Star Crossed Fanfic

[2000AD]

Thats why I put email notification on the cleanup version

Now why didn't I think about that?

[Captain Cyran]

I dunno, but we'll figure out something.

Simple solution: we call you Mitt.

Can I call him George?

[Darth Yoshi]

Oh and for all those that are going to click frantically thinking this is an update....sorry.

Indeed...

HA! That's why the stickied version's there.

[Mitth`raw`nuruodo]

I dunno, but we'll figure out something.

Simple solution: we call you Mitt.

Can I call him George?

If you really want to, yes you can call me George.

[Stravo]

Chapter 44: Walking Wounded



She hesitantly walked into the antechambers, a brief chill ran own her spine as the doors hissed apart. For the briefest second she fully expected to see Nemesis whipping his lightsaber down on her in vengeance and fury for her betrayal. She even flinched slightly, waiting to feel the hot sizzle of her flesh giving way under the luminescent blade.

Instead Nemesis stood with his back to her, body doubled over in an intricate stretching exercise designed to both bring pain and train the potential Sith in how to use that pain to his or her advantage. She had been trained in the rudiments of that technique but it was obvious from watching his taut muscular back as he bent at the waist at a nearly impossible angle and brought his left leg around that he was far more advanced that she could ever hope to be.

She watched him intently as he moved his arm against the natural curvature of his body, stretching muscles and tendons to the near breaking and tearing point as his eyes remained closed in deep concentration. Harvesting the pain, that’s what the Emperor called it. He was harvesting the power from his pain and it would teach him that even in pain, a Sith was powerful.

She also imagined driving a vibroblade between his shoulder blades. To feel the hard satisfying jolt travel up her arm as she drove it deep into his body. She could imagine his expression of surprise, perhaps he might make a sound as the blade split his heart in two, he might even have enough strength and presence of mind to say her name.

“Mara.”

“What?!” She nearly jumped back as Nemesis’ head slowly turned to face her, stretching his neck muscles until she could actually hear them creaking from where she stood.

“You came unexpected. But it is fortuitous that you did come.”

“It is?” she asked suspiciously.

“Yes.” Nemesis replied as he slowly unfurled himself like a serpent and stood upright before her. It was only at that moment that she realized that he was completely naked.

“Grand Admiral Thrawn thinks that he has an advantage over me with this current discovery of the Hurran Corr. He means to make me look like a fool when he recovers the lost ship. I mean to head him off.” Nemesis said coolly as he picked up a towel that was draped over a chair in the antechamber and dried off his neck and face.

Mara WOULD NOT take her eyes off his face. She refused to acknowledge at all the fact that he stood before her naked, well muscled lean body glistening with sweat and the skin taut and tanned seemed to glow healthily under the artificial lights of the chamber.

“How do you intend to do that?” she asked realizing how husky her voice sounded. She was acting like a young school girl.

Nemesis smiled mysteriously.

“I will bring us a far more valuable prize.”

Mara did not like mysteries, it was one of the hardest things to deal with when working with the Emperor. He always played with his cards close to his chest and there were times when she undertook missions that she had no idea what she had accomplished or how killing this particular person, or passing on an innocuous bit of information ever helped the Imperial cause. She liked to know what she was doing and Nemesis was usually a bit more forth coming but she had to remember that he was a Sith and he had learned at the feet of the Emperor and Vader.

“What do you have in mind?” she asked.

Nemesis picked up a robe and whipped it around himself as he turned away from her.

“Prepare a shuttle, heavily armed, modify the shields for maximum dissipation.”

“You’re expecting trouble?” she asked seriously as she hesitantly followed him.

“Indeed I am.”

“What sort of escort are we talking about? The fleet is forming up to move out at a moment’s notice as soon as we receive the go signal from our probe droids.”

“There will be no escort.” Nemesis replied as he cinched the robe and scooped up his lightsaber.

“No escort? I strongly advise-“

Nemesis held up his hand and Mara shut up.

“I am taking you with me, Mara. Can I be any safer then with you at my side?” Nemesis asked.

Mara opened her mouth to reply, ready for any answer but this one. She promptly closed it and felt an emotion flood through her like a torrent. It was an emotion she was not ready for and rarely ever felt in her life.

She felt ashamed.

“There will be no need for an escort. The more ships that slip away with us the more likely Grand Admiral Thrawn will know of our plan and mission. I cannot risk that in any way.”

“What IS your plan, my lord?” Mara asked, fighting the emotions raging within her.

Nemesis nodded to himself as he checked the status of something on his personal computer screen.

“We are going to hunt someone and bring him back to this fleet.”

“I don’t understand. We have many agents that can do that for us. Why must it be you, precisely at this time when we have the tension between your fleet and Grand Admiral Thrawn’s?” she asked. His back was turned to her again and she was in precisely the right distance and position to reach out quickly and jerk a vibroblade across his throat. The resulting shock and blood loss would most likely not allow him to respond with the Force and she could quickly dance out of the way if he tried to lash out. It would be a quick kill. Quick and successful.

She took a step forward, hands dancing close to her utility belt.

Nemesis paused and slowly turned his head to glance at her from his peripheral vision.

“I felt a tremor in the Force. It was a slight one but I recognized the pain and anguish that caused it. I have felt precisely the same emotions not very long ago.”

She stopped short.

“It was on Bespin. The emotions were a raw mix of defeat, fear and anger.”

Mara listened intently, watching him as he remained stock still speaking in a calm quiet voice. There was a tenderness to his tone, as if he were speaking truth for the first time.

“He felt those same emotions that I felt when I was defeated. He felt the sudden loss and shock. You see, he like I has lived a charmed life, Mara. I destroyed the Emperor’s Death Star. I evaded his finest agents and defeated his grandest schemes. I was untouchable. Then I knew defeat, certain, overwhelming and undeniable. Bespin was the turning point. It taught me that I could not escape my destiny and more importantly, defeat was possible. I was not untouchable.”

“Who are you talking about?” she asked softly.

He did not turn around. Only his face was half turned to her, as if he could not bear to face her.

“James Kirk has been soundly defeated by Grand Admiral Thrawn. His pain calls out to me like a beacon and I know what he is going to do next. I plan to be there to meet him when the time comes and take him prisoner. He will be brought back to the fleet in chains and nothing that Thrawn can do will be able to match this accomplishment.”

“The fleets will have to acknowledge your achievement.” Mara whispered, the possibilities quickly exploding before her very eyes.

“Those that are indecisive will have to make a decision and in the end, I am the one that brought them James T. Kirk in chains. Thrawn will be seen as an outsider, and perhaps those following Thrawn will be made to see that he is not the sole possessor of victory or truth. Others will rally to my banner. We can end this destructive conflict.” Nemesis replied passionately.

Mara stared at him for a long moment. She saw in him the same dashing young leader of men that had attracted her when this war started. Daring and powerful, sure and swift, he was a man worthy of her.

What did that mean?

She shook her head for a moment.

Nemesis smiled coldly.

“There will be no one to stop us this time, Mara. It will be just you and I. I can feel his torment driving him to a place. I will be waiting for him in that place.”

“Are you foreseeing this? The Emperor used to foresee odd things like this all the time.”

Nemesis shook his head slowly.

“No.” He answered simply. “I merely feel the emotions coming from him. They are driving him to a place. I did not foresee it.” Nemesis did not tell her the whole truth. The very disconcerting fact that he could no longer see the path ahead of him as he did when he first came here.

“There is no more time, Mara. Events are unfolding quickly and we must seize the initiative before they slip out of our grasp. Go now and prepare the shuttle. Tell no one of this. Not even Kittaine.” Nemesis ordered.

Mara hesitated for a moment. His back was still turned to her. The blade sit snugly in her scabbard. Ready to be slipped out and strike like lightning. He could die. Now. Her mission would be accomplished and she would no longer be troubled, she would no longer feel confused and out of sorts. With one strike she could cement her destiny and return to the security of her life before she met the troubled young Sith lord.

But she thought of the possibilities and what the future held between them. The possibility that this mission could indeed bring nemesis that power that he needed to completely seize control and fulfill his dream of a New Empire. And she, she would be the dark queen. She had been secure before but this was the possibility of something more, something she never expected. The chance to be happy.

She nodded and stepped away.

“I’ll have the shuttle ready within the hour.” She assured him and walked out of the chamber. Nemesis remained standing where he was throughout the entire conversation as her steps clicked softly on the cold metal floor. She paused as the door slid opened. She glanced back at him and wondered if he knew how close he had been to death.

She walked out.

Nemesis remained standing still as his senses picked up her steps leaving the quarters and going through the main corridor to the nearest lift.

His hand was drifting right over his lightsaber, ready to be drawn at an instant’s notice. The rest of his body was completely relaxed save for his right arm which was tense, ready to explode into action, the force poised to spring the lightsaber into his hand for the killing strike. He had felt her struggle, the initial urge to kill and finally the decision that had saved her life.

However he did not feel victorious. She had entered this chamber with the intent to kill him. She changed her mind. But the fact that she had even thought of trying to assassinate him angered and disappointed him. He had offered her this galaxy, his heart and anything she desired and she had turned her back on that.

But there were other things to contemplate, such as his sudden blindness in the Force. He had used his limited ability to peer into the future to help him with his strategy and tactics in this war and now suddenly as if a great fog had descended he was blind. He could no longer see his way clear. It was disconcerting to see all that was going to happen with clarity of vision and suddenly be plunged into darkness, stumbling around blindly as anyone else, not seeing the repercussions of his actions. He could barely even feel the sharp premonitions that warned him of danger. The Jedi senses that allowed him to block weapons fire and see what a foe was going to do before he even thought of his action were slowly becoming dulled.

He did not understand why, save for a simple dream he had right before Grand Admiral Thrawn revealed himself to the fleet. He dreamt that he was standing in a desert, the winds whipping up around him, yet it was now not a desert. He was alone in the void, standing in the center of a chess board, much like the board that he and Captain Ochoa played so often. There was an explosion like thunder ripping across a plain and suddenly everything grew dark. After that moment, no matter how much he mediated, how deep he drifted into the cool union with the Force he could not see past the moment he was in. Not even the barest glimmer of the future. It was as if the future were no longer set, as if reality itself at this point was dangling by a thread and history no longer existed.

Was that even possible?

But he remembered something else and it brought him a cold comfort. A flash of something he had seen when he first came here, a dim promise of what may lay ahead. If he were blind in this galaxy then the one that was coming would be blind as well. Except he would not be expecting it and his entire strategy was based on his incredible prescience.

Perhaps, here in this forsaken galaxy, the both of them blind and flailing about would make the odds a little more even. Perhaps he could accomplish what his father could or would not do.

Nemesis smiled coldly.

He thought what it would do to that over confident bastard when he could no longer see his way clear and he could not cackle about his plans proceeding anymore. What would happen when he came and realized he was as blind as anyone else?

Nemesis hoped he could teach him that lesson.

He stared at the door where Mara had walked through. His hand finally drifted down from his lightsaber.

He briefly wondered if she knew how close she had come to death.





The moans of the wounded were loud in the silence of the corridor. Sickbay’s doors were wide open as nurses and doctors moved between the sickbay itself and the makeshift beds outside in the corridor. Red alert lights were still flashing silently in the corridor and smoke drifted through the air despite the valiant efforts of the environmental systems to clear the air.

He moved among the wounded like a ghost, his face a mask of grim determination and duty. He stopped by every wounded man, kneeling down to offer words of support to encouragement. There were some so badly wounded that they were not even conscious. For those he patted them softly on the shoulder and crouched there for a moment. He had commanded starships for years but this was always the hardest part. Battles were fought and won but there were always wounded to attend to and dead to bury afterwards.

He always felt that his words rang so hollow during moments like these but he could not deny the spark of hope that would light up a crewman’s eyes as his captain took a moment to speak to him.

James Kirk was also uncomfortable because he was staring at defeat. These brave men and women were wounded or dying because he had been soundly defeated and the bitter taste was like poison slowly burning his insides. He could barely stomach the idea. He remembered the nearly childish assertion he always liked to throw around as if part of some private joke.

I don’t like to lose.

Yet here was a corridor full of those that had tasted the horrible consequences of his defeat.

Doctor McCoy stepped out of Sickbay and motioned for Kirk to come inside. Kirk nodded slowly and made his way over to McCoy, walking as if in a dream.

They walked past bed filled with patients, some sitting at the foot of the beds to be close to friends, wounded themselves but not wanting to be separated from a crewmate that was in far worse shape. The walking wounded were everywhere on the Enterprise.

Kirk stopped at the table where McCoy ran a quick mediscanner over Charlie Evans. Charlie lay on the bed still as the dead. There was not a cut or scratch on him but he was so pale and his eyes were tightly shut. His face was frozen in an expression of pain and anguish.

“How is he?” Kirk asked softly looking down at the young man who looked no older than twenty but like Kirk was more than a century old now in this future.

“There’s nothing physically wrong with him, Jim. His endorphin levels are sky high and the neural scanners are picking up some very strange brainwave activity. As best I can tell he is suffering from some sort of psychic trauma.”

“Will he recover?”

McCoy frowned, pursing his lips.

“Jim, I just don’t know. I think he will, this damage is similar to what some Vulcans suffer when they are locked in a mind meld and one party resists. Most cases the Vulcan recovers after some bed rest but this is something totally different. His physiology is till very much human but the powers he has, lord knows how they interact with his mind and body. You told me he was absorbing weapons fire that would have shattered this ship many times over. Charlie may have god like powers but you discerned from your first encounter that he had limits, so my guess is he went beyond those limits and much like a runner whose legs cramp up or a swimmer who grows exhausted, he pushed his powers to the point where there was a physical reaction to their stress.”

Kirk looked down at the young man and gently brushed a lock of hair back from his forehead.

“Make sure he’s comfortable.”

“He will be, Jim.” McCoy looked a little uncomfortable but then opened his mouth to speak.

Kirk interrupted him without looking up.

“And Spock?”

“Spock will be fine. He’s out of surgery, I managed to get out all the shrapnel that perforated what those Vulcans call a liver and its regenerating nicely. He should be up and about in a few days.”

“Knowing him he’ll be on the bridge in a few hours.” Kirk mused glancing over at the bed where his friend lay unconscious. The shrapnel had torn through his body when his console exploded. Kirk had held him in those last moments when it looked as if there was nothing that could be done. He felt the warm green blood running down his hands, between his fingers as his friend’s breathing became ragged. he also remembered his words, spoken through green flecked lips.

“I have been and always shall be your friend.”

What had it cost Spock to say that?

“Jim, there is another patient I’m concerned about.”

“Leia?” Kirk asked sharply, head jerking up.

“No, no, she’s fine according to my last communication with the Reckless Hope’s chief medical….droid.” McCoy smirked at the last part. “It’s someone else. He’s not been wounded physically but I have a degree in psychiatry Jim and this crewman is showing all the classic signs of shock and disorientation. He has not eaten in the past 24 hours, he has not slept in a longer period of time and he remains unresponsive to all but the most obvious stimuli. It’s my professional opinion that he needs sleep and rest. The battle obviously rattled him far worse than he realizes.”

Kirk nodded slowly.

“And your recommendation?”

“Sedatives if he doesn’t want to sleep and he needs to eat something. Nothing that a 24 hour pass wouldn’t cure. Essentially he needs to get away from this for a while to clear his head. I have no doubt that this will effect the performance of his duties if it isn’t .”

“Alright, Bones, I’ll sign the medical order. Who is it?” Kirk asked absently as McCoy handed him a datapad. Kirk glanced down at the chart and blinked.

“Is this some kind of a joke?” he asked.

“No, the patient in question is one James Tiberius Kirk and it is my opinion as Chief medical Officer of the Enterprise that the Captain is suffering from emotional stress due to the recent defeat at our last battle.”

“Bones, this is nonsense.”

“When’s the last time you slept Jim? I’ve been performing surgeries for the lats 16 hours and before that you were down here helping with the triage and not once have I seen you far from sickbay.”

“When’s the last time you got sleep, doctor?” Kirk replied hotly.

“Jim, I have wounded to attend to, people’s whose lives I can save and I’m trained to work these kind of hours without a negative impact on my performance. You on the other hand have nothing to do at the moment and you need rest in order to make the right calls when you are in command.” McCoy replied stonily but then slowly reached out and gripped Kirk’s shoulder.

“Jim, there’s nothing more you can do here. This loss has obviously affected you. You can’t keep punishing yourself.”

Kirk looked around the sickbay and all he could hear were the groans of the wounded, the stillness of the dead.

“Yes I can, Bones. They are all fine young men and women and they’re here because I was arrogant enough to believe that I could defeat these bastards with another trick up my sleeves. Its been all about tricks, smoke and mirrors!” Kirk snapped and slammed his fist against the wall angrily.

McCoy frowned and walked over to his old friend.

“Jim. You did the best you could. Last time I checked we were outgunned and outmaneuvered but we’re here alive.”

“No, Bones.” Kirk replied sternly. “We’re only alive because that young man has the power of a god and another young man traded his life for the good of the fleet and because he believed in our cause. THAT’s why we’re alive. Jim Kirk led this fleet on a mission to demoralize the enemy and try to force a peace. Instead it turned into a rout with a fight for our very lives to escape.”

“Jim.”

“It’s alright Bones. I’m going to get away for a day or two.”

“You’re going to rest?” McCoy was flabbergasted. he expected a lot more of a struggle.

Kirk smiled sardonically.

“No, I’m going on a mission that I can’t possibly screw up.”

“Mission?! Jim are you begging to have some kind of physical or emotional breakdown?” McCoy exclaimed.

“Bones.” Kirk held up a hand wearily. “I’m going with Chekov to arrange a dilithium supply deal. I can’t possibly screw this up and frankly I need to accomplish something positive for our cause or I’m going to explode. I’m also taking Tom Paris with me, they say he’s one of the finest helmsmen in the fleet so I’ll be in capable hands.”

“You’re not taking a starship?” McCoy asked with a growing sense of concern.

“I can’t afford to draw to much attention. Besides every starship is going to be needed close to home to defend our bases. Right now we’re in no condition for offensive operations.” McCoy was about to say something when Kirk interjected softly.
“Bones, I need time to clear my thoughts and think of my next move.”

“What next move? We bandage our wounds, gather up our pride and get back into this fight, no?” McCoy asked tensely, eyes narrowing on his friend and Captain. The stress of the last few days had aged Jim, long deep worry lines were chiseled under Kirk’s eyes.

Kirk frowned slightly and pressed McCoy’ hand.

“That or we face facts and surrender while there are still young men left to live.” he replied and turned on his heel and stalked away. McCoy remained staring at Kirk’s back and wondering just how deeply this defeat had scarred him. he also wondered whether as a doctor he could rightfully argue that Jim was wrong. Defeat meant saving lives, and he was a doctor. Saving lives should be the only thing he cared about.

Then why did the thought of surrender sting him so?

Kirk was stalking out of sickbay when one of the young men reached out to him as he passed. Kirk stopped and stood by the ensign’s bed. Half his face was covered in bandages and he was obviously on painkillers to ease the other wounds that lashed his young broken body.

“Captain.”

“What is it, son?” Kirk asked softly and took the ensign’s hand.

“Don’t-“ he coughed loudly and almost seemed to lose consciousness. Kirk glanced around searching for a nurse. One of them was coming over quickly. The ensign’s grip on Kirk’s hand tightened. “Sir, please, don’t…give up…we haven’t given up…on you.”

Kirk stared into the young man’s eyes and did not notice his tears until the first hot drop splashed against his cheek. He smiled and knelt down, taking the young man’s head in his hands.





“This is another fine mess.” Leia griped as the medical droid checked her vital signs.

“I’m afraid so, your highness, the Federation fleet has gone totally defensive and we have confirmed that Grand Admiral Thrawn has brought in a sector fleet worth of trouble.”

“A sector fleet, as if they really needed that much firepower.” Leia frowned.

Wedge nodded.

“I’m sorry, your highness, but there’s been little good news of late. My boys and I didn’t come out of that last battle without a scratch either. The Feds have a nice little saying that sums this all up nicely.”

“Oh?”

“Clusterfuck.”

Leia smiled. “That does rather say it all doesn’t it?” she replied.

The doors hissed open and Kirk walked in. Leia’s eyes narrowed in concern and she sat up straighter in the bed as the doors closed behind him.

“Wedge.”

“Captain Kirk.”

“Good flying you and you’re squadron did out there, I hear you saved quite a few starships from getting destroyed early on.”

“We do what we can sir.” he replied. He eyed the young Captain. It was obvious that this loss had struck him to the quick. He looked as if he had been physically beaten. Wedge had been saddened by the loss of several rebel Alliance fighters, but frankly, Kirk had lost thousands of crewmen and over 600 starships. The greatest single loss to the Starfleet remnant since the Battle for Earth. He did not know how he would react if he lost most of Rogue squadron in a battle that they could not win. When they had returned from the Death star he had lost nearly all his friends, but the sorrow was lightened by the fact that there was a victory. They had not died for nothing. The same could not be said in this instance.

“Jim, what can I do for you?” Leia asked gently.

“Uh, I’ll be going, Princess.” Wedge cut in and quickly left the room.

Kirk stood at the foot of the bed looking down at her. She wore a medical gown but it looked like a gown on her as she lay in the bed a sea of datapads scattered across a small table propped up over her stomach where she lay in a sitting position.

“I’m sorry about what happened on the Excalibur. I had no idea you were in trouble.”

Leia smiled softly.

“Jim, there was nothing you could have done. You were in the midst of a pitched battle what else could you have done?”

“I don’t know. Something. Anything. I feel that I should have been able to do something.”

“Like what?” she asked more concerned. he seemed to be in agony. She could feel his distress calling out to her.

“I don’t know.” he muttered shaking his head and looking down at the floor.

“Jim.” He looked up at her. “There was nothing you could have done. If you left the ship to come to my rescue you might have been shot down, captured and more importantly the fleet NEEDED you.” She smirked. “Besides, I don’t need anyone rescuing me, I handled myself pretty well back there.”

Kirk fought a smile that tried to come to his lips and glanced down at her chart.

“You call seven cracked ribs, internal injuries, shattered tibia, possible concussion and bleeding handling yourself well?” he asked.

Leia laughed and it sounded to him like a cool morning breeze.

“You got me there. Unfortunately I got off rather light. Poor Chewie is still in surgery, they’re removing the last of the pieces of shrapnel that were shot into him, Kelly is in intensive care, they may need to operate to relieve swelling of the brain and her arm is not healing right, and Wesley’s mother…she’s not handling the loss very well. I consider myself rather lucky.”

Kirk nodded slowly, absently running his hand along the foot of the bed.

“I’m going away.”

“What?” she asked sharply.

“I’m taking a runabout with Chekov and Tom Paris and I’m going to negotiate a shipment of dilithium for the fleet.”

“Surely Chekov and Paris can handle that mission themselves.” Leia replied.

Kirk shook his head.

“I need to feel like I’m accomplishing something, anything right now.” he said lowly.

“Jim, you have. You have accomplished so much in such a short amount of time. You’ve held off the Empire from totally absorbing your Federation far longer than anyone including myself could give you credit for. Jim, people lose battles. The Alliance has lost far more battles than it has won. We don’t allow it to stop us from believing in our mission.”

“Leia, the more I think about it, the more I can’t say my way clear to victory, or even peace.” he laughed bitterly.

“Jim.”

He walked over to her side and took her hand, kneeling down by the bed. Leia was taken aback by the sudden move. Her eyes locked with his, their faces inches apart.

“I heard that I almost lost you and I suddenly realized how much I have grown to depend on you and care about you.”

Leia could not say anything, her eyes bore into his and she found that her breathing had become more rapid.

“I could not bear to lose you in this war, not now not ever. Its shaming me that when the casualty reports came in and I saw your name I almost lost control. I’ve lost thousands of young men and women, hundreds of ships, the very heart of my fleet was just evaporated and all I could think about was whether you might still be alive.”

“I…” there was nothing she could say.

“I love you.” he said squaring his face up with hers.

Leia blinked.

“Jim, I can’t…” she fought the hot bitter tears.

Kirk nodded slowly.

“I know.”

“Don’t say that!” she snapped. “Don’t you ever say that!” she slapped him, the impact jarring, turning his cheek bright red.

“You have no right, you’re not him, you can never be him!” she shouted now and both her hands began pounding on his neck and chest and he withstood each blow, almost enjoying the pain and anguish because it washed over him, dulling his own pain. And he looked down at her, so beautiful in her rage and anger.

Kirk grabbed her hands and held them tight, leaned in and kissed her hard. She fought him, trying to pull herself away but the electric jolt of contact was like fire racing down her spine. How she had secretly yearned for this touch, to feel his lips, to hold him. And before she realized what she was doing she kissed him back just as hard and savagely. She kissed him to feel the pain ebb away, to forget the responsibilities of her life. She was supposed to save Luke from the darkness, defeat the Empire and rescue the man she loved from Jabba the Hutt. Instead she was trapped in a galaxy where there was no hope of victory. She was far from home and her love was no where nearby and she felt as if she had abandoned them all to their fates. She could not stand the pain but this gentle soul with the spirit of a knight of old held her and with his kiss dispelled the fear, anger and pain.

She was whole again for this one single brief moment. She was Leia Organna, not a princess, not a rebel, not a symbol, but a woman. A woman that had been alone for a very long time and who would never see him again. She allowed herself to kiss him, to let the torrent of emotions explode from her and not let the fear that was eating away consume her.

She did not see him slowly descend into the pit, see his eyes as he looked at her with that roguish arrogance as the first jets of liquefied Carbonite exploded over him. She did not have to see the man she loved reduced to a block of inanimate matter. Not touch or feel, for here was a man to touch and feel and here was someone that could make her forget and make her whole.

They broke the kiss.

She stared at him, breathing heavily. He returned the gaze, it was quiet and contemplative, as if he were studying a riddle.

“The last time I allowed myself to love a man, he was taken from me, frozen in Carbonite and sold to his worst enemy. I can never see him again. Don’t you abandon me like that.” she said in a whisper.

He stared hard at her, hazel eyes boring into hers as if trying to look into her very soul.

“The last time I loved a woman, I had to let her die in order to save the universe. Don’t you force me make that choice again.” he whispered and stroked her cheek as gentle as rain. Kirk slowly rose up and kissed her forehead.

“Be well. I need time to myself. When I return, I’ll know what to do.” he said and slowly retreated to the door, not wanting to take his eyes off her face.

“Take the Falcon at least.” she offered, wanting desperately to reach out to him and touch him.

“No.” he shook his head slowly. “This is one mission that I want to undertake alone and without outside help. I need to see the big picture Leia,. I need to see my way clearly again.”

She nodded and bit her lower lip as the doors hissed open.

“Goodbye.” she said.

“Only for now.” he replied with a ghost of a smile and the doors slid shut.

Leia dropped her head back against the pillows and let out the breath she had been holding. She started shaking her head and before she knew it the first tears were streaking down her face.




She groaned softly.

Her leg.

She shot up in the bed and started to scream. Her leg was pinned. and the blast was coming. She stopped short when she realized she was in a spacious canopy bed, white silken sheets were coiled around her body and she was wearing a very sheer nightgown. There was a cool breeze coming in from a window.

She hesitantly sat up in bed and wondered what had happened.

A flash of light filled the room.

“You!” she exclaimed.

“Please, Katherine, there’s no need for alarm, though I have to admit the effect a cool breeze has on the female of your species does have a certain stimulating effect.” Q said with a wicked grin.

Janeway looked confused for a moment and suddenly glanced down at her chest. The nightgown was quite sheer indeed.

“You are incorrigible.” she snapped as she drew the blankets up to her chin in a quick jerk.

“That’s what my parents told me but I never listened.”

“Explain yourself Q. Was this whole invasion scenario some twisted way to get me into this bed?”

Q laughed heartily.

“Katherine, must everything be about sex with you?” Q exclaimed with a playful smile.

She rolled her eyes.

“Besides, this is not a scenario, Katherine. This is real.”

“As real as anything else you have put me and my crew through.” she replied wanly.

“This is serious, Katherine. Your galaxy is slowly falling to darkness but that’s the insignificant part of this tale.”

“You call this war insignificant?” she exclaimed.

“In the grand scheme of the universal order, it’s a fart in the hurricane my dear Captain. But there are far more important things happening as we speak. You see, the universe is ending, each galaxy winking out like a candle blown out. All caused by you.”

Janeway smirked.

“How many temporal paradoxes do you think you caused with your little stunt when you got your ship home?” Q asked darkly.

Janeway paused. Q’s smile broadened.

“The thought starting to make some sense in that dim primitive mind of yours?” Janeway frowned.

“Your paradoxes are destroying the very foundations of reality.”

“So why am I here, Q? I know you. You didn’t save my life out of some sense of decency or altruism.” she demanded.

“No, Katherine. I saved your life so that we can try a little end run and save the universe.” Q replied rapidly raising and lowering his eyebrows.

[aerius]

I hereby poach the first reply!

[Kelly Antilles]

I have to say my favorite part was Leia slapping Kirk. *heh*

Well done as always, Stravo.

[Darth Yoshi]

Damn! Janeway survived. Otherwise, good chapter.

[Grand Admiral Thrawn]

AH! She betrayed Han! Bitch!

[Ghost Rider]

Fantastic as usual.

Liked the whole Janeway/Q wordplay at the end.

[Captain Cyran]

A few things...

Janeway better die...

Never...NEVER...have Leia do that again...

Other than that, a very good chapter...reminded me a lot of Empire Strikes Back (Rebels getting their collective asses handed to them.)

[Stravo]

A few things...

Janeway better die... Destruction via superlaser was too good for her. Something messier and wetter is planned. I did not suffer through seven seasons of voyager to let this bitch get away that easily.

Never...NEVER...have Leia do that again... Awww....c'mon she was lonely, Kirk's a man she's a woman and she likes scoundrels.

Other than that, a very good chapter...reminded me a lot of Empire Strikes Back (Rebels getting their collective asses handed to them.)
Oh, the ass kicking has only just begun.

[Captain Cyran]

A few things...

Janeway better die... Destruction via superlaser was too good for her. Something messier and wetter is planned. I did not suffer through seven seasons of voyager to let this bitch get away that easily. Hehehe, I'll fully agree with you there.

Never...NEVER...have Leia do that again... Awww....c'mon she was lonely, Kirk's a man she's a woman and she likes scoundrels. *Forms a Hadoken and stadns there menicingly* Let me put this another way...Kirk is cool, but he's definately no Solo.

Other than that, a very good chapter...reminded me a lot of Empire Strikes Back (Rebels getting their collective asses handed to them.)
Oh, the ass kicking has only just begun. I cannot WAIT for this.

[/i]

[Darth Garden Gnome]

*slaps face*OMG a new chapter of Starcrossed was posted and Ididn't notice!WTF! Now I've to slap this on my to do list next to "Read New chapter of Twilight War."

Damn, I can'tbelieveI missed the new chapter!

[Soontir C'boath]

Bravo Stravo Bravo. You have deprived me of playing Supremacy tonight.

Cyaround,
Jason

[Kelly Antilles]

Oh, I did enjoy seeing that I got a mention in this chapter.

[Stravo]

Oh, I did enjoy seeing that I got a mention in this chapter.

Kelly, I always like dropping little nuggets of joy like that. My way of saying thanks for giving me more kinky action in perversions than I've gotten in RL for awhile.

[Ender]

AH! She betrayed Han! Bitch!

Ditto. Kirk isn't worthy to lick Han's boots.

[Kuja]

Let's see. Luke's taking a shuttle out...and Kirk's taking a shuttle out...

[2000AD]

Janeway survived !!!!!

FOR THE LOVE OF GOD , NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!

She better not end up saving the universe!!!

Wait a minute. It's April Fools Day! Janeway surviving, it's all a joke, it's all a joke, bwahahahahaaaaa!. *degenerates into a gibbering mass* it's all a joke, it has to be, it's all a joke.

[Rightous Fist Of Heaven]

Janeway saving the universe

An excellent chapter as allways Stravo.

[NecronLord]

Does Janeway have to save the universe by travelling into the past and erasing herself from existance?

[Stravo]

Does Janeway have to save the universe by travelling into the past and erasing herself from existance?

[NecronLord]

Does Janeway have to save the universe by travelling into the past and erasing herself from existance?

Or even better, all Post ST:6 Trek?

p.s. Where's Boba?

[Darth Yoshi]

Does Janeway have to save the universe by travelling into the past and erasing herself from existance?

No, because that would simply create another paradox. You know, the grandfather paradox.