Star Crossed Fanfic

[Mr Bean]

I chose IG-88 E because A-D were all destroyed. In fact, by the battle of Endor, all of them were gone.

Ahh but in Stravo's Little Fanfic What happend to the DS2?

[Crown]

Hmmm, I was wondering how long it would take before Vader started strangling Thrawn in that Chapter Stravo... Liked it as always.

[Kuja]

I don't think THAT'S going to happen, Bean. It would kind of ruin the story, don't you think?

[Mr Bean]

I don't think THAT'S going to happen, Bean. It would kind of ruin the story, don't you think?

Well a Certian Blue Eye Fokey could cough on the DS core and thus give it a Virus Deleting IG-88A

Who knows its Stravo we are talking about

[Kuja]

Meh. Whatever.

[NecronLord]

Gahh, I'm not in it

Though if necrons did turn up it wouldn't even have the pretense of being anything other than a slaughter... Count me out, for the sake of not having to smite Thrawn and Vader, oh and to a lesser extent Data...

[Pcm979]

“First, the hyperdrive unit is powered by a special power cell that we link to our own hypermatter reactors to recharge. Once the charge is expended the hyperdrive unit becomes inactive. In order to recharge the unit, the Romulans would need a power source equivalent to a hypermatter reactor and we know that no such technology exists for any empire in this galaxy.”

The Doomsday machine has a Hypermatter reactor, right?
See where I'm going?

[Master of Ossus]

Did you also take out Scooter and Graham Kennedy for the cleaned up version? Because I loved that scene.

No, MoO, THAT stays because it is funny as hell and I received ZERO complaints about its inclusion. Its just that last few paragraphs of this chapter that have been edited out. Who doesn't want to see Scooter die in a multi megaton explosion???

Okay, good. I was worried for a moment.

[Stravo]

“First, the hyperdrive unit is powered by a special power cell that we link to our own hypermatter reactors to recharge. Once the charge is expended the hyperdrive unit becomes inactive. In order to recharge the unit, the Romulans would need a power source equivalent to a hypermatter reactor and we know that no such technology exists for any empire in this galaxy.”

The Doomsday machine has a Hypermatter reactor, right?
See where I'm going?

Shhhhhh.....

[Sea Skimmer]

Why would a ship with a total conversion drive and the ability to smash planets into tiny bits need a hypermatter reactor?

[Kuja]

Hi everyone. This is my first attempt at a fan fic and it is only the first (and only) chapter of the story. If it is torn, ripped apart and spit out then we can all have a good laugh about it (at my expense)

If you guys like it then I will dedicate some more time to it and update with more chapters shortly.

Now, if this is something the moderators don't want posted for space reasons, etc I fully understand and will not complain, bitch and moan, etc if this is locked and deleted. This is just an experiment for me because this is something I've always had floating around in the back of my head.

Just because it is such an issue on these boards I shall say that my allegiance is to BOTH franchises, each one is great in its own way, so don't look for Graham Kennedyesch Portal stuff...

Anywho, here we go, I would say "Please, be gentle." but I've been reading the posts here since the beginning so I know better.

Hard to believe after forty pages, this tentative speaking was how Star-Crossed was born...

[Stravo]

CHRIST, Iggy, that brings back some memories. I remember how TERRIFIED I was when I posted that first chapter. I was CERTAIN that people were going to flame me into oblivion. The results are more than gratifying.

[Kuja]

*nods* No kidding. I gues this went WAY beyond anything anyone expected.

But then, this is why I lobbied for a fanfic forum: so that the amateur writers (including myself) could get their material out.

And now, you're a mod. Quite a rise there, Stravo.

[Mr Bean]

Indeed... And here we are

[Stravo]

Indeed... And here we are

Bean I LOVE the new avatar. VERY cool.

[Master of Ossus]

CHRIST, Iggy, that brings back some memories. I remember how TERRIFIED I was when I posted that first chapter. I was CERTAIN that people were going to flame me into oblivion. The results are more than gratifying.

Glad you were willing to take the chance, Stravo. It's been great.

[Lex]

great fanfic..........i just got through it, and I'm fascinated....when will the next chapter arrive????

"Sell this as a book you should, yes"
-Yoda

[NecronLord]

Why would a ship with a total conversion drive and the ability to smash planets into tiny bits need a hypermatter reactor?

I know, these are in my universe,

E=mc^2

Total conversion yeilds roughly the same per KG as antimatter anihallation, thus being what antimater is, in a less advanced form. It would be more efficient. Also weaponised the doomsday machine eats the target and 'burns' it for fuel. meaning that one it has eaten a few asteroids it has the power to eat a planet... once it has eaten a planet it may have the power to eat a star ... etc etc.

[Stravo]

The chapter many of you have been waiting for...the shadowfleet back in action....



Chapter 30: Operation Hermes


The corridors of the Imperial warship were silent. It was the middle of the night cycle and many of the crew was either resting in their quarters and some lucky ones had been granted a short leave to the surrounding systems to rest and recreate until the final repairs were completed. The Horan Corr was a Carrack class cruiser, usually relegated to simple picket duty in the mighty Imperial Navy, but here in this galaxy, despite her size and armament relative to other Imperial warships she was quite deadly. No starships could stand up to her alone one on one and her speed made her a potent threat on enemy flanks.

However, she was the last of her class here. All the other Carracks had been destroyed by the various enemies they found here. The Izman was the first casualty in the war, lost relatively early on at the hands of the Borg and several others were lost in the various offensives but the Battle of Sector 001 had seen their death knell as the Federation fleet concentrated all their fire on the lighter ships and one had even been lost when the Relentless momentarily lost attitude control and chopped one of the ships in half.

The morale on the ship was rather low. They were always a target and now their damage had forced them out of the fight and they were relying on Romulan technicians to help them. The crew moved through the corridors with a muted presence as though they feared that at any time they could join their sister ships in oblivion.

Moving along one of these corridors at a slow steady pace was a short hunched over Romulan, moving a magnetic sweeper slowly along the floor, simultaneously checking for stress in the deck plates and picking up stray debris. He moved deliberately down the corridor approaching a pair of storm troopers standing stoically at the doorway that led to the bridge. The hunched over Romulan looked up hesitantly at each of the imposing troopers but they did not move a muscle. He quietly lifted his magnetic sweeper and took a card key access and held up to the nearest trooper.

The Stormtrooper picked up the card ran it through his built in access comp and got a green light. He handed the card back to the Romulan.

“Go ahead.” He said flatly.

The Romulan nodded his head nervously and the doors to the bridge hissed open and he walked through. The bridge of the warship was silent. Very few crewmen were on duty but the Captain sat in his command chair diligently reading over some reports as the night shift crew went about their duties quietly. The Captain glanced up as the Romulan entered and he smiled softly.

“Zarek, good to see you. The deck plates over by the engineering station were making strange noises when we ran up the engines to full power this morning. Check that, please.”

Zarek nodded enthusiastically.

“Yes Captain Valaren.” He replied and walked over to the engineering section of the bridge, eyes bent forward intent on his job. Captain Valaren spared him a glance as he walked by. The Romulan was obviously crippled and probably retarded, but Valaren had a son who was disabled and he always spared the others afflicted so some kindness because emperor knows there was very little of it in the universe for any of them.

He looked back down at the datapad on his lap and wondered if he would ever be able to digest all of the after action reports being generated by the fleet. They were fighting on so many fronts, against individual fleets and the Klingons had grown to be as annoying as the rebellion back home. Individual ships had taken to harrying convoys and small worlds on the fringes of Imperial control and Lord Nemesis had made it absolutely clear that the only way they were going to be able to maintain control of the vast prize they had seized was to insure the population that life would be better and safer under the Imperial banner.

So far, the attacks had been simply annoying, a convoy attacked and damaged, a world struck by a spread of torpedoes but it was easy to see that these actions could quickly escalate. He was also worried about the Federation Remnant fleet. They had all but disappeared over the last week, right after the Battle of Vulcan. Many had been bracing for a series of attacks as the Klingons were doing to capitalize on the Federation victory but none came. The starships simply vanished like smoke. Valaren wondered just what they were doing.

Some grumbled that the Federation were cowards and were hiding but Valaren believed that this Federation fleet commander was a shrewd warrior. He had wounded his enemy and was using the time to rebuild and regroup. He was not wasting precious resources and ships in futile haphazard raiding attacks as the Klingons were. What worried him the most was wondering where he would eventually strike. This was not some hot headed fleet admiral looking for some revenge against the Empire, this was a calculating commander looking for victory.

Zarek slowly pushed his magnetic sweeper over the deck plates in the engineering pit of the bridge. He cautiously flipped a hidden stud in the handle of his sweeper and a small object flipped out near the top of the handle. He palmed it and continued sweeping.

An alarm buzzed.

“What’s-“Valaren began and on the screen a dozen starships decloaked in the midst of the shipyard.

“Red Alert!” Valaren stood up and shouted.

“We have more ships decloaking within the perimeter. Romulan warships are responding.” His XO reported.

Valaren nodded as he watched a Nebula swing by the front and release a devastating barrage on the lead warbird nearest to their berth. It was not like any other Federation starship he had engaged, this one was covered in odd segmented armor.

“Prepare to-” he paused as he caught sight of Zarek placing something down by the engineering area.

“Stop that man!” Valaren shouted.

Several crewmen leapt to their Captain’s order and wrestled with the crippled Romulan who dropped an object that clanged on the floor.

“Bring him over to me now!” Valaren demanded. The two stormtroopers from outside raced onto the bridge and promptly took hold of the Zarek and shoved him forward to face Valaren.

“What were you doing?” Valaren demanded.

“Nothing.” Zarek answered. He had his hands behind his back but with his left hand he had slowly extracted a needle from the sleeve of his tunic. He placed the needle ion the palm of his hand as another crewman held up the device that Zarek had dropped.

“Sir, it looks like some sort of transmitter.”

Valaren snatched it out of the crewman’s hand and stared at it for a moment.

“Sir, more ships decloaking within the perimeter, I count at least 20 now sir.”

It was a transmitter, a flat disc with a glowing ready red light waiting to be activated.

“What are you doing with this transmitter Zarek? Tell me now or by the emperor you will not know release from pain for the rest of your natural life.”

“That’s not mine!” Zarek snapped. He fumbled with the needle now and placed it against his flesh. They had told him that if he was discovered that the needle would make him go to sleep and they would beam him out. He needed to use it now. They promised him that they would help him, help his mother, and Zarek so loved his mother.

All he had to do was place these little objects in key locations of the ship. He was almost done when the Captain caught him. He felt embarrassed. He was stupid. Everyone said he was slow and stupid and that his mother should have killed him like the traditions said. But she loved him and now she was sick and she needed help and he would save her and she saved him.

“Why would you be placing transmitters in the ship?” Valaren paused as an idea struck him.

“Raise our shields now and sweep the ship for more of these transmitters. Those fools may try to beam on board.”

“Yes sir.” One stormtrooper snapped and turned on his heel and stalked out of the bridge.

Valaren eyes Zarek. “And what shall we do with you, Zarek? You worthless cripple, is this how you repay the Empire for our guardianship. What do you have to say for yourself?” Valaren roared in Zarek’s face.

Zarek twitched as he felt the flood of emotions that his dim mind could not fully assimilate and he frowned at the Captain.

“I did it for my mother.” He replied and jammed the needle into the palm of his hand. At first nothing happened but he felt an odd burning sensation spreading from his hand up his arm into his chest. He began convulsing.

“Hold him still!” Valaren ordered.

“Sir! Intruders!”

The intruder alarm began to wail nearly simultaneously with the warning from his security chief.

“How is that possible? Are our shields up?”

His security chief checked his board one last time.

“Yes sir, they are deployed, maximum intensity.”

“Then how are they-“

Zarek exploded.

The needle was coated with a substance unknown to Federation science, at least unknown to legitimate scientists in the Federation. Zarek had a small dose of another chemical introduced into his bloodstream shortly before undertaking this mission. The chemical substance was inert and bonded to the organs of the body. However when in the presence of the new chemical a special reaction began that used the body itself as an accelerant to create a new compound. The ambient copper in Zarek’s blood was instantly consumed and converted into a Copper based nerve agent that was released with the explosive blast of Zarek’s body. The bridge was awash in the thick green blood of the dead Romulan janitor but an invisible mist was also released and Captain Valaren was the first to feel its effects as his speech slurred and his vision winked out. He stumbled forward and collapsed. The stormtrooper that had been holding Zarek still had the presence of mind to catch the fallen Captain as he noticed the rest of the bridge crew collapsing at their stations.

“This is VB-101. We have a suspected chemical agent released on the bridge; Captain Valaren is down, please respond.” He reported.

The intruder alarm continued to blare.





“This is the Bunker Hill to attack fleet. Wings 2 and 4 break out to position 6, take over watch position. Attack wing 3 secure the gantry with objective Olympus. All other wings break and attack.” Durant ordered calmly as he deployed his attack fleet throughout the shipyards. Warbirds were forming up to defend the shipyards. It was obvious from their sluggish response that they were not expecting an attack like this.

They had taken the required precautions in regard to cloaked ships, a string of satellites emitting a tachyon net around the entire shipyard. Durant smiled coldly as the first warbirds came under direct attack by his fleet. What the Romulans did not realize is that the Shadow Fleet had been using and developing cloaks for over a century. They were far ahead of anything the Romulans could field and as such, tachyon grids were not a sure fire method of detecting cloaked shadowfleet vessels.

The Romulans had assumed that they were the supreme authority on cloaks without knowing that they were a full generation behind Durant’s fleet in that regard. Now they were going to pay the price for their lack of vision.

“Have the Acquitane and the Nimitz move in close and secure that sector.” Durant ordered his XO. The Data class android nodded and relayed the order to the vessels’ own androids by hyperlink.

“Sir, picking up transmitter signals.”

Durant nodded.

“Signal the Normandy and Juno, tell them to commence boarding operations.” Durant glanced down at the tactical display on his command chair’s armrest. A small countdown was starting on the upper right hand.

“Transfer countdown to upper right of main viewer. Give me audible reminders every two minutes.” Durant ordered. The countdown represented the estimated time Imperial reinforcements would arrive via hyperspace. Right now, the nearest Imperial warships were only 12 minutes away by hyperpsace.

“Boarding action commencing.” His XO reported in the android’s usual matter of fact tone.

“The Die is cast.” Durant whispered.





Michael Adare materialized in a whirlwind of white hot light. He immediately began firing as he caught sight of a hapless Imperial engineer scrambling to get out of the way of the whirling columns of light that were ripping through the engineering section. The engineer screamed as he was enveloped in a nimbus of crackling emerald light and crumpled to the floor.

He heard a strange whine and a pop and he whirled around in time to avoid a stray arm that rocketed past him. Adare smiled grimly as he noted the two androids imbedded in the bulkhead behind him. A few more meters and he would have materialized inside the wall. The transmitters were working fine but the subspace transporters they were using were not as precise as standard transporters, particularly when they were beaming from close to a light-year away.

He examined the bulkhead for a moment. The androids were randomly meshed into the metal, their parts melded into the durasteel. He had seen accidents like this before. They were never pretty but at least this time it wasn’t human. Those accidents could be so much messier.

“Mister Adare, the bridge transmitter is not functioning. The secondary option has been triggered.” His aide X-10 reported as the android hefted an assault phaser and glanced around as more androids fanned out around the main engineering area.

“Great, that gives us a deadline to reach the bridge before someone thinks about accessing the self destruct.” Adare spat. Despite his verbal disappointment he was wired and happy. Whenever a mission got off on the wrong foot he was always partly ecstatic. When mission were going off without a hitch is when he was down right terrified. Because fate was a fickle bitch and she never treated anyone well, so when she smiled on you in battle, particularly the sorts of battles Adare participated in, those with no clear cut lines, she could be a bitch on wheels. But when she was already gunning for him right out of the gate he could deal with her, she just became another factor he had to keep track of.

“Units 2 and 6 report heavy resistance from Imperial Stormtroopers.” X-10 reported.

“Alright, the party’ started. Weird thought, here we are in Main engineering and nary a-”

A blaster bolt exploded over his head and Adare ducked quickly behind a work station. The androids began to return fire as Stormtroopers quickly flooded into engineering section intent on repelling boarders.

“X-10, order teams 2-7 to immediately make way for the bridge, we need to take it before some bright guy decides to blow us all to hell.”

“And team 9?”

Adare smiled softly as he fired a blast down one of the walkways and clipped a Stormtrooper before he could duck back behind cover.

“Order Team 9 to make way for the hangar bay.”

“The hangar bay? That is not a vital area of this vessel.” X-10 commented after blinking for a moment.

“That’s the general idea, X-10. Maybe when they see that we have one team making a bee line for the hangar bay they may think that our true objective lays there. It may draw off some of the forces trying to head us off from the bridge.

“Understood.” X-10 replied.

Adare winced as a blaster bolt exploded past them. One of the androids stumbled down to the floor, a gaping hole blasted into its chest.

“Speaking of which, we have to get out of here and make our way to the bridge too. Have a squad secure the main controls down here and see if they can decipher the destruct controls from here. The rest of you follow me and let’s get moving.”

X-10 nodded and soon a solid volley of phaser fire lanced out with uncanny precision in the direction of heaviest Stormtrooper resistance. Adare led his men on a charge across the Engineering deck towards one of the access ways. He wore standard shadowfleet body armor, shimmering black body mesh resistant to most slugger weapons and disruptor fire. He also wore a light helmet with a built in HUD on a small rectangular ocular eyepiece that he flipped down as he reached the doorway.

A holographic display of the ship’s layout floated on the HUD. He noted where the door led and pointed to the access terminal. One of the androids quickly took up position by the access terminal and opened it with one hard tug. The android quickly ran a bypass and the doors snapped open.

Blaster fire riddled the android. It fired several phaser blasts before exploding under the intense fire. Adare pulled out a sonic grenade and flipped it out into the corridor behind. He slipped two ear plugs into his ears and waited.

The blast of white sound had a physical component, the shock wave flashed through the doors like a whirlwind. Adare motioned and the androids followed him through the doors. Several stormtroopers lay on the ground, convulsing in pain, crewmen were screaming, clutching at their ears as blood streamed down between their fingers.

Adare felt sorry for the poor bastards, at this range a sonic grenade could cause brain tissue to explode inside the skull. Nasty but effective.

“More resistance detected up ahead. Fleet command reports that we have 8 minutes before Imperial reinforcements arrive.” X-10 reported as Adare heard the running footsteps of more stormtroopers up ahead.

“You’re just full of good news, aren’t you X-10?” Adare laughed grimly and began firing at the first white shape that appeared around the corner.




The Carthage flipped end over end, her primary saucer hull was on fire, most of the hull devoured by the hungry plasma venting from her nacelles and internal fires raging throughout the dying starship.

Durant watched the proud starship fall under the combined fire of several warbirds, her armored hull flaked away by the angry emerald disruptor fire. A fusillade of plasma torpedoes finished her as they detonated throughout sending debris in a quickly expanding cloud of matter and antimatter.

“Call in immediate fire support from long range torpedo ships. We’re going to have to break up those formations.” Durant ordered.

“Acknowledged.”

The fleet was doing well, it had hemmed in the Romulan defensive fleet and the gantry holding the Imperial ship had been secured. It was all riding on the boarding action now and he did not like it when plans were out of his hands. This would be the hardest part of Hermes, waiting for the boarders to complete their job. There were many variables that could go wrong and there was nothing he could do about it. He had to trust that he had the right men assigned to the job.

“The Romulan fleet formations are far more resilient than anticipated.”

“These guys are fanatics. Only the Praetor’s Personal Guard is more hardcore. Let’s show them though that it takes more than fanatical devotion to win a battle.”

Suddenly explosions rippled among the tightly clustered warbirds. Torpedoes were streaking in from far beyond the current battlefield. Long range torpedo ships were parked several million kilometers away and were firing their torpedo banks in staggered volleys.

“It takes firepower too.” Durant finished with a shadow of a smile on his face.

TIE Interceptors flashed beneath the burning hulk of a warbird and attacked the lead elements of shadow fleet vessels guarding the shipyard gantry that contained the Horan Corr. Tacfighters and Delta Flyers flashed in after them. The Leyte Gulf inched in closer, launching another squadron of Delta Flyers to secure the center of the shipyard.

Massive explosions flashed in the periphery of Durant’s view screen and he frowned slightly.

“Their anti-ship batteries are starting to get a range on us. I have to hand it to them, I didn’t think they would risk firing their anti ship defenses into the heart of their own shipyards, but they know that this is the only way to even the odds.” He muttered.

“Should we detach the 5th wing to engage the anti-ship batteries?” His XO asked.

“Negative. We hold the center position until the bitter end.” He stared at the Carrack cruiser. “C’mon Mike, let’s get this show on the road.”




Adare ducked back behind the corner as blaster fire whipped out at him. The explosions of the blasts turned the corridor into a death trap as shrapnel pinged off the metal walls. He flipped the viewer over his left eye.

“Looks like this is the key junction. Once we secure this it’s a straight run to the bridge.”

“That explains the stiffening resistance.” X-10 noted.

“Well we have to dislodge it.” Adare plucked another sonic grenade from his utility belt, activated it and flung it down the corridor. The blast quickly followed and he nodded to X-10 who led some of the elements around the corner quickly to take advantage of the shock from the grenade. As soon as they rounded the corner there was a flash like lightning in the corridor and a sound like the tearing of the heavens themselves. Three androids were immediate vaporized by a near solid wall of blaster fire. X-10 managed to back flip and cartwheel backwards avoiding the steady red blaster fire that exploded against the wall like a hammer.

The shrapnel tore the arm off another android and sent the rest of them scurrying backwards. Adare cursed himself for being complacent. He should have realized that the Stormtroopers in their sealed armor would be able to find a counter to the sonic grenades a lot quicker than the unarmored foes he was used to dealing with.

“What does it look like?” He asked choking past the acrid smoke that as quickly filling the corridor.

“Downloading images to your viewer now. It is most likely anti-personnel cannon of some sort, tripod mounted.” X-10 reported. To punctuate the report another blast ripped down the corridor sending more shrapnel down their way.

Adare noted that X-10’s left sleeve was on fire and he absently slapped the small fire out as he looked into his viewer.

“Yep, Intel pegs that as an E-Web repeater blaster. That thing is going to cut us all down quicker than I can say dead. We’re going to have to take it out and it’s going to cost us.”

“Perhaps not.” X-10 noted.

“An idea?”

“Merely an observation. The blaster is crew manned, a power generator is in sight.”

“If we aim for the generator instead of the gun...” Adare finished.

“We may be able to take out both the gun and the crew.” X-10 added.

Adare nodded.

“Get some of your boys front and center.”

Suddenly another group of androids led by a Vulcan rushed up the corridor towards them. Mike nodded to his counter part on team 4. Xenex wore the black armor of the shadowfleet but his true affiliations were a lot murkier than even Adare’s. Xenex was on loan from another organization much like the Shadowfleet. Their Vulcan counterpart that had been in existence long before the Federation. If people complained about the black op nature of the human dominated Shadowfleet they had no idea what Vulcans could do when they applied cold unrelenting logic coupled with psi talent to issues like the ones the Shadowfleet faced.

Quiet frankly, a cold shiver always ran down Adare’s spine when he dealt with them. Adare had seen his fair share of action and horrible situations but there was something about the cold soulless nature of these Vulcan operatives that made him uneasy.

“We’re about to charge a fixed emplacement.”

“I find that strategy quite illogical. There must be another way.” Xenex noted.

Adare glanced down at his chrono.

“We’ve got less than four minutes before the Impies’ friends start arriving, so options and time are in short supply.” Adare replied. He turned back to X-10.

“Do it.”

X-10 nodded and waved to a dozen androids. They rushed without hesitation around the corner and poured a murderous fusillade up the corridor. The E-Web blaster responded with another wall of blaster fire that tore through the androids like a scythe through wheat. Their bodies exploded or were shorn apart by the energy blasts but X-10 and another android were crouched down and they got the bead they needed. A few short bursts and there was a powerful explosion followed by screams of wounded or dying men.

Adare grinned at Xenex and quickly rounded the corner leading his men up the corridor to the bridge. They passed the twisted remains of the E-Web’s mounting and barrel as well as several stormtroopers either lying still or crawling away, burned badly, their ivory armor blackened by the burst of energy from the ruined generator.

The big double doors to the bridge lay ahead as well as over a dozen stormtroopers in varying fire positions from standing to prone. They opened up on the approaching boarders but Adare could smell victory and he smiled as a blaster bolt whipped by his face missing him by mere inches.





Captain Valaren groaned as he slowly gained consciousness. His body felt strange, almost as if he were outside of it. He moved and it seemed as if time was standing still, or that he was moving through water. He slowly looked around and saw that most of his men were still unconscious and he could hear the intruder alert wailing in the background, but louder still was the blaster fire right outside the door.

Boarders!

His senses finally snapped into focus and he looked for the nearest control terminal. He needed to scuttle the ship, or at the very least initiate a lockout of all systems. He would be damned if he would be the first Imperial commander of a ship of the line to lose his vessel to boarders, particularly in this pathetic galaxy.

He moved agonizingly slow towards the command console. Everything seemed so far away and his vision was blurred. A dull headache was building between his temples. Damn them. He was NOT going to lose his ship.

He reached the console and paused to take in the layout. He quickly called up the command codes. The alarm was a dull drone in the background as he tried to focus. He blinked to try and clear his vision. The sound of blaster fire was dwindling quickly.

He keyed in his command code and was greeted with a curt message from the computer demanding the password to lockout the system. He knew that initiating a self destruct would take slightly longer. He needed to do something now. The sound of blaster fire was suddenly silenced and he heard sounds right on the other side of the door.

“Damned bastards. You’re not taking this ship. Barbarians at the gate is what you are.” He muttered as he keyed in the string of codes and was rewarded with a buzz that the system was now locked out. Now on to the self destruct.

The door shrieked as it was pulled apart by sheer brute force, the locks giving way. A squad of men rushed onto the bridge and swept across it like a storm. Valaren barely had time to shut down the terminal before he was roughly pulled away by what looked like a druid. Strange these people, they made their droids to be nearly indistinguishable from themselves.

He was shoved forward and stood before a man who looked painfully average as he wiped some sweat from his brow and took off his helmet. His black hair was plastered to his head as he examined the captain with a critical eye.

“The controls are locked out.” X-10 reported as another android tried to access one of the terminals.

Adare’s raised one of his eyebrows.

“Alright Captain, we don’t have a lot of time. Unlock the controls.” Adare demanded coldly.

Valaren stood up straight and adjusted his uniform.

“My name is Captain Valaren. You have precisely one minute to surrender your forces to me.” Valaren replied haughtily.

Adare burst out laughing.

“You Impies really are an arrogant lot aren’t you? I was trying to spare us any pain and bloodshed but seeing as that we have a minute before your friends arrive I don’t have much of a choice.” Adare replied and nodded to X-10. “Bring me his XO.”

Valaren watched as his XO was lifted off his feet by one of the droids and brought over to them. His XO was still groggy from the gas.

“What are you doing?” Valaren asked neutrally.

“An object lesson, Captain. We are most certainly NOT Starfleet.” He replied. He looked at the X-10.

“Start with the fingers of his right hand.”

X-10 without hesitation lifted his XO’s right hand and immediately pulled his index finger back sharply. There was a low crack and his XO screamed all the grogginess of the gas washed away by a wave of pain.

Valaren’s face hardened.

“That’s for Vulcan.” CRACK “That’s for Tellus.” CRACK “Centauri.” CRACK “And of course Earth.” Adare rattled the litany off with a self satisfied smirk.

Valaren’s XO’s right hand was a ruined mess, each finger was out at an odd angle, in some cases the bone peeked out from the flesh. His XO was still screaming from the pain, staring at his hand in shock. The druid looked completely unmoved as he held his XO’s arm straight out, the other arm was wrapped around his XO holding him tight.

“What manner of treatment is this for officers? You’re all savages.”

“Not quite yet, and if I were you I wouldn’t start throwing stones. We’ve got some evidence of your Empire’s wonderful treatment of prisoners and those that oppose your rule. This is just the tip of the iceberg. I’m giving you one last chance before things get really nasty.” Adare replied and glanced meaningfully back at his XO.

Valaren looked at his XO. They had served together for over 5 years. They were friends as well as fellow officers but he could not allow that to cloud his judgment. The minute they had this ship, it was all over for them anyway.

“Never.”

Adare stared hard at him for a moment then shrugged.

“X-10, take his right arm off at the joint.”

X-10 said nothing but took a firm hold of the XO’s right arm, one hand taking a firm hold at the spot right above the elbow. His XO stared at X-10 in sheer horror. He was shaking his head and started to moan. “No. No.”

X-10 pulled hard once and Valaren’s face took a jet of hot crimson blood from the bloody stump. X-10 dropped the torn appendage on the deck and his XO slumped in the droid’s arm. His screams were long and ragged.

“Monster.” Valaren spat.

“I do believe that you are the monster for letting this go on.” Adare replied coolly.

Valaren remained silent but glared at the young man.

“X-10 I would tell you to start with the rest but we don’t have the time.” Adare looked back at another figure standing back watching the unfolding events with a cold gaze.

“Xenex, I’m going to have to ask for your assistance here.”

“Understood.” The Vulcan replied and walked up to Valaren. Valaren stared at the tall Vulcan as he approached.

“What are you doi-” Valaren began but Xenex reached out and placed a hand on Valaren’s face, each finger touching a discrete part of his face. As he did so Xenex spoke in a cold monotone.

“Your mind is my mind, your thoughts are my thoughts.”

Valaren suddenly felt a presence in his thoughts, a presence that tore through him searching for that which he was desperately trying not to think about. He felt it opening up thoughts he did not want to open, tugging at emotions that were not his own and he heard a scream, a long desperate plaintive scream that he imagined was his XO’s but there was a sudden horrible dawning realization that the scream was his own.




“Hyperspace emergence in Sector 4.” Durant’s XO warned.

Durant glanced down at his tactical display. A Strike cruiser and her attendant ships emerged from hyperspace at the edge of the engagement area.

“At least it’s not one of the big boys, yet.” Durant noted with a hint of sarcasm. “Have the 1st Wing attack immediately and bring all torpedo fire on the Imperial ships.”

The Strike cruiser immediately opened fire on the Shadowfleet vessels, swarms of TIE Interceptors flashed out and engaged the fleet ships guarding the gantry. The fighters swarmed in between the starships, concentrating their fire on the exposed nacelles. The armor held under the initial assault.

Romulan warbirds quickly regrouped and began engaging the ships in a renewed effort.

“Looks like I spoke to soon.” Durant muttered darkly as the awesome shape of an Imperial Stardestroyer flashed into view.

“Imperial stardestroyer closing on our position.” His XO paused as he received com traffic from the fleet. “Fleet elements requesting permission to engage with transphasic torpedoes.”

Durant shook his head emphatically.

“Negative. I’m not going to reveal our ace in the hole just yet. Get the status report on our boarding parties. Tell them that time is up.” Durant said as he watched the stardestroyer wade into the fleet, blasting its way through their lines.

The gantry shook as the Carrack began to move. Its weapons suites fired sporadically at the nearest ships and fighters. Durant smiled victoriously as the Carrack cleared the gantry.

His smile was short lived as several blasts rocked the Carrack.

“Imperial Stardestroyer engaging the Carrack.”

“They’re not stupid. They know what we’re trying to do and they would rather destroy it themselves. I’ll be damned if I’m going to let them ruin this operation. Inform all ships closest to the Carrack to form a ring around it and let’s get a tractor beam up. I doubt they’ve figured out how to jump to hyperspace so we’ll have to tow her out of here.”

“Acknowledged.”

The Carrack shook again from another series of blasts. Starships quickly swarmed around the Carrack in a protective sphere as they began to pull away from the shipyards. The stardestroyer’s blasts grew more powerful and numerous as they closed the gap.

Starships began to explode as they intercepted the strikes. Despite their armor, the turbolaser blasts were tearing through them, leaving a string of shattered starships strewn in the Carrack’s wake. The Bunker Hill took up position in front of the Carrack.

“Transfer all power to engines and tractor beam. Lock on to the Carrack and secure her for warp speed.”

“Acknowledged.”

The Bunker Hill shook as turbolaser fire blossomed around it. The armor barely held as a solid blue beam lanced out from the graviton emitters and a solid tractor beam was established with the Carrack. More starships were swatted aside by the stardestroyer's guns as they rapidly closed the distance, desperate to destroy the Carrack and any starships that got in its way.

Durant held onto the armrests of his command chair as a console exploded behind him decapitating a hapless android crewman. Durant could hear the chatter from his fleet.

“Hold on.”

“Losing antimatter containment.”

“More fire coming from port side, get in there and protect the objective.”

“Armor breeched on all hulls, transferring power to structural integrity fields.”

“More power to the engines, prepare to go to warp.” He shouted over the din of fire alarms.

“Armor failing on port side.” His XO warned.

Durant watched another starship explode under the furious assault by the stardestroyer. A squadron of Delta Flyers broke formation as a turbolaser blast exploded in their midst sending many of them tumbling away trailing plasma and molten metal. His fleet was slowly forming up now as they were clearing the shipyard. More emerald turbolaser fire flooded into them, joined by plasma torpedoes from the anti-ship batteries.

“Emergency warp power. Get us out of here.” Durant barked. Fire suppression systems activated throughout the bridge filling it with thick white smoke as more fires raged through ruined consoles.

“Engaging.”

The Bunker Hill went to warp dragging the Carrack with it. The rest of the shadowfleet soon followed suit and within moments, the fleet was gone leaving behind ruined starships and an empty gantry.




ROMULUS

The old woman sat back feeling the warmth from her heating unit filling her small cramped house. The ache in her bones was almost too much to bear but there was no other alternative. She would not give into the pain, despite what the doctors told her, she had hope that she would survive this new crisis. She had a hard life. Only one child in a society that valued children, particularly healthy children, a husband killed in a border dispute with Gorn over three decades ago and now a crippling disease of the bones that would eventually kill her. The government promised to care for any Romulan soldier’s family, but they never said that the care would be the bare minimum for survival.

She did not complain however. She was Romulan and her duty was to the government. Although she had to admit that the new government, this empire led by a handsome and dashing young human, Darth Nemesis may be better than the one she had devoted her whole life to and sacrificed a husband.

She hoped anyway. In the end, citizens like her had no say or effect on the power brokers of the empire.

Her door call chimed.

She looked up cautiously.

She was not expecting any visitors. She had no friends left and her son was far away doing his part for the Empire. She slowly rose up on achy legs. Soon the pain would be so great that she would be unable to walk. She did not look forward to that time.

She shuffled slowly to the door and opened it.

A young Romulan stood in the shadows of her doorway. He had on a cloak and the hood was up over his head.

“Saraz?”

“I am Saraz.” She answered proudly, not sure what to make of the newcomer.

“I bring you a gift from friends of your son.”

“Zarek?” she asked in surprise. Her son was not one to make friends, particularly from those who looked upon him as a blasphemy to the purity of the Romulan ideal.

“Yes, he wanted you to have this.” The young Romulan handed her a small container with several pills inside. She looked at them then back up at the Romulan.

“I’m not sure I understand.”

“That is a dose of Rondium90.”

“Rondium90?!” She nearly exclaimed.

“Yes, the dose should be enough to put your disease into remission.”

“But..this is illegal in the Empire.”

“Not to your son’s friends. He did us a great service and we wished to repay him. This is the only payment he required.”

“What has he done?” She asked, glancing back down at her salvation from the pain.

“He helped save this galaxy from oppression, Saraz. You should be proud.” Saraz suddenly looked into the young Romulan’s eyes and saw that he was not Romulan, there was a cold hard edge that was usually not there in their passionate people. This was the gaze of long lost brothers.

“You’re Vulcan.” She breathed.

“And you are cured, madam. I ask that you tell no one of this. Your son has done a great service no matter what they tell you later. And he did it for you.” The Vulcan nodded and stepped away. Saraz stared after him until he disappeared into the long alleyways that criss crossed her neighborhood.

She looked down at the pills and tears welled in her eyes. The last gift of a son that she now knew was dead. What were the problems of the poor and oppressed to this galaxy’s great powers? She could answer it in her sorrow as she closed the door.

[Typhonis 1]

FIRST TO POST HOWDY HOOO

[Illuminatus Primus]

Transphasics affective against Imp ships? You're going soft, Stravo.

Excellent work. I loved it.

[Sea Skimmer]

Not bad, Though I don’t think a damaged Carrack would take more then twenty seconds worth of fire from an ISD.

[Rightous Fist Of Heaven]

Excellent chapter Stravo. So now the Shadowfleet has a Carrack And they keep their promises!

[NecronLord]

particularly when they were beaming from close to a light-year away.

Errrr... shouldn't that me a few Astronomical Units? as they have never transported even that far.

(And did you use a spellchecker there, or does the Shadowfleet have Druids )

I am slightly peeved at that little hijacking. Where is Warlord Thrawn?
I hope that something will be BDZ'ed as vengeance.

[Stravo]

particularly when they were beaming from close to a light-year away.

Errrr... shouldn't that me a few Astronomical Units? as they have never transported even that far.

(And did you use a spellchecker there, or does the Shadowfleet have Druids )

I am slightly peeved at that little hijacking. Where is Warlord Thrawn?
I hope that something will be BDZ'ed as vengeance.

The light year reference is taken from the episode that introduced the whole subspace transporter idea in the first place. Damon Bokk was beaming out from several lightyears away.

Thrawn is coming, trust me, things like this WON'T be happening when he shows up so let;s let the Feddies have a little fun before they smell what Thrawn is cooking....

As to the spell checking....you gotta love those druids...they are kick ass in a close in fight.