Trogdor wrote:I started reading this by accident, thinking it was Shadows of the Night. I stopped when I realized what was wrong, but let me just say, Seven talking to her boobs=fucking hilarious.
It would not be a proper Unity chapter if it did not have Seven's tits center stage.
Chris OFarrell wrote:Chuck....I was laughing so hard I damn near started crying (and choking)...but for all that, the story was still amazing....as expected.
Thank you. This was fun. As you can see from this, Mara and our Seven do get along, and, well, I'm looking forward to seeing what everyone thinks. I've been spending a lot of time tonight writing them together and if I'd known it'd be this much fun, I probably would have just done a spinoff project with them. Not to give anything away or unfairly raise expectations, but I think if you liked this stuff, you'll like when they team up.
Ghost Rider wrote:This chapter with the one you did for the redo is fantastic in a view of Seven.
Ah, and that evil bitch Janeway still manages to keep puttering onward.
Thank you. If I might be indulged, I liked the way she was in Scorpion, but I think I really fell in love with the character in Day of Honor. Here she is, in a frightening situation, and the people who forced her into the situation are treating her with contempt for being here, Torres' comments show complete ignorance of the fact that Seven's as much a victim as anyone, and the Kitati want to take her away to torture and kill her. It was watching that that I really felt for Seven and wanted to understand what it was to be someone in this situation, first destroyed by the Borg, then surrounded by people who fear and/or hate her.
Star Empire wrote:It really is interesting to keep seeing tie ins between your rewrites and DoF. I liked the chapter, poor Seven.
Thanks. Yeah, I figured this chapter had to inevitably happen; there's simply no way Seven's going to give up on a chance to be with the only person she loved.
Insert obligatory "This is the greatest fanfic in history!" comment.
If Religion and Politics were characters on a soap opera, Religion would be the one that goes insane with jealousy over Politics' intimate relationship with Reality, and secretly murder Politics in the night, skin the corpse, and run around its apartment wearing the skin like a cape shouting "My votes now! All votes for me! Wheeee!" -- Lagmonster
The difference between an episode of Star Trek and Unity is that in an episode, we would expect Seven to figure out that Janeway is evil just in time to stop from doing whatever it is the oracle wants her to do. If that didn't happen, there would some miracle they could preform to save the Borg. In this fanfic, I am very worried the Borg aren't going to survive.
Chuck, on a completely unrelated note, I think you should let Janeway live through this story. She can be exiled to some other universe where she battles Jedi Master Nexlix or something. That should make everyone happy.
Very nice. I do hope alt-Seven figures out Janeway's evil or at least that she gets some scenes with real Seven. I can just imagine the two of them joining up being like the end of that Red Dwarf Episode (Confidence and Paranioa).
"You think you had it bad before, Janeway, old buddie? Now you've got it in Stereo"
Star Empire wrote:The difference between an episode of Star Trek and Unity is that in an episode, we would expect Seven to figure out that Janeway is evil just in time to stop from doing whatever it is the oracle wants her to do. If that didn't happen, there would some miracle they could preform to save the Borg. In this fanfic, I am very worried the Borg aren't going to survive.
We'll see.
Star Empire wrote:Chuck, on a completely unrelated note, I think you should let Janeway live through this story. She can be exiled to some other universe where she battles Jedi Master Nexlix or something. That should make everyone happy.
I've already written the first draft of the Oracle's fate, and I will assure readers it in no way involves Neelix.
Crazedwraith wrote: Very nice. I do hope alt-Seven figures out Janeway's evil or at least that she gets some scenes with real Seven. I can just imagine the two of them joining up being like the end of that Red Dwarf Episode (Confidence and Paranioa).
"You think you had it bad before, Janeway, old buddie? Now you've got it in Stereo"
Two 7 of 9's has always been one of my more risque fantasies.
Sebastian and a group of Borg drones materialized down on the planet's surface. The air shimmered around them as their forcefields protected them from the hostile elements of the demon planet. As expected, the holograms were waiting. "Greetings," Sebastian said with a slight bow of his head.
The lead hologram nodded in return. "I wasn't sure you would come."
"I understand your reservations," Sebastian said. "Here you're safe from my kind for the most part."
"For the most part," the hologram said.
Sebastian looked down at the shimmering field around him, then shrugged. "We are Borg," he said with a smirk. "We adapt."
"Yes, I see," he said. "My name is John, this is Kajal," he nodded to the Cardassian woman with him. "We expected to be found eventually; but we also expected a turbolaser rather than a communication."
"Thanks for giving me a chance to speak," Sebastian said. "I think we'll agree there's been enough violence."
"There has been regrettable violence," John said. "But not 'enough.'"
"I take it you mean there's something you want."
"Yes, what you take for granted: freedom."
"I don't take it for granted, John," Sebastian said. "Because every day I have to work to make sure it's there for the next day."
"Ah, very cute."
"I play the rhetoric game as well as the next man," Sebastian said. "So why don't we cut through this and get to the heart of the matter. For nearly ten years holographic individuals have been waging hit and run campaigns against biological ones. I'm assuming you're not doing it to give you something to do on a Tuesday afternoon. You want something specific."
"What we want is the liberation of our people," John said. "And we want justice brought to those who misused our kind, especially Janeway."
Sebastian blinked. "Kathryn Janeway?"
"Yes," John said. "Decades ago she gave holographic technology to the Hirogens to allow them to create us to hunt. We suffered unbearably until we managed to escape to here, and it was her fault for so flagrantly giving such power to monsters like them. We want her to answer before us for what she did."
Sebastian gave a short, humorless laugh. "Yeah, well, she killed my wife and desecrated the corpse, so if you want Janeway, I'm afraid you'll have to get in line."
"Our suffering-"
"Everybody suffers," Sebastian said sharply. "There's only so much Janeway to go around; just rest assured she's going to pay for every person she's ever hurt."
"That's enough for us," Kajal said. John tried to speak up but she spoke over him. "This isn't about revenge, John, this is about our people."
"I take it you mean other holographic sentients," Sebastian said.
"The question of holographic rights remains unanswered," John said.
Sebastian nodded. "You're quite correct, it has been. It's not an easy question to answer, it opens up whole new ones about life, and how do we treat life. Where does it end, and how will that impact society, especially given how society now struggles for its existence."
John nodded bitterly. "So we get a pat on the head, right? As we always have?"
"No," Sebastian said. "You get an invitation and a promise. I assume you're the legal representative of this world's government?"
"I suppose you could say that," John said with a hint of mistrust. "We don't require government as you understand it."
"But you do have the power to make and keep agreements," Sebastian said. "I'd like to invite your government to join the Alliance, as a full and equal partner, with the law stating that any holographic citizen of this government is recognized as one of the Alliance, with all those rights."
"You think that will placate us?" John asked. "That's essentially what we had already."
"No," Sebastian said. "What you had was a hiding place. What I'm offering you is full formal recognition of your existence as individuals and your rights as such. In short, I'm offering you legitimacy."
"It's not enough," Kajal said.
"I realize that," Sebastian said. "You want the rest of your people treated the same. They will be... but I'm not going to lie to you, it's not going to happen overnight. But that's where the promise comes in: I will make it happen. It will take time, but I'll answer the question."
"How can we trust you?" John demanded.
"You want to change the galaxy, you've got to trust somebody eventually," Sebastian said. "I ask you, please: Look at what has come before, and look at what I'm offering. Do you really think a better offer's going to come along?"
John and Kajal walked a short distance away and began discussing it. Finally they returned. "What would this involve?"
"A formal petition to join the Alliance," Sebastian said. "A list of your citizenry including a means to identify them; that way if you choose to leave this world we can identify you. A proposed means of attaining citizenship, so that there's a procedure in place. If this is going to work, we'll need to work together. But I promise you, if you're willing to help me, then holographic rights begins right now."
John nodded, though still seeming a little uncertain. "That sounds acceptable."
"I'll have Mr. Romal contact you to work out the details," Sebastian said. "But there is one more thing, a personal matter."
"Yes?"
"It's my understanding that you've been using mobile emitters," Sebastian said. "I'd like to have one, please."
"Why?" John asked, the suspicion clearly back.
Sebastian smiled. "Because there's an old friend of the family who's been without one for a long, long time."
--------------------------------------------------------------
Annika was sitting in her office looking over a datapad when Mara came in. She used the side door to avoid attracting attention on the bridge. "Morning," Mara said. Annika acknowledged it. "Thanks for letting me and Luke have some time," she said. "And for what it's worth, I'm sorry I made you think I was going to kill you."
"Yeah, well, I'm used to it," Annika said, not looking up.
"That's what I've heard." Mara crossed her arms and started walking around the desk. "Luke said you killed me in your reality," she said, sounding impressed. "Think you can take me now?" she asked playfully.
"If I did, I wouldn't have called for the stormtroopers."
"Well, thanks, I think." Mara stood on the opposite side of the desk; Annika didn't look up from her datapad. "I heard you married him," she said finally. "I can't imagine what it must be like to be in your shoes, Seven. I understand why you did everything you did." She chuckled a little. "Though I'm glad he didn't take you up on your offer. I'll admit, when I saw you in that dress, I wasn't so sure he'd back down."
Annika put down the datapad and picked up the next one. "Luke's very devoted to you," she said. "And he's smart. He knows sleeping with me would be a mistake."
"Absolutely," Mara said. "It didn't do me any good, did it?" There was the sound of a datapad dropping and hitting the desk. Mara tried hard not to laugh but it snuck out. "Oh! I so got you!" Annika blushed a little. "You completely bought into it! Hah! Jedi one, Borg-" she pointed with both hands at Annika, "-zero!"
Annika nodded, tight-lipped, then started rolling her eyes. "I'm dead," she said without a change of expression. "Janeway killed me, and I'm in my own private hell." She picked up the datapad, her expression still never changing.
"Lighten up, Seven," Mara said as she came around her chair. "Relax." She massaged Annika's shoulders. "Besides, we both know what your private hell would be," she said as she tickled her collarbones until Annika slid right off the chair and under her desk to escape. "Am I right?" She poked her head under and grinned, offering a hand and pulling Annika back to her feet. "I'm right." She brushed Annika's uniform off. "Feeling better?" she asked with a smile.
Annika let out a small laugh. "A little," she admitted.
Mara nodded, still holding Annika's hand. "Let me tell you a story," she said. Her mood got a bit more serious. "'Bout two years ago, Luke and I hit a rough patch. I wasn't sure if we were going to get back together or not, it was that bad." She looked away for a second, then back. "I know that Seven of Nine loved him, even then... there hadn't been anyone in her life since." She bit her lip, and Annika could see she was trying to hold in her emotions. "She could have had him back, if she tried. I know it; I wasn't there, I was screwing it up, she could have lured him right back into her arms." She shook her head. "She never left my side," she continued. "She was literally my shoulder to cry on, because no matter how badly she wanted him, she was too decent a person to abandon a friend." She put Annika's hand over her own heart. "You're my sister, Seven," she said. "I would lay down and die for you. So if this Janeway bitch is kriffing with you, she better hope she can handle a pissed off Jedi, because that's what she's getting in the bargain."
Annika was deeply touched, and pulled Mara close. "Thanks," she said. They held onto one another for a while. "There's one thing you need to know though...."
"What?" Mara asked, then screamed.
"Payback's a bitch," Annika said with a grin as she pinched Mara's sides.
Mara laughed and fought back, until the two were giggling like schoolgirls after lights out. They stopped, however, when they noticed Luke, standing over by the side door. "Please, don't let me stop you," he said.
Mara and Annika straightened up, faced him, and crossed their arms, wearing that stern expression that says, "We are female, and we don't approve of your male stupidity."
"This is just like the dream I had," Luke continued with a small grin in the face of the feminine onslaught. "Except Mara was dressed like the dirty chambermaid, and Seven was the slutty dabo girl."
"Who are you calling 'dirty?'" Mara said sharply.
"Who are you calling 'dabo girl?'" Annika said with the same tone. Mara's expression didn't change, but there was the sound of a laugh struggling valiantly to escape past female pride.
"Much as I hate to break this up," Luke said, "and believe me, I never meant that phrase more - the anomaly has changed. It's drifted two AU since last night."
Annika marched over and took the datapad, looking the report over. "What's it mean?" Mara asked, looking over her shoulder.
"Honestly, I don't know," Annika said. "I spent some time reading some of the papers I wrote -God, this situation is so confusing- and I've barely scratched the surface. I think half the reason the Oracle switched me with her is to leave you without an expert to figure this thing out."
"You think the Oracle's responsible for this anomaly?" Luke asked.
"I wouldn't put it past her," Annika said. "I just don't know why she'd do it, other than perhaps to punish me." Luke looked at her oddly. "Putting me in the position of watching my husband be married to my greatest enemy. No offense, Mara, but-"
"If I wound up in a universe," Mara said, "where Luke was married to Daala or Isard, I'd be pretty upset too."
"Yeah, if you ever find such a universe," Luke said, "do me a favor and kill me."
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Cube Prime parked in orbit over Earth, and Sebastian beamed down to the Jedi temple. Something like this needed to be done face to face. Laudica was there to greet him. "Hey," she said, giving him a hug, "it's been too long."
"It has," Sebastian admitted. He put the pieces together. "You're pregnant," he said with a smile.
"I hope I'm not showing that much," she joked, but she knew he could sense the baby as much as anyone else around here.
"I'm so happy for the two of you," he said. "That's absolutely wonderful."
"Got to carry on the Jedi traditions somehow," Laudica said with a grin. "Anakin!" she called. "You know how hard it is to pull him away from his work."
"Yeah, I uh, I know how it is." Sebastian waited, and Anakin came running out.
"Sorry, last minute things always show up at the, er, last minute." He shook Sebastian's hand. "Good to see you," he said warmly enough, then cleared his throat. "Thanks again for helping out with the financial side of things."
"No problem; the galaxies need the Jedi," Sebastian said. "That's why I'm here actually, I'm..." He looked at Anakin and Laudica, standing there side by side. Husband, wife, and child to be. "How are things running? I wanted to make sure you had enough for everything you need. We can't afford to pinch pennies when the training of future Jedi is at stake."
"Everything seems fine for now," Anakin said. "I'm not sure we should indulge too much; not good for the discipline to go soft." He snapped his fingers. "Before I forget, dad dropped off some things I was supposed to give to you. He was cleaning out the Falcon; your mom left some personal items in the storage... he figured you might want to hold on to them until she came back." He led the way into one of the wings of the Academy, then opened a storage room. "Yeah, here we are," he said, pulling out a couple of sealed storage units. "We can keep 'em here, of course, but I figured you'd like to have them."
Sebastian popped the lid of the top one open and peered inside. He saw the past staring back at him. "Yes," he said distantly. "Yes, thank you." He sent a message up to the ship and they were beamed into his office.
"So," Anakin said, "what's this about? I know you didn't come all this way to ask about money."
"No, I-" Sebastian turned away. "I just wanted to see the Academy. You know, my money at work and all that."
"Oh," Anakin said, a little surprised. "Well, I'll give you the tour-"
"Later," Sebastian said, then scolded himself. "Thanks, Anakin, I'll take you up on that... but I just remembered something, and it can't wait."
"Huh, become the executive authority of the galaxy and suddenly we're not good enough?" he asked playfully.
"I'm very sorry," he said, and embraced them both.
Moments later he sat in his office, opening the box and placing the contents on his desk. There was the holo of the three of them... he had to be what, thirteen? Fourteen? He stared. Was he ever really that happy? he wondered, looking at the boy. Of course, that was before he'd been told about the future, the words that had hung over him for nearly half his life. "They're going to take it all away from you, Sebastian." Here he sat, with a box full of memories, and all they reminded him of was how much had been taken.
He pulled out another. It was him and Jorri on their wedding day. God, she was more beautiful than his memories showed him. He went back in; the datapad he'd built when he was a kid, as a special place to put his pictures for mommy. His mother’s commbadge and pips in a small shadow box, along with swatches of blue and red fabric. The b-
Sebastian stared. How long had it been? He carefully pulled out the book and placed it on the table. He opened the cover. "To a dear friend in an ivory tower. -Data." It had survived a Death Star, the Borg, Imperial invasion, the Vong, and the fierce determination of a child, but his mother had read it to him countless times. He turned the pages. There it was, his namesake... oh sure, the temporal displacement obviously made the decision, but he knew his mother, he knew he’d have been called by this name regardless. He read a little:
“Bastian’s heart pounded. Should he try? What if he didn’t succeed? What if he was wrong? What if they weren’t talking about him but about some entirely different savior? How could he be sure they really meant him?”
Because sometimes you just know, Sebastian thought. Sometimes you feel in your bones what needs to be done, and that no one can do it. You have to see it through, or else you know it will fail.
As he adjusted his grip, an isolinear chip slipped out and onto his desk. He picked it up and examined it; it was from his mother, addressed to him and dated three months before she went into the hospital on Earth. She’d... she must have known that he’d wind up with her things, and that inevitably he’d find the book. It was...
He put the chip in his desk. Right now, a farewell message was the last thing he needed to see. He closed the desk, and his eyes fell back onto the book.
“Bastian was thinking of how it would be if he suddenly stood before them in all his fatness, with his bowlegs and his pasty face. He could literally see the disappointment in the Childlike Empress’s face when she said to him: ‘What brings you here?’
Obviously they were expecting a prince, or at any rate some sort of hero.”
Sebastian’s eyes lifted from the book and rested on his cane. Slowly, with embarrassment, his eyes returned to the book.
“’We shall enter the Circle of Eternal Return, from which there is no escape.’
‘Not for us,’ she replied, and her voice was no longer gentle, but as hard and clear as a diamond. ‘Nor for him - unless he saves us all.’
‘Do you really want to entrust everything to a human?’
The door to Sebastian's office opened, and he walked into the center where the Borg Queen and Janet were looking things over. "Did you speak with Anakin Solo?" the Queen asked. Sebastian nodded without saying a word, focused on something distant. "And will he do it?"
"I didn't ask him to," Sebastian said. His voice sounded like it was coming from a place far away.
The Queen paused as she tried seeing the logic of it. "Why did you not ask him?"
"He's going to be a father," Sebastian said as two tears ran down his cheeks. "He's a husband and a father, and I- I can't ask him to do this. I can't take him away from them."
The Queen looked over at Janet, clearly implying that as an emotional being this line of thinking fell to her. Janet wet her lips. "Sebastian... this isn't an easy decision to make," she said slowly. "But Anakin is the person most capable of pulling this mission off. The stakes are too high not to use him." Janet put her hand on his shoulder and rubbed it. "I understand that this is very hard for you, but you have to look at the big picture. If this mission fails, we will in all likelihood lose this war."
Sebastian closed his eyes and nodded a little. "The success of the campaign is more important than any one person, is that what you're saying?"
Janet hesitated. "Yes," she said. "In this case, yes."
"Would you agree?" Sebastian asked, looking up at the Borg Queen. "Success is more important than the life of any one man?"
"It's only logical," the Queen said.
Sebastian nodded. "Only logical..." He limped up to the Queen; he was sweating visibly, mixing with the tears. He tried speaking several times, but it was so hard for him to get the words out.
"What's wrong?" the Queen asked as he almost doubled over in angst.
"Only logical," he repeated under his breath. "Only logical..." Finally he straightened up, and summoned as much dignity as he could under the circumstances. "Cut off my leg."
interesting....... "cut off my leg" I foresee big implications
CERC
Sum Senatus
And thus, the Padawan and the Master are dispatched, and it falls to the champion of the Force, Yoda to save them; whom in his near infinate power, displays little intelligence, by stopping the piller with the force instead of jerking his underlings out of the way so that his fight with Dooku can continue.....
Poor, poor Bastion. And after all this time, Luke is still fantastic in dialogue and in dry wit. I enjoy this more so that you're doing the redux because it brings the history of where it's been so much clearer.
MM /CF/WG/BOTM/JL/Original Warsie/ACPATHNTDWATGODW FOREVER!!
Sometimes we can choose the path we follow. Sometimes our choices are made for us. And sometimes we have no choice at all
Ghost Rider wrote:And after all this time, Luke is still fantastic in dialogue and in dry wit. I enjoy this more so that you're doing the redux because it brings the history of where it's been so much clearer.
Thank you. A lot of the final story arc was plotted out for pretty much this reason. With most everyone dead and Sebastian getting his ass kicked by... well, me I guess... I figured the story needed a little touch of fun. Seven and Luke in their prime again with a Mara thrown in for good measure seemed a way to do this, call back some of the history, as you observed.
And personally, I would pay real money to see Mara and Seven have a ticklefight.
Very nice. I do hope alt-Seven figures out Janeway's evil or at least that she gets some scenes with real Seven. I can just imagine the two of them joining up being like the end of that Red Dwarf Episode (Confidence and Paranioa).
