Dawn of Forever, Part XXI-XXX

[Crazedwraith]

So Roger has a tail ?

Liking the chapter very much. Darn cliffhangers!

[2000AD]

I might ask where the idea for Roger Roger came from. He reads like the bastard offspring of an Episode I battledroid (replete with lame wisecracks) and Short Circuit.

A battledroid with an "extensible limb"... LOL.

Oh, and the line about Mr. Roger's neighborhood not being so good lately was priceless.

I thought it was SOlo's origional robot butler for a minute, as in this continuinuity he wouldn't have been blasted to pieces by Boba Fett, though we'd have to find out how he got off of Nar Shadaar.

[Sonnenburg]

I might ask where the idea for Roger Roger came from. He reads like the bastard offspring of an Episode I battledroid (replete with lame wisecracks) and Short Circuit.

Star Wars RPG, in fact. If you're familiar with Droid PC's, you have to roll a die to determine a personality quirk for the droid; my model required two rolls. The result was that he got on well with everyone, and did not get on with everyone (I'm a fantastic roller). So Roger Roger is an outgrowth of that tightrope walk.

But I didn't bring him in just willy-nilly. If you have the Star Trek and Star Wars universes to play with, it's rather silly not to use the diverse collection of non-humans that are out there. And the Solo-Kilana (working) relationship needs something to shake it up a little.

[Sonnenburg]

Since I'm here, I guess I'll post the next part early.

Part XXV

Annika was still disoriented from connecting with the Borg. "Jorri's dead," she said.

"That's the point, Seven," the Oracle said. "That is the cause of all the sadness, isn't it? Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could undo that tragedy?" Annika said nothing. "You do remember what happened to Ben Skywalker, don't you? Even death must yield to my will."

"That's completely different," Annika said.

"No," the Oracle said. "Only because you do not comprehend what the dark side can accomplish."

"Ben was dead for minutes," Annika said. "Jorri's been dead and buried for over a year."

"Oh please, use your wits, Seven," the Oracle said with annoyance. "I'm the Oracle. What is time to me?"

"You're twisted, captain," Annika said. "I don't believe you."

The Oracle scoffed. "The Empress no doubt thought the same when I offered to bring back her son. You are all blinded by your dogmatic beliefs that the dark side is inherently evil. Death and life are different sides of the same coin, Seven; do you truly think we can master one and not the other? You already know that Palpatine managed to resurrect Darth Whind from the dead, and he lacked my experience."

"All you have done has been to further the cause of evil," Annika said. "You've allowed untold numbers of people to die in the name of your personal cause, because you've become so obsessed with your guilt that you would raze whole systems to try and satisfy it."

"I'll use the tactics of my enemies against them," the Oracle said sharply. "I have no qualms about that."

"And that shows just how much you've changed," Annika replied.

"Seven," the Oracle said, "think very carefully about what I'm offering here. I can undo the tragedy that has destroyed your son's life. I can save him from despair... and from giving in to his hatred." She held up her hand, and a glowing sphere shimmered in the air. Inside it, amidst the rubble of some world, Sebastian and Ben were battling each other. "Very soon," the Oracle said. "His father... his grandfather... Skywalker men don't deal well with loss, do they?"

"Stop it!"

"You thought it was hard to face Luke?" the Oracle said. "Tell me... how will you feel when Sebastian kills Ben... and takes his place as my apprentice?"

"You - are - LYING!" Annika lunged, but was tossed back by a Force push.

"I don't have to lie, Seven," the Oracle said. "The truth is so much worse than any fiction I could devise. What will you do, Seven, when your daily torture sessions resume, conducted by your own son? What will you do when I send him out to slaughter the Jedi one by one? Especially now, when you can look back and see that the horrible future I foretold to you could have been averted, if you'd only joined with me." The Oracle sat down. "Your decision will not hamper me in the slightest," she explained. "The Empire is about to fall. All it will change will be how many must die afterwards. If you help me, lives will be spared... starting with your own."

Annika fumed. "Even if I went along with this," she said, "you have harassed my family for too long. Knowing your sadism, captain, you'd probably bring Jorri back just so you could kill her again."

"Really, Seven, this irrational hatred for me is getting tiresome. You and your family are dangerous, yes, so we'll have to reach an agreement. Banishment seems fair enough. You and Sebastian help me, and I'll give you back Jorri, Morgan, and a ship to take you beyond the galaxy. Stay out of our affairs, and I'll ensure my Federation stays out of yours."

"In return for helping you destroy the Borg, right?" Annika said.

The Oracle nodded, clearly pleased. "Very astute. With the Empire fallen, the Borg will remain the only significant threat. Between the two of you, I'm certain you can destroy the Collective once again. And really, wouldn't you sleep better at night knowing they were gone?"

"I'll take Borg over Sith any day of the week," Annika said.

The Oracle sighed. "Your stubbornness is irritating, Seven. You are not being logical about this. I have already shown you that my victory is inevitable. It was only by your admittedly clever treachery I haven't already succeeded, but all you've done is delayed me, not denied me. I'm going to destroy the Empire, and the Borg, and the Vong, and I will reunite the galaxies under my Federation, and there is nothing you can do to prevent that. I have already foreseen the outcome."

"Luke said the future is in motion," Annika said.

"If he were so wise, why isn't he still alive?" A smile flickered on the Oracle's face at the sight of Annika's rage. "For someone who so despises the Sith, you so easily embrace anger and hate."

"I have emotions," Annika said. "The difference is that they don't control me."

"Your emotions are the only thing keeping you from recognizing the generosity of my offer," the Oracle said. She got to her feet. "Consider my proposal, Seven, but do so quickly. While I may be unbound by time, you are not." And she walked out, sealing Annika's cell behind her.
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Timing was critical. Subtle movements, blending into shadows, finding out of the way places to go unnoticed, avoiding security sensors. Ben and Molly managed to avoid any confrontations until they reached the turbolift. At this point, it was unavoidable. There were six stormtroopers waiting there; against two Sith, they didn't stand a chance. Molly reached out to one and began to Force choke him while stepping forward and cutting another down with her lightsaber. Ben's dual blades and incredible speed allowed him to quickly slip through their ranks and cut the other four down in about one second. The remaining trooper dropped to his knees, grasping futilely at his throat, until there was a sickening crack and he collapsed. The turbolift opened and Ben gestured, and the corpses piled inside out of sight. It'd buy them the couple minutes needed to get to the right floor. Molly liberated a few thermal detonators from the cadavers.

The doors opened on the turbolift, and as expected, someone was waiting. Ben, having put away one of his lightsabers for the moment, raised his hand, and they were all blasted off their feet. Alarms sounded as the two sith strode out of the elevator. A squad of stormtroopers rushed around the corner, weapons at the ready. Ben pointed at one of the officers that had been waiting for the turbolift, and the unfortunate man was hoisted off his feet, screaming in terror before his body was hit by blaster fire. Ben held out the palm of his hand, and the corpse rocketed through the air at them, hitting two and forcing the rest to scramble for cover. Those who did manage to get some shots off at him found him deflecting the bolts one-handed right back at them. There was no time to waste, however, so Ben followed Molly through the blast door before it closed, then stabbed it with his lightsaber.
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General Taar was in his office when the guards burst in. "Sir," Major Dem said quickly, "we have to move you. There's been a security breach."

Taar got quickly to his feet, falling in with the rest of his escort. He assigned people to important tasks that he knew would properly handle them, and his safety had been no different. If they felt this was necessary, there was no time to ask for details before reaching a decision. "What's the nature of the threat?" he asked as they moved.

"Jedi, or Sith," the major said. "I could never tell them apart, sir."

"Given recent relations, equal are likely," Taar admitted. Fortunately he'd taken precautions. "Do we need to leave the ship?"

"They're on the upper levels, sir, not near the vital systems" the major said. "The ship itself doesn't appear to be a target. We'll be able to protect you." Taar nodded, and the group entered the turbolift to head for the lower level, then they quickly escorted him to the safe room.
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Automated defenses were triggered, for all the good they did. Ben and Molly easily deflected their blasts right back into the weapons themselves, and some surgical application of Force lightning prevented the number of systems from being overwhelming. The defenses slowed them, but not by much. They reached the end of the corridor, and ducked behind opposite walls. There were about a hundred stormtroopers waiting for them. Ben pulled out his other lightsaber and lit it, then nodded to Molly. She took out the thermal detonators and they hovered in the air before her. She ground her teeth in concentration, then armed the thermal detonators and sent them flying amongst the troopers.

As the explosions went off, Ben dashed around the corner and charged. The Oracle had been right; they were far beneath him, but in numbers even they could be a challenge. He had to move quickly, trusting fully in his instincts to stay ahead of the blaster bolts while the confusion of the moment bought him a few seconds. From the outside, it looked like every movement was meticulously plotted. Ben would swing up with his left lightsaber through some trooper, catch a blaster bolt at the top of the arc and deflect it back at another trooper, pivot and bring it around and downward to decapitate another and cut yet another's blaster rifle in half. At the same time his right lightsaber deflected two blaster bolts, skewered a trooper in the face while catching a third bolt, then slicing two troopers across the chest through his pivot. Even Molly was astounded at his movements. And he's only second best? she thought.

Ben was horribly outnumbered, but the troopers had to avoid hitting each other, and with him wading amongst them, there were only so many that could get in line of fire in the first place. And Ben was always moving, and there seemed to be no pattern to his attack. Blaster fire scorched the air around him, but he himself was always untouched. As impossible as it might have seemed, Ben eliminated half of the stormtrooper forces in those first twelve seconds. However, the troopers soon adapted, and half the group backed away from the Sith, getting out of his range and taking aim. That's when Molly sprung. She wasn't as fast or as brutal as Ben, but she had surprise. By the time the troops rallied Ben had finished off the other troopers and joined his companion. At just over thirty seconds after the thermal detonators exploded, the last stormtrooper helmet hit the floor and rolled several meters. Still, time was on the Empire's side, so as soon as the stormtroopers were eliminated Ben and Molly sprinted in the direction of the war room.

Blast doors had been closed, naturally, but it only slowed the two Sith down. There was a steady rhythm heard throughout the deck of the heavy armored plates toppling and hitting the deck as they worked their way closer and closer. More stormtroopers appeared, only to be cut down while the Sith continued towards their goal.

As they reached the war room, another massive stormtrooper force appeared. Ben ground his teeth, but he knew that without another distraction, charging would be suicide. He deactivated and put away both his sabers, then began assembling the light-fan he'd used back on the space station when he'd first rescued Molly all those years before. It was an effective weapon, but never very satisfying. He clicked the pieces into place, then activated the four blades. They spun rapidly, then with a quick movement he threw it, causing it to tear through the trooper ranks like a diamond drill through talc. Molly took advantage of the distraction to charge while Ben carefully held the weapon in a Force grip. Unfortunately, a lucky shot struck the center of the weapon and it exploded, taking out another five troopers. Ben cursed; the weapon had taken a great deal of time and ingenuity. He pulled out his sabers, lit them, and vented his rage on the remaining troopers until he and Molly were surrounded by bodies.

Ben and Molly quickly sliced through the doorway into the war room. They were met by blaster fire, but it was from Imperial officers, feeble men and women who were only operating on base survival instincts. It would be unfair to describe the annihilation of the stormtroopers outside as a slaughter, because it would leave no suitable word to describe the quick, brutal, and efficient extermination of everyone in that room. After that was complete, Ben and Molly destroyed the electronics as well.

Reinforcements had arrived outside the room, and now it was going to be an even more serious fight. Earlier, that would have pleased Ben, but after having done all this, it felt hollow. All he'd done was further the Oracle's goals, nothing more, nothing for himself. It stripped the entire affair of everything, so that it felt utterly meaningless.

"We're heading back to the docking bay," he announced to Molly.

"I thought you wanted to stay a while and enjoy yourself?"

"Just do it!" Ben snapped, then charged into the mob of troopers.

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The safe room was designed to live up to its name. Its walls, floor, and ceiling were made of the same material they used to armor hulls. The life support was independent of the rest of the ship, so contagions couldn't be introduced. Hundreds of armed stormtroopers with weapons of every sort, from blaster rifles to slug-throwers to E-webs to ion weapons were stationed all around it, and the door was locked on a circuit that could only be controlled from inside the room. Once inside, the only way to hurt the occupants was to blow up the ship. But General Taar always believed that when it came too safety, it was hard to go too far. That's why, despite the confusion it had caused in his staff, he had ysalmrii put behind his chair, in case the Jedi decided to make good on their threat against him.

The door was sealed. Major Dem stood in the room with him, along with his most trusted guard. Both had their blasters out and ready, just in case it should come to this. It was ridiculous, really, to think they could stop what the small army outside could not, but Taar found himself pulling out his own blaster anyway.

Suddenly, there was a sickening cracking sound, and the two guards were clutching at their throat. Taar had heard enough about Lord Vader's means of discipline to know what was going on, and he quickly looked about the room, but saw no one. Still, the Force reached through walls; he'd heard about what had happened to Ozzel. In the bubble created by the ysalmrii, there was nothing they could do to him, so he just watched helplessly as the two men dropped to the floor, dead.

Taar jumped as he heard the sound of a lightsaber igniting. But the room was empty! He whirled around and pointed his blaster in the direction of the sound, and-

And the blood froze in his veins. Standing there was Grand Admiral Thrawn, a burn mark on his chest from where he'd been run through. Fear took hold of him for a moment, and in that moment, Thrawn raised the saber and tossed it end over end. It plunged into Taar's chest even as the old soldier caught the hilt, holding it in place. He felt the cold grow through his body, but it was nothing compared to the sight of the approaching Thrawn.

Then Thrawn stepped into the bubble, and he evaporated, leaving only a blue-skinned Twi'lek woman. She reached down, took hold of the lightsaber, and removed it. Taar coughed weakly, and despite the situation, he had to smile a little. "It was.... so artfully done," he admitted. And then General Delric Taar died.

[consequences]

..........................SHIT!?!
spoilers for those who don't scan up quickly enough:

Okay, so if I'm tracking this correctly, ye old Twi'Lek Sith assassin secretes herself in safe room sometime before the event, and then kills the minimal guard force inside while wearing a holodisguise to prevent Taar from reacting in any way to stop his demise. Which means that Ben was just a frakking decoy?

Woe, for how the mighty have fallen.

[Star Empire]

Thanks. You're really good at putting people in impossible situations (or at least the Orcle is). Seven has a tough choice to make. What's going to be the fallout of the deaths of Taar and all those other leaders is going to be interesting. I'm assuming there is probably a clear level of command still (unlike after Palpatine and Vader left the picture), but this is going to take a lot out of the empire.

[Crazedwraith]

..........................SHIT!?!
spoilers for those who don't scan up quickly enough:

Okay, so if I'm tracking this correctly, ye old Twi'Lek Sith assassin secretes herself in safe room sometime before the event, and then kills the minimal guard force inside while wearing a holodisguise to prevent Taar from reacting in any way to stop his demise. Which means that Ben was just a frakking decoy?

Woe, for how the mighty have fallen.

It wan't a holodisguise it was a force one. Which is why it dissapearred when she stepped in to the ysalmiri's field to get her lightsabre.

But damn that was a good chapter. It was nice seeing Janeway teeling the truth to manipulate someway, the way plapy does in the prequals.

[consequences]

..........................SHIT!?!
spoilers for those who don't scan up quickly enough:

Okay, so if I'm tracking this correctly, ye old Twi'Lek Sith assassin secretes herself in safe room sometime before the event, and then kills the minimal guard force inside while wearing a holodisguise to prevent Taar from reacting in any way to stop his demise. Which means that Ben was just a frakking decoy?

Woe, for how the mighty have fallen.

It wan't a holodisguise it was a force one. Which is why it dissapearred when she stepped in to the ysalmiri's field to get her lightsabre.

But damn that was a good chapter. It was nice seeing Janeway teeling the truth to manipulate someway, the way plapy does in the prequals.

That doesn't necessarily work, unless we've seen a force disguise that actually comprehensively changes the way light hits someone, as opposed to affecting the minds of viewers.

[LordShaithis]

Another character of years standing, put to the sword by Chuck "Kill 'em all" Sonnenburg. Alas Delric Taar, you go to join Luke, Leia, Chewie, Picard, Data, Riker, the entire planet of Coruscant, the USS Enterprise, Deep Space 9, and many others.

Hey Chuck, how long as it been since you first started putting out WWE? This has to be, both in terms of time and text, one of the longest fanfic continuities ever. I mean, I can remember telling people how good it was years ago. People I don't even know anymore. I don't know what I'll do when you finally stop.

[Crazedwraith]

That doesn't necessarily work, unless we've seen a force disguise that actually comprehensively changes the way light hits someone, as opposed to affecting the minds of viewers.

Its this bit:

Then Thrawn stepped into the bubble, and he evaporated, leaving only a blue-skinned Twi'lek woman.

The wording seems to suggest he steps in to the ysalmiri's anti-force bubble then turns in to Alema. But the holo-disguise is just as plausible.

[consequences]

My gut call is holodisguise. It makes more sense just in case Taar got overly thorough with the ysalimiri coverage.

[Stuart Mackey]

Wow.

[Sonnenburg]

Hey Chuck, how long as it been since you first started putting out WWE? This has to be, both in terms of time and text, one of the longest fanfic continuities ever. I mean, I can remember telling people how good it was years ago. People I don't even know anymore. I don't know what I'll do when you finally stop.

Thanks! We're at 6 1/2 years now.

[Sonnenburg]

Part XXVI
Lando found Garak in the Death Star's "War Room," which was little more than the control center for the superlaser. The Cardassian seemed to be enjoying himself immensely. "Ah, Calrissian," Garak said as he turned upon Lando's arrival. "I do hope you're here to tell me we're finished on schedule."

Lando handed Garak a datapad. "All systems are operational," he said. "They're not pretty, but they'll do the job."

"That's all that's required," Garak said.

"I took the liberty of programming a course to an unoccupied system," Lando said. "A test firing would help to ensure-"

"No time for tests, I'm afraid," Garak said. "We have some work to do."

"There's no guarantee this thing is going to work right," Lando said. "A hypermatter reactor's a very delicate piece of machinery, and all official info is classified. My men have had to teach themselves how to make it work."

"Yes, this is a wonderful story," Garak said, "but let's skip to the happily ever after. This station is going to fire on our primary target. If things have gone wrong, then I guess we'll find out at that time, and you can explain your failure to the Oracle."

"Assuming we don't blow ourselves up," Lando muttered.

"Well, that's all the more reason to make this shot count," Garak said. "New course, Calrissian."

"And where would that be, Garak?"

Garak gave him that smile. "If you have a one-shot hold-out blaster, you always aim for your enemy's heart, yes? Set course for Chandrilla."
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Another squad of stormtroopers got in Ben and Molly's way. Lightsabers swung, blaster bolts were fired, and soon a heap of plastoid armored-bodies were left lying on the floor. They got to the turbolift and hit the call button. They were wary as it arrived, but it was empty. The two stepped inside. If the Imperials shut down the lift, they could easily cut their way out and escape another way.

Still, caution was necessary. Even a Sith wasn't invulnerable, and carelessness could leave them in a situation where numbers would overcome their Dark force powers. As the lift stopped he hit the door override, locking it shut. "What are you doing?" Molly asked, but Ben gestured for her to be quiet and step aside. He lit both his lightsaber and swung at the door repeatedly, cutting it without slicing all the way through until there was a mesh-like pattern on the interior. He shut down the blades and hooked them to his belt, then held his hands before him and concentrated.

The Imperials were waiting, weapons at the ready. What they didn't expect was for the door to explode outward with heavy shrapnel, piercing the gaps between the stormtrooper armor and putting men down. Almost instantly Ben leapt through the opening and somersaulted, igniting both blades as he twirled through the air and slicing through the troopers before his feet even touched the ground. He sliced through those unfortunate enough to be within reach, then brought both sabers around together like a baseball swing and caught the blast from the E-web, sending it right back into the weapon and causing it to explode. Molly rushed out of the turbolift and quickly joined the fray, and soon another pile of dead troopers was left behind.

The two sprinted into the launch bay; technicians were about, but no one dared try to stop the Sith. They climbed aboard an H-Wing fighter, lifted off, and raced out of the docking bay. Ben spun the ship wildly to evade the tractor beams and turbolasers that tried to hit them, pushing the throttle all the way while Molly programmed the nav computer. Before the Defiance could get an interdictor field set up, the ship had vanished into hyperspace.
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When there was no response by anyone inside the safe room, the Defiance's acting captain ordered the room cut open. It took four hours, since the room had been built to avoid being broken into, but as they opened the door they realized all the effort was for nothing. All three occupants lay dead, including General Taar. The smell of burnt flesh still hung in the air.

The acting captain stepped in and shook his head. There was nowhere to hide, no other way in or out. Yet somehow someone had gotten in, killed them, and gotten out. They'd even killed Taar's pet and tossed it away, though he didn't have the faintest idea why. The medical personnel loaded the corpses into body bags while he looked about, still wondering how this was possible. No transporter could penetrate those walls.
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One of the Sith entered Annika's cell, grabbed her arm, and half-dragged her out. She was pushed into the Oracle's lab, where the Sith master was observing things on her monitors. "Seven," she said, without turning to face her. "Have you considered my proposal?"

"The answer is still no, captain," Annika said.

The Oracle sighed. "The more you change, Seven, the more you remain the same stubborn drone I found in my sickbay. Still, there is some time left for you, and I thought a personal demonstration might convince you of the wisdom of accepting my offer." She waved a hand, and the screens all changed to different views of the same thing. "General Taar is dead," she said as they watched the corpse being taken through the halls of some Imperial ship. "Along with much of his command staff. The military may have a hierarchy, Seven, but things are very confusing for them right now."

"The military junta was a mistake anyway," Annika said with a dismissive shrug. "And I never really cared for Taar anyway. His anti-Borg prejudice rubbed me the wrong way."

"And then there's this," the Oracle said, ignoring Annika's comments. The images of Taar were replaced by those of- "Chandrilla. Still technically the capital of the Empire, still potentially able to prop up that corrupt government. It also is home to the rear command Taar set up to take over the military in the event of an emergency - I suppose this would qualify." She seemed fascinated by the images of the planet. "I realize that this may have become cliché, Seven, but the planet really does have to go."

"Is that so," Annika said. "And since when do you have a superlaser?"

The Oracle gave a slight shrug. "For a while now, Seven." She smiled a little as the blood drained from Annika's face. "I've told you that you cannot hope to deny me, Seven. Perhaps this will wake you up to how pointless it is to oppose me, and how wise you would be to become my ally." The image of a Death Star appeared on the screen, traveling through hyperspace. It was woefully incomplete, but the dish for the superlaser was obviously finished and no doubt operational.

"Captain," Annika said quickly, "think about what you're doing. There are billions of people on that planet. You'll be killing countless innocents, just to satisfy your desire for revenge."

"Revenge? This is about far more than that, Seven. This is about that unity that Ben Sisko used to drone on endless about. The galaxies will be re-united under me, and the beginning of an unending, ordered society will finally begin. The birth of the new Federation will not be painless, Seven, but it will still come to be, whatever the price."
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On board the Defiance, the medical droid opened the body bag to begin the post-mortum examination of the guard. The room was completely empty of anyone else; the number of dead left by the Sith had required converting one of the larger facilities into a makeshift morgue, and most of the medical personnel were there putting pieces together. That's why no one heard its squeal before a lightsaber rose up and stuck it through the chest.

Alema Rar pulled herself out of the body bag and began removing the guard's uniform. It didn't fit well at all, but it helped her maintain the illusion even while they had been loading her. The disadvantage, however, was that she had had to incinerate her clothing along with the other guard's body, leaving her with only the essentials. Still, the plan had worked, reinforcing Alema's belief that aligning with the Oracle had been the right move.

There was, of course, a bit of regret. Taar had caused a great deal of trouble for the Vong, which made him an ally as far as Alema was concerned. But if the Oracle said he must die, then that was the end of the matter. No matter what she felt, she had to obey her master.
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Senator Alixus had had little work to do of late. With the military seizing control and more and more information being funneled around her Chandrilla military contacts, there wasn't much she could do to aid her allies in the Vong. It was an unfortunate turn, because it seemed the Vong needed help more than ever.

Alarms sounded, which didn't make much sense. The Vong were losing, and the front was on the other side of the galaxy. Alema got up and went into the Senate antechamber. "What's going on?" she demanded.

"Incoming anomaly," someone said. "Large hyperspace imprint, they don't know what it is yet, but they're not taking any chances." Alixus headed over to one of the terminals nearby, flashed her authorization to it, and information began to display. What were they up to? she wondered.
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Alema Rar was on all of the monitors. "General Taar is dead, my master."

"I have seen it," the Oracle said. "Very good work. You are proving a most worthy apprentice, Alema."

"Thank you, master."

"Find your way off the ship," the Oracle said. "Use your illusion abilities to assist you, but try to be subtle. Security is heightened in the wake of Skywalker's attack, so you must be careful. You are not yet as powerful as him, and he was not acting alone. A direct confrontation may be too much."

"A Sith works from strength," Alema repeated. "In this case, stealth is my strength."

"Very good." The monitors flickered and Alema was replaced by Chandrilla. "And now for the main event," the Oracle mused.

"Captain, you've beaten Taar," Annika pleaded. "You don't have to do this!"

"Yes, I do," the Oracle said. "The rear command or the civilian government could still recover, and that cannot be allowed. Besides, the true damage will be the act itself. It's a Death Star, Seven. Who but the Empire could possibly have one, and who but the Imperial military could use it against the civilian government that threatens their control? You thought there was disorder before? The military will find every civilized world in open rebellion against them, and with the military itself already divided by the lack of central leadership, they will collapse again into fractured mini-nations, where the only control is that which can be taken by force. They can't hope to accomplish that and oppose the Vong at the same time." She smiled, and Annika thought it was a wholly unpleasant sight. "After so very, very long, they will finally pay for what they've done."

"Captain, please! You can't do this!"

"I am the Oracle. For me, there is no such thing as 'can't.'" She walked towards the monitor. "But here is a small gesture on my part to show you I'm trying to bridge this gap you've erected between us." The images changed again. "Senator Alixus fed information to Nom Anor, and the Vong, and was responsible for the insects that created the Yun-Yammka." She turned back to Annika. "And let's not forget that her actions caused your son to become a wanted man. That was the key to his downfall on Wormhole Station, remember. Since she's of no further use to me, I've decided I'll give you the pleasure of watching her die."

Annika shook her head. "What kind of twisted creature have you become, captain?"

"Spare me," the Oracle said.

Annika nodded towards the image of Alixus. "And this is how you treat your allies? Why do you think watching you betray them is going to convince me to become one myself?"

"Alixus' agenda is counter to mine," the Oracle said. "Like Nom Anor's, and Garak's, for that matter. They will have to be removed eventually. But I've already said that your fate would be banishment rather than death. None of them would ever accept such an offer, and they would oppose me eventually. Best to get the messy business done with as soon as possible."

"Captain-"

"Shh!" the Oracle said, holding up her hand. "I've waited a long time for this. I want to savor the moment."
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The Death Star emerged into space over Chandrilla. The local security was immediately mobilizing, but they didn't have a chance of stopping it in time. "Very nice work, Calrissian," Garak said with a nod of approval. "Very good. You and your people have done a fantastic job with our little battlestation." Lando said nothing; he couldn't take his eyes off the view of Chandrilla through the window. "This is really your baby, isn't it. Go ahead, you say it."

Lando finally tore his eyes away and looked at Garak. "What?"

Garak smiled. "You give the order."

Lando stared, then looked back at Chandrilla. "No," he said, but it was more like an escaping sigh than anything else.

"Give the order," Garak said firmly. Lando's mouth was dry. For so long he'd fought against the Empire, and now the most horrible moment of his life was when he had it at his mercy. "Do it," Garak said, and his tone made it clear that things would become even more unpleasant if he refused. Lando knew what it was about, it was about Lando always knowing his culpability in this, so that he could never delude himself into thinking it was Garak's doing. He'd re-built this thing; he had no one to hold responsible for what it did but himself.

Lando cleared his throat. "Commence primary ignition," he ordered, as if he'd just asked someone to slit his own throat.
--------------------------------------------------------------

On the planet, Senator Alixus looked at the image of the Death Star on the display. Her stomach had knotted into a fist of rage at the sight of it. If there was ever a symbol for her greatest hate, the artificial moon was it. And despite the strength of her humanity, there was nothing she could do about it. She spat at the image, taking at least the small pleasure of despising it before it did its work.
--------------------------------------------------------------

"Captain, please stop this!" Annika said.

"Hush, child," the Oracle said. "Listen for the sound of an era ending."
--------------------------------------------------------------

Switches were flipped, buttons were pushed, and inside the powerful hypermatter reactor, unfathomable energies were released. They passed through the conduits to the surface of the Death Star, then converged on a single point, where energy built up. The green energy beam then lanced out and struck the planet.

In less than half a second, a quarter century of unity was brought to a sudden, violent, and irreversible end.

[2000AD]

Woah...........

[Crazedwraith]

*tries not to read now while posting*

Damn you, posting at quartre to midnight! will read tomorrow.

[Star Empire]

That is going to cause an awful lot of problems. Your a genius Chuck. Lets see, that makes 3 capital worlds destroyed in your story. I’ve been thinking for awhile that the Empire would probably still be pretty popular in some areas (remembering that a lot of the Star Wars galaxy voluntarily rejoined, as well as some large portions of the Delta Quadrant, near Borg space). This should single handily destroy most of that.

[darthdavid]

I can usually see through the "twists and turns" of a series once it starts to accumulate such a massive quantity of momentum as this one has, mainly because authers tend to have to make straight lines for that momentum to travel along. Somehow you've got this thing taking corners like a sports car even this far into the game.

[LordShaithis]

Chuck has this way of taking the most absurd-sounding concepts, like Darth Janeway, and somehow making them work goddamn brilliantly.

[Crazedwraith]

Now I've read it. Whoa...

[Sonnenburg]

I'm going to be even busier than usual next week, so I'm posting the next chapter early. Merry Christmas!

[Sonnenburg]

Part XXVII

The Oracle gestured and images of Ben Skywalker and Molly O'Brien appeared on the monitors. "You have succeeded, I see."

"Yes, my master," Ben said.

"That is good. Perhaps you will be a useful servant after all."

The word visibly stung Ben. "Thank you, master," he got out.

"I have another assignment for you," the Oracle said. "You will go to the planet Vidik in the Delta quadrant. I want you to set up a system-wide jamming field to cut them off. Shortly after you arrive the Vong will be launching an assault on that world. I want you to assist them by assassinating the leaders of the opposition there."

"As you command, master," Ben said. The Oracle waved and the monitors went blank.

"A little gasoline on the fire, Seven," the Oracle said, turning to Annika.

"How could you kill all those people?" Annika said, shocked that she'd ever considered this inhuman thing a friend.

"I picture an Earth with the sun blotted out by star destroyers, and it becomes easy," the Oracle said. "But the time for discussing my motivations is past. The Empire's crumbling even as we speak, Seven. No one will save you now, no one but me."

"No!" Annika said fiercely.

"Time is running out, Seven," the Oracle said. "Vidik is an important stronghold, an advance Romulan system. Many of the independent systems have sent representatives there to discuss ways of bringing war charges against the Empire for their use of planet-destroying weaponry. It's supposed to be a secret, but with the frightening image of the Death Star being used against the Empire's own people, the word will be officially released that the Vidik Council is going to hold the Empire responsible for their atrocities. Unfortunately for them, Nom Anor will see that as a perfect opportunity to absorb a wide-range of high-ranking officials into the Vong creature, and to eliminate a key launching platform for attacks against the Vong."

"Didn't you tell Ben to kill the leaders?"

"Naturally. Nom Anor and the Vong are no friends of mine. Helping them now that the Empire's fallen would be a mistake. No, let them put the fear into people's hearts again for a brief time, so that the next phase of the plan can advance.” She began working with some of the unfathomable equipment on her bench. “If Vidik, and the loosely-aligned forces present there, are to have a chance of surviving the assault, then someone -some champion of the Light side- must come to their aid, and I think we both have an idea who will."

Annika's face fell as the implication got through. "Sebastian."

The Oracle looked up from her work and offered her sickening smile. "Two days, Seven. The clock is ticking. We both know that Sebastian is not as strong as Ben... not in the light, anyway. That's why he ran the first time, after all. But then again, the Vong attack on his mind has fueled his anger, hasn't it? Maybe he'll tap into that same power and win the day?" Tears were running down Annika's face, but she said nothing. "I have seen the confrontation, Seven. Only one of two possible outcomes will transpire. Either Sebastian Skywalker will die, or he will embrace the Dark side and kill Ben. Either way, you're going to lose him." Annika closed her eyes and bit her lip. "The only son you'll ever have. The only piece of your fallen husband you have left." The Oracle shook her head. "I win no matter what happens, Seven," the Oracle said. "If he does turn, how do you think he'll react when I tell him that you could have saved his wife, and refused? I think I'll be the one having to hold him back from killing you."

"How can you take such pleasure in my pain?!" Annika finally shouted. "How can even the Dark side twist your soul into this thing that you've become, so that you would do this to someone you once called 'friend?!'"

"I will take whatever steps are necessary to see this through, Seven," the Oracle said. "I take no pleasure in your suffering, but you suffer only because you refuse me. You destroyed the Borg once, help me do it again!"

"The Borg are all that stand between the innocent people of the galaxy and your evil, captain!"

The Oracle made an amused sound. “Really? Are you sure?”

Annika was about to reply, but something in the Oracle’s expression gave her pause. Nevertheless, she knew who was the danger here. “I’ll take the Borg at their worst over you, captain.”

"At their worst?” The Oracle said, apparently mulling that over. “Well, let’s see... They took away your father, killed your mother, stole your life away from you...” Annika cringed a little as the Oracle closed in on her. “They took everything away, Annika. I was the one who gave it back! I was the one who gave you Luke! Every good thing that has ever happened in your life has come from me!" The monitors lit up, and Annika recognized the confrontation on, and over, the Borg homeworld. "They drove Luke to the Dark side," the Oracle said emphatically. "It was all their fault! And they were the ones who infected you with the fungal disease, they who blackmailed your son into joining with them! You couldn't save him from the Vong because the infection left you bedridden in the hospital. The Borg have brought you nothing but pain and misery, Seven! Help me destroy them, and I can make you and your son happy again! I can save him from falling to the Dark side!"

"Listen to me," the Annika on the monitor said to Luke, "stop this. Listen to me, stop this. Listen to me, stop this." Annika closed her eyes and covered her ears, but the Oracle stepped forward and yanked her hands away.

"This time you can stop it before it happens," the Oracle said. "You can save him before he crosses the line." Annika tried to pull herself out of the Oracle's grip, but amazingly, even Borg-enhanced strength couldn't do it. "How can you hate me, Seven, when I'm offering to raise the dead for you?" Annika said nothing, and finally the Oracle released her and turned back to her monitors. "Two days, Seven," she said. "I hope that's enough time for you to see reason."

The same Sith who brought her in grabbed Annika's arm and dragged her back to her cell, tossing her onto the cot before sealing the door. Annika curled up and cried for a long time. She's finally done it, Annika thought distantly. She's found a way to break me. She buried her head under the pillow, and thought again about snapping her own neck.

There were two paths before her. Take the one, and it would bring back almost all the joy and happiness she'd lost over these past few years. Take the other, and what little she had left would be taken away. In those simple terms, it was so easy to choose, but Annika was cursed with intelligence, and that was why she knew that the first choice was no choice at all.

Annika didn't have the ability to see across time and space like the Oracle, but she had a vision of the future nonetheless. It was the future of the Oracle's "Federation," which would be nothing more than a dictatorship under her absolute control, as oppressive as the Empire was in its darkest days. And her Federation would be worse in another important way. The Rebels had been able to organize and oppose Palpatine and the New Order, but how could you hope to plot against someone with her vision? She could eliminate any adversary before they even considered opposing her. No enemy could arise from within and not be destroyed, and no enemy could come from without and not have their arrival foreseen and prepared for. Once the Federation was in place, the Oracle would ensure that it never, ever, was destroyed. And that was the scariest part of all. Because in her corruption she'd found the key to immortality. Once she was in position, she would remain there until the end of time.

Annika shook her head. Janeway had started with nothing, and somehow had managed to manipulate events to topple an Empire that spanned two galaxies. If this was what she could do with nothing, imagine when she had resources on a galactic level to work with. And would her own personal power continue to grow, until she was able to rival the Q? Could she threaten the universe? All universes? With the ability to cross time and dimensions, what kind of dark god could she turn into?

Annika shivered. There was no way she could take that risk. No matter what the Oracle offered, the answer would have to be no. No matter how much she would be tortured, she'd have to resist. Even if Sebastian did fall, as much as the thought froze her heart, she'd still have to say no. Because anyone who opposed the Oracle was possibly the only hope of aborting living hell before it could arrive. If it meant losing everything she cherished, Annika knew she'd have to stand firm, because against power like this Sith master, every possible edge mattered.
--------------------------------------------------------------

Things were perfect. That really should have been the first tip for Han that it was all going to go straight to hell.

The weather had been gorgeous, the ceremony went off without any problem, the reception was in full swing. Anakin and Laudica looked too happy for words, everyone was enjoying themselves. Roger had had a suit made to his abnormal specifications and was dancing with Kilana in a way that wasn't entirely offensive and only called for execution in a few of the smaller religious orders in the galaxy. Then Han made the fatal mistake of enjoying himself.

The party came to a screeching halt as bride and groom stumbled during the dance, and they weren't alone. The other members of the Academy were grabbing on to things for support, and Han knew it couldn't be because they'd had too much to drink. Afterwards, it all made sense. After all, he'd seen it before with a crazy old wizard. Chandrilla, the place where he'd raised his family, was gone.

Han found Volgo Terraine, who was one of the many civil representatives who had been invited and led him out into the hall away from prying eyes. The moment they were alone, however, Han tossed him against the wall. "When the hell did we build a Death Star?" Han fumed at him.

Terraine straightened his suit. "We didn't."

"Don't feed me that crap! I've seen two of those things up close, so don't tell me I don't know what that was!"

"Mr. Solo, I'm as puzzled as you are."

"I'm not puzzled, I'm pissed off!"

"Listen to me," Terraine said. "The Emperor cancelled the order to build the Death Stars. He said he never wanted another built. When the military took control, the resources simply weren't there to build one. The war effort has been a black hole sucking in everything. And let me tell you, building a Death Star is no easy task." He hesitated a moment. "Leia said you can be trusted with a secret. She's right, isn't she?" Han made a face but nodded. "Taar's been pushing for the Eclipse Mark II, a more powerful replacement for the lost ships. He didn't tell me about it, but if you know where to look, you can find the trail. Solo, that was for a ship insignificant in size compared to a Death Star! It would be impossible for Taar or anyone in the high command to build one without my finding out about it, the number of personnel, credits, and resources would be too big to hide."

"Then how do you explain Chandrilla?" Han demanded.

Terraine shrugged. "I can't. It doesn't make any sense; no one has the resources to build something like that... except possibly the Borg, but they have their hands full with the Vong and the raiders, and all their resources are focused in the Milky Way. They couldn't get it through the Wormhole without being found out."

"Then that just leaves the Empire," Han said.

"I'm telling you, Mr. Solo, it's not possible!"

"Great! So you're saying that Chandrilla wasn't blown up, is that it? Because it's not possible for anyone to do it!"

"Listen, we will figure out what's going on, but right now, I have no answers."

"So you don't know who may be next, right?" Han said. "Destroying Chandrilla was just the first step, you can bet on that. And it doesn't make sense for anyone else to bother with it, because the military is running everything from the fleet now. The only thing it threatened was Taar and his hold on the galaxy."

"Think about this a minute," Terraine said. "So what if Chandrilla is there or not, from the point of view of the military. They're enforcing rule by force. Destroying Chandrilla is nothing to them. It sounds good, but what will it accomplish? All they would have done was given the systems reason to reject their rule, it'd only make things worse for them."

"Maybe," Han said. "But nothing else is even close to making sense. That thing didn't pass through the wormhole, so that means it was built here. You've got the Vong, who wouldn't touch technology with a ten foot amphistaf, you've got Borda, who is using outdated technical supplies to keep his forces in play, pirates, smugglers, a few crime syndicates, and that's it. Nobody else but the Empire could possibly have built that thing."

"I understand that," Terraine said. "But I'm telling you we didn't. We just don't have the ability to do it right now, I'm telling you. Besides, Taar isn't stupid. If he had a Death Star, he wouldn't fire it on Chandrilla, he'd fire it at a Vong target, and let the Senate on Chandrilla fill in the blanks."

Han shook his head. "This is even better. He fires it on Chandrilla and let's all the other systems fill in the blanks. 'Do what we say or you're next.'"

"Rule by fear isn't going to work in this day and age," Terraine said. "The Empire was in chaos before this happened. It doesn't matter if Taar has a Death Star or not, nobody's going to listen to the military command any more."

"It's still the only thing that makes sense," Han said.

"Listen," Terraine said, "I know General Taar, and if there's one thing he hates, it's a war on two fronts. He would not go after the Senate unless the Vong were dead and buried, and we know that's not the case."

Han was about to retort, but he thought about it. That was a valid point. He had been privy to some of the goings on and knew that Taar had even surrendered to Garak, just to keep him out of his hair. He'd always treated the military machine like a knife rather than a hammer; put all your pressure on one point and push until the thing is killed. The Vong were reeling, but the fight Han and Kilana had with them during the revolt showed they weren't out for good. Putting down revolutions would draw forces away from the front lines where Taar needed them to finish the mop-up.

Han added it all up. Terraine was shifty, but if he wanted Han off his back, he would have concocted a more convincing lie than a shoulder shrug. So, it meant one of two things. Either someone else in the military had found a way to pull this thing off, or some other faction in this galaxy had somehow managed to do it. Either way, it meant more digging would need to be done.

Han went in and found Kilana and Roger. "We're leaving, and take that ridiculous thing off."

Roger looked at Kilana. "I think it's a lovely dress."

"Not her, idiot, you." Han led the rest of the trio out of the room. "We're going to hook up with Borda, see what we can find out."

"Do you think the Empire was really behind this?" Kilana asked.

"I don't know," he admitted. "No other answer makes sense, but it seems to be right only because it's the least stupid answer, not because it sounds right."
--------------------------------------------------------------

"-all evidence confirms that a Death Star was seen in the vicinity-"

"-again, Chandrilla has been completely blown away-"

"-no official word, but the Imperial military command seems the only likely culprit-"

"-death toll still being calculated-"

"-all queries to General Taar go unanswered-"

"-almost every Imperial world has announced withdrawal from the Empire-"

"-condemnation from sentient rights groups-"

"-experts agree that the Empire cannot be held together by force any longer-"

"-question of the Vong menace looms-"

"-rumors that many high-ranking military officials have been murdered as well-"

"-Vidik Council promises to bring those responsible to justice-"

"-economic turmoil, with the Imperial credit potentially becoming worthless-"

"-the Empire may have done to itself what the Vong could never do-"

Romal shook his head as the reports continued pouring in. "This is bad," he said gravely, turning to the Borg Queen and the hologram of Sebastian. "Bad for the galaxies, bad for us."

"If the Empire had a Death Star," Sebastian said, "they would have used it on the Vong, not on Chandrilla."

"No one seems to be seeing it that way," Romal said. "And if the rumors are true, that Taar and his high command are dead, then the Empire is finished. They can't fight the Vong and hold their territory together by force, not even with a Death Star."

"Then our business license is useless," the Borg Queen said.

"Yes," Romal said, "but frankly, that's the least of our problems." Sebastian's eyebrow twitched, then he whirled, igniting his lightsaber and beheading a drone that had apparently come up behind him on his own ship. Romal freaked. "What's going on?" he demanded.

"Do not resist," the voice of the Collective said. "Your biological distinctiveness will be added to our own."

Romal backed away, reaching into his cloak and pulling out a hold-out blaster, pointing it at the drones filtering into the room. "We had a deal!" he protested.

"Deals are irrelevant. The need for your service in this capacity has ended. From this time forward, your service will be direct and efficient."

"Don't do this," Sebastian warned. "You're making a mistake."

"The Empire is no longer a threat to us," the Collective said. "The Vong are no longer a threat to us. Negotiation is no longer necessary. Both will be assimilated. We will continue towards our own perfection, and raise the quality of life for all species. That is the way of the Borg."

[Crazedwraith]

1st post.

Excellant. The borg have gone full circle.

[Star Empire]

I didn't think the Borg would go back to this. Let's hope Sebastian can talk them out of it. This is amazing Chuck, just to see the Empire we've seen built up over the last couple of stories taken down like this. I was thinking about it, and if Sebastian can convince the Borg to back down, then we'll have an evil Federation vs. a good Borg Collective.

[Chris OFarrell]

I didn't think the Borg would go back to this. Let's hope Sebastian can talk them out of it. This is amazing Chuck, just to see the Empire we've seen built up over the last couple of stories taken down like this. I was thinking about it, and if Sebastian can convince the Borg to back down, then we'll have an evil Federation vs. a good Borg Collective.

That would be far too clear and simple...Chuck would never go for it