Federation team. The sooner you can get them together, the sooner you can depart.”
Picard considered this for a moment
“I already know who is best qualified from the Enterprise to accompany me on this mission. I’ll speak with them as soon as this meeting is over.”
“Good. Admiral?”
“We also still need to secure the Naboo end of the wormhole. With Tsavong Lah in our custody, the Vong will no doubt try to avenge him or attack the Sol System or Naboo --”
“You have the full support of Naboo on this matter.”
Leia was shocked. The arrogance and pettiness she had heard in Quital’s voice less than two weeks earlier was gone, replaced with a cold, yet determined tone.
***
Quital had spent the better part of the meeting quietly starring at her hands as if she had never seen them. In many ways, her mind had been elsewhere thus far, back to fifty years ago
She had been no more than a little girl on that dark day when Nute Gunray’s Trade Federation ships had blockaded her world and had then proceeded to land their fearsome droid armies onto their land. Her mother had died in the occupation camps and her father had been killed assisting in taking back Theed.
Despite the Republic’s support of the planet and the defeat of the Trade Federation, she had never felt trusting of outsiders again, in part due to Gunray’s ability to sabotage the trial not once, but four times. On the bodies of her parents, she had vowed to protect Naboo from any threat.
Her memories shifted one more to the day that the transmissions to the Nubian government twenty-three years earlier that had announced Palpatine’s death at Endor The cheers of Nubians and Gungans alike celebrating in the streets of Theed had been music for the soul and she had joined in with the celebration of the man who had claimed to represent them all, but had instead used them for his own petty selfish reasons.
But then the government had taken steps to insure that they would never again be used by someone like Palpatine and in accordance with the majority of the populating and the Gungan Council, had sealed off Naboo’s borders. The New Republic had made attempt after attempt to break through that veil, but to no avail, in part due to her efforts.
A final memory came to her now, barely a day old. She was in the Embassy here in San Francisco, stuck with two Noghri, a bickering pair of droids, and the grandson of Darth Vader -- she could never think of him as Anakin Skywalker, the little boy that had helped achieve the impossible against the Trade Federation ten years before the Clone Wars -- as well as a group of Starfleet cadets. These cadets had apparently harassed the grandchildren of Darth Vader and she had been happy to know that some degree of suffering had been inflicted on them.
The memory shifted a few hours into the future. The Noghri had fallen and the Starfleet cadets had chosen to rush out and attack the final Vong warriors that actually made it through. She had stood shocked, her trained combat skills -- necessary for a Queen since the days of the Trade Federation invasion -- forgotten at the sight of these young alien men and women who she couldn’t have given a damm about sacrifice themselves to kill the final warrior
“Why?” she had asked the one who held to life the longest, a Volcin wasn’t it?
“I-it was the…logical thing to…do…”
And then he was gone.
Now, she was back in the present, the words from fifty years before coming through her head once more.
I vowed to protect Naboo from any threat.
What in the name of Omar Berenko had she been thinking? That Naboo could resist the Yuuzhan Vong on their own? They would be as foolish as the Hutts and the Imperial Remnant.
***
Krey’Fey and Grey’si both looked relieved at Quital’s sudden cooperation.
“Well that takes care of that. But there’s another issue I’d like to bring up, specifically the reason we were able to win against the Yuuzhan Vong this time.”
Everyone looked at Axum, who proceeded to shrug.
“Don’t look at me. I can tell you right now that that mystery ship wasn’t a Delta Quadrant design that the Collective had encountered during its height.”
Grey’si considered this a moment then glanced at Admiral Uhura who also proceeded to shrug.
“There were various elements in that ship’s structure that could suggest Breen, Klingon, Romulan, and even Son’a influences, but beyond that, SI has no idea either.
“Alright then,” the President said, finally. “We’ll worry about that later. Axum, what are your plans?”
“Since my engineers still don’t know what caused the Fusion Cube to lose power, we’ve decided to switch back to using Diamond 24601TH-X85 as our flagship. Once its regeneration is complete, I will be departing to Deep Space Nine to confer with the Dominion representatives there on dealing with the rogue former drones that are intent on carrying out revenge on the Gamma Quadrant power.”
“Mara and I request permission to join you.
Everyone was shocked at Luke’s suddenn request. Grey’si looked wrly at Luke.
“A little early to be taking a vacation, isn’t it?”
“A vacation has nothing to do with it. If the Dominion could be persuaded to join the war-effort, it would be a tremendous geo-political victory. And a Republic Representative, albeit the Jedi would certainly help. In addition, I’d like to visit Bajor.”
Picard looked at Skywalker.
“Sisko?”
Luke nodded. Grey’si recalled the report that Picard had filed that described the visit of the entity Q and the missing Starfleet Captain.
“Bajor and their Prophets has great Force potential, I could discern that much from meeting with the Emissary on all three occasions. If the Yuuzhan Vong are indeed at the forefront of this Merging that Q and Sisko spoke of and if the Force is critical to combating it, then we need all of the help we can get.”
“It’s fine with me,” said Axum. Grey’si nodded once more.
“Then that settles it. Gentlemen, I wish you good luck and good hunting. May the wind be at your backs.”
“And may the Force be with you, Mr. President.”
****
Location: U.S.S. Paradox
31st Century, Alpha Quadrant, Milky Way Galaxy
“Look, if there was a giant-reset button, then believe me, it would have been used again and again every time someone tried to screw with the timeline or if we needed an out.”
“So you’re saying we can’t and won’t make any further incursions into 2379?”
“Not until we have further orders from both branches of the DTI. The Krenim are still analyzing the readings we received. The only consolation is that that interference apparently has the timeline back on track from the anomaly that was detected earlier.”
“And on the subject of anomalies, what of the anomalies threatening the fabric of space?”
“Unchanged, though I think we can safely say it’s definitely not the result of the Sphere Builders.”
“Alright, keep us informed. Relativity out.”
Daniels sighed as the real-time data stream of Captain Yoshigawa, Braxton’s successor to the command of the Timeship Relativity, vanished from the communications alcove. But it was not the delay on the part of DTI that had him worried, it was the readings that the Paradox had been alerted to by the Relativity as soon as the anomaly that had engulfed the Sector 001 of 2379 had vanished.
If these readings were correct, they had much to worry about. There was only one faction involved with the Temporal Cold War that could possibly give off readings like that.
The Neo-Borg Collective.
****
To be continued…
***
Author’s Notes:
* Well, it’s getting interesting, isn’t it? Certain plot threads and bits that seemed inconsequential and irrelevant earlier in the story are making sense now, aren’t they. And just wait until you see what I have planned…
* Like many other ships in this story, the Iwo Jima-class assualt ship first made its appearance in the RTS game Star Trek: Armada II.
* The Q-M war, as well as the pointless declaration to that conflict can be found in the novel I, Q.-
* Part of the reason for the delay of this chapter lay in my attempts at fanart for this story. You can find it here: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v329/JME2A/BOBW2.jpg
Star Trek/Star Wars: The Best of Both Worlds: Part XVIII
"If the human race wishes to have a prolonged and indefinite period of material prosperity, they have only got to behave in a peaceful and helpful way toward one another."
-- Winston Churchill --
Author’s Warning: This chapter contains possible spoilers for Star Wars: Episode III -- Revenge of the Sith; proceed with caution.
***
Location: Coruscant
The Galaxy Far, Far Away
With short, yet eloquent strides, NRI Director Dif Scaur passed through the remaining droid-manned security checkpoints into the NRMOC War-Room. Admist the bustle, significant veterans of the Rebellion’s fight place against the Empire -- often given the nickname of “The Gray Carrde” -- gave orders and made preparations. In the corner of the chamber, space, Director Scaur watched on, space, reflecting upon everything that had occurred within the last few standard hours while he had the time; the meeting was scheduled to begin shortly.
The tension within the War Room was palpable and disconcerting and with good reason. At first, when the initial spy and resistance reports had come in from the Inner Core and Hutt space that the Yuuzhan Vong fleet was on the move, they had feared the worst and that Coruscant would come under assault from the invading enemy.
Now, it wasn’t as if Coruscant had never been attacked in its existence. Over the course of the last five millennia, the ancient Sith, the Confederacy of Independent Systems, the Empire, and even the New Republic itself had gone after the universal symbol of galactic power and control. But for Coruscant to fall into the hands of the Yuuzhan Vong was a frightening, and over-all terrifying thought, even for him.
Thus there had been some minor relief in knowing that the capital was not the intended target. Unfortunately, that was when they had received the transmission from General bel Iblis and had learned that the Naboo system was in fact their intended destination. Or rather, the Sol System on the other side of the wormhole and with it, the Federation‘s own capital world, Earth.
The Republic Senate was still reeling from the news that Chief of State Fey’lya had been perhaps fatally wounded in a bombing and their continued impediment and bureaucratic micromanagement of the war effort had delayed the launch of the Sixth Fleet towards Naboo. Some in the camp of Kuati Senator Viqi Shesh had even suggested that the Federation was responsible for the bombing and was working with the Yuuzhan Vong to overthrow the Republic and establish a joint-control over the galaxy.
As to whether or not Scaur actually believed that, well…
He sighed to himself at that thought. They had had less than a month of contact with this United Federation of Planets. And while they had many similarities with the New Republic, there were essential differences in their respective cultures and it wasn’t just engine speed or the strength of their turbolasers against their phasers, etc.
The Federation, as he understood it from the data that had been gathered, was three years removed from the end of a war with a major local power known as the Dominion, a war that had destroyed devastated most of their Quadrant. He acknowledged to himself that it was possible that the Federation, or elements, were conspiring with the alien invaders in order to prevent a renewed contact that could devastate the order they had fought for.
But then, why attack Earth? True, it could be simply a necessary publicity image, as the taking of Duro had shown. But surely the Federation, if this theory were correct, would realize that the Vong was going to, well, screw them over once their agenda had been achieved. Unless they were too ignorant or had a wild sabbac card up their sleeves…
And even if they didn’t, there were several races that could pose potential problems to the Republic’s interests in the long term as long as that wormhole remained open: the Dominion and the Borg Collective were of particular interest, even with the reports of an apparent rebellion succeeding in the case of the latter.
He treated that note on Unimatrix Zero with a health degree of skepticism. After all, it had taken the Rebel Alliance the better part of three decades to not only topple Palpatine, but to restore democracy, freedom, control and order to the galaxy. For this Unimatrix Zero to successfully overthrow the Collective in the space of less than two years, even with the actions of one Admiral Janeway -- it just didn’t jibe with him.
The many possible scenarios and conspiracy theories rumbling through his mind made his head ache. Fortunately, the briefing had begun so he was able to push the thoughts to the back of his mind -- for the time being, anyway. But whatever the developments would turn out to be, he was going to, as soon as it was possible, check in with the Alpha Red and Blue divisions; it may very well become prudent to accelerate the development of Scaur’s own secret weapon…
From halfway across the galaxy, holographic representations of Generals Antilles and Clechu flickered above the main holographic generator. Rieekan was the first to speak.
“What news, General?”
Antilles hologram looked grim
“We’ve just reverted to real space and doesn’t look good. We’re reading numerous derelict ships or wreckage, Republic, Federation, Yuuzhan Vong, or other.”
“Any word from the Naboo?”
“Their communications networks are still online. Based on what they’re sending out and from path of devastation, the Vong completely ignored the system itself, except for obviously the --”
There was a long pause as Antilles went silent, his holographic eyes widening.
“Wedge?”
“Something is coming through the wormhole. Scan that, now. It’s apparently a New Republic ship We’re getting a hail. One moment.”
Wedge was silent as he gazed at an unseen subordinate on his flagship, the recently commissioned Defender-class Star Destroyer Mon Mothma. Suddenly he responded, a look of disbelief upon his face.
“I don’t believe it.”
“What is it?”
“The battle for Sector 001 is over. The Yuuzhan Vong fleet has been totally annihilated.”
If the doors of the NRMOC meeting chamber were not soundproof, the droids and humanoids manning the security consoles would have registered one, unanimous phrase emanating from the room.
“What?!”
***
Location: Earth
Sol System, Alpha Quadrant, Milky Way Galaxy
The battered, but still functioning Enterprise-E limped slowly into orbit around the Federation capital world, the momentary burst of speed that had saved the crew from certain death at the hands of the mystery ship’s radiation surge having all but burned out the flagship’s hastily repaired impulse manifolds. They were running on RCS thrusters now until an Engineering Team from Earth Station McKinley or tugs got to them.
However, whatever that mystery ship had been, the Thalaron wave it had unleashed upon the alien armada had all but wiped out the Yuuzhan Vong’s invading armada. Only a handful of vessels had been spared destruction at the hands of the deadly biogenic weapon and were now gathering at the far edge of Earth’s orbit. They were obviously trying to determine what to do.
As Master Skywalker saw it, there were three possible options: They could flee back through the wormhole, make a stand, or lay down their arms and surrender to the Federation; technically, this was their space, despite their status as New Republic enemies and the impounding and imprisonment of the Yuuzhan Vong would therefore fall to Starfleet.
For a moment, a smile hint of a smile tugged at the corner of Luke’s mouth. It was funny that with the political aspects of the conflict. That usually fell into Leia’s area of expertise, though he was on his way there with the dubious political actions of the Advisory Council in its relationship with the Jedi. The thought quickly faded, though as he was reminded at the cost of the battle through the view screen (Luke still found it somewhat disconcerting that the Federation didn‘t use transparisteel and relied on view-screens rather than viewing ports; the bridge felt too confined for him at times).
The Jedi Master seriously doubted the third choice, though the first was more plausible. The Vong hierarchy would need to learn of their defeat and the fleeing of the Burning Death and Nas Choka’s armada, though not usual from what they had learned of Vong combat, would suffice -- though once news spread through the New Republic, agents like Nom Anor would without a doubt pass the information onto their Supreme Overlord.
Local space was quickly filling with the crumbling remains of yorrik coral as the surviving Republic, Federation, Klingon, Nubian, and Unimatrix Zero craft. The remains of Jag Fel’s Chiss Clawcraft Squadron could also be seen among the ships that had made it to safety in time as the Enterprise maneuvered alongside the equally battle-scarred Ralroost. Minutes earlier, one of the surviving Republic ships, the Winds of Alderran, had made a micro-jump towards the Terran-end of wormhole, to transmit to the Republic the news of their unexpected victory against the Yuuzhan Vong.
Despite all of the damage that the Enterprise-E had suffered, crew members diligently manned their posts and Captain Picard stood overlooking the damage caused by the Yuuzhan Vong boarding party, Master Skywalker behind him. Luke’s attention was focused more on the view-screen and the swirling chunks of Yorrik Coral and the few remaining Vong ships.
This was possibly the only time that Luke was glad that the Yuuzhan Vong were inexplicably not part of the Force; the feeling of thousands upon thousands dying in one place in one instant from the Thalaron weapon would probably have equaled the ripples sent through the Force years earlier by Kueller’s detonations on Almania and Tarkin’s destruction of Alderran.
Yet while it might soothe others with the knowledge that the lives of an enemy that threatened everything they had fought for during the Galactic Civil War had been ended, it only stirred more emotions of bewilderment in the aging Jedi Master. Ben and Yoda’s teachings were that the Force was all life and that life was sacred, the lessons which had helped guide him to redeem his farther rather than kill him aboard the second Death Star.
The appearance of the Yuuzhan Vong at Helska IV two years before had thrown those lessons, lessons that he had passed onto the new Jedi Order, completely into whack. The Yuuzhan Vong possessed no midichlorians, the particles that he had learned from Ben’s journals, Master Vodo-Siosk Baas’ Holocron, and the few Jedi that had survived the Purge were responsible for Force sensitivity and life itself. How could an race that lacked this particle not be felt in the Force, yet still be alive?
This question had haunted him since he and Mara had scouted the Ex-Gal-4 outpost on Belkadan and run across their first Vong warrior. He had sought an answer from the best medical experts in the galaxy and through meditation in the Force, but had been unsuccessful. He had wondered if it was in his understanding of the Force After all, his training had been rushed and incomplete. He had accepted that when he had approached Mon Mothma and the Senate all those years before asking for the funds to establish the Praxeum. If there was indeed an answer, it was likely the old Jedi Order had possibly found it.
Yet their encounter with the Enterprise-E a month before had once again sent his thoughts into a jumble. Dr. Crusher’s medical scans taken when Mara had gone into labor had revealed to the Jedi Master that like the Yuuzhan Vong, there were no traces of midichlorians within the cellular structures of the Milky Way Galaxy’s inhabitants.
Yet, not only were they alive, but unlike the Yuuzhan Vong, he could feel them through the Force. He could feel the confusion and swirling thoughts within the head of the French Captain standing next to him. He could feel the feelings of sadness sixteen decks below in Sickbay as D. Crusher drew blankets over the bodies of the young Starfleet officers that had given their lives to stop the Yuuzhan Vong from seizing the Federation flagship.
So how was this possible? Was the problem in his own perception of the Force or was it something unique to the denizens of this galaxy? Luke knew one thing, though. If they had contact with the Quintessence again -- and with the warnings that Q and the Stranger had given about the threat of this Merging, he had no doubt that they would -- he would bring this question before its members, hoping that at least one of them had an answer.
***
“Captain, we are being hailed by the Ralroost.”
“Put it through.”
As Data called prepared to open the channel with Krey’Fey’s ship, the Captain turned towards his Jedi colleague. But Picard saw Skywalker was engaged in other matters, starring at the crackling view screen as the remaining Vong ships hung there. Picard assumed he was reaching out with his Force-abilities, or whatever he called them and decided it was best not to disturb him.
“This is Captain Picard, go ahead Admiral Krey‘fey.”
“Ralroost here. Well done, Captain. Well done indeed. That was quite a risk you took in going after the Sunulok”
“Risk is our business, Admiral.”
“Risk or not, that was something. And am I hearing this correctly, that you have Tsavong Lah, correct?”
“We do. We’ll keep him and the other Vong warriors that were captured in our brig until we can transfer them to Iwo Jima-class assualt ships or to the surface -- once it’s secure of course.”
“You’d better keep them sedated as well. The Vong, ah, don’t exactly react well to the concept of being captured by enemy forces.”
At that point, the turbo lift doors swished open, revealing Worf and Mara and helping to ease Luke’s worried nature. A glimpse of his infant son would help to totally erase that worry. Both were battered and bleeding from having fought at the advance of the Vong’s invasion of the Enterprise.
“He’s right. Every time we’ve captured a Vong warrior, they all committed suicide upon waking up. You’d better carefully scan them too; even if restrained, they have a few genetically engineered surprises built into their bodies and armor to help on the way to the afterlife.”
Mara spoke of out of experience, the memories of the suicide of the female Vong infiltrator that she and Anakin had captured at a Courscanti tapcafe eight months before. From the back of the bridge, Worf muttered something in his native tongue. If Threepio had been there, he could have easily translated it; Leia had immediately added many Milky Way languages to his already impressive repertoire after the Enterprise had brought them to Earth. As it was, Data easily understood what the former diplomat had said and quickly responded.
“I highly doubt that the Yuuzhan Vong’s afterlife is in fact Gre’thor, Commander.”
Everyone just starred at them and Data, sensing he had made a mistake, went back to analyzing the data he was getting from what remained of his console. From the other end, Krey’Fey ignored Data’s comment and picked up the conversation where it had left off.
“Mrs. Skywalker is indeed correct. The same can also be said of the remaining Vong ships.”
“What if we offered them the chance to surrender?” Picard asked. Luke shook his head.
“It wouldn’t make a difference. With the exception of what happened last month and each case, they’ve fought to the last man. We can offer it, but I seriously doubt it will make a difference.
“I agree with Master Skywalker. If they get rowdy, we can handle them. It’s your homeworld I’m worried about. Can Starfleet contain the forces that landed before the destruction of the fleet?”
“I’m not certain. From the last transmissions we got, Starfleet was in the process of assembling Federation Marines and the Hazard Team to combat the Vong warriors, but before the Warmaster boarded the Enterprise, we lost contact with them. We’ve been trying to hail them, but to no avail.
Krey’Fey took a moment to contemplate this.
“What course of action would you suggest, Captain? Again, I ask since this is your planet, after all..”
“If we can’t reestablish communications in the next few minutes, we’ll prepare to beam down to --”
A string of consoles along the rear of the bridge suddenly sparked violently, the explosion of sparks narrowly missing Mara and Worf, though hitting one of the Ensigns manning the console. As Federation medics began to treat him, Geordi’s voice floated over the comm-system.
“If you’re wondering what just blew up, it was the transporter circuits. It’s not my fault; the remaining overloads shorted them out before we could contain them.”
Annoyance crossed Picard’s face, annoyance that was quickly erased as a thought came to his mind.
“Admiral Krey’Fey?“
“Yes Captain?”
“I have just learned our transporters are offline. We’ll shuttle ourselves down. You might as well send down any Republic officers you can spare.”
“I’ll rally what I can and join you shortly. Krey’Fey out.”
Picard turned towards his first officer.
“Number One?”
“Understood sir. I’ll have the Cousteau readied --”
Picard shook his head.
“The Captain’s yacht could work, but in light of the situation, I believe it would be better to prepare the Argo instead.”
Riker raised an eyebrow.
Named for the ship of Greek mythology, the Argo was the result of Starfleet policy adapted after the Dominion War that encouraged crews to develop and build their own specialized shuttlecraft, an attempt to see what engineering teams that had no access to shipbuilding facilities could come up with. The then-updated logs of the U.S.S. Voyager and their custom-built Delta Flyer was what had inspired Riker, Picard, and La Forge to work on the Argo.
What worried the Enterprise’s first officer was that construction on the Argo had just recently been completed and it was untested. Not only that, but the Argo’s vehicle was more for recreational purposes than combat. Though Riker had been able to persuade the Captain to install a phaser-cannon, the planned clip-on ablative armor plates had not yet been attached -- or for that matter, replicated.
“Are you certain, sir?”
“Yes, Will. We need a combat shuttle and since we’re flying into a war-zone, the Argo will be more than adequate. Mr. and Mrs. Skyalker, Mr. Data, you’re with me. Number One, you have the bridge. “
***
Location: Naboo System
That Galaxy Far, Far Away
Outside the sensor range of the Mon Mothma and the rest of the New Republic’s Sixth fleet, the Scimitar lay at rest, the Reman Warbirds’s impulse engines dead-silent. Their run towards the Terran end of the wormhole had taken less than a minute thanks to the brief burst from their now-Transwarp enhanced engines. And thanks to the dispatch of the Republic cruiser Winds of Alderran, they had been able to slip through the wormhole undetected.
However, it was not as if Shinzon was worried about the Republic detecting them.
The cloaking device that the Reman flagship carried had been “borrowed” from Tal Shiar think tanks during the final stages of the construction of the battleship. The new, improved device had been the result of the Dominion War.
During the war, the Dominion had been able come up with anti-cloak penetration methods that had made any and all Romulan cloaking devices, from the mighty D'deridex-class capital ships to the unit installed on the Federation’s Defiant prototype. The Tal Shiar and the Romulan Ministry of Science, in one of their few joint-ventures, had made the development of an improved cloaking device one of their highest priorities for the war effort. Their goal had also been to develop a device that could fire through the cloak, utilizing the few scraps of data that had been found on Klingon General Chang’s B’rel-class Bird-of-Prey.
However, the scientists working on the project had done Chang one better. The new, improved device stood no chance of detection by conventional means, Federation or Dominion and capable of not only firing while cloaked, but usage of shield generators in that state.
It had taken a hundred different avenues and turns before Shinzon had learned of the prototype and another thousand to acquire the device during that crucial phase of the final months of the war, when the Tal Shiar and the Ministry of Science’s attention had been focused on the perplexity of the Breen’s energy dampening weapon.
And thus, here it was, nestled within the bowels of perhaps the most fearsome ships that had thus far come out of Romulan space, one of three crucial pieces of technology that would not only allow Shinzon to survive his genetic condition, but assure control over Romulan space.
“We are ready, Shinzon.”
The Centurion nodded from his chair of command.
“Commence primary ignition, Vkruk.”
This was it, the true test. The run for the wormhole had been merely a warm-up to their ultimate destination in this far, far away galaxy. The information on their target had come through the New Republic’s attempts to piece together the mysteries of the Clone Wars in light of the information purges that the Emperor had instigated following his ascension to power. It was through these efforts that Shinzon had learned of a lonely world beyond the Republic’s Outer Rim and just south of the Rishi Maze -- Kamino.
Its current status was unknown. Like Naboo, the world had apparently sealed off its borders following the end of the Clone Wars and wanted no contact with the New Republic. There were even rumors that to prevent Palpatine from initiating sanctions or other reprisals against them, they had destroyed their cloning equipment.
For their sake, Shinzon hope that wasn’t true. After all, the usage of the Thalaron generator that he and Vkruk had appropriated during the height of the Dominion War had been necessary to save, well, himself. He would hate to have to make the Kaminoans the second race from beyond the Terran-Nubian wormhole to experience the joy of a Milky Way galaxy bioorganic weapon.
The stars on the Scimitar’s view-screen at first appeared to stretch as was typical of warp-engines. Then they narrowed even further and with a flash, had been replaced by a swirling mass of energy that was consistent with the reports on the Borg’s Transwarp technology as gathered by the U.S.S. Voyager.
“We have achieved transwarp velocities, Shinzon.”
The Praetor nodded, a sensation of relief spreading through his body, a feeling that was quickly interrupted by a sharp jolt of pain through his lower abdomen. Vkruk was instantly at his side, performing the Reman healing and detection techniques that had managed to survive throughout centuries of brutal Romulan occupation.
“It’s spreading and quickly,” Vkruk whispered into Shinzon’s ear.
“Do what you can, Vkruk,” Shinzon rasped, hoping once again as his Viceroy immediately went to work that for the Kaminoans’ own sake, they still had their cloaking technology.
***
Location: The Quintessence
Somewhere in the Universe
“Yes, Vergere, you. You are the key to delaying and/or stopping the Merging.”
Vergere was silent, trying to absorb this latest shocking piece of information that had been presented to her by this literal gathering of gods, gods who were now muttering amongst themselves once again. For the first real time during the course of the meeting, the silence and murmuring was broken not by Q, but instead by M of all people.
“Is that truly wise, Stranger? To mention this to her this early into the fight, it seems risky. It’s a play on ego.“
Q couldn’t help but glare at M at that remark.
“It’s funny hearing that from you since it was your own play on one’s ego that set off the Q-M War.”
Q was not exaggerating. It had taken not a long-winded declaration, but a simple pointless insult of “Your mother wears…” to send the Q and the M on the road to war so many years ago -- if, once again, such a measurement of time was possible in either Continuum.
Yet, even as his response came out, Q’s suspicion grew as M‘s words filtered through his mind. Did M know something that he didn’t or did he simply have a great grasp of the problem? That more than anything pissed him off. He was Q, the Alpha and Omega, the trickster, and the master of the one-liner. As an omnipotent entity, he should have had a clear view of the dramatic structure of the Merging, of its beginning, middle, and end. If he couldn’t, he wouldn’t have been worth of the letter; he would have been a P or an R.
Yet, he didn’t even know what Vergere’s role in all of this was or what was going to happen. He was beginning to understand what Picard went through on a daily basis, of boldly venturing off into the unknown, where no one in their right mind had gone before, regardless of the dangers and the treasures, both subtle and gross, that Q had told him of after he had introduced to le capitaine to the Borg.
As if sensing once again what was on his mind -- another point of Q’s annoyance; he liked his own motives and thoughts to be unreadable -- the Stranger addressed the Quintessence.
“Let us not allow old wounds to cloud our judgment and focus on the problem at hand. We will have greater concerns from this point on.”
***
Location: San Francisco
Earth, Sol System, Alpha Quadrant, Milky Way Galaxy
With great strain, Shuttle-bay Two’s doors creaked open. As the shuttle-bay’s force-field was lowered, the Argo engaged its main thrusters and within a few seconds was clear of the Enterprise and beginning its descent towards San Francisco. The shuttle was quickly joined by other shuttles and combat craft, Republic and Federation. Through the cockpit windows, Luke could see a pair of E-Wings take up an escort around the Argo.
Built by FreiTek, the company run by the Incom design team that had defected to the Alliance during the Galactic Civil War and had brought with them the X-Wing prototypes, the E-Wing had been envisioned as rugged, advanced combat vessel and as a possible successor to their most famous craft. Unfortunately, despite its prominence in the Republic fleet, the fighter had never gained the degree of popularity that the X-Wing had due to problems with the laser cannons overloading and the required usage of anything above an R7 for ship functions (Mara had also wryly pointed out shortly after their marriage that another possible reason was that no one had yet blown up a Death Star with the E-Wing).
Despite the fact that he himself had never been comfortable with the fighter, Skywalker still silently thanked Krey’Fey for the favor as he piloted the Argo closer and closer towards the Earth city. Captain Picard had been quite impressed with Luke’s maneuverings during the battle and has asked him to pilot the shuttle as he readied the Argo’s vehicle for the conflict ahead.
If it had been twenty-four years earlier, Luke would have been bursting with pride at Picard‘s trust and faith in him. However, those days were long past. “Adventure. Excitement. A Jedi craves not these things,” as Yoda had taught him all those years ago -- and of course had had seen all too well what pride could do to individuals during his time as a Jedi.
From the air, he could see that the main bulk of San Francisco appeared intact. Of course, appearances could be deceiving and as they circled above the main Starfleet Command building towards Embassy Row he was proven right. Fires were blazing and occasional phaser blasts were visible. Worst, Luke, while he could still feel his son’s Force signature, could also feel the blank voids characterized by the Yuuzhan Vong.
At that moment Picard came into the cockpit and saw the same look on the Jedi Master’s face that he had seen on the Enterprise earlier and on Mara Jade as they had readied the Argo. Though not a Jedi, Picard could guess what was on Skywalker’s mind.
“We’ll get to your son; don’t worry.”
It didn’t help assure the worry in Luke’s face, but he chose to try to bury it.
“I’ll set us down right there.
Picard nodded solemnly.
“Alright, let’s do it.”
***
The Argo hadn’t even touched down when the rear hatch slid down and the vehicle roared to life down the ramp and through the devastated Embassy Row. Though built only to carry three passengers at once, they had managed to cram everyone on board. Picard was behind the wheel, Mara was manning the rear-mounted phaser cannon, with Data scanning ahead along his tricorder and Luke with his Force abilities.
The scene that greeted them was not as bad as it could have been, but it was still bad.
The Warmaster had landed a good number of warriors before the sudden destruction of their fleet. What had worked in the Federation’s advantage was the Vong’s lack of experience in fighting against Starfleet; after all, while the Republic and Federation combat ideologies and tactics were similar, they were different enough to cause enough hesitation in the Vong troops.
But that hesitation hadn’t lasted forever.
The Yuuzhan Vong had gone for Starfleet Command, but had not been aware that the main command staff had spent the battle kilometers away in Bunker One and so there had been limited casualties there. There were still sounds of phaser fire being exchanged in the distance, but it was more or less in the clean-up stages
But for as many Vong corpses that they encountered, there were also the bodies of Starfleet security personnel and Federation marines deployed earlier by the Iwo Jimas. What also disturbed Picard was that, as far as he could tell, he couldn’t see any bodies or sign of the Hazard Team. Were they simply on the other side of Embassy Row or had something else happened?
Though the ambassadors from the multitude of worlds in contact with the Federation were secured elsewhere, that hadn’t stopped the Vong from lashing out at several of the Embassies. Any lamp posts or other signs of technology has been smashed to pieces by amphistaffs and thud and razor bugs.
The scene reminded Picard once again of the images of the devastation that the Jem-Hadar had unleashed upon Cardassia Prime at the end of the Dominion War, of the graveyard at Wolf 359, and even horrors going all the way back to his time as the skipper of the Stargazer.
“Captain, we have company.”
Picard glanced at Data and saw what the android was speaking of. New Republic Military speeders were joining the Argo’s vehicle. Picard could see General Garm bel Iblis in the one that pulled directly right alongside them, promoting a hint of a smile on Luke’s face at seeing the grizzled, aging Corellian. It was a testament to Iblis’ nature to be right in the heart of things.
“Krey’Fey and Senator Shesh will be joining us shortly. I --”
The General trailed off, surprising Luke. This was not like Garm at all.
“I’m sorry. This is just…too many bad memories, Captain Picard. I‘ll meet you at the Embasy.”
Bel Iblis speeder pulled ahead, leaving the Captain and his companions as they surveyed the wreckage of Embassy Row from the Argo‘s vehicle. Picard broke the silence.
“He‘s been fighting most of his life, hasn‘t he? I can see it in his eyes and posture.”
Luke nodded.
“And not just in the Galactic Civil War either. Garm was the Corellian Senator during the final days of the Old Republic. He witnessed a good number of the brutalities caused by Clone Wars; even participated in several of operations against Count Dooku and General Grievous.”
Picard seemed slightly confused for a moment.
Now the Captain too.
“Are you all right Captain?”
“Yes, ah, Forgive me. I‘m trying to recall that data from the texts you provided, but there‘s so much information to sort through all at once.”
Luke smiled softly.
“I used to say the same thing when I was growing up on Tatooine. My uncle Owen was also chastising me about being too slow in the head. The former was a fallen Jedi and political leader of the Separatists, the latter was the main military leader for the Confederacy. Dooku unfortunately was one of the reasons Palpatine was able to eventually turn public opinion against the old Order and justify their extermination.”
“And I assume your father’s role in the rise of Palpatine didn’t help your cause?”
“People like Mon Mothma and Admiral Ackbar were able to see past it. People like Fyor Rodan and Viqi Shesh on the other hand have done everything they can to persecute us at a time when we should have been unified. They’re playing a tune that everyone else seems intent on following, even if they know it‘s not true.
“And are they justified in doing so?”
Luke knew that Picard didn’t truly mean it; it was simply a rhetorical question. Even driving the vehicle, Picard was still exhibiting his Starfleet role of diplomat.
“Captain, I’ve honestly tried. I’ve worked hard to establish a new Jedi Order that combines the best of both worlds from what I’ve learned under the tutelage of my old masters. And yet, it seems that no matter the circumstance, we are required to sacrifice even more to placate a galaxy where we’re no longer welcome.”
The silence returned to the vehicle as they approached the Embassy where the Noghri and the droids had taken refugee before the battle had begun. The Republic speeders, with their superior speed, had made it before they had, encouraging Luke and Mara to dismount the vehicle before they had even stopped.
****
“Kyle, can you hear me?”
There was a brief silence. Then --
“Don’t talk so loud. I’m trying to sleep, Master.”
Luke smiled faintly at Katarn‘s customary sarcasm, wondering how Jan Oors had put with it for as many years as she had spent working alongside Kyle.
The interior of the Embassy wasn’t in much better shape. Kyle and Lt. Munro had made their stand here, but even a Jedi and a Hazard Team officer hadn’t been able to stop the few Vong warriors that had gotten through the Federation marines and security perimeter. Munro himself lay to the side, a deep amphistaff puncture visible through his shoulder.
Munro’s personal armor had protected him from the brunt of the puncture, but it would still hurt like hell in the morning. Republic medics were already apply bacta patches as the Federation doctors treated Katarn. An interesting role reversal, Picard noted, and one that he hoped would be a sign of what could be achieved if the New Republic and the United Federation of Planets worked together.
They quickly proceeded down the hallway. Aside from the Republic soldiers that had gotten there earlier, more Vong littered the corridors the closer they got to the central control room. Outside the room, however, lay the fallen form of these Vong’s slayers, Adarakh and Meewalh. Luke could feel through the Force that there was no sign of life emanating from their bodies.
Damm. Leia wasn’t going to like this. While she still found the Noghri’s constant presence around her annoying at times, she had come to accept and respect them. To have two more fall to the Yuuzhan Vong was another blow to the personal losses their family had suffered in the war.
“Ben!!”
Mara’s cry jolted Luke back to the moment at hand. In the main control room, Artoo was off to the side, beat up in some places, but otherwise fine. Threepio was standing next to Naboo’s elected monarch, Queen Quital, who was sitting quietly in a chair, comforting the child of two of the greatest Jedi of the current Order.
And at her feet…
From behind him, Luke could hear Picard swear softly in what he believed was the Captain’s native language, French. At the feet of Quital were the bodies of both Yuuzhan Vong and Starfleet personnel. But these were not the bodies of ordinary personnel or Starfleet marines.
They wore the uniforms of Starfleet cadets.
***
Location: The Quintessence
Somewhere in the Galaxy
The Stranger raised himself up from the confines of his chair, floating slightly above the Quintessence‘s representatives.
“As you know, both of these galaxies are star-crossed, so to speak. They are the temporal and spatial junction points of all of existence. Unless actions are taken now while we have the chance, a reign of terror and conquest will be initiated. Call it the Yuuzhan Vong Invasion or the Wormhole War or whatever you like; I don’t care. But it is the start of the end of all existence
He looked down at Vergere once more.
“We will fight the Merging on our own terms. But in your case, it is different. The key to victory against the Merging on your temporal and spatial plain lies within your own understanding the Yuuzhan Vong and in the world where you first encountered them.”
Vergere was surprised for a moment. There was a world she never thought she would hear again from a non-Yuuzhan Vong warrior.
“Zonama Sekot.”
***
Location: Presidential Office
Paris, Earth, Alpha Quadrant, Milky Way Galaxy
The office that was used by the President of the United Federation of Planets was designed to accommodate large amounts of people that were ushered in to meet with the President. The office had undergone many changes over the decades, and not just due to the stepping down of the Federation’s political leaders following the conclusion of their terms.
But despite the large number of accommodations, the room still felt cramped.
Many of the highest names in both the Federation and Republic governments were now present in one gathering. These included Admiral Uhura, Senator Shesh, Queen Quital, Axum, Leia Organa Solo -- Han and their children were busy trying to repair the Falcon as well as to help Federation engineers understand Republic technology as Starfleet was assisting in repairs to the Republic fleet -- , the Skywalkers, and Picard.
The battle to save Sector 001 from becoming a Yuuzhan Vong staging ground had been successful, but costly. As Luke and Krey’Fey had predicted, the remaining Yuuzhan Vong ships had refused all offers of surrender and had launched one final attack on the fleet. The Federation had suffered forty percent casualties. Half of the orbital defense platforms had been destroyed or seriously damaged and that didn’t even count the Mars or Terran-Nubian defense perimeters.
The Republic losses had tallied roughly along the same lines in terms of ships and fighters. Unimatrix Zero’s fleet had taken the brunt of the Vong’s fury -- understandable given their status as former machine drones as well as the bombshell that Axum had dropped and that Tsavong Lah had corroborated while on the Enterprise-- and they had suffered sixty-percent casualties of their own ships, surprising even if they were liberated Borg ships.
Krey’Fey was now speaking.
“Despite the losses, this is still a great victory for the Republic. We have stopped the largest Yuuzhan Vong fleet to attack any Allied planets or forces thus far, we have destroyed their flagship, and the Warmaster himself is a prisoner.”
As could be expected, Shesh coughed quietly, calling attention to her. Krey’Fey sighed.
“Yes, Senator?”
“Many of those losses wouldn’t have happened had it not been for the presence of Jedi, particular at Embassy Row.”
Luke didn’t turn to face Shesh, but continued looking out the window overlooking the City of Lights.
You just can’t resist an opportunity, can you Senator Shesh?
However, what happened next surprised everyone as Grey’si batted one eye at Shesh.
“Senator Shesh, may I speak freely to you for a moment.”
“By all means.”
“Shut up!”
For Leia, Luke, Mara, and even Picard, those were the two best words they had heard all day. Shesh was taken aback for a moment
“I beg your --”
“I don’t care what the hell your agenda is with the Jedi is or if this anti-Jedi sentiment is political in nature. It will however not enter this discussion, am I clear?”
Shesh’s own eyes glared dangerously and appeared ready to blow a nerve -- and in the experience of the Republic personnel, this wouldn‘t be the first time a Kuati had done so. But she calmed herself.
“If you will excuse me for a moment?”
Grey’si nodded.
“By all means.”
The doors opened, permitting Shesh to exit the Presidential office and presumably blow that fuse on one of her aides or Greysi’s. There was silence as everyone looked at each other.
“Well, that’s not going to help us build bridges with her,” Leia said at last.
Grey’si sighed.
“I’m sorry. On Andor, there’s still lingering anti-Vulcan attitudes going back to before the formation of the Federation and the destruction of the P’Jem monastery. I grew up listening to it and I am personally sick and tired of similar sentiment across other worlds. You and your people, Master Skywalker, are fascinating and the effort you contributed to stopping this advance commendable. To have someone like that Senator step on you is, well, disconcerting, But I digress; we must now get back to business.”
He paused, taking a sip of Bolian tonic water -- he absolutely loved the stuff, a love going back to his time in the Andorian military -- before continuing.
“The Federation Council will reconvene in four days to vote on a declaration of war against the Yuuzhan Vong and total alliance with the New Republic. I have little doubt that with the bombing and now with this attack, they will overwhelmingly approve the declaration. Admiral Krey’Fey?”
The Bothan Admiral nodded in agreement.
“I have spoken with General Antilles. The Senate will be doing likewise in the same time-frame. Therein lies one of two problems. The first is that many like Senator Shesh and if her attitude during the initial meetings was any indication, they will be hesitant to support such an alliance. The second is Borsk Fey’lya. He may very well die from the injuries sustained from the bombing.
He let this announcement sink in before continuing.
“I have spoken with my cousin and he is in agreement that the New Republic and United Federation of Planets must stand united or fall together to the might of the Yuuzhan Vong. Despite this fleet, our estimates show that 2,000 ships was not a significant portion of the fleet and we will need to be ready. If the Chief of State dies before rallying the Senate, than Shesh’s and others like her will make things even worse politically. Mr. President?”
“Thank you Admiral. Captain Picard, you will be the Federation’s olive branch to Coruscant, an attempt to show them that we are for this alliance and of the benefits that the Federation can give to their galaxy.”
Picard look slightly stunned.
“Is there a problem, Captain?”
“Aside from the issue presented by warp engines, the Enterprise-E is in no shape to undertake such a trip to the Republic Capital.”
“Admiral Krey’Fey and I discussed that; either Ralroost or the Crix Madine will ferry you to Coruscant along with a group of your own hand-picked Federation team. The sooner you can get them together, the sooner you can depart.”
Picard considered this for a moment
“I already know who is best qualified from the Enterprise to accompany me on this mission. I’ll speak with them as soon as this meeting is over.”
“Good. Admiral?”
“We also still need to secure the Naboo end of the wormhole. With Tsavong Lah in our custody, the Vong will no doubt try to avenge him or attack the Sol System or Naboo --”
“You have the full support of Naboo on this matter.”
Leia was shocked. The arrogance and pettiness she had heard in Quital’s voice less than two weeks earlier was gone, replaced with a cold, yet determined tone.
***
Quital had spent the better part of the meeting quietly starring at her hands as if she had never seen them. In many ways, her mind had been elsewhere thus far, back to fifty years ago
She had been no more than a little girl on that dark day when Nute Gunray’s Trade Federation ships had blockaded her world and had then proceeded to land their fearsome droid armies onto their land. Her mother had died in the occupation camps and her father had been killed assisting in taking back Theed.
Despite the Republic’s support of the planet and the defeat of the Trade Federation, she had never felt trusting of outsiders again, in part due to Gunray’s ability to sabotage the trial not once, but four times. On the bodies of her parents, she had vowed to protect Naboo from any threat.
Her memories shifted one more to the day that the transmissions to the Nubian government twenty-three years earlier that had announced Palpatine’s death at Endor The cheers of Nubians and Gungans alike celebrating in the streets of Theed had been music for the soul and she had joined in with the celebration of the man who had claimed to represent them all, but had instead used them for his own petty selfish reasons.
But then the government had taken steps to insure that they would never again be used by someone like Palpatine and in accordance with the majority of the populating and the Gungan Council, had sealed off Naboo’s borders. The New Republic had made attempt after attempt to break through that veil, but to no avail, in part due to her efforts.
A final memory came to her now, barely a day old. She was in the Embassy here in San Francisco, stuck with two Noghri, a bickering pair of droids, and the grandson of Darth Vader -- she could never think of him as Anakin Skywalker, the little boy that had helped achieve the impossible against the Trade Federation ten years before the Clone Wars -- as well as a group of Starfleet cadets. These cadets had apparently harassed the grandchildren of Darth Vader and she had been happy to know that some degree of suffering had been inflicted on them.
The memory shifted a few hours into the future. The Noghri had fallen and the Starfleet cadets had chosen to rush out and attack the final Vong warriors that actually made it through. She had stood shocked, her trained combat skills -- necessary for a Queen since the days of the Trade Federation invasion -- forgotten at the sight of these young alien men and women who she couldn’t have given a damm about sacrifice themselves to kill the final warrior
“Why?” she had asked the one who held to life the longest, a Volcin wasn’t it?
“I-it was the…logical thing to…do…”
And then he was gone.
Now, she was back in the present, the words from fifty years before coming through her head once more.
I vowed to protect Naboo from any threat.
What in the name of Omar Berenko had she been thinking? That Naboo could resist the Yuuzhan Vong on their own? They would be as foolish as the Hutts and the Imperial Remnant.
***
Krey’Fey and Grey’si both looked relieved at Quital’s sudden cooperation.
“Well that takes care of that. But there’s another issue I’d like to bring up, specifically the reason we were able to win against the Yuuzhan Vong this time.”
Everyone looked at Axum, who proceeded to shrug.
“Don’t look at me. I can tell you right now that that mystery ship wasn’t a Delta Quadrant design that the Collective had encountered during its height.”
Grey’si considered this a moment then glanced at Admiral Uhura who also proceeded to shrug.
“There were various elements in that ship’s structure that could suggest Breen, Klingon, Romulan, and even Son’a influences, but beyond that, SI has no idea either.
“Alright then,” the President said, finally. “We’ll worry about that later. Axum, what are your plans?”
“Since my engineers still don’t know what caused the Fusion Cube to lose power, we’ve decided to switch back to using Diamond 24601TH-X85 as our flagship. Once its regeneration is complete, I will be departing to Deep Space Nine to confer with the Dominion representatives there on dealing with the rogue former drones that are intent on carrying out revenge on the Gamma Quadrant power.”
“Mara and I request permission to join you.
Everyone was shocked at Luke’s suddenn request. Grey’si looked wrly at Luke.
“A little early to be taking a vacation, isn’t it?”
“A vacation has nothing to do with it. If the Dominion could be persuaded to join the war-effort, it would be a tremendous geo-political victory. And a Republic Representative, albeit the Jedi would certainly help. In addition, I’d like to visit Bajor.”
Picard looked at Skywalker.
“Sisko?”
Luke nodded. Grey’si recalled the report that Picard had filed that described the visit of the entity Q and the missing Starfleet Captain.
“Bajor and their Prophets has great Force potential, I could discern that much from meeting with the Emissary on all three occasions. If the Yuuzhan Vong are indeed at the forefront of this Merging that Q and Sisko spoke of and if the Force is critical to combating it, then we need all of the help we can get.”
“It’s fine with me,” said Axum. Grey’si nodded once more.
“Then that settles it. Gentlemen, I wish you good luck and good hunting. May the wind be at your backs.”
“And may the Force be with you, Mr. President.”
****
Location: U.S.S. Paradox
31st Century, Alpha Quadrant, Milky Way Galaxy
“Look, if there was a giant-reset button, then believe me, it would have been used again and again every time someone tried to screw with the timeline or if we needed an out.”
“So you’re saying we can’t and won’t make any further incursions into 2379?”
“Not until we have further orders from both branches of the DTI. The Krenim are still analyzing the readings we received. The only consolation is that that interference apparently has the timeline back on track from the anomaly that was detected earlier.”
“And on the subject of anomalies, what of the anomalies threatening the fabric of space?”
“Unchanged, though I think we can safely say it’s definitely not the result of the Sphere Builders.”
“Alright, keep us informed. Relativity out.”
Daniels sighed as the real-time data stream of Captain Yoshigawa, Braxton’s successor to the command of the Timeship Relativity, vanished from the communications alcove. But it was not the delay on the part of DTI that had him worried, it was the readings that the Paradox had been alerted to by the Relativity as soon as the anomaly that had engulfed the Sector 001 of 2379 had vanished.
If these readings were correct, they had much to worry about. There was only one faction involved with the Temporal Cold War that could possibly give off readings like that.
The Neo-Borg Collective.
****
To be continued…
***
Author’s Notes:
* Well, it’s getting interesting, isn’t it? Certain plot threads and bits that seemed inconsequential and irrelevant earlier in the story are making sense now, aren’t they. And just wait until you see what I have planned…
* Like many other ships in this story, the Iwo Jima-class assualt ship first made its appearance in the RTS game Star Trek: Armada II.
* The Q-M war, as well as the pointless declaration to that conflict can be found in the novel I, Q.-
* Part of the reason for the delay of this chapter lay in my attempts at fanart for this story. You can find it here: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v329/JME2A/BOBW2.jpg
Last edited by JME2 on 2004-11-07 05:31pm, edited 4 times in total.
Patience pays off more than pestering ever will.
Great, as usual, though you might want to check the update again. I think you repeated a pair of paragraphs, just before Grey'si tells off Shesh. The plot certainly gets deeper here: the Neo-Borg Collective, Picard & company headed off to Coruscant (can't wait to see the intrigues the Republic senate gets up to), and the Prophets as Force beings? (Can't really say I didn't forsee that last one happening)
I was so sure Walper and Crazedwraith would get here before I did, given all the spam (entertaining as it was) they generated while they were waiting.
Great, as usual, though you might want to check the update again. I think you repeated a pair of paragraphs, just before Grey'si tells off Shesh. The plot certainly gets deeper here: the Neo-Borg Collective, Picard & company headed off to Coruscant (can't wait to see the intrigues the Republic senate gets up to), and the Prophets as Force beings? (Can't really say I didn't forsee that last one happening)
I was so sure Walper and Crazedwraith would get here before I did, given all the spam (entertaining as it was) they generated while they were waiting.
No conscience. No law. No stopping them....
....well, maybe a Happy Meal would do it.
Ka Anor needs test subjects!
I still think Furlings look like tribbles
....well, maybe a Happy Meal would do it.
Ka Anor needs test subjects!
I still think Furlings look like tribbles
It's been fixed.
Yeah, I had a great time writing chapter 18.
The point of this chapter was two-fold. First, it was to address some of the complaints made earlier, that the Trek portions of the story were more prominent than the Wars segment By sending Picard and his team (and you'll soon see who made the cut) to Coruscant, that automatically entails a greater focus on Star Wars -- as well now having to fight Senator Shesh on her own terms.
Second, it was to set up the next phase of the story.By no means am I saying that we're moving towards the end of the story, oh no, far from it. Threads that were introduced earlier that had been sidelined by the Vong attack on Earth will be resurfacing in coming chapters.
As for Walpher, I informed him of the new chapter, but he had to go work(I didn't know if he meant his actual job or assimilation )
Yeah, I had a great time writing chapter 18.
The point of this chapter was two-fold. First, it was to address some of the complaints made earlier, that the Trek portions of the story were more prominent than the Wars segment By sending Picard and his team (and you'll soon see who made the cut) to Coruscant, that automatically entails a greater focus on Star Wars -- as well now having to fight Senator Shesh on her own terms.
Second, it was to set up the next phase of the story.By no means am I saying that we're moving towards the end of the story, oh no, far from it. Threads that were introduced earlier that had been sidelined by the Vong attack on Earth will be resurfacing in coming chapters.
As for Walpher, I informed him of the new chapter, but he had to go work(I didn't know if he meant his actual job or assimilation
)Also, the other fun part about this chapter lay in two in-jokes I laid.
1. I managed to make reference to the titles of many of the other Star Trek/Star Wars stories posted by other SD.NET authors at one point in the chapter; see if you can find them.
2. The reset-button bit with Daniels was meant to poke fun at Berman and Braga's unexplained fetish with this concept.
1. I managed to make reference to the titles of many of the other Star Trek/Star Wars stories posted by other SD.NET authors at one point in the chapter; see if you can find them.
2. The reset-button bit with Daniels was meant to poke fun at Berman and Braga's unexplained fetish with this concept.
And mine didn't make the cut?JME2 wrote:1. I managed to make reference to the titles of many of the other Star Trek/Star Wars stories posted by other SD.NET authors at one point in the chapter; see if you can find them.
I'm hurt. Writer's Guild 'Ghost in the Machine'/Decepticon 'Devastator'/BOTM 'Space Ape'/Justice League 'The Tick'
"The best part of 'believe' is the lie."
It's always the quiet ones.
"The best part of 'believe' is the lie."
It's always the quiet ones.
I just used the ones I knew off the top of my head. Sorry about that.Mark S wrote:And mine didn't make the cut?JME2 wrote:1. I managed to make reference to the titles of many of the other Star Trek/Star Wars stories posted by other SD.NET authors at one point in the chapter; see if you can find them.
Edit -- One tends to forget something when writing this chapter and listening to "Zoot Suit Riot" at the same time.