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Soon fokes Soon
Maybe 15 Mintues from now
Star Crossed Fanfic
Moderator: LadyTevar
Prehaps Stravo does not feel enough *love coming from you fokes latley of how much you all like Starcrossed and wish there was a new chapter posted that bean already read 
"A cult is a religion with no political power." -Tom Wolfe
Pardon me for sounding like a dick, but I'm playing the tiniest violin in the world right now-Dalton
Could you guys shut up?!
All your spamming and complaining and crying for the next chapter won't make it appear quicker.
Even if it would, that would be bad, because we don't want to rush Stravo.
He has to write the way and in the timeframe HE wants, not want we want.
So just be quiet, shut up, and when the new chapter comes out comment on it.
Sheesh, like a whole group of 5-year old babies ....
All your spamming and complaining and crying for the next chapter won't make it appear quicker.
Even if it would, that would be bad, because we don't want to rush Stravo.
He has to write the way and in the timeframe HE wants, not want we want.
So just be quiet, shut up, and when the new chapter comes out comment on it.
Sheesh, like a whole group of 5-year old babies ....
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Rightous Fist Of Heaven
- Jedi Master
- Posts: 1201
- Joined: 2002-09-29 05:31pm
- Location: Finland
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Grand Admiral Thrawn
- Ruthless Imperial Tyrant
- Posts: 5755
- Joined: 2002-07-03 06:11pm
- Location: Canada
Time for a wake-up call
GRAND ANNOCEMENT
Fokes by this Time Tommrow the latest installment of Starcrossed will have already been up for a few hours
GRAND ANNOCEMENT
Fokes by this Time Tommrow the latest installment of Starcrossed will have already been up for a few hours
"A cult is a religion with no political power." -Tom Wolfe
Pardon me for sounding like a dick, but I'm playing the tiniest violin in the world right now-Dalton
-
Master of Ossus
- Darkest Knight
- Posts: 18213
- Joined: 2002-07-11 01:35am
- Location: California
For those of you complaining that Stravo takes a long time to post:
SHUT UP! Seriously. Would you like him to take his time and get it right, or have to rush himself and wind up with a weaker story? Let the man work. He's earned our trust (if nothing else), and he deserves to be able to spend as much time on each chapter as he needs.
SHUT UP! Seriously. Would you like him to take his time and get it right, or have to rush himself and wind up with a weaker story? Let the man work. He's earned our trust (if nothing else), and he deserves to be able to spend as much time on each chapter as he needs.
"Sometimes I think you WANT us to fail." "Shut up, just shut up!" -Two Guys from Kabul
Latinum Star Recipient; Hacker's Cross Award Winner
"one soler flar can vapririze the planit or malt the nickl in lass than millasacit" -Bagara1000
"Happiness is just a Flaming Moe away."
Latinum Star Recipient; Hacker's Cross Award Winner
"one soler flar can vapririze the planit or malt the nickl in lass than millasacit" -Bagara1000
"Happiness is just a Flaming Moe away."
VERY late at night here in NYC but I could not stop writing this, it was just flowing tonight. Anyway I hope you guys enjoy the new installment and in fine Star Crossed fashion the introduction of yet ANOTHER wrinkle in our Epic.
Chapter 31: Sleeping Giants
“In you must go.”
He stared at the wizened old teacher and back at the twisted black tree that hung over them like some malevolent beast. He could feel the dark chill wrapping around them like some foul lover. He shook off the chill.
“What’s in there?”
“Only what you take with you.”
His teacher never gave him a straight answer. It annoyed him to no end. Ben had always been more straightforward and simple. There were no strange conundrums that he had to decipher. Ben always had an answer that he could understand. There were no lies with the old wizard that had brought him this far on his road to avenge his father’s death and take up his place as a Jedi knight.
He shrugged and began to put on his holster. Yoda slowly shook his head.
“Your weapons. You will not need them.” He said with simple certainty.
He took one look back at the black hole that seemed to call to him and looked up at the twisted tree. The Dark side whispered to him. There was danger here and he would not face it unarmed.
He gave his old master a wry look and slipped it on. He cautiously walked into the tree. He could feel Yoda’s eyes on his back as he slid down into the tree’s bowels. The cold chill was nearly overpowering.
He landed on soggy earth and he glanced around. There was a strange light within, not the cold darkness he was expecting, but an odd sort of light, a cool glow without a discernable source. He strode through the interior of the dead tree, seeing serpents slithering through the roots.
He felt an odd presence in his mind, a slight touch and then the light flared up ahead of him. Fear gripped his heart in a vise as he heard it before he saw the apparition. The slow rhythmic mechanical breathing. He saw it striding into view, the one being that he had learned to hate. The one that had slain his father and betrayed the Jedi knights.
Darth Vader.
He fought back the fear as he had been taught to do. His heart lifted beyond the ice cold grip and he pulled out his father’s lightsaber.
The dark monster advanced.
His face hardened and he ignited his lightsaber. The hum was comforting as the blue blade leapt up and lit the darkness that seemed to flow out of the horrible apparition of the approaching Sith Lord.
Vader paused and activated his own lightsaber. He allowed the force to flow as his teacher taught him and he waited for the attack. Vader’s crimson blade hummed hungrily as it flashed down at him. He parried, quick shift of weight and a rapid riposte. Vader drove him backward with a series of powerful blows. He caught the blade on one swing and urged the force into his muscles. He willed himself to break the lock and the blade whipped upward.
There was a satisfying impact and a shower of sparks. He looked up and saw the black clad giant stumble back a step, smoke rising from its neck. The head rolled down to the ground as the body slowly collapsed, the crimson blade doused itself as the corpse struck the ground.
He stared in wonder at the helmeted head looked up at him. This couldn’t have been so easy.
The helmet exploded and his eyes widened in wonder as the face was exposed. His own face. What did this mean? It suddenly all felt like a dream. A dark dream that taunted him. What did it mean, why was his face behind the dreaded black mask that he had grown to hate.
The answer, of course, was all so much darker.
“Lord Nemesis.”
The voice was distant, far away like someone calling from across a great field.
“Lord Vader?” He replied hesitantly. The voice was so familiar. He turned slowly and the tree faded away leaving only mist and darkness.
“Remember your failure at the cave.” The voice was a whisper.
“Lord Nemesis. Hear me.” The voice was so far away. He followed the threads of the force, he could feel the ripples swirling around him. He tapped into those ripples, feeling them flow and he sent his own thoughts outward.
“Father.” The pure emotion cut through the misty darkness like a light.
“Father, powerful Jedi was he…powerful Jedi.”
“Father hear me.” He called out, sending his emotion and power through the ripples of the dark side.
The mists around him suddenly flowed forward and whirled around into a small tornado that slowly came into focus, taking the shape of a large man. Someone he had once feared greatly and wanted nothing more than to kill him. Now he wanted nothing more than see him.
Darth Vader stood before him, mechanical rhythmic breathing was a dull background, almost like a heartbeat.
“Father.”
“Son.”
“I am so far away.”
“You are far away but you are never alone.”
Nemesis smiled softly.
“I am coming.”
His smile faltered.
“What?”
“I am coming for you, Lord Nemesis. I will be there soon.”
“How?”
“The Emperor has found a way to get to where you are. I will be departing soon and we will be together again.”
He blinked several times.
“What does this do with our plan?” He asked softly.
There was silence for a long moment, only the heartbeat low breathing.
“The plan must continue forward. But we must be cautious. I will be coming with a Grand Admiral. He is not like the others. He has the Emperor’s confidence and he is extremely willful and intelligent. He will be difficult to deal with.”
“Difficulty is not a concern, Father. We must end this destructive conflict and bring order to the galaxy. Already now I am forging order in the chaos of this galaxy.”
“I am proud of you Lord Nemesis. Truly you are powerful as the Emperor has foreseen.” Vader commented with pride coloring his voice.
“I miss you.” He said without thinking.
The dark robed figure reached out, hesitantly at first, unsure of what he intended to do or more likely unaccustomed to taking this action. Nemesis reached out with his own hand. The black gauntleted hand and his own touched and for the briefest moment, their thoughts and emotions were one.
He bowed his head and closed his eyes. He could feel his father’s yearning and pain, the conflict and the hate. He wanted to reach out and soothe it. The father could feel the son’s anguish, his hopelessness and betrayal. Those that had been closest to him had lied and now he was far from the one being he loved without hesitation and reservation. Vader only hoped that he could give such love in return. But love had been so hard in his life. Love for his mother, for Padme, for Obi Wan. They always ended badly. If he loved Nemesis would it also bring an end to his life as well?
The doubt was all that was needed and the force’s link shattered like glass, dispelling the connection like so much smoke leaving Vader alone in his chamber. His head slowly lowered and the light above him winked out plunging him in darkness.
Nemesis stepped back as the mist around him vanished and he stood alone in his quarters. His skin was cold. His simple black robe had opened up while he mediated and he stood nearly naked under the cold air of a recycler.
His door chimed.
He wrapped the robe around him.
“Come.”
Mara Jade strode in her cat like grace beguiling as she moved into the darkness of his inner sanctum without fear. He admired that but he also feared it. She was the most potent adversary he faced when the time inevitably came.
“Yes, Mara?” He asked softly and watched her with stormy blue eyes.
Mara crossed her hands across her chest.
“We need to talk. I just received disturbing news from our shipyards in Romulan Space. It seems that a force of Federation starships managed to fight their way into the shipyards.”
Nemesis remained quiet as he let her continue to speak, but his mind had already devised what she had to say and his anger grew within him like a tempest.
“The Federation ships managed to beam boarders on the Horan Corr.”
“And I assume the Imperial troops either repulsed the boarders or the Captain scuttled the ship, correct?” He asked frostily.
Mara did not look away as he intended. She locked eyes with him.
“No. They stole the ship.”
Nemesis stood quietly, shadows playing across his face
“Their casualties were heavy.” She added.
“They could lose a thousand ships as far as I’m concerned Mara. The point is that they now have hold of an intact Imperial ship and crew. How could this happen!” He thundered.
“It was an unexpected move on their part. Besides they were utilizing technology I have never seen the Federation use before.”
“That is your flimsy excuse.” He asked and she could feel the force billowing around her. He was toying with her. He knew she had been trained to feel its use. He knew that she could see what he intended. There was far more terror in knowing that an attack was coming than simply striking.
He had learned from the Emperor quite well.
“They used transporters that penetrated our shields, they used cloaks, they had armor stronger than their shields and their ships were heavily up gunned. It is our belief that this is not a standard Federation fleet.” She replied quickly.
Nemesis stared at her for a long silent moment. His eyes bore into hers and there was a hooded expression to his face.
“There are two fleets then.” Nemesis replied softly.
“That is what we believe. The Federation has a secret fleet out there and they may have been responsible for the destruction of Remus. The Romulans swear by it.”
Nemesis nodded slowly.
“Here is what you will do. First bring me all the officers involved in this debacle, both Romulan and Imperial. They will be shown what happens to those that fail the Empire so grievously. I want you to film the results and play it throughout Imperial held territory. Then I want you to go to every Federation world and execute 10,000 civilians for the loss of Horran Corr. Their deaths are to be played on holovids throughout the Empire.”
“10,000 on every Federation world?” She asked.
“Was there a problem with my orders?”
“I thought that you wanted to maintain control of the populace. If we start killing millions of Federation citizens there will be a reaction.”
“Yes indeed. They will turn on their supposed liberators.”
Mara blinked.
“Why not simply rebel? Most worlds don’t have a single Imperial soldier stationed there. It is solely the threat of force that keeps them in line.” Mara countered.
Nemesis smiled.
“That is all about to change, Mara. When we arrive at Romulus all will be revealed. The Phoenix has risen and a new dawn has come to the Empire.”
Mara did not understand but she was sure that nemesis wanted it that way.
“Oh, you will begin the executions on my orders and you will follow a precise schedule.”
“Oh?”
Nemesis nodded and walked over to the huge window open to the void of stars beyond in his quarters.
“James T. Kirk sees himself as a hero and protector of the Federation. I am going to make his life extremely difficult. The people will be in pain, they will cry out for protection and he will not be able to resist.”
“You mean to trap him?”
Nemesis turned and glanced back at her with dark smile that chilled even her.
“Indeed.”
“When your fleet approaches earth, we will have executed Hundreds of thousands. If he allows us to maim the populace of Earth he will have lost all credibility. He will have to confront me at earth.” He slapped his fist into his left hand. “And there I will have him.”
Kelly Antilles ignored the sullen stares from the young man standing behind her as she adjusted the power coupling. She was in awe of this device but she would not let him see that. The idiot had given her the cold shoulder since she had arrived and she wasn’t about to give him any satisfaction as to her own amazement at what she was looking at.
The Federation called this ship, the Doomsday Machine, although someone had gone outside and painted a whole new designation for the vessel after they had arrived. Written in neat black letters on the starboard side of the mighty vessel’s maw was a name and registry number.
NX-5000
USS Excalibur
Painted in the same broad strokes that were springing up everywhere, even in Rebel Alliance areas of late, were the now infamous blue paint words: THE FEDERATION LIVES along the might flanks of the warship. Oddly enough, no one was claiming responsibility and no one claimed to have seen it happen.
“Could you hand me that hydrospanner?” She asked.
The sullen young man looked from her to her tools set out meticulously just out of her reach. He hesitantly reached out and took the hyrdospanner and handed it to her.
“Thank you.”
“You know, I was on the verge of cracking the problem with the power interface. I really didn’t need any help on this project.” He said absently.
Kelly nodded as she turned the spanner, tongue peeking out of the left side of her mouth.
“I don’t doubt that Mr. Crusher. But Time and speed are of the essence and Captain Kirk and Princess Leia decided that Alliance engineers would speed the process along. This assignment is no slight against you. As I understand it, you have most of your Federation engineers in awe of your availability to instinctively understand these systems. I have to admit, some of these controls are rather complex. The only advantage I have, Mr. Crusher, is that I’ve worked with systems similar to these most of my life.” She explained as she finished tightening the element.
She sat back and blew a stray lock of hair out of her face and wiped her brow.
“Another job well done.” She said looking back at him with a friendly smile.
If only he would stop frowning like that he might be cute. Well, he WAS cute, maybe he would be more handsome then.
“I’ve traveled places you could only conceive of, I’ve visited places that can best be described as more of a concept than a place.”
“And this makes my help unnecessary because…” she snapped. What a petulant little child.
“That’s not the point. I’m used to working alone. I’ve saved the Enterprise countless of times on my own. This is just embarrassing.” He muttered and shoved a canister of tools off one of the pedestals on the command deck.
“Wesley.” She began. He turned his back on her.
She heard now familiar voices as a small group approached the command center of the warship. She paused from her work and wiped some sweat from her brow. She glanced at Wesley who immediately turned away from her and started working one of the command consoles behind him. The controls were labeled in a strange language that no one had ever seen before but the young man had deciphered what some of them did and he was checking them now as the group entered the command center, buried deep in the bowels of the ship.
Captain Kirk, Mr. Spock, Mr. Scott, Princess Leia and her entourage were all walking slowly as Scotty finished speaking.
“I estimate sair that with the rebel engineers’ help and Mr. Crusher’s guidance I can have the Excalibur under her own power in three more days.”
“Excellent, Mr. Scott. That gives me enough time to plan a new offensive against our Imperial friends and I am dying to see their faces when we pull this thing into the fray.”
“I am most curious, Princess Leia. Your engineers stated that many of these controls and power systems were extremely reminiscent of technology from your galaxy. Have we been able to determine anything more regarding the possible origins of this ship?” Spock asked.
“Why don’t we ask Kelly here? She’s in command of my engineers and I’ve brought our resident expert on languages to see if he can give us some clue as to this ship’s origins.” Leia replied and waved to Kelly who suddenly found herself the center of attention. The droid C-3PO walked past them to peer at the controls.
“Well.” She began and cleared her throat. “Uh, quite frankly many of the systems on this vessel are very reminiscent of design features of vessels and facilities we have seen out on the Rim. Whatever built this thing either had a technological level equivalent to our galaxy in the past or did come from one of the Rim worlds.” She replied.
“Oh, I do say, Princess Leia, I believe I can decipher these markings.” Threepio exclaimed excitedly.
Kirk walked over curiously.
“Go on.”
“Well Captain Kirk, this script strongly resembles the writing form of a race long thought extinct in our galaxy that called themselves the Sith.”
“The Sith?”
“Yes, although much of their history was lost during the formation of the Republic this writing certainly fits in with the established patterns I have stored in my memory. The Sith either built this device or at the very least were deeply involved in its construction.”
“So this DID come from our galaxy.” Leia breathed looking up at the massive structure around them.
“How did it get out here?” Kirk wondered.
“Hyperdrive.” The sullen young man replied.
“Care to explain yourself, Wesley?” Kirk asked.
Wesley Crusher slowly walked down from the command center, squeezing past Kelly who shot pointedly ignored him and standing in front of Kirk.
“Near as I can tell, this vessel was designed to do precisely what you theorized nearly a century ago…Kill planets. Well, the memory banks are either damaged and corrupted beyond full recovery or they never wanted to clearly state what they were going to do but this device was built to destroy a world and launched a long time ago. There was a power fluctuation in the hyperdrive matrix and the ship was thrown clear of this galaxy.”
“Just like that?” Kirk asked skeptically.
“As near I can tell, sir. There was a problem in the hyperdrive chamber, something called a Sith lord was driving this ship forward and he went mad and the fluctuation happened at the same time.”
“The dark side of the Force.” Leia whispered.
“Excuse me?”
“Is not Darth Nemesis’ full title, Dark Lord of the Sith?” Spock added.
Leia suddenly felt a chill up her spine. Something cold had passed close to her.
“Come to face me now, Jedi….know this Dairoga Kallast is ready for you.” She heard the cold whisper. Leia shuddered.
“Leia?” Kirk asked worriedly.
Chewbacca was suddenly by her side and he held her with one massive paw as he peered into her face. Leia looked up at Chewbacca.
“Chewie, help me, he’s trying to-“
The group vanished and she found herself standing in the control center. Everything was different, the lighting was dark and grim. Shadowy figures moved with awful purpose through the control center and she saw him standing in the center of it all, long black robes wrapped around him like living shadows.
“Tell me, Jedi, did you really think you could face the apprentice of Naga Sadow and live?” The figure asked. His voice a mere whisper. It turned its head to face her. The face was hidden beneath the black robes. His words were accompanied by thin white frost on the air.
“What happened here?” She asked. She stood alone, no longer was she with her friends, she was alone in the darkness, but she was not afraid.
The figure chuckled. It was morbid and devoid of joy.
“The Sith are on the move. I have been charged with the destruction of your order. You Jedi are all that stand between the Sith and our rightful place in the galaxy. You will fall before the might of our mighty weapon. The Shar’lesk’vol. It will destroy your vaunted Coruscant, and we will bathe in the blood of the mewling petulant slaves of the Light Side.” He spat, pure unadulterated anger in every syllable.
Shar’lesk’vol…Death Lance. How did she know that? She could see the shadows writhing around him and the dark side oozed from him like a puss filled wound and she felt sick to her stomach.
“I’m not afraid of you. You failed. How?”
The figure frowned, she could even see it from beneath the dark veil of his hood.
“Betrayal. Vengeance. My master’s blood stains the sands of our world to this day. They betrayed him and they betrayed our people.”
Leia remained silent, watching him move. He started walking slowly down the steps of the command center and he moved like some wraith of shadow and smoke. The dim figures moving about her, carrying out their duties were like flittering shadows of a dream. Behind her she could hear the heavy thrumming of the enormous hyperdrive reactors.
“Ludo Kressh and his pitiful band.” He spat the words like venom. “They betrayed my master and in my rage I allowed the dark side to take control.”
Suddenly they were in the hyperdrive chamber. One of the small shadowy figures was imploring him.
“My Lord, I beg of thee. Coruscant is almost in range!”
“My Master calls!” Kallast bellowed like an angry god and crackling white lightning lanced out cooking the pitiful figure in angry tendrils of force lightning, raw rage given shape by the dark side itself.
How did she know this?
“Father, powerful Jedi was he, powerful Jedi.” The voice was different, almost a whisper lost in the storm of Dairoga Kallast’s awful hatred.
The hyperdrive’s low steady thrum suddenly increased to a rapid drumbeat and the dark side flowed out of Kallast like a tempest, pouring through the hyperdrive reactor, harsh white lightning jumped from reactor element to reactor element. The core began to pulse and she could feel the very fabric of hyperspace splitting open. The Death Lance suddenly surrounded by a nimbus of hot white light as hyperspace itself exploded outward in a geyser of impossible energy.
The dark side of the Force, energy that bound the universe together was tearing it asunder as it flowed through Kallast. The Death Lance vanished in an explosion that ripped through space time.
Suddenly it was very dark and cold.
“So you see. We traveled far and out of time.” The voice spoke again over her right ear. She whirled around and faced Dairoga Kallast who stood directly behind her. She could not move back, she was frozen in place and she was so cold. “Here in the cold of interstellar space, our hyperdrive burnt out. We were alone in the shadow.” His voice dropped to a barely perceptible whisper, the cold white mist from his lips played over her face.
“In the darkness we waited, wandering among the stars, looking for a way home. And slowly we died, until I was all that remained.”
She watched as Dairoga Kallast stood in the center of the mighty warship, the instrument of the Sith’s revenge. Empty now. The crews that manned her were gone now. He alone remained and he communed with his rage. His anger fed him, soothed him and he let the Dark side flow. His eyes were alight with fire and he activated his lightsaber. He cried out his master’s name as he became one with the dark side and simultaneously plunged the blade into his body.
Then there was only darkness. Leia was freezing now, she could feel the chill deep in her bones.
Then she heard his voice over her left ear.
“And I am here now. All alone but you have come young Jedi, you have come looking for your doom.”
“I’m not a Jedi, Dairoga.” She replied hotly.
Dairoga’s smile was clearly visible underneath the hood, his pearly white teeth shone in a shark like smile.
“The force flows through you cleanly and bright and you are not a Jedi?” He snorted. Leia felt his hands wavering over her body like a snake and she fought the revulsion in her belly.
He paused.
His face leaned forward and he actually sniffed her. Several times like some over grown dog and he glanced up sharply at her.
“I detect Sith blood in thee. You have come from the seed of a Sith, I can feel it deep within you, slumbering, waiting to be awakened.”
“What the hell are you talking about!?” She hissed.
“Ah, and you have rage as well, potent combination. You can be a dark Lady of the Sith if you so wished.”
“I want nothing to do with you!” She screamed and pulled away with an animalistic fury. She started to run but her legs refused to move and instead she collapsed to the ground. She could feel his presence looming over her like some awful nightmare. She whirled around on her back and started to scream.
Instead of facing Dairoga Kallast, the face of Leonard McCoy loomed over her with a medical scanner whirring over her head. She lashed out instinctively hand outstretched and a small burst of white tendrils jumped from her outstretched fingers and struck Dr. McCoy full on the chest, sending him flying backwards.
She got to her feet and turned her head, feeling the presence in her mind as she caught sight of what had called her attention. There. It was wedged down under one of the command center’s steps. She dove for it as she heard more voices around her.
She reached out and touched it. She got a firm hold and pulled just as she felt Chewbacca’s mighty paws close around her shoulders and gently pull her back. The object came away and she gripped it to her chest as Chewbacca turned her around and held her up to his eye level.
“Chewie! Don’t let them hurt me!” She shouted. Chewbacca whipped his head around and shouted something loud and powerful. The approaching figures stopped instantly.
She took one last deep breath and looked down at the lightsaber in her hands. It was an odd design, a spiraling grip with an ornate hand guard that completely wrapped around the hand.
She heard him laugh in her head.
“You do have fire within you, my lady.”
She passed out in Chewbacca’s chest.
Kirk knelt by McCoy and checked his old friend. McCoy groaned as he got up into a sitting position.
“Jim, I thought you said that she was in some kind of distress.”
“Bones, are you alright?”
“I’m fine but she’s doing even better than I am.” McCoy griped.
Kirk looked back over at Chewbacca who was walking away with the princess.
“Chewbacca!”
Chewbacca paused and turned around to regard Kirk with a jaundiced eye.
“Where are you going? Something’s wrong with the princess and she needs medical attention.” Kirk explained.
Chewbacca barked something derisive.
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?!” Kirk exclaimed.
“Listen to me you furry oaf, she nearly fried me and she doesn’t look well.” McCoy added.
Chewbacca snorted shook his head and strode out of the room.
Kirk shook his head.
“This is not good.” He muttered.
McCoy smirked.
“Jim, that is the biggest understatement I’ve heard since the one where you said we could beat the Empire.”
Kirk shook his head but couldn’t help smiling.
“Thanks a lot for the vote of support.”
“Uh, Captain Kirk, there’s someone you should meet while you’re here.” Wesley interjected uncertainly.
Kirk looked up at Wesley.
“Please, Mr. Crusher, no more surprises.” Kirk implored.
“I’m sorry, Captain, I didn’t want to upset you but I couldn’t keep hiding out here on the ship.” A soft voice intruded in on them. Kirk looked past Wesley and saw the young man suddenly step down from some shadows in the depths of the command deck.
“Charlie?” Kirk asked in amazement.
“That’s right sir. Charlie Evans reporting for duty.” Charlie snapped a smart salute.
Kirk looked from Charlie to Wesley.
“Charlie, don’t take this the wrong way, but you were just a seventeen year old boy when I last saw you…nearly a century ago. You don’t look much older than that now.”
“The Thasians did not want me to die. They extended my life for as long as I remained among them.”
“Now you’re not.” Kirk noted sadly.
“There are more important things going on in the galaxy than my eternal life, besides, it was getting really lonely. They have no form, no shape. Can you imagine what its like on a world with beings that have no conception of what it is to be human?” Charlie replied.
“Now the harder question, Charlie.” Kirk said, face hardening. “Last time we were together you were just about ready to seize control of the ship and you had wished a way some of my crew. Will we be having those problems again? In case you haven’t noticed I’m currently engaged in a war for the life of the Federation and I don’t have time to keep an eye on you.”
Charlie genuinely looked embarrassed, his cheeks reddened and he looked down at his feet for a moment.
“I don’t like to think back to that time, Captain. I was a little boy and I didn’t know what I was doing. I know better now, I’ve had over 75 years to contemplate all the suffering I caused you and others and I am not proud of a single moment of it. Please believe me when I say that I have come all this way to help you and not to harm you. I am at your service, Captain. I want to help you with all the power I have in my control.” He paused and swallowed uncomfortably. “If you will have me.”
Kirk gazed into the young man’s eyes and glanced over at Wesley who nodded encouragingly. Kirk sighed.
“Alright Charlie. C’mon and help me with Bones here.” Kirk motioned with his head. Charlie beamed and nodded to Wesley as he passed him to join Kirk. Wesley watched them for a moment before turning back to his work, nearly walking right into Threepio who was peering at the controls and muttering things to himself.
“What do you see there?” Wesley asked the golden protocol droid.
“Oh, I must say this is quite fascinating. The Sith have been thought dead for millennia but here is a fine example of their work. I believe they were quite warlike and aggressive.”
“I could have guessed that when I was told this thing could devour planets.” Wesley replied wanly.
Threepio did a double take, uncertain of the boy’s tone.
Kirk walked into his quarters, Charlie stood at the doorway and peered past him hesitantly.
“Come in if you want Charlie.” Kirk said as he checked his computer for messages at his desk.
“This is different than your quarters on the Enterprise.”
Kirk smiled softly.
“I miss it, despite the fact that this is twice the size of my old quarters. Commander Riker tells me that these are Quarters set aside for fleet admirals. Never thought I would ever be an Admiral.” Kirk said with a soft sigh. He paused and looked at the young man standing in his doorway.
“Come in.” He urged.
“No thank you sir. I’m just going to go to the quarters you assigned me and get some rest. It’s been a long journey for me and there’s little room to sleep on that planet killer.”
“I hear the men have taken to calling her the Excalibur. I like that.” Kirk commented.
“It suits you.” Charlie said and hesitated as if to say something else but shook his head. “Good night, Captain.”
“Good night Charlie.”
The doors slid shut and Kirk nodded to himself. Maybe things weren’t going all bad. He meant to check up on the Princess but so far hails to the Reckless Hopes had only been answered with “She was fine” or “She’s resting.” He should go over there right now, but he knew how that would look so he decided to catch up on some much needed sleep and see her in a few hours. On the computer screen was a map of the galaxy depicting zones of control. In the center of a sea of green signifying Imperial held space was a small island of blue, Andor. He knew that the Empire would soon move on Andor. He had to keep pushing them, keep them off balance so that they would never have the time to form up a true assault on the planet. If they lost Andor they lost over 80% of their current supply chain. He was working desperately to diversify his supply network so that eventually the loss of Andor would not be a crushing final blow. He doubted that he could pull it off considering his current strategic situation.
His door chimed.
Kirk shook his head.
“Come.”
The doors snapped open and a large shape rushed in and crossed the distance between his desk and the door in several gargantuan strides.
Kirk started to get up but a massive hairy paw smacked him out of his chair and sent him flying backwards against the wall behind him. He bounced off the wall and landed haphazardly on the floor.
“What the-”
Chewbacca grabbed him by the throat and yanked him off the ground and swung him up so that Kirk’s head brushed the ceiling of his quarters.
“What are you doing?!” Kirk exclaimed but suddenly his throat was constricted as Chewbacca’s paw squeezed. His eyes bulged and he could feel the blood roaring in his ears, his feet dangled over a meter from the ground and the enraged Wookie was staring at him with a dangerous gleam in his eyes.
“Chew..bacca….what…happening?” he managed to wheeze out.
Chewbacca growled a series of short words and Kirk’s eyes widened in surprise.
“I’m trying…to…sed..uce…Leia?! Are..you..craz-” the paw squeezed harder and Kirk could feel the cartilage of his throat creaking as the Wookie drew him close to his own face.
Kirk motioned to the paw frantically with one hand while he tried to put another hand on Chewie’s face. The Wookie could kill him with one more squeeze and there was nothing more he could do.
Chewbacca barked coldly.
“No. I’m not…going…to..hurt her.” Kirk looked into the Wookie’s enraged eyes. “I know..that..you’re in…love with..her.”
Chewbacca snorted derisively and replied with a long growl.
“Captain Solo? Who’s…that?”
Chewbacca’s lip curled up in a sneer and spat something.
“I…have no…doubt…he’s a ..better man…than…me.” Kirk replied trying desperately to think his way out of this but his vision was starting to blur.
“Let him go, monster.” A voice cut through the roar of blood like a knife and Chewbacca’s grip vanished. Kirk collapsed on the ground gasping for air like a fish out of water. Chewbacca stood still, hand still outstretched but his eyes were wide with shock and frantically looking around. Charlie stood in the doorway a dark look on his face.
“You don’t lay a hand on him, is that understood?” Charlie hissed and Chewbacca started to buckle to his knees, in obvious pain.
“Charlie, stop!”
“He was trying to hurt you. I won’t let anyone hurt you.” Charlie explained not taking his eyes off Chewbacca.
“Charlie please, let him go. He was explaining something to me that I did not realize.” Chewbacca’s eyes flashed over to Kirk.
Charlie glanced over to Kirk with some confusion.
“He was choking you.”
“I deserved it.”
Charlie looked even more confused.
“Let him go, Charlie, please.”
Charlie hesitantly nodded and suddenly Chewbacca stumbled forward as he regained his balance. Kirk helped Chewbacca for a moment and both of them stared at each other for a long moment.
“I understand that you care about her. She loves captain Solo, but as I understand it, he was lost to her, I don’t know how but she rarely talks about him.”
Chewbacca watched the young Captain as he spoke. Charlie slowly walked into the quarters, keeping a cautious eye on the tall Wookie.
“I also understand that you have not had much of a chance to talk about it. So why don’t you tell me about Captain Solo and let me know what kind of man can inspire loyalty in someone like you.”
Chewbacca looked skeptical as Kirk motioned for Chewbacca to follow him deeper into his quarters.
“It’s alright Chewbacca. I know what its like to mourn someone that you can’t really talk about. Sometimes, talking about it helps and maybe that’s why you are in such pain.”
Chewbacca snorted something.
“No Chewbacca, I’m not saying that you’re being irrational, but you are jumping to conclusions and you are being smothering to Leia because you feel this burden or obligation to Captain Solo and you have no other way to express your sorrow except by nearly snapping my head off.”
Chewbacca shook his head hesitantly.
“It’s OK, Chewbacca. You can talk to me. I want to know about Captain Solo. I also want you to know that I care about Leia, very much. She’s become the rock in my life that helps me through this storm.” Kirk suddenly realized he was saying what his heart had been telling him slowly since the moment he saw her on the hangar deck of the Reckless Hope. “Without her, I don’t know how I would rally my people, my Federation. She’s my hope, Chewbacca and I would never want to mar that.” He said seriously, locking eyes with the Wookie.
Chewbacca stared for a long moment, measuring the young man’s words.
“Protect the Princess.” Han’s voice whispered in his ear. Maybe, just maybe, Kirk was precisely what the princess needed. Chewbacca said something softly.
“She was calling for me?” Kirk replied.
Chewbacca nodded.
Kirk pursed his lips.
“Let’s sit and talk, Chewbacca. Maybe we can understand each other better and maybe you’ll find that I can be as good a friend as Captain Solo was. If you give me half a chance.” Kirk reached out and squeezed the Wookie’s shoulder.
Chewbacca sighed and it sounded like a great engine coughing. He nodded and followed Kirk into his quarters, glancing with annoyance at Charlie. Charlie smirked.
“Charlie, come on. Maybe you can tell us what your life has been like all alone for the last 75 years.”
Charlie shrugged.
Chewbacca said something as they disappeared into the next room.
“Yeah, Chewbacca, I have no doubt that Captain Solo was taller than I am.”
Chewbacca added something else.
“And more handsome, I’m sure…”
The control deck was quiet.
“I’m going to get a bite, wanna come?” Kelly asked.
Wesley paused from his work in one of the consoles. It was flipped up and he was deep in the guts of the machine.
“No thanks.” He replied.
Kelly shook her head.
“You’ve been working for close to eighteen hours straight. How about a little break? I promise to get you back here in time to so that you can be the workaholic you so obviously aspire to be.” She replied playfully.
Wesley sighed heavily.
“Fine, but let me finish up this last link and I’ll join you.”
Kelly nodded and walked off the deck. She stopped at the bottom of the steps.
“Remember, I’m expecting company for dinner. I HATE to eat alone and you look like you ALWAYS eat alone.”
Wesley smiled weakly.
“I’ll be there, I promise.” Kelly started to walk away. “Hey.” He felt very awkward. “I’ll have you know that I haven’t even had dinner with my mother yet and I haven’t seen her in over 5 years.”
Kelly smiled and walked away.
Wesley shook his head and turned his attention back to the control panel.
“You seek power young one.”
He whirled around but there was nothing there.
“You feel inadequate now, don’t you? When you were younger you knew precisely where you were going, what you were doing. Now, you are a lost soul and to add insult to injury, the one ability that set you apart from anyone else has failed you.”
“What the hell is going on?” Wesley demanded as he got up and circled the command deck. There was a brief flash of shadows behind him.
“It took you two days to figure out the hypermatter reactor matrix, that little slip of a girl linked it together in three HOURS. How it burned in your belly, Wesley. I know the feeling of inadequacy and the shame it brings. There is a cure for that.”
“What are you saying?”
The voice was now over his right ear and he could feel a cold mist accompanying each word.
“I can grant you true understanding of this vessel. The Shar’lesk’vol was built by the Sith and I can open your mind to those secrets. Your knowledge will be voluminous and you will become powerful, necessary. You will find purpose again.”
Wesley felt a shudder of electricity run down his spine.
“Who are you?”
“I am Dairoga Kallast. In time, I hope, you will call me master.”
Chapter 31: Sleeping Giants
“In you must go.”
He stared at the wizened old teacher and back at the twisted black tree that hung over them like some malevolent beast. He could feel the dark chill wrapping around them like some foul lover. He shook off the chill.
“What’s in there?”
“Only what you take with you.”
His teacher never gave him a straight answer. It annoyed him to no end. Ben had always been more straightforward and simple. There were no strange conundrums that he had to decipher. Ben always had an answer that he could understand. There were no lies with the old wizard that had brought him this far on his road to avenge his father’s death and take up his place as a Jedi knight.
He shrugged and began to put on his holster. Yoda slowly shook his head.
“Your weapons. You will not need them.” He said with simple certainty.
He took one look back at the black hole that seemed to call to him and looked up at the twisted tree. The Dark side whispered to him. There was danger here and he would not face it unarmed.
He gave his old master a wry look and slipped it on. He cautiously walked into the tree. He could feel Yoda’s eyes on his back as he slid down into the tree’s bowels. The cold chill was nearly overpowering.
He landed on soggy earth and he glanced around. There was a strange light within, not the cold darkness he was expecting, but an odd sort of light, a cool glow without a discernable source. He strode through the interior of the dead tree, seeing serpents slithering through the roots.
He felt an odd presence in his mind, a slight touch and then the light flared up ahead of him. Fear gripped his heart in a vise as he heard it before he saw the apparition. The slow rhythmic mechanical breathing. He saw it striding into view, the one being that he had learned to hate. The one that had slain his father and betrayed the Jedi knights.
Darth Vader.
He fought back the fear as he had been taught to do. His heart lifted beyond the ice cold grip and he pulled out his father’s lightsaber.
The dark monster advanced.
His face hardened and he ignited his lightsaber. The hum was comforting as the blue blade leapt up and lit the darkness that seemed to flow out of the horrible apparition of the approaching Sith Lord.
Vader paused and activated his own lightsaber. He allowed the force to flow as his teacher taught him and he waited for the attack. Vader’s crimson blade hummed hungrily as it flashed down at him. He parried, quick shift of weight and a rapid riposte. Vader drove him backward with a series of powerful blows. He caught the blade on one swing and urged the force into his muscles. He willed himself to break the lock and the blade whipped upward.
There was a satisfying impact and a shower of sparks. He looked up and saw the black clad giant stumble back a step, smoke rising from its neck. The head rolled down to the ground as the body slowly collapsed, the crimson blade doused itself as the corpse struck the ground.
He stared in wonder at the helmeted head looked up at him. This couldn’t have been so easy.
The helmet exploded and his eyes widened in wonder as the face was exposed. His own face. What did this mean? It suddenly all felt like a dream. A dark dream that taunted him. What did it mean, why was his face behind the dreaded black mask that he had grown to hate.
The answer, of course, was all so much darker.
“Lord Nemesis.”
The voice was distant, far away like someone calling from across a great field.
“Lord Vader?” He replied hesitantly. The voice was so familiar. He turned slowly and the tree faded away leaving only mist and darkness.
“Remember your failure at the cave.” The voice was a whisper.
“Lord Nemesis. Hear me.” The voice was so far away. He followed the threads of the force, he could feel the ripples swirling around him. He tapped into those ripples, feeling them flow and he sent his own thoughts outward.
“Father.” The pure emotion cut through the misty darkness like a light.
“Father, powerful Jedi was he…powerful Jedi.”
“Father hear me.” He called out, sending his emotion and power through the ripples of the dark side.
The mists around him suddenly flowed forward and whirled around into a small tornado that slowly came into focus, taking the shape of a large man. Someone he had once feared greatly and wanted nothing more than to kill him. Now he wanted nothing more than see him.
Darth Vader stood before him, mechanical rhythmic breathing was a dull background, almost like a heartbeat.
“Father.”
“Son.”
“I am so far away.”
“You are far away but you are never alone.”
Nemesis smiled softly.
“I am coming.”
His smile faltered.
“What?”
“I am coming for you, Lord Nemesis. I will be there soon.”
“How?”
“The Emperor has found a way to get to where you are. I will be departing soon and we will be together again.”
He blinked several times.
“What does this do with our plan?” He asked softly.
There was silence for a long moment, only the heartbeat low breathing.
“The plan must continue forward. But we must be cautious. I will be coming with a Grand Admiral. He is not like the others. He has the Emperor’s confidence and he is extremely willful and intelligent. He will be difficult to deal with.”
“Difficulty is not a concern, Father. We must end this destructive conflict and bring order to the galaxy. Already now I am forging order in the chaos of this galaxy.”
“I am proud of you Lord Nemesis. Truly you are powerful as the Emperor has foreseen.” Vader commented with pride coloring his voice.
“I miss you.” He said without thinking.
The dark robed figure reached out, hesitantly at first, unsure of what he intended to do or more likely unaccustomed to taking this action. Nemesis reached out with his own hand. The black gauntleted hand and his own touched and for the briefest moment, their thoughts and emotions were one.
He bowed his head and closed his eyes. He could feel his father’s yearning and pain, the conflict and the hate. He wanted to reach out and soothe it. The father could feel the son’s anguish, his hopelessness and betrayal. Those that had been closest to him had lied and now he was far from the one being he loved without hesitation and reservation. Vader only hoped that he could give such love in return. But love had been so hard in his life. Love for his mother, for Padme, for Obi Wan. They always ended badly. If he loved Nemesis would it also bring an end to his life as well?
The doubt was all that was needed and the force’s link shattered like glass, dispelling the connection like so much smoke leaving Vader alone in his chamber. His head slowly lowered and the light above him winked out plunging him in darkness.
Nemesis stepped back as the mist around him vanished and he stood alone in his quarters. His skin was cold. His simple black robe had opened up while he mediated and he stood nearly naked under the cold air of a recycler.
His door chimed.
He wrapped the robe around him.
“Come.”
Mara Jade strode in her cat like grace beguiling as she moved into the darkness of his inner sanctum without fear. He admired that but he also feared it. She was the most potent adversary he faced when the time inevitably came.
“Yes, Mara?” He asked softly and watched her with stormy blue eyes.
Mara crossed her hands across her chest.
“We need to talk. I just received disturbing news from our shipyards in Romulan Space. It seems that a force of Federation starships managed to fight their way into the shipyards.”
Nemesis remained quiet as he let her continue to speak, but his mind had already devised what she had to say and his anger grew within him like a tempest.
“The Federation ships managed to beam boarders on the Horan Corr.”
“And I assume the Imperial troops either repulsed the boarders or the Captain scuttled the ship, correct?” He asked frostily.
Mara did not look away as he intended. She locked eyes with him.
“No. They stole the ship.”
Nemesis stood quietly, shadows playing across his face
“Their casualties were heavy.” She added.
“They could lose a thousand ships as far as I’m concerned Mara. The point is that they now have hold of an intact Imperial ship and crew. How could this happen!” He thundered.
“It was an unexpected move on their part. Besides they were utilizing technology I have never seen the Federation use before.”
“That is your flimsy excuse.” He asked and she could feel the force billowing around her. He was toying with her. He knew she had been trained to feel its use. He knew that she could see what he intended. There was far more terror in knowing that an attack was coming than simply striking.
He had learned from the Emperor quite well.
“They used transporters that penetrated our shields, they used cloaks, they had armor stronger than their shields and their ships were heavily up gunned. It is our belief that this is not a standard Federation fleet.” She replied quickly.
Nemesis stared at her for a long silent moment. His eyes bore into hers and there was a hooded expression to his face.
“There are two fleets then.” Nemesis replied softly.
“That is what we believe. The Federation has a secret fleet out there and they may have been responsible for the destruction of Remus. The Romulans swear by it.”
Nemesis nodded slowly.
“Here is what you will do. First bring me all the officers involved in this debacle, both Romulan and Imperial. They will be shown what happens to those that fail the Empire so grievously. I want you to film the results and play it throughout Imperial held territory. Then I want you to go to every Federation world and execute 10,000 civilians for the loss of Horran Corr. Their deaths are to be played on holovids throughout the Empire.”
“10,000 on every Federation world?” She asked.
“Was there a problem with my orders?”
“I thought that you wanted to maintain control of the populace. If we start killing millions of Federation citizens there will be a reaction.”
“Yes indeed. They will turn on their supposed liberators.”
Mara blinked.
“Why not simply rebel? Most worlds don’t have a single Imperial soldier stationed there. It is solely the threat of force that keeps them in line.” Mara countered.
Nemesis smiled.
“That is all about to change, Mara. When we arrive at Romulus all will be revealed. The Phoenix has risen and a new dawn has come to the Empire.”
Mara did not understand but she was sure that nemesis wanted it that way.
“Oh, you will begin the executions on my orders and you will follow a precise schedule.”
“Oh?”
Nemesis nodded and walked over to the huge window open to the void of stars beyond in his quarters.
“James T. Kirk sees himself as a hero and protector of the Federation. I am going to make his life extremely difficult. The people will be in pain, they will cry out for protection and he will not be able to resist.”
“You mean to trap him?”
Nemesis turned and glanced back at her with dark smile that chilled even her.
“Indeed.”
“When your fleet approaches earth, we will have executed Hundreds of thousands. If he allows us to maim the populace of Earth he will have lost all credibility. He will have to confront me at earth.” He slapped his fist into his left hand. “And there I will have him.”
Kelly Antilles ignored the sullen stares from the young man standing behind her as she adjusted the power coupling. She was in awe of this device but she would not let him see that. The idiot had given her the cold shoulder since she had arrived and she wasn’t about to give him any satisfaction as to her own amazement at what she was looking at.
The Federation called this ship, the Doomsday Machine, although someone had gone outside and painted a whole new designation for the vessel after they had arrived. Written in neat black letters on the starboard side of the mighty vessel’s maw was a name and registry number.
NX-5000
USS Excalibur
Painted in the same broad strokes that were springing up everywhere, even in Rebel Alliance areas of late, were the now infamous blue paint words: THE FEDERATION LIVES along the might flanks of the warship. Oddly enough, no one was claiming responsibility and no one claimed to have seen it happen.
“Could you hand me that hydrospanner?” She asked.
The sullen young man looked from her to her tools set out meticulously just out of her reach. He hesitantly reached out and took the hyrdospanner and handed it to her.
“Thank you.”
“You know, I was on the verge of cracking the problem with the power interface. I really didn’t need any help on this project.” He said absently.
Kelly nodded as she turned the spanner, tongue peeking out of the left side of her mouth.
“I don’t doubt that Mr. Crusher. But Time and speed are of the essence and Captain Kirk and Princess Leia decided that Alliance engineers would speed the process along. This assignment is no slight against you. As I understand it, you have most of your Federation engineers in awe of your availability to instinctively understand these systems. I have to admit, some of these controls are rather complex. The only advantage I have, Mr. Crusher, is that I’ve worked with systems similar to these most of my life.” She explained as she finished tightening the element.
She sat back and blew a stray lock of hair out of her face and wiped her brow.
“Another job well done.” She said looking back at him with a friendly smile.
If only he would stop frowning like that he might be cute. Well, he WAS cute, maybe he would be more handsome then.
“I’ve traveled places you could only conceive of, I’ve visited places that can best be described as more of a concept than a place.”
“And this makes my help unnecessary because…” she snapped. What a petulant little child.
“That’s not the point. I’m used to working alone. I’ve saved the Enterprise countless of times on my own. This is just embarrassing.” He muttered and shoved a canister of tools off one of the pedestals on the command deck.
“Wesley.” She began. He turned his back on her.
She heard now familiar voices as a small group approached the command center of the warship. She paused from her work and wiped some sweat from her brow. She glanced at Wesley who immediately turned away from her and started working one of the command consoles behind him. The controls were labeled in a strange language that no one had ever seen before but the young man had deciphered what some of them did and he was checking them now as the group entered the command center, buried deep in the bowels of the ship.
Captain Kirk, Mr. Spock, Mr. Scott, Princess Leia and her entourage were all walking slowly as Scotty finished speaking.
“I estimate sair that with the rebel engineers’ help and Mr. Crusher’s guidance I can have the Excalibur under her own power in three more days.”
“Excellent, Mr. Scott. That gives me enough time to plan a new offensive against our Imperial friends and I am dying to see their faces when we pull this thing into the fray.”
“I am most curious, Princess Leia. Your engineers stated that many of these controls and power systems were extremely reminiscent of technology from your galaxy. Have we been able to determine anything more regarding the possible origins of this ship?” Spock asked.
“Why don’t we ask Kelly here? She’s in command of my engineers and I’ve brought our resident expert on languages to see if he can give us some clue as to this ship’s origins.” Leia replied and waved to Kelly who suddenly found herself the center of attention. The droid C-3PO walked past them to peer at the controls.
“Well.” She began and cleared her throat. “Uh, quite frankly many of the systems on this vessel are very reminiscent of design features of vessels and facilities we have seen out on the Rim. Whatever built this thing either had a technological level equivalent to our galaxy in the past or did come from one of the Rim worlds.” She replied.
“Oh, I do say, Princess Leia, I believe I can decipher these markings.” Threepio exclaimed excitedly.
Kirk walked over curiously.
“Go on.”
“Well Captain Kirk, this script strongly resembles the writing form of a race long thought extinct in our galaxy that called themselves the Sith.”
“The Sith?”
“Yes, although much of their history was lost during the formation of the Republic this writing certainly fits in with the established patterns I have stored in my memory. The Sith either built this device or at the very least were deeply involved in its construction.”
“So this DID come from our galaxy.” Leia breathed looking up at the massive structure around them.
“How did it get out here?” Kirk wondered.
“Hyperdrive.” The sullen young man replied.
“Care to explain yourself, Wesley?” Kirk asked.
Wesley Crusher slowly walked down from the command center, squeezing past Kelly who shot pointedly ignored him and standing in front of Kirk.
“Near as I can tell, this vessel was designed to do precisely what you theorized nearly a century ago…Kill planets. Well, the memory banks are either damaged and corrupted beyond full recovery or they never wanted to clearly state what they were going to do but this device was built to destroy a world and launched a long time ago. There was a power fluctuation in the hyperdrive matrix and the ship was thrown clear of this galaxy.”
“Just like that?” Kirk asked skeptically.
“As near I can tell, sir. There was a problem in the hyperdrive chamber, something called a Sith lord was driving this ship forward and he went mad and the fluctuation happened at the same time.”
“The dark side of the Force.” Leia whispered.
“Excuse me?”
“Is not Darth Nemesis’ full title, Dark Lord of the Sith?” Spock added.
Leia suddenly felt a chill up her spine. Something cold had passed close to her.
“Come to face me now, Jedi….know this Dairoga Kallast is ready for you.” She heard the cold whisper. Leia shuddered.
“Leia?” Kirk asked worriedly.
Chewbacca was suddenly by her side and he held her with one massive paw as he peered into her face. Leia looked up at Chewbacca.
“Chewie, help me, he’s trying to-“
The group vanished and she found herself standing in the control center. Everything was different, the lighting was dark and grim. Shadowy figures moved with awful purpose through the control center and she saw him standing in the center of it all, long black robes wrapped around him like living shadows.
“Tell me, Jedi, did you really think you could face the apprentice of Naga Sadow and live?” The figure asked. His voice a mere whisper. It turned its head to face her. The face was hidden beneath the black robes. His words were accompanied by thin white frost on the air.
“What happened here?” She asked. She stood alone, no longer was she with her friends, she was alone in the darkness, but she was not afraid.
The figure chuckled. It was morbid and devoid of joy.
“The Sith are on the move. I have been charged with the destruction of your order. You Jedi are all that stand between the Sith and our rightful place in the galaxy. You will fall before the might of our mighty weapon. The Shar’lesk’vol. It will destroy your vaunted Coruscant, and we will bathe in the blood of the mewling petulant slaves of the Light Side.” He spat, pure unadulterated anger in every syllable.
Shar’lesk’vol…Death Lance. How did she know that? She could see the shadows writhing around him and the dark side oozed from him like a puss filled wound and she felt sick to her stomach.
“I’m not afraid of you. You failed. How?”
The figure frowned, she could even see it from beneath the dark veil of his hood.
“Betrayal. Vengeance. My master’s blood stains the sands of our world to this day. They betrayed him and they betrayed our people.”
Leia remained silent, watching him move. He started walking slowly down the steps of the command center and he moved like some wraith of shadow and smoke. The dim figures moving about her, carrying out their duties were like flittering shadows of a dream. Behind her she could hear the heavy thrumming of the enormous hyperdrive reactors.
“Ludo Kressh and his pitiful band.” He spat the words like venom. “They betrayed my master and in my rage I allowed the dark side to take control.”
Suddenly they were in the hyperdrive chamber. One of the small shadowy figures was imploring him.
“My Lord, I beg of thee. Coruscant is almost in range!”
“My Master calls!” Kallast bellowed like an angry god and crackling white lightning lanced out cooking the pitiful figure in angry tendrils of force lightning, raw rage given shape by the dark side itself.
How did she know this?
“Father, powerful Jedi was he, powerful Jedi.” The voice was different, almost a whisper lost in the storm of Dairoga Kallast’s awful hatred.
The hyperdrive’s low steady thrum suddenly increased to a rapid drumbeat and the dark side flowed out of Kallast like a tempest, pouring through the hyperdrive reactor, harsh white lightning jumped from reactor element to reactor element. The core began to pulse and she could feel the very fabric of hyperspace splitting open. The Death Lance suddenly surrounded by a nimbus of hot white light as hyperspace itself exploded outward in a geyser of impossible energy.
The dark side of the Force, energy that bound the universe together was tearing it asunder as it flowed through Kallast. The Death Lance vanished in an explosion that ripped through space time.
Suddenly it was very dark and cold.
“So you see. We traveled far and out of time.” The voice spoke again over her right ear. She whirled around and faced Dairoga Kallast who stood directly behind her. She could not move back, she was frozen in place and she was so cold. “Here in the cold of interstellar space, our hyperdrive burnt out. We were alone in the shadow.” His voice dropped to a barely perceptible whisper, the cold white mist from his lips played over her face.
“In the darkness we waited, wandering among the stars, looking for a way home. And slowly we died, until I was all that remained.”
She watched as Dairoga Kallast stood in the center of the mighty warship, the instrument of the Sith’s revenge. Empty now. The crews that manned her were gone now. He alone remained and he communed with his rage. His anger fed him, soothed him and he let the Dark side flow. His eyes were alight with fire and he activated his lightsaber. He cried out his master’s name as he became one with the dark side and simultaneously plunged the blade into his body.
Then there was only darkness. Leia was freezing now, she could feel the chill deep in her bones.
Then she heard his voice over her left ear.
“And I am here now. All alone but you have come young Jedi, you have come looking for your doom.”
“I’m not a Jedi, Dairoga.” She replied hotly.
Dairoga’s smile was clearly visible underneath the hood, his pearly white teeth shone in a shark like smile.
“The force flows through you cleanly and bright and you are not a Jedi?” He snorted. Leia felt his hands wavering over her body like a snake and she fought the revulsion in her belly.
He paused.
His face leaned forward and he actually sniffed her. Several times like some over grown dog and he glanced up sharply at her.
“I detect Sith blood in thee. You have come from the seed of a Sith, I can feel it deep within you, slumbering, waiting to be awakened.”
“What the hell are you talking about!?” She hissed.
“Ah, and you have rage as well, potent combination. You can be a dark Lady of the Sith if you so wished.”
“I want nothing to do with you!” She screamed and pulled away with an animalistic fury. She started to run but her legs refused to move and instead she collapsed to the ground. She could feel his presence looming over her like some awful nightmare. She whirled around on her back and started to scream.
Instead of facing Dairoga Kallast, the face of Leonard McCoy loomed over her with a medical scanner whirring over her head. She lashed out instinctively hand outstretched and a small burst of white tendrils jumped from her outstretched fingers and struck Dr. McCoy full on the chest, sending him flying backwards.
She got to her feet and turned her head, feeling the presence in her mind as she caught sight of what had called her attention. There. It was wedged down under one of the command center’s steps. She dove for it as she heard more voices around her.
She reached out and touched it. She got a firm hold and pulled just as she felt Chewbacca’s mighty paws close around her shoulders and gently pull her back. The object came away and she gripped it to her chest as Chewbacca turned her around and held her up to his eye level.
“Chewie! Don’t let them hurt me!” She shouted. Chewbacca whipped his head around and shouted something loud and powerful. The approaching figures stopped instantly.
She took one last deep breath and looked down at the lightsaber in her hands. It was an odd design, a spiraling grip with an ornate hand guard that completely wrapped around the hand.
She heard him laugh in her head.
“You do have fire within you, my lady.”
She passed out in Chewbacca’s chest.
Kirk knelt by McCoy and checked his old friend. McCoy groaned as he got up into a sitting position.
“Jim, I thought you said that she was in some kind of distress.”
“Bones, are you alright?”
“I’m fine but she’s doing even better than I am.” McCoy griped.
Kirk looked back over at Chewbacca who was walking away with the princess.
“Chewbacca!”
Chewbacca paused and turned around to regard Kirk with a jaundiced eye.
“Where are you going? Something’s wrong with the princess and she needs medical attention.” Kirk explained.
Chewbacca barked something derisive.
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?!” Kirk exclaimed.
“Listen to me you furry oaf, she nearly fried me and she doesn’t look well.” McCoy added.
Chewbacca snorted shook his head and strode out of the room.
Kirk shook his head.
“This is not good.” He muttered.
McCoy smirked.
“Jim, that is the biggest understatement I’ve heard since the one where you said we could beat the Empire.”
Kirk shook his head but couldn’t help smiling.
“Thanks a lot for the vote of support.”
“Uh, Captain Kirk, there’s someone you should meet while you’re here.” Wesley interjected uncertainly.
Kirk looked up at Wesley.
“Please, Mr. Crusher, no more surprises.” Kirk implored.
“I’m sorry, Captain, I didn’t want to upset you but I couldn’t keep hiding out here on the ship.” A soft voice intruded in on them. Kirk looked past Wesley and saw the young man suddenly step down from some shadows in the depths of the command deck.
“Charlie?” Kirk asked in amazement.
“That’s right sir. Charlie Evans reporting for duty.” Charlie snapped a smart salute.
Kirk looked from Charlie to Wesley.
“Charlie, don’t take this the wrong way, but you were just a seventeen year old boy when I last saw you…nearly a century ago. You don’t look much older than that now.”
“The Thasians did not want me to die. They extended my life for as long as I remained among them.”
“Now you’re not.” Kirk noted sadly.
“There are more important things going on in the galaxy than my eternal life, besides, it was getting really lonely. They have no form, no shape. Can you imagine what its like on a world with beings that have no conception of what it is to be human?” Charlie replied.
“Now the harder question, Charlie.” Kirk said, face hardening. “Last time we were together you were just about ready to seize control of the ship and you had wished a way some of my crew. Will we be having those problems again? In case you haven’t noticed I’m currently engaged in a war for the life of the Federation and I don’t have time to keep an eye on you.”
Charlie genuinely looked embarrassed, his cheeks reddened and he looked down at his feet for a moment.
“I don’t like to think back to that time, Captain. I was a little boy and I didn’t know what I was doing. I know better now, I’ve had over 75 years to contemplate all the suffering I caused you and others and I am not proud of a single moment of it. Please believe me when I say that I have come all this way to help you and not to harm you. I am at your service, Captain. I want to help you with all the power I have in my control.” He paused and swallowed uncomfortably. “If you will have me.”
Kirk gazed into the young man’s eyes and glanced over at Wesley who nodded encouragingly. Kirk sighed.
“Alright Charlie. C’mon and help me with Bones here.” Kirk motioned with his head. Charlie beamed and nodded to Wesley as he passed him to join Kirk. Wesley watched them for a moment before turning back to his work, nearly walking right into Threepio who was peering at the controls and muttering things to himself.
“What do you see there?” Wesley asked the golden protocol droid.
“Oh, I must say this is quite fascinating. The Sith have been thought dead for millennia but here is a fine example of their work. I believe they were quite warlike and aggressive.”
“I could have guessed that when I was told this thing could devour planets.” Wesley replied wanly.
Threepio did a double take, uncertain of the boy’s tone.
Kirk walked into his quarters, Charlie stood at the doorway and peered past him hesitantly.
“Come in if you want Charlie.” Kirk said as he checked his computer for messages at his desk.
“This is different than your quarters on the Enterprise.”
Kirk smiled softly.
“I miss it, despite the fact that this is twice the size of my old quarters. Commander Riker tells me that these are Quarters set aside for fleet admirals. Never thought I would ever be an Admiral.” Kirk said with a soft sigh. He paused and looked at the young man standing in his doorway.
“Come in.” He urged.
“No thank you sir. I’m just going to go to the quarters you assigned me and get some rest. It’s been a long journey for me and there’s little room to sleep on that planet killer.”
“I hear the men have taken to calling her the Excalibur. I like that.” Kirk commented.
“It suits you.” Charlie said and hesitated as if to say something else but shook his head. “Good night, Captain.”
“Good night Charlie.”
The doors slid shut and Kirk nodded to himself. Maybe things weren’t going all bad. He meant to check up on the Princess but so far hails to the Reckless Hopes had only been answered with “She was fine” or “She’s resting.” He should go over there right now, but he knew how that would look so he decided to catch up on some much needed sleep and see her in a few hours. On the computer screen was a map of the galaxy depicting zones of control. In the center of a sea of green signifying Imperial held space was a small island of blue, Andor. He knew that the Empire would soon move on Andor. He had to keep pushing them, keep them off balance so that they would never have the time to form up a true assault on the planet. If they lost Andor they lost over 80% of their current supply chain. He was working desperately to diversify his supply network so that eventually the loss of Andor would not be a crushing final blow. He doubted that he could pull it off considering his current strategic situation.
His door chimed.
Kirk shook his head.
“Come.”
The doors snapped open and a large shape rushed in and crossed the distance between his desk and the door in several gargantuan strides.
Kirk started to get up but a massive hairy paw smacked him out of his chair and sent him flying backwards against the wall behind him. He bounced off the wall and landed haphazardly on the floor.
“What the-”
Chewbacca grabbed him by the throat and yanked him off the ground and swung him up so that Kirk’s head brushed the ceiling of his quarters.
“What are you doing?!” Kirk exclaimed but suddenly his throat was constricted as Chewbacca’s paw squeezed. His eyes bulged and he could feel the blood roaring in his ears, his feet dangled over a meter from the ground and the enraged Wookie was staring at him with a dangerous gleam in his eyes.
“Chew..bacca….what…happening?” he managed to wheeze out.
Chewbacca growled a series of short words and Kirk’s eyes widened in surprise.
“I’m trying…to…sed..uce…Leia?! Are..you..craz-” the paw squeezed harder and Kirk could feel the cartilage of his throat creaking as the Wookie drew him close to his own face.
Kirk motioned to the paw frantically with one hand while he tried to put another hand on Chewie’s face. The Wookie could kill him with one more squeeze and there was nothing more he could do.
Chewbacca barked coldly.
“No. I’m not…going…to..hurt her.” Kirk looked into the Wookie’s enraged eyes. “I know..that..you’re in…love with..her.”
Chewbacca snorted derisively and replied with a long growl.
“Captain Solo? Who’s…that?”
Chewbacca’s lip curled up in a sneer and spat something.
“I…have no…doubt…he’s a ..better man…than…me.” Kirk replied trying desperately to think his way out of this but his vision was starting to blur.
“Let him go, monster.” A voice cut through the roar of blood like a knife and Chewbacca’s grip vanished. Kirk collapsed on the ground gasping for air like a fish out of water. Chewbacca stood still, hand still outstretched but his eyes were wide with shock and frantically looking around. Charlie stood in the doorway a dark look on his face.
“You don’t lay a hand on him, is that understood?” Charlie hissed and Chewbacca started to buckle to his knees, in obvious pain.
“Charlie, stop!”
“He was trying to hurt you. I won’t let anyone hurt you.” Charlie explained not taking his eyes off Chewbacca.
“Charlie please, let him go. He was explaining something to me that I did not realize.” Chewbacca’s eyes flashed over to Kirk.
Charlie glanced over to Kirk with some confusion.
“He was choking you.”
“I deserved it.”
Charlie looked even more confused.
“Let him go, Charlie, please.”
Charlie hesitantly nodded and suddenly Chewbacca stumbled forward as he regained his balance. Kirk helped Chewbacca for a moment and both of them stared at each other for a long moment.
“I understand that you care about her. She loves captain Solo, but as I understand it, he was lost to her, I don’t know how but she rarely talks about him.”
Chewbacca watched the young Captain as he spoke. Charlie slowly walked into the quarters, keeping a cautious eye on the tall Wookie.
“I also understand that you have not had much of a chance to talk about it. So why don’t you tell me about Captain Solo and let me know what kind of man can inspire loyalty in someone like you.”
Chewbacca looked skeptical as Kirk motioned for Chewbacca to follow him deeper into his quarters.
“It’s alright Chewbacca. I know what its like to mourn someone that you can’t really talk about. Sometimes, talking about it helps and maybe that’s why you are in such pain.”
Chewbacca snorted something.
“No Chewbacca, I’m not saying that you’re being irrational, but you are jumping to conclusions and you are being smothering to Leia because you feel this burden or obligation to Captain Solo and you have no other way to express your sorrow except by nearly snapping my head off.”
Chewbacca shook his head hesitantly.
“It’s OK, Chewbacca. You can talk to me. I want to know about Captain Solo. I also want you to know that I care about Leia, very much. She’s become the rock in my life that helps me through this storm.” Kirk suddenly realized he was saying what his heart had been telling him slowly since the moment he saw her on the hangar deck of the Reckless Hope. “Without her, I don’t know how I would rally my people, my Federation. She’s my hope, Chewbacca and I would never want to mar that.” He said seriously, locking eyes with the Wookie.
Chewbacca stared for a long moment, measuring the young man’s words.
“Protect the Princess.” Han’s voice whispered in his ear. Maybe, just maybe, Kirk was precisely what the princess needed. Chewbacca said something softly.
“She was calling for me?” Kirk replied.
Chewbacca nodded.
Kirk pursed his lips.
“Let’s sit and talk, Chewbacca. Maybe we can understand each other better and maybe you’ll find that I can be as good a friend as Captain Solo was. If you give me half a chance.” Kirk reached out and squeezed the Wookie’s shoulder.
Chewbacca sighed and it sounded like a great engine coughing. He nodded and followed Kirk into his quarters, glancing with annoyance at Charlie. Charlie smirked.
“Charlie, come on. Maybe you can tell us what your life has been like all alone for the last 75 years.”
Charlie shrugged.
Chewbacca said something as they disappeared into the next room.
“Yeah, Chewbacca, I have no doubt that Captain Solo was taller than I am.”
Chewbacca added something else.
“And more handsome, I’m sure…”
The control deck was quiet.
“I’m going to get a bite, wanna come?” Kelly asked.
Wesley paused from his work in one of the consoles. It was flipped up and he was deep in the guts of the machine.
“No thanks.” He replied.
Kelly shook her head.
“You’ve been working for close to eighteen hours straight. How about a little break? I promise to get you back here in time to so that you can be the workaholic you so obviously aspire to be.” She replied playfully.
Wesley sighed heavily.
“Fine, but let me finish up this last link and I’ll join you.”
Kelly nodded and walked off the deck. She stopped at the bottom of the steps.
“Remember, I’m expecting company for dinner. I HATE to eat alone and you look like you ALWAYS eat alone.”
Wesley smiled weakly.
“I’ll be there, I promise.” Kelly started to walk away. “Hey.” He felt very awkward. “I’ll have you know that I haven’t even had dinner with my mother yet and I haven’t seen her in over 5 years.”
Kelly smiled and walked away.
Wesley shook his head and turned his attention back to the control panel.
“You seek power young one.”
He whirled around but there was nothing there.
“You feel inadequate now, don’t you? When you were younger you knew precisely where you were going, what you were doing. Now, you are a lost soul and to add insult to injury, the one ability that set you apart from anyone else has failed you.”
“What the hell is going on?” Wesley demanded as he got up and circled the command deck. There was a brief flash of shadows behind him.
“It took you two days to figure out the hypermatter reactor matrix, that little slip of a girl linked it together in three HOURS. How it burned in your belly, Wesley. I know the feeling of inadequacy and the shame it brings. There is a cure for that.”
“What are you saying?”
The voice was now over his right ear and he could feel a cold mist accompanying each word.
“I can grant you true understanding of this vessel. The Shar’lesk’vol was built by the Sith and I can open your mind to those secrets. Your knowledge will be voluminous and you will become powerful, necessary. You will find purpose again.”
Wesley felt a shudder of electricity run down his spine.
“Who are you?”
“I am Dairoga Kallast. In time, I hope, you will call me master.”
Wherever you go, there you are.
Ripped Shirt Monkey - BOTMWriter's Guild Cybertron's Finest Justice League
This updated sig brought to you by JME2
Ripped Shirt Monkey - BOTMWriter's Guild Cybertron's Finest Justice League
This updated sig brought to you by JME2
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Typhonis 1
- Rabid Monkey Scientist
- Posts: 5791
- Joined: 2002-07-06 12:07am
- Location: deep within a secret cloning lab hidden in the brotherhood of the monkey thread
evil wesley's gonna get KILLLLLLLLEDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD. Hopefully 
Like Legend of Galactic Heroes? Please contribute to http://gineipaedia.com/
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Rightous Fist Of Heaven
- Jedi Master
- Posts: 1201
- Joined: 2002-09-29 05:31pm
- Location: Finland
Yep as noted Nemsis spun on a dime here, before he was leading the people now he oppreses them as his father did
Intresting change of events I say
Intresting change of events I say
"A cult is a religion with no political power." -Tom Wolfe
Pardon me for sounding like a dick, but I'm playing the tiniest violin in the world right now-Dalton
Stravo if you read this... Thankyou. I have an early exam on tomorrow, and I really needed this to relax me. Wish me luck!
EDIT: I like the way you continue to weave all your threads into this wonderfull tapistry Stravo! Can't wait for the release to the tension!
EDIT: I like the way you continue to weave all your threads into this wonderfull tapistry Stravo! Can't wait for the release to the tension!
Η ζωή, η ζωή εδω τελειώνει!
"Science is one cold-hearted bitch with a 14" strap-on" - Masuka 'Dexter'
"Angela is not the woman you think she is Gabriel, she's done terrible things"
"So have I, and I'm going to do them all to you." - Sylar to Arthur 'Heroes'
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NecronLord
- Harbinger of Doom
- Posts: 27383
- Joined: 2002-07-07 06:30am
- Location: The Lost City
Fascinating. Very interesting.
Superior Moderator - BotB - HAB [Drill Instructor]-Writer- Stardestroyer.net's resident Star-God.
"We believe in the systematic understanding of the physical world through observation and experimentation, argument and debate and most of all freedom of will." ~ Stargate: The Ark of Truth
"We believe in the systematic understanding of the physical world through observation and experimentation, argument and debate and most of all freedom of will." ~ Stargate: The Ark of Truth
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Ghost Rider
- Spirit of Vengeance
- Posts: 27779
- Joined: 2002-09-24 01:48pm
- Location: DC...looking up from the gutters to the stars
Glad everyone was happy with my interpretation of early Sith history. I boned up on it in a day and I found precisley where I wanted it to intersect with my story.
Any complaints that the Doomsday machine is actually a Sith superweapon? BTW I hope some of you caught the natural progression on that weapon to another...even in the name.
Any bets on Wesley's Sith name?
Any complaints that the Doomsday machine is actually a Sith superweapon? BTW I hope some of you caught the natural progression on that weapon to another...even in the name.
Any bets on Wesley's Sith name?
Wherever you go, there you are.
Ripped Shirt Monkey - BOTMWriter's Guild Cybertron's Finest Justice League
This updated sig brought to you by JME2
Ripped Shirt Monkey - BOTMWriter's Guild Cybertron's Finest Justice League
This updated sig brought to you by JME2
Who dangled him out there but where is he?
KHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN!!!
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.
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Ghost Rider
- Spirit of Vengeance
- Posts: 27779
- Joined: 2002-09-24 01:48pm
- Location: DC...looking up from the gutters to the stars
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