Star Crossed Fanfic

[Prozac the Robert]

Thank you kind sir, I now have something good to read tonight!!! Now on with the rest of the matrix one you started writing wench!

Bah, forget matrixishness, we want twilight war! Or I do at any rate.

Also, cool chapter Stravo. I quite like the golden borg thing. And the battle is looking cool. It still feels like Thrawn is going to keep the upper hand, but it also gets across the point that Kirk's going to make him fight for it all the way.

And although I've probably forgoten some, I'm sure there are a whole load of things that are going to spring up in the near future to mess around with the outcome. Let's see: borg, deathstar, Nemesis' fleet, the superweapon thing that's suposed to blow up Thrawn's fleet, the superweapon thing that's going to blow up the whole solar system. You know, I thought it was chuck that we were suposed to have money on for killing everyone in his last chapter.

[HSRTG]

New Starcrossed. Words cannot describe my pleasure. Awesome as always, and may the next update be here in less than half the time.

Serenity homage. Sweet.

[Johnathon_Chance]

oh yah, that one too, I forgot the twilight war!

I couldnt wait til tonight, I read it at work. Holy Freaking christ thats a good chapter, I WANT MORE!!! The new borg is cool, be interesting to see how the outcome of that reads.

Now reading that chapter with Vader reaching out with the force, wouldnt he be able to sense just how powerful Luke has become? Wouldn't Palpatine be able to as well?

[ElPintoGrande]

Had this not been an actual update, someone would have some 'splaining to do... Nothing makes me happier when I come to this forum than to see a Starcrossed update. Stravo, this story is what brought me to this board as a regular lurker last year. It's damned good to see you back. I'm really intersted to see more of Gary Mitchell and his goings on in God-hood.

Great new chapter by the way! Been wondering about the Battle of Andor for months.

[starfury]

Yes indeed, the slow wait for the battle of andor has left wanting more and it go to see it begin, even if it passed a tad too fast.

[applejack]

“No. You will become part of something…wonderful. "

A bit of a 2010 flavor to that line.

[LaCroix]

Moooore, me want moooooooore!!!!!

[Comosicus]

Very good chapter after such a long waiting.

[Stuart Mackey]

.

Anyone have any thoughts on Vader's realization on what he could do with Palgueis' gift of eternal life? I mean it hit me like a thunderbolt as I was writing that scene. Anakin giving the galaxy eternal life - wouldn't that make everything he did OK in everyone's book? Evil men like to justiufy what they've done.

When you watch AOTC {"Someday I will be able to stop people from dying" or similar words} and RotS one of the things that seduces Anakin to the dark side is a desire to stop people from dying{mother/Padme}. Lucas points out {'Making of' RotS CD} that evil people do not think of themselves as evil, so I expect that Vaders deeds are an 'ends justify the means' excuse.

[Anarchist Bunny]

Awwww, the borg ships are still geometric shapes. I was hoping they'd each be abstract shapes each formed by the collective personality of the, hmmm drones isn't the right word, members aboard(like if a bunch of scientist types were on it it would appear mroe like the old Borg, but a bunch of Klingons and youd have a more dagger like shape.

Anyways, about damn time, worst possible point to take a four month break, on the eve of the "great battle", but now that its here I'm excited.

Edit: Oh and screw Twilight War(no offense, but its my least favorite of your fics Stravo), I want more Cain and Abel, Storming the Gates of Heaven(I may be misremembering the SG-1/Andromeda ones name), the zombie one, or the giant 24 themed clusterfuck!

[Lukedanieljames]

Stravo, I love your fanfic, but I got a few questions.

In ANH Vader was respectful of Tarkin, listening to him, obeying him in some instances, but Tarkin was always very respectful to Vader aswell. So they had equal power, or close to it. In this fanfic, the time line is well beyond ANH, and Vader is being literally pushed around by Thrawn. Thrawn is very disrespectful of him, and is only a Grand Admiral, not even as high as Tarkin was in ANH. Also, Vader worked with tarkin fro 20 years, they were friends. I am having a very hard time believing Vader would act in such a way, let himself be questioned like a jail house by Thrawn for some of his actions,

Can you please justify (it sounds really stupid of me to ask this for someone's fanfic, but we are all fans.) Vaders behaviour? He has an enormous ego, even long-term planning wouldn't make him act this way. He didn't takeout palpatine cause he wasn't strong enough, so not so much acting there. I realize that GL said that Vader was only a shadow of his former self and he was just an old cripple, but he had more power than you are showing him to have just by watching ESB and ROTJ alone.


Also, Khan. I really really like his character in this fanfic, I think you are doing an excellent job, although, khan was never actually tricked in the movies I don't believe, I hope thrawn doesn't pull a fast one on him that even the audience might see

[NecronLord]

Vader, in the canon, seems to have lost some standing with the Emperor after the debacles of ANH and ESB. This may be an explanation.

[Stravo]

First let me put my author biases on the table. I am not a Vader fanboy, never really have been. That does not mean I will not give the character his due - check out Vader kicking an obscene amount of ass on the raid on Darkstar's palace as a prime example. However that also means that Vader will not be the coolest bad guy around and everyone else is fawning over him. He is a cog in Palpatine's great machine. I fully embrace the GL version of Vader as a tragic figure struggling to be important in a sea of flunkies.

Thrawn was given complete authority over the fleet directly from the Emperor in the Interludes II chapter and Vader was tagging along solely as the Emperor's representative and eyes and ears. Palpatine is setting up a power play in that fleet on purpose. He specifically wants Thrawn to push Vader around and specifically tied Vader's hands in terms of authority so that there would be tension and conflict. Why? I'll never tell.

Vader is also in a weird position not just authority wise. His son whom he's been hanging all his hopes in finally overcoming Palpatine and ascending to the head of the Sith order has gone missing and he's worried. Now that Nemesis has turned rogue and set up his own little fiefdom out here Vader feels betrayed and angry and he knows that he needs Thrawn to help him defeat Luke's Imperium so he's willing to bend knee here and there in exchange for Thrawn's good will or at the very least cooperation.

Vader is no fool. He knows he doesn't have the strategic or tactical ability that Thrawn posseses so he lets Thrawn do the dirty work. But make no mistake, as soon as it is viable Thrawn is getting ye old force choke. I'm portraying Vader not as a homicidal maniac that kills for no reason, he's more patient here, more willing to bend a little because of Luke.

Vader wants Luke back at his side and will do nearly anything to accomplish that. He killed the Jedi Order, Friends, Associates, betrayed his Republic all in a bid to save his wife. Why wouldn't he bend knee and let Thrawn feel his oats a bit in order to regain his son?

Vader is playing long term strategy now. He can't afford to let his anger get the best of him at this critical juncture.

But he's no push over - he force choked Thrawn the minute Thrawn even hinted that he might hold the fact that Nemesis was his son over him.

It's an interesting tension between those two and I'm working to a nice payoff in the end and also plays to the idea of Palpatine having all his pawns dance to his tune and seeing who wins out in the end.

The Thrawn/Kahn one is even more interesting because each one knows the other is trying their damndest to kill the other but for some reason like two big boxers that know and respect each others punching power their dancing around a bit, psyching each other out and who wins in the end is anyone's guess but no one here is going down like a bitch.

[Johnathon_Chance]

Oh, and you might want to find and replace 'counsel' with 'console.'

I thought that looked wrong and couldn't put my finger on it.

Anyone have any thoughts on Vader's realization on what he could do with Palgueis' gift of eternal life? I mean it hit me like a thunderbolt as I was writing that scene. Anakin giving the galaxy eternal life - wouldn't that make everything he did OK in everyone's book? Evil men like to justiufy what they've done.

I was thinking about your question this morning. What if Vader and Luke were to connect to each other, sublimily(?) and discuss what Luke has gone through with reaching down to the depths of the bottomless pit and coming back, and getting Vader to reach deep down inside himself and find that one pure spark in him that he never lost, the one that drove him to the dark side in the first place and focus on that with everything he had. What if Luke were to find out what truely happened that drove his father to the dark side from ObiWan and Yoda, and get his father to face that Palpatine was the true reason that Padame died. Just some random thought floating around my empty skull first thing in the morning.

[Captain Cyran]

As always. Very well done Stravo. One of the coolest things was the "Picard of Borg". Very interesting to see such a distinct change even in that aspect. Furthermore it will be interesting to see what the borg think they can pull against the Death Star. Though I am certain it will involve multiple god-like beings going at it while the fleets fight for survival as the whole play winds down.

As for the battle of Andor. Loved the Phalanx thing and the actually GOOD use of Technobabble. Very good tactic on Kirk's part to keep plans seperated to make things more difficult for Thrawn. I am waiting eagerly to see Luke and his step into this fight and see Thrawn crack, as much as I may love the guy there's only so much one can deal with before it's too much.

[Lex]

great chapter of a great fanfic, I can just say I want more but there's one thing:

please don't kill Thrawn like Zahn did it, by stabbing a rouge bodyguards' knife into his back, that would blow...

[Stravo]

Been awhile I know. Sorry about that but I hope this chapter was worth the wait.


Chapter 91: Battle of Andor III


Hide and Seek


“You can’t hide from me forever, boy.” Maul growled darkly as he stalked through another corridor hatchway. The big double blast doors were off their tracks and whining loudly as the motors tried to move the half ton tritanium seals into place. Sparks leapt off the edges of the octagonal doors and spilled around the Sith Lord’s boots. His crimson lightsaber hummed hungrily in the near darkness. Lights were winking on and off in random patterns and wires trailed down like leaves from a weeping willow to the floor from gashes in the ceiling and walls.

Maul stretched out once again with the Force and he searched for his quarry. The human was close, he knew that. He could almost hear him breathing hard somewhere behind a stray piece of furniture or an errant corpse. The fool thought he could evade the Sith Lord but all he was succeeding in doing was exhausting his patience.

“You know you’re only delaying the inevitable.” Maul continued as he walked slowly down the corridor, his senses fully alert. Something had brushed past his last Force sweep, like wind on silk curtains. The boy was talented he would give him that. He was no Force user however and that gave the Sith Lord some pause.

Whatever abilities the boy drew upon they did not touch the Force in any way so he could not track him in that manner. And his previous attempts at finding him had been successful only because Charlie Evans was obviously as unfamiliar with the Force as Maul was with these psi talents the boy possessed.

When the boy first turned to hiding Maul had easily found him but soon the boy began to melt away like so many shadows in dusk. Then Maul last found him only because Evans hid so well that he formed a void in the space where he stood and Maul nearly had him then.

Maul frowned heavily.

Charlie Evans was learning too fast for his tastes. Now he seemed to be perfectly blended into his environment. Maul would literally have to walk over him to find him. He had no time for this. His master assumed he would be able to slaughter this nuisance and return to the Deathstar to begin the final phases of his plan.

The fact that this uninitiated child was eluding the best hunter the Sith had ever produced was enraging him and his rage was giving him a pretnatural focus. He needed that focus now to peer past the veils the child was putting up to protect him.

Somehow Evans knew that all he needed to do was outwait Maul. The Federation Remnant’s meager skeletal security force would eventually realize something was wrong and come in force. Then what was Maul to do? Kill everyone until he found his prey. There simply was no time for this.

“You are only prolonging the inevitable. This blade.” Maul indicated his double bladed lightsaber with a quick jerk of the weapon. “Will assure that you die quickly and painlessly.” Maul glanced backwards. He felt it again, like a wind in the grass. When the boy moved he left slight ripples in the Force. If not for Maul’s single-minded concentration on finding him it was doubtful a Jedi or Sith would ever detect them.

The Master, as always, was correct. This Charlie Evans could not be allowed to live. He was too dangerous. If he could avoid the Emperor’s greatest hunter like this then he was too grave a threat to the Order. He must die.

Now if only he could find him.

“Coward. You think you accomplish anything by hiding from me?” Maul snapped. He calmed his breathing. He needed to use all his senses not just his Force abilities. There had to be a flaw in this veil of psychic camouflage his prey hid behind and he would find that flaw. And then he would make his prey beg for its life.

He felt the ripple in the force like a tsunami hammering towards him. Maul flipped end over end and brought one hand up quickly and called upon his anger and rage to form around him like a shield. The psychic assault crashed around him and the walls of the corridor visibly buckled inwards as if a great hand had flexed itself in the tight constrained space. Metal groaned and bulkheads shuddered as the psychic assault passed over him and subsided.

Maul reached out with the Force and sent a force push down the corridor in as wide a n arc as possible. He heard a deep exhalation of air and a blurry shape catapulted off its feet backwards and down the corridor. Maul charged forward after his prey. His smile was triumphant and cold.

“Fool, you’ve tried and tried again and you have failed. Your power is no match for the darkside.” Maul snarled as he raised his lightsaber over his head. His prone opponent rolled onto his back and smiled at the Sith lord.

“Isn’t it now?”

The floor beneath Maul vanished between footfalls. Maul’s eyes widened in surprise and he plummeted down through the hole to the floor below. Charlie scrambled to his feet, gingerly touching his left side. Those pushes of force were like jack hammers. He had no doubts that if he were struck head on by one of them he would have been severely injured.

Unfortunately this Sith could somehow ward off his most potent attack. He had tried half a dozen times now to wish him away but the dark warrior was able to somehow use his anger and rage like a shield. Charlie was unaccustomed to someone who could match him on equal footing and found himself reaching deep into his grab bag of tricks now.

He was sure that he had a wide range of abilities at his disposal, it was usually just limited by his imagination but the key here was that Charlie had never had to imagine such creative things like invisibility and more importantly as much as he was putting on a brave front for this Darth Maul he was afraid. Very afraid of the Sith and that crimson lightsaber. Charlie kept imagining what it must be like to be touched with that blade. It would hurt wouldn’t it?

Charlie shook his head strongly and cleared his thoughts of the fears and doubt that kept creeping in. He wondered briefly if these distractions were some trick of the Sith lord’s doing, flooding his mind with fear and apprehension. But that would be fooling himself.

Charlie had not had to fight for his life ever. This was a new experience for him. Fate had simply decided to make it more than a challenge the first time out.

“Q, I could really use your help right about now.” Charlie muttered. He looked down the hole and saw nothing but inky blackness below. The lights were out. Part of him urged him to overcome his fears and leap down there to confront Maul. But on second thought he realized he would be trading cowardice for foolishness. A lightsaber blade could easily be waiting to eviscerate him should he just carelessly fling himself down there.

No, you have to think creatively he mused and waved his hand over the hole. The floor returned to its intact state. He nodded satisfied with himself and hurried over to the turbo lift.



The boy was dangerous. Despite the earlier bravado every time Evans launched that broad psionic assault on him his strength waned and ebbed shrugging off the attacks. Maul had no doubts that over time Evans would batter his defenses down and he would be caught up in that maelstrom.

Maul did not enjoy being outclassed in terms of raw power. The Dark side was supposed to be the path to ultimate power – his master had even suggested that a true master would be able to tap into reserves of unlimited power. Maul was no where near ready for that level of enlightenment it seemed because a boy was able to batter and punish him effortlessly.

If only Maul could get one attack on him, one strike and this would all be over. He did not want to conceive of what his master would do to him should he fail in this mission. This was the test, the gauntlet he had to endure in order to be deemed worthy of engaging the traitorous scum Skywalker. How he yearned to clash sabers with the sandy haired youth and teach him about power and obedience.

Obedience.

Maul smiled coldly.

He melted into the shadows as the doors to the turbolift down the hall snapped open. Charlie cautiously stepped out, holding one hand up above his head from which a pale blue light sputtered into life bathing the corridor and surrounding offices in its aura.

“You want to finish this Maul. I know you do. Come out and face me like a man.” Charlie called out. In his mind he held onto the vision of his plan. He could not allow fear and surprise to cloud his judgment or his reaction time. It was all about the plan. He could no longer run and hide from the Sith lord.

He could feel the security teams on their way and he had also read the murderous intent in the Sith lord’s mind. He would butcher them all if he had to. He would cut a bloody swath through whatever stood between he and Charlie. Charlie could not stomach the notion of people dying because he was too busy hiding.

Jim would never approve of that and he would not be hiding. He would be down here, in the dark, hunting the hunter. He would not let James Kirk down.

Maul slid quietly along the walls, willing the shadows to cling to him like desperate lovers as he approached his target. The bastard was foolish enough to come down here and confront him directly. Now he would pay. Obedience. There were many paths to power in the Force, especially in the Dark side. One of those paths could illicit obedience from those with weak minds. Whereas the Jedi used a stunted form that they so childishly labeled the Mind Trick the Sith were well versed in the far more efficient and brutally effective version known simply as Command.

Maul exploded out from the shadows to Charlie’s right and focused his mind like a scalpel as he uttered a single word backed by all his vaunted will and malevolent rage.

“STOP!!”

Charlie felt the influence on his mind, the almost irresistible urge to simply stand stock still despite the fact that every instinct was telling him to move, to run, to do something. But Charlie’s imagination was in full tilt and while his body was battling with itself on whether it should move or not, neurons misfired, muscles spasms wracked Charlie as his will battled the Force driven command his mind was free and in motion.

The dark lord roared triumphantly as he pulled his lightsaber backwards in a clean sweep to take the man child’s head and bring him victory. Charlie Evans’ will was in motion bringing reality to bend to his whim as it always did.

And like a willing servant reality indeed unfurled for him and Darth Maul. The air around the Sith Lord solidified quickly like amber as he tried to trap his dark attacker but Maul was determined to strike and he fought past the mental trap, swinging his blade with determined effort. Charlie fought the control word as well and raised his hands in a warding gesture across his chest as the blade impacted against an invisible wall thrown up by his desperate mind.

The saber reverberated backwards and the air where it struck mere inches from Charlie’s face sparked and shimmered like heat off the pavement in summer. Charlie however was thrown back by the kinetic backwash of the Sith lord’s strike and as he stumbled backwards Maul did not hesitate to raise the saber up at his shoulder and stab towards Charlie’s heart, grunting with effort as he let the hatred and anger flow, giving him strength unlike any man’s.

Charlie’s hands rose up again in a cross armed warding gesture and his will solidified the air again but the strike was much harder, more precise and focused. The blade punched through the psionic shield and stabbed Charlie’s upper chest.

Charlie gasped in shock. Because there was no pain, no searing of flesh and bone as he expected but instead an abiding cold and numbness that spread outwards from the wound. Charlie slumped backwards but his raised arms lashed down as if striking and Maul was launched off his feet and tumbled backwards.

Maul landed in a low crouch and extended a gauntleted hand with a cold smirk of derision at his wounded prey. Charlie was gaping down in shock at the partially cauterized wound in his upper chest. Maul’s strike was intended for his heart but a lung would do for now.

“I will take you in pieces if I must, boy, but for now, you will feel the fury of the Dark side.” Maul snarled and white lightning erupted from his outstretched hand and closed the distance with Charlie in the blink of an eye. Charlie screamed as the lightning shit through him hungrily lapping up his life force and driving him to his knees.

Maul’s smile was ice as he began to walk towards Charlie, letting the lightning ease up slightly so he could enjoy the child’s screams. Charlie writhed on his knees, head down into his chest biting back the screams of pain.

“Only now do you realize how hopeless your cause was little boy. At last we bring this game to a close, at last you shall know pain and then death. Then my master and I will take this wretched galaxy by the throat and seize it for our own. The Sith empire will span two galaxies and we will be unchallenged in our might.” Maul stood over Charlie and raised his hand directly over his fallen foe’s head. The lightning drew down to almost a light rain of electricity and dark side energy that danced hungrily over Charlie’s body, collecting around his wound and his joints.

“You…don’t even…care that the…universe is…ending. Do you?” Charlie managed to grunt out between rapid breaths and the pain that lanced through his body. His breath was low and ragged, it seemed difficult for him to swallow enough air.

Maul sneered.

“If it ends, let it end in fire.” He replied grimly and then he stabbed down with his hand and the lightning exploded into a torrent and Charlie threw back his head and screamed.

“That’s it. It’s almost over now, boy. Just let go. You cannot win.”

Charlie’s eyes narrowed on his tormentor. He could hear James Kirk in his head. He could see all that was at stake. The universe falling apart, each galaxy snuffed out like so many guttering candles and here he was on his knees ready to give up and die.

Never.

Charlie raised his hands and caught the leading edges of the force lightning in his hands. The dark power burned between his fingers and through his hands as he felt for the conduit of how it flowed. He could sense the strands of hatred and anger in each tendril of agony and it all led back to Darth Maul.

So Charlie exerted his will and he completed the circuit between himself and Maul.

The room warped and shuddered under the contest of Force energies and psionic will. Walls buckled and conduits and panels tore themselves from their moorings. The air itself seemed to congeal and thicken like ice.

The lightning suddenly blossomed from a steady stream of bluish white lightning into an explosion of light and hate that enveloped both Charlie and Maul. The Sith lord’s eyes widened as his attack was turned on him and he was flung like a rag doll spinning backwards into a support beam that gave way under the assault. Maul continued on and crashed into an access door, knocking it off the doorway and he landed in a loud thump on the floor.

The Sith lord gasped for a moment.

How was it possible that one untrained in the ways of the Force could turn such an attack?

“You’re no Jedi Master.” Maul spat, blood speckling the air around his mouth as he spoke.

Charlie struggled up into a standing position and shook his head slowly.

“No, but I don’t believe in the no-win scenario you black hearted son of a bitch.” Charlie shouted as he gathered up his strength and his power and instinctively charged forward. Maul kip upped and landed awkwardly as he suddenly realized that his left leg was shattered like glass. He could feel bone fragments working their way through muscle tissue and sinew.

Pain was irrelevant. Instead of hindering him Maul fed off the pain letting it fuel his anger and rage. He called upon the darkside and rained more lightning down on the charging child.

Charlie called up his own power and formed a battering ram around himself. He ran headlong into Maul and both crashed against each other in a furious clash of flesh and bone. They continued on through the access door that led into a maintenance Jeffries tube.

Charlie could feel the thrumming of the matter/antimatter reactor beneath them as they clashed with fists, lightning and psionic blades.

There was no other choice. He couldn’t out fight this creature. Desperation fueled a plan and Charlie rallied for one last strike. Maul activated his lightsaber with a loud snap hiss and brought it around for a killing stroke. Charlie struck down with all his might and the grilled plate beneath their feet shattered as if struck by a giant fist and the two tumbled down into the yawning chasm below into the engineering deck of the station. Charlie whipped his hands forward and saw a slash of crimson out of the corner of his eye, felt an icy slice and then for a brief moment of chilling clarity realized that his left arm just tumbled past his field of vision.

They continued to plummet twisting and twirling through midair directly down into the reactor core.

Charlie did not hesitate to reach out and place a hand firmly against Maul’s chest and willed the bastard to simply cease to exist, to be erased from the very fabric or reality like a bad dream. It was the dark lord’s turn to scream in pain and anguish as he felt the very essence of his being fading away.

Maul fumbled for his belt. As he locked eyes with the youth. His wrath was terrible.

“You lose.” Charlie smiled grimly, blood trailing from his nose and mouth.

They impacted against the reactor core and moments later there was only white light and then silence.




BATTLE OF ANDOR – PHASE I
DANCE OF WAR


The Enterprise shuddered hard as she suffered another volley from her attackers. On the screen several star destroyers were moving in a wedge to break through the tight Federation formation. The key to the Phalanx defensive system was that the starships had to remain a certain distance from each other in order to allow the shield harmonics to sympathetically reinforce each other.

The Imperials had obviously quickly discovered this weakness in the system and Thrawn had set his leading ships into Kirk’s lines to try and break the formation.

Kirk did not allow his concern to show on his face. Instead he paced between the tactical station and the helm, occasionally patting a crewmen on the shoulder or whispering a word of encouragement.

“The Second wing is faltering.” Spock warned.

“Have the Galaxy wing closest to them move in for support.” Kirk ordered tersely as he watched several starships suddenly vanish in balls of plasma and molten metal, unable to withstand the assault from the Imperial stardestroyer picket line that was slashing into his formation.

He couldn’t simply bull past them. Leaving such the stardestroyers in his rear echelon could only prove disastrous.

Thrawn was proving to be as brilliant a bastard as he was back at Romulus. But the odds were still not as bad and Kirk had some surprises up his sleeve.

“Position of the Executor?” he asked. The screen brightened as an Excelsior class ship had a nacelle sheared away by a turbolaser blast. The stricken starship spun into the shot, the energy of the impact spinning her on her axis and sending her speeding away trailing a glittering stream of debris and hot gasses.

Kirk leaned over to Sulu.

“Have the Hornblower break off and assist the Melbourne. She’s spinning out of control and could endanger the other ships.”

“On it.” Sulu nodded. Kirk looked back up at the screen eyes riveted on the command ship hanging back beyond the initial wave of Imperial ships.

“She is nineteen kilometers from prime position.” Spock reported.

Kirk rubbed his chin. He needed that ship to move.

“There’s only one way to get Thrawn to move forward and that’s be giving him reason enough to want to place his ship in further danger.” Kirk surmised. He stalked back to his command seat and adjusted his shirt as he sighed deeply collecting strength and resolve. This was going to be a tricky maneuver.

“Have the fleet fall back in wings to rendezvous point Baker.”

“Acknowledged.”

“And Mr. Sulu, keep the Enterprise firmly in front. I want Thrawn to see we’re among the last ships to reposition.”

“We are a rather tempting target just sitting out front like that.” Sulu grinned.

“Let’s hope we’re tempting enough.” Kirk replied darkly.



The Federation fleet began to slowly fall back, apparently searching for some respite from the charging Imperial ships. The stardestroyers like hounds on the hunt began to surge forward in response, eager to hunt down the ships that were keeping them from their victory.

TIE fighters dodged in-between the ships trading shots with passing starships and moving deeper into the Federation lines. They were hunting for cracks in the disciplined retreat. Bright emerald twin bolts lashed out in machine gun like staccato bursts when they found any floundering starships, flickering nacelles or trails of plasma and debris were like blood in the water for these small one manned predators.

Like wolves racing along a pack of mammoths the TIE fighters were quick to find their marks and engage them.

An ancient Constellation class starship slowly fell behind, one nacelle damaged and her impulse engines misfiring she was quickly surrounded and swarmed by the TIE fighters when they found her. The Imperial fighters danced around, flicking in and out and battering at her shields waiting to draw blood, hoping to bring down their prey as quickly as possible. Simultaneous attacks from above, below and behind were overwhelming the venerable ship’s defenses.

Soon one of her bottom nacelles exploded as a TIE fighter walked its cannon fire along the length of the nacelle and continued on to the elongated saucer hull. The bolts worked their way up to her bridge section and the fighter peeled away as the Constellation ship began to explode.

Her death drew the attention of a Nebula class the starship that quickly fired off a volley of torpedoes into the swarm of TIE fighters sending many to a quick fiery death as the spread of torpedoes exploded into crimson clouds of flame.

It is said that every action has an equal and opposite reaction. The quick yet orderly withdrawal of the Federation fleet was stinging the eager Imperial forces forward. Tightly clustered wedges of stardestroyers were finding themselves spreading out in a vain effort to engage as many Federation starships as possible.

As stardestroyers paused here and there to concentrate fire on a cluster of starships that were too slow to get out of the path of their hunters as they broke from their battle lines other continued on, surging forward to try and cut off the retreat.

Soon the leading picket lines were spread throughout the Federation fleet. Bursts of turbolaser batteries no longer as concentrated as when the stardestroyers were moving in tight wedges.




“No. This is not the time to move the command ship.” Thrawn replied quietly as his bright red eyes skimmed along a battle report that Piett had just handed him.

“Grand Admiral we are losing cohesion among the forward fleet elements. Standard Imperial battle tactics call for the command ship to be a certain distance from the leading elements of our fleet. We are nearly double that distance now.” Piett explained calmly. He knew that getting excited when debating the Grand Admiral was a pointless exercise.

“Since when have I ever followed standard Imperial battle tactics, and frankly I’m surprised after our experiences together that you would begin following them now precisely when standard tactics is what Kirk is counting on for us to rely upon.” Thrawn replied lips pursed in disappointment.

“His fleet is in retreat. I think we should fully exploit this momentary break in their formation and force the issue. One strike deep into his flank there –“ Piett jabbed a finger against the armored glass of the command window indicating a point in the Federation fleet’s retreating lines closest to the Executor. “could open a gap that would break this special shield defense that has been stymieing our efforts.”

Thrawn nodded sagely.

“And that is precisely where I would attack as well.”

Piett was puzzled.

“Save that that is precisely where Kirk wants to be as well. This retreat stinks of Vulcan.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Read Imperium battle reports more closely, Admiral,” Thrawn replied. “At the disastrous Battle of Vulcan he initiated a masterful series of retreats and displacements that lured in the Imperium stardestroyers into a point where they could bring crude mass drivers to bear and managed to destroy one of the ships and cripple the other.” Thrawn nodded to the battle raging outside. Just above the Executor an errant Klingon D-7 attack cruiser fell past the window, spinning like a mad top out of control trailing fire and debris before it impacted harmlessly against the forward shields of the Executor. “He is doing the same here.”

“Save that in at Vulcan he was facing solely three star destroyers. Here is facing the might of the finest sector fleet of the Empire. If we move swiftly enough we can overwhelm him.” Jerjerrod added quietly. He seemed distracted but now he was focused on the battle. Thrawn eyed the young commander with a hooded expression.

“We will not place our fleet at risk by doing what the enemy wants. Instead what we shall do is do what the enemy does not want in this instance.”

“Sir?”

“Alert all commands. I want long range planetary bombardment to commence on Andor.” Thrawn ordered decisively.

Piett frowned slightly.

“At this range we won’t do much damage or be very accurate.” He warned.

Thrawn smiled softly.

“We do not have to be very accurate to injure their world, Admiral. The whole reason Kirk is fighting so hard is to protect that world. When he begins to see that I refuse to engage him and instead will destroy his objective slowly but surely we will force him to act.” Thrawn closed a fist in front of Piett. “In this battle, my good Admiral, it will be James Kirk and his Federation that will dance to my tune.” Thrawn vowed.

Kahn’s eyes narrowed on the Grand Admiral and he smiled softly and nodded. Indeed, Grand Admiral. But there are still so many tunes to be played. Kahn mused.





Chancellor Worf growled in frustration as yet another of his capital ships met fiery doom as they continued to draw a cordon around the Executor. Soon they would be in position to launch their decisive stroke. His flagship and the Imperial flagship would do battle. He was no fool. He did not expect to win this battle at all. Especially not alone. Instead hundreds of Klingon ships were slowly circling the gargantuan command ship and taking up position for the all out assault that would hopefully destroy or at least cripple her.

Each of the Klingon ships was tasked with sections of the vessel to attack, most concentrating on the command and control centers and the main weapons emplacements. Worf doubted that even with their combined fire power they would be able to do more than injure her but if he could render her deaf, blind and dumb then he would score the victory that would be necessary to turn the tide.

“We have ships in position now Chancellor. We await your order to strike.” His XO announced with a barely restrained eagerness.

“Have our torpedoes tubes been loaded with the Federation proton torpedoes?”

“All the vessels that we could supply with the new torpedoes have at least one full spread of proton torpedoes to fire. We and a few other key command vessels are carrying a full load out.”

“Excellent. When the time comes we need to strike as one in order to have any hope of breaching those shields…and then…”

“We will avenge the loss of Quo’nos.” his XO replied proudly.

Worf eyed his eager XO and the other officers. They had expressions of anticipation that could only mean that the sting of battle was what they were craving now more than anything else.

“We will wait until the precise moment to strike, is that clear.” Worf warned strictly.

“Will we know it?”

Worf nodded eyeing the giant vessel slowly growing on his screen.

“When the Imperials need her most, when the Grand Admiral most wants to reach out to his fleet and take command we will silence her with our assault and hopefully give the Federation fleet the advantage it needs to turn the tide.” Worf assured him. Like all great hunters now all they had to do was wait.





“Geordie?” Riker asked tensely as the TIE Bombers began to complete their attack run on the open maw of the Excalibur. Their payload of proton torpedoes ready to explode within the Excalibur and wreck havoc with her delicate internal systems.

Riker knew that Geordie and his team barely understood the complexity of their craft so if there was major damage it was doubtful even the masterful Federation engineering corps could pull of the sort of repairs necessary to get them back in the fight.

“I can’t get the main weapon to burst fire, sir. We’re going to have to hope that we can scatter them with one of our shots.”

Riker frowned as he noted the Imperial formation.

“I think they’re a step ahead of us, Geordie. They’re coming in widely dispersed. We might hit some of them but we certainly won’t catch all of them. All it would take is one or two of those torpedoes exploding in here to knock us out of the fight.” Riker glanced down at Tom Paris who was wrestling with the controls as if he were fighting for his life with a Nausican.

“Tom?”

Tom glanced up at Riker.

“Sir if you’re going to ask me to try and evade them I have to say that there is no way in hell I can get this beast to do more than its already been doing. She just wasn’t designed to be anything more than a weapons platform. I can’t squeeze any more out of these engines.” Tom explained shaking his head in frustration.

Riker nodded and placed a hand on Tom’s shoulder.

“I understand, Lieutenant. Just do the best that you can and let’s hope for the best.”

“The Defiants are coming around for another pass.” Data noted with a nod of his head to the view panel.

Four Defiant class starships were harassing the Bomber wings relentlessly during their attack run but there were simply too many of them and the fighter escort had gone from making attack runs on the Excalibur to trying to drive the Defiants off.

A volley of pulse phaser fire sent a pair of bombers spinning out of control where they exploded further away from the main attack wing. Another Defiant turned on a dime and fired off a volley of torpedoes in the path of the bombers. A flight of TIE fighters dropped out of nowhere and began firing into the spread of torpedoes, detonating several before they reached their objective.

“These guys are good.” Tom noted grimly.

A warning buzzed loudly on Data’s terminal.

“We are in torpedo range, Captain.” Data reported emotionlessly.

“Geordie, standby to fire the weapon. Maybe instead of the bombers we can catch the torpedoes in one shot.”

“Worth a try, Captain. Standing by on your mark.” Geordie replied. He eyed the equipment around him, strange colored lights and tendrils of energy leapt from one connector to another and the reactor core hummed loudly. The machinery was twisted in awkward poses and composed of crystalline and metallic material never before encountered. It was no Federation starship but it was his ship now and arguably the most advanced vessel in the Federation fleet right now. He just lamented that he could not understand most of this technology. He knew that if he had a better grasp of the alien control systems he might have been able to save them by being able to burst fire the main weapon.

Instead they were pinning their hopes on one shot.

As the bombers began to release their payloads a storm of angry red bolts slashed down into them like accusing thunderbolts. Many of the bombers came apart in moments, unable to fire their torpedoes. Others broke formation under the assault, only a handful of bright blue trails indicated that a small number of torpedoes were fired.

“Data?”

“Rebel Alliance fighters coming in on an oblique approach. Rogue squadron sir.” Data answered.

X-Wings shot past their viewer as they dove past the Excalibur. Several were spinning on their axis and pulled away from the main body of the squadron. The Defiants passed the fighters and gunned their impulse engines as they tried to run down the errant proton torpedoes that were rapidly closing the distance with the Excalibur. Pulsed phaser fire lanced out in quick furtive jabs, hunting out the torpedoes and soon they all exploded in puffs of fire before they could ever threaten the several kilometers along conical vessel.

“Receiving com traffic from the Rogues sir.”

“On speakers.”

“Excalibur this is Rogue Leader. Sorry we arrived late for the party.”

“As they say on my world, Wedge, better late than never.”

“They say that on Corellia too. Nice to know certain sentiments are universal.” Wedge laughed. “Captain Riker we’ve noted your predicament. The Imperials are taking advantage of your lack of point defenses to slow you down with fighters and bombers. I think we can help you out on that end.”

Riker smiled gleefully.

“Is that an offer of escort from Rogue squadron?”

“We’re with you until the bitter end. We’ll keep those pesky TIEs off your back and you get back into this fight. Kirk needs the Excalibur more than ever.” Wedge explained.

“Well then, let’s get started.”

“This is the USS Thermopylae.”

“Roger that Thermopylae.”

“We’re wondering if your could use a few Defiants on this escort mission or is this strictly invitation only.” The female voice of the Defiant wing’s commander filtered through the speakers.

“They also say on Earth, the more the merrier. Welcome aboard Thermopylae.” Riker adjusted his shirt and sighted his new target. “All craft form up on the Excalibur. Its time we get back into this fight. Geordie, all power to the engines. I want to try something.”

“Uh, sir, with all respect, we’re not exactly in a position to be experimenting with the ships’ systems.” Geordie warned.

“It’s the only way we can close to knife fighting distance. We’re too slow to lumber right up to them so I was hoping Mr. Data here could plot us a hyperspace mini-jump , oh, say enough to get us up close and personal with that attack wing of stardestroyers.” Riker pointed them out on the tactical display.

Data raised an eyebrow.

“I have never attempted to interface with this vessel’s navigation systems.”

“No time like the present, Mr. Data and we need those coordinates ASAP.”

“I will endeavor to try.” Data replied and did not hesitate as he began working out the complex equations that would send the trillion ton craft into hyperspace and emerge in the exact spot that it had to be with no margin for error.

“You realize sir that we could end up smacking right into one of those stardestroyers if either Data’s navigational calculations are wrong or our hyperdrives aren’t functioning properly.” Geordie stated grimly.

“Right now, Geordie, we don’t have much of a choice.” Riker replied and shook his head. “Desperate times call for desperate measures and we seem to be very desperate right now.”




Lord Darth Vader watched impassively as the Devastator continued its relentless march into the Federation lines. He said nothing as starships blossomed into beautiful blasts of multi colored plasma under the wicked assault of the stardestroyer’s guns. Fighters clashed off to his right trading blasts with each other in frantic twists and maneuvers.

“My lord, all systems are nominal and our shields are holding. We are closing on Enterprise as you ordered.” The Captain of the Devastator reported stoically. He had served with Lord Vader many times in the past and did not feel the same trepidation that many flag officers felt in the Sith Lord’s presence. He knew there was one simple rule under Lord Vader’s service. Never fail.

“Excellent Captain. Soon we will have them.” Vader vowed.

“I have assault transports standing by to board her once we disable her.”

“All troopers are to be armed only with weapons set for stun. I want everyone on board alive, in particular the command crew. If James Kirk dies in this assault you will answer to me personally, Captain.”

“Understood sir. I have my best men assigned to the Bridge assault. No one will be killed without your explicit order, my lord.” The captain replied without batting an eye.

“Sir, the Executor has ordered all fleet assets to begin long range bombardment of Andor.” The Devastator’s XO reported as he handed the captain the datapad with the orders.

The Captain did not even glance at them. Instead he turned his attention to Lord Vader.

Vader looked down at the captain.

“You will carry out my orders to the letter, Captain. All other priorities are rescinded.”

“Of course milord. You have been and always shall be our commander.” The Captain replied with a sharp salute and returned his attention to the battle.

Vader eagerly anticipated having James Kirk brought before him. It was time to end this farce of the Federation Remnant fleet and Vader understood what lay at the heart of the Federation resistance and it was one man. One man who was going to completely submit to Imperial will as it was broadcast to his desperate fleet.

Vader smiled softly under his breath mask.

Thrawn had his methods and Vader had his own.

Vader stopped suddenly as if he had been shocked. His head jerked to the right as if he heard distant thunder threatening. His breathing seemed to skip a beat as well.

The disturbance in the Force was powerful and unmistakable.

“He is here.” Vader hissed.

“Imperium Fleet coming out of hyperspace in sector J. All fleet elements stand by.” The XO announced loudly. Alarms blared insistently as large warships emerged from hyperspace virtually on top of the Imperial forces.

“Luke.” Vader whispered. “You are going to meet your destiny today.”

[Trogdor]

First post!

Edit: Ah, Starcrossed, so good. Poor Charlie. At least he managed to take one scary looking Sith with him. I find it odd that the captain of the Devestator is so loyal to Vader. The dark lord traditionally just invokes fear, after all. But that's just one tiny detail really.

[Chris OFarrell]

AHHHHH! It's alive! WOOHO!

[Noble Ire]

Now all we need is Picard, the Borg, and the Emperor, and the party's complete.

Shame about Charlie, though. I rather liked him.

[A-Wing_Slash]

Shame about Charlie, though. I rather liked him.

I thought it was a shame about Darth Maul. I was hoping he'd get a more time. Plotlines have to start being tied up I guess.

And the battle scenes were beautiful.

[Arrow]

Excellent. I can't wait to see how this furball gets even more FUBARed.

[rhoenix]

Stavro, one of the reasons I joined the forums was so I could comment on this story. I know you've been having Real Life interfere with writing here, and that I do understand - but I think I speak for more than myself when I say I'm doing my best to be patiently waiting for the next chapter.

Your change of the Borg was fascinating - I can't wait to see what they're up to now.

[ElPintoGrande]

Could my day have ended any better? I think not. Things are coming together so beautifully. The wait is always worth it in this masterpiece. Though it is futile, I humbly requisition more and soon.

[JME2]

Very nice. Well done, Stravo.