Star Crossed Fanfic

[Crown]

Dude, you de-balled Vader!

[Crayz9000]

This is becoming even more epic and I love it. No fanfic ever is going to beat this.

Never read the WWE saga, have you?

[Xon]

It's stated that there is no way around it. They'd need to lay up the ship while they replaced the main computer with a new re-designed one, as it's firmware.

<snicker>

There is no such thing as a software security feature which cant be worked around with physical access to the hardware(and of course having the knowlage of how the hardware works).

You can attack this particular problem on the software level or the hardware level(hardware is just petrifiied software).

The number of levels this could be attacked at are staggering. The simplest would be to add new hardware which transperently filters computer commands (voice/console commands) before the main computer can ever see them.

[NecronLord]

<snicker>

There is no such thing as a software security feature which cant be worked around with physical access to the hardware(and of course having the knowlage of how the hardware works).

You can attack this particular problem on the software level or the hardware level(hardware is just petrifiied software).

The number of levels this could be attacked at are staggering. The simplest would be to add new hardware which transperently filters computer commands (voice/console commands) before the main computer can ever see them.

<Laughs hysterically>

Please don't try to insult me. The technology required to do a ground up redesign of such a system would not be available in that galaxy. You couldn't do shit to a computer's firmware if you were stuck in 1920, other than break the computer, the situation here is the same.

Such a system would be rejected by the central computer, and it would disable that console. Please try to remember that SW has had AI for millenia, palpy could install an AI procedure that monitored upgrades and took countermeasures against them. Mara Jade has stated that the most THRAWN could possibly think up would be a monitoring system.

[Stravo]

Dude, you de-balled Vader!

You prefer I write about him wading through the stromtrooper batallions and seizing control of a SSD singlehandedly....wait....uh...forget I said that.

[NecronLord]

You prefer I write about him wading through the stromtrooper batallions and seizing control of a SSD singlehandedly....wait....uh...forget I said that.

Your lack of faith disturbs me...

*Force chokes Stavro for a while*

[russellb6666]

Dude, you de-balled Vader!

You prefer I write about him wading through the stromtrooper batallions and seizing control of a SSD singlehandedly....wait....uh...forget I said that.

yes......maybe

[Crown]

Dude, you de-balled Vader!

You prefer I write about him wading through the stromtrooper batallions and seizing control of a SSD singlehandedly....wait....uh...forget I said that.

Plot devices aside, you've essentially made him Thrawn's bitch, which I could live with, and now apparently Kittaine's aswell.

C'boath demonstrated that he could take the entire bridge of the Chimera hostage, I see no reason why Vader couldn't do the same.

All I am saying is that Vader shouldn't have been in that scene in order to make it work, otherwise, well otherwise the only way you could make it work was to de-ball him. *shrugs*

Either that or Vader is cunningly following his own agenda, which is perfectly plausible.

[JodoForce]

All will be forgiven if you let Darth Vader perform an act of supreme violence and supreme evil later on

[2000AD]

This is becoming even more epic and I love it. No fanfic ever is going to beat this.

Never read the WWE saga, have you?

Just to clalify thats not WWE as in WOrld Wrestling Entertainment (Federation) that's WWE as in World's Without ENd still being written by Chuck Sonnenburg.

[Stravo]

Dude, you de-balled Vader!

You prefer I write about him wading through the stromtrooper batallions and seizing control of a SSD singlehandedly....wait....uh...forget I said that.

Plot devices aside, you've essentially made him Thrawn's bitch, which I could live with, and now apparently Kittaine's aswell.

C'boath demonstrated that he could take the entire bridge of the Chimera hostage, I see no reason why Vader couldn't do the same.

All I am saying is that Vader shouldn't have been in that scene in order to make it work, otherwise, well otherwise the only way you could make it work was to de-ball him. *shrugs*

Either that or Vader is cunningly following his own agenda, which is perfectly plausible.

Vader WILL be kicking ass and taking names soon (did we forget that he singlehadedly took out a starship just a few chapters ago?), he's just being crafty at the moment and his attentions are divided as he wants to know what happened to Nemesis. His Darkside sense is tingling and he's not sure why, but worry not Vader will show us all what the true nature of the Force is soon enough. Oh, as to the Thrawn's bitch thing, I see it more as the same relatiosnhip Vader had with Grand Moff Tarkin than him being just subservient.

[Crown]

Plot devices aside, you've essentially made him Thrawn's bitch, which I could live with, and now apparently Kittaine's aswell.

C'boath demonstrated that he could take the entire bridge of the Chimera hostage, I see no reason why Vader couldn't do the same.

All I am saying is that Vader shouldn't have been in that scene in order to make it work, otherwise, well otherwise the only way you could make it work was to de-ball him. *shrugs*

Either that or Vader is cunningly following his own agenda, which is perfectly plausible.

Vader WILL be kicking ass and taking names soon (did we forget that he singlehadedly took out a starship just a few chapters ago?), he's just being crafty at the moment and his attentions are divided as he wants to know what happened to Nemesis. His Darkside sense is tingling and he's not sure why, but worry not Vader will show us all what the true nature of the Force is soon enough. Oh, as to the Thrawn's bitch thing, I see it more as the same relatiosnhip Vader had with Grand Moff Tarkin than him being just subservient.

No I haven't forgoten (blatant lie, considering the time between chapters), and as I said it is plausible that Vader is following his own agenda (Nemesis).

Tarkin? Who is that? Yes I repressed Tarkin, up until I was 12 I honestly made myself believe that Tarkin was the Emperor, and just refering to himself in the third person.

I can understand making him hold back with Thrawn, since it was under the Emperor's orders, but honestly man, you've de-balled him in that scene. Forget that I mentioned it. It's late, I have exams, I am naturally cranky. Sorry.

[Stravo]

Nonsense, Crown, you of all people know I welcome criticism. I gave you my side of the story you gave me yours and no one is really right or wrong when it comes to these things. GL might feel perfetctly vindicated as an author that he had Greedo shoot first but we all know the truth about that. Criticism from the fans keeps me honest.

Don;t apologize for telling me what you feel about a scene or character.

[FaxModem1]

Stravo, I really want to know, what was Lwaxwana's job there, what was she supposed to do exactly? Or did Kittaine just think having a telepath in an imperial uniform is nifty?

[Captain Cyran]

Stravo, I really want to know, what was Lwaxwana's job there, what was she supposed to do exactly? Or did Kittaine just think having a telepath in an imperial uniform is nifty?

[mystic jedi]All will make sense soon young padawan.[/mystic jedi]

[Stravo]

Stravo, I really want to know, what was Lwaxwana's job there, what was she supposed to do exactly? Or did Kittaine just think having a telepath in an imperial uniform is nifty?

Kittaine is up shit's creek. Nemesis AND Mara have gone missing. What does he have to oppose Thrfawn and a Sith lord more powerful then Nemesis. If you go back and read the chapter where Thrawn and Vader first meet with Kittaine and Nemesis, Nemesis does alot of the talking. Kittaine has grown dependent on Nemesis to see him through the threats of Thrawn and Vader and now that they're gone he desperately tries to fiond some way to get an advantage and he remembers the Betazoids, now subjects of the Imperium.

He is using her telepathic talents to keep him abreast of what Thrawn and Vader might be planning.

[FaxModem1]

Okay, Thank you Stravo, and let me guess, as usual, Lwaxana Troi doesn't like playing the spy and just harps her own horn?

Also, just how many SDs does Kittaine have left, they have lost a lot in all these battles and I've lost track of the numbers.

And to ask you one last question, how were you able to come up with this, for lack of a better word, cool story? I'm trying to be a writer of a space drama and you are great at it and I'm asking for your help on the way of writing stuff like this.

[Stravo]

This is becoming even more epic and I love it. No fanfic ever is going to beat this.

Never read the WWE saga, have you?

Just to clalify thats not WWE as in WOrld Wrestling Entertainment (Federation) that's WWE as in World's Without ENd still being written by Chuck Sonnenburg.

No more free advertising for the stinking competi----uh----distinguished author of another fanfic.

[Mark S]

No more free advertising for the stinking competi----uh----distinguished author of another fanfic.

*Hears 'No more free advertising', looks at who said this* BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!
*Sighs and wipes laugh tear away.*

[Stravo]

No more free advertising for the stinking competi----uh----distinguished author of another fanfic.

*Hears 'No more free advertising', looks at who said this* BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!
*Sighs and wipes laugh tear away.*

You're scorn will be marked and remembered.

[Mark S]

No more free advertising for the stinking competi----uh----distinguished author of another fanfic.

*Hears 'No more free advertising', looks at who said this* BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!
*Sighs and wipes laugh tear away.*

You're scorn will be marked and remembered.

Really man, for a while there you were pimping this thing like it needed it.

[Stravo]

*Hears 'No more free advertising', looks at who said this* BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!
*Sighs and wipes laugh tear away.*

You're scorn will be marked and remembered.

Really man, for a while there you were pimping this thing like it needed it.

I was PROUD of this baby. The success was completely unexpected and surprising and I admit there was a time that I was a little heady with success. Besides, people like GL understand the need to constantly pimp it out there to keep that ball o' success rolling.

[Stravo]

Chapter 51: Hunters and Hunted



“Waiting can be very frustrating.” Mara noted absently as she sat in the copilot’s seat of the shuttle and stared out into the void. The ventilation system had finally cycled most of the smoke and smell of burnt out circuitry that had hung in a cloud around the crew compartments.

Nemesis remained silent watching the star field as well. His eyes seemed to be peering out, as if searching for something in the distance. He had not spoken for hours and Mara was trained to recognize a Force trance when she saw one.

She did not think that their mission of capturing James Kirk would bring them out here, hiding out in a nearly crippled shuttle in the vast expanse of a star system’s Oort cloud. Nor that they would be tracking one of their galaxy’s most infamous bounty hunters. Speaking of which, just how did Fett get to this galaxy? The fleet had disappeared from one moment to the next and as far as she knew, it was a one way trip.

The chances of Fett stumbling across the same anomaly in a galaxy that was not known for them until this point were astronomical to say the least. Her instincts, honed by years of service as the Emperor’s Hand were telling her that things were not what they seemed and there was a purpose to these “chance” encounters.

She could almost feel the guiding hands that were making these events unfold. With the war at its height and losses mounting as worlds were taken, the question of just how did they arrive in this forsaken galaxy had been tabled. Nemesis’ own sudden shift in emphasis from escape to founding his own empire out here had nearly assured that any research into the wormhole that brought them here or how to duplicate it would be tabled for a much later time.

Still, it all felt wrong somehow. She realized that she was getting the same feeling from this scenario that she had gotten of late serving Palpatine. She felt as if she were jumping through hoops and for what? There was an unseen puppet master pulling the strings and following his own agenda.

It frightened her to reason out just how powerful this puppet master could be to manipulate Nemesis, the Federation, the Empire itself.

Then she shook her head and snorted derisively.

What a fool she was to think such thoughts. Right now she was hungry and she would grab something to eat. She did not know when Nemesis would need her at her best and being hungry made for poor fighting.

She slowly slid out of her seat to try to get to the food packs in the back. She knew better than to ask Nemesis if he wanted anything. The Sith could meditate like that for weeks at a time. Though the thought of sitting in this cockpit for a week with his silence was daunting.

She started to slide between the seats to the back when his hand touched her, wrapping gently around her bicep. She froze. The touch was electric.

“You think I am being manipulated don’t you?” he asked softly, more as if confirming his own suspicions than accusatory.

She slowly looked down at him. Her eyes searched his. There was a tenderness there, a deeply buried need to touch her, to let her know how he felt and in that moment she opened herself up as well and the touch was like a bridge spanning a yawning expanse. She could feel his own emotions, tumultuous anger and determination mixed with sharp suspicion. She could feel it pulsing beneath the roiling sea of emotion. There was something else, something hidden.

His grip tightened on her arm and broke her concentration.

“Do you think I have not felt it from the moment we crossed over?”

“Then why don’t you do something about it?” Mara asked, her eyes not leaving his.

“Because opportunities have been granted to me here that I would not have otherwise had.”

“You mean that here you can play at Emperor and back home you can’t.” she snapped angrily and started to pull away. Just as she suspected, he was no different than any other ambitious man, he just hid it better.

“No.” he stated firmly and his grip was like a vise but she did not complain, she would not give him the satisfaction.

“I am not playing at Emperor. There are larger issues at hand.”

Mara sneered.

“Damn you woman, I will not explain myself to the likes of you!” Nemesis roared and shoved her roughly away.

Mara stopped herself from stumbling forward and absently rubbed her bicep as she looked over at him.

“The likes of me, my lord?” she asked sharply. Nemesis glared at her. his anger was clearly etched on his face.

“You want to make me your queen and you treat me like this? You can rot as far as I’m concerned, your majesty. You want to play Emperor and be a master of destiny like he does then go right ahead. I see you becoming more and more like him now. He plied me with sweet words too, Nemesis and he spent much of his time searching for the correct path, trying to see his way clear as you do. Prescience seems like an awfully iffy crutch to rely on in the real world. But I guess he is your master so what could you learn differently, eh?”

“Mara-” Nemesis began as his face slowly changed as she spoke from anger, to confusion, to hurt.

“I will be yours Nemesis because you’ve been kinder to me and you’re a far sight more handsome than the other Sith lords I have to choose from but I will never be yours the way you want me to be. I will be your Hand now. But that is all, the likes of me is going to the back to take stock of our supplies in case Fett takes his sweet time tracking Kirk down.”

“Mara!” Nemesis called out and stood up.

She stormed towards the back of the shuttle.

“I could stop you, I could make you stay here.” Nemesis said coldly.

Mara stopped but remained with her back to him.

“I see you continue to learn well from your master. That which you can’t have you take.” her tone was cold and cutting.

Nemesis stood silently for a long moment.

“Leave me.” he whispered.

Mara slowly strode out of the cabin and disappeared into the back. Nemesis suddenly lashed out with his fist and struck the side of the crew cabin. His fist cracked the metal bulkhead, but his own flesh seemed untouched save for some bruising around his knuckles which would soon vanish as he entered meditation.

“The force, it controls your actions?” he heard himself ask in that childish voice. Did he ever sound so young?

“Partially, but it also obeys your commands.” the old wizard replied with a kind smile.

He shook his head. These days it was all about control and he had just tried to exert brute control over the one person he did not want to do so with. He just could not bear her walking away and now he may have destroyed everything for his impetuousness.

“It’s not about control, Mara, it’s not about playing emperor. It’s about redemption.” Nemesis whispered and slowly sank back into his chair.





“I don’t know how you figured it out, Spock but I have to say that I’m glad you’re coming along.” McCoy said as he adjusted the shoulder strap of the bag he had flung over his shoulder as they strolled into the hangar bay of the Reckless Hope.

Spock arched an eyebrow and glanced over at McCoy.

“And don’t give me that look, Spock.” McCoy snapped. “I can acknowledge that you would be helpful in finding Jim. After all, I’m just a country doctor and you’re the big brain with the computer circuits installed in your head.”

“Doctor I admit that I have no words to reply to your stirring vote of confidence.” Spock replied dryly as they walked past a row of X-Wings.

McCoy nodded.

“I thought so.” he replied with an emphatic nod as he stopped to admire the vessel they were going to steal.

“What a piece of junk.” he muttered.

“Having read up on its performance during the battle of Vulcan I was quite impressed. Her speed and maneuverability make her a perfect choice for the mission parameters and her durability should allow us to survive most anything we come into contact with.”

“Yeah, plus she’s fast and tough.” McCoy added.

Spock stopped for a moment and glanced at McCoy with a hooded expression.

McCoy clapped his hands together and rubbed them palm against palm eagerly.

“So let’s get started.”

“I am curious Doctor.”

“Please go on Spock.” McCoy replied examining the Millennium Falcon with a keen eye.

“How do you intend to carry this plan out? You have no technical skills that I am aware of—“

“I put people back together, that’s a mite sight harder than printing circuit boards or hooking up a computer.” McCoy shot back.

“Nevertheless, you are infamous for your dislike of technology and yet here you are attempting to steal a vessel of a technology level higher than anything we possess.”

“Spock, my logical friend, I intend to carry out this plan in a precise logical manner.” McCoy replied with a sharp grin.

“Indeed?” Spock interjected with an arched eyebrow.

“Oh yes, step one of my plan was simple, choosing a ship for our little escapade. A Federation vessel, though far easier to acquire would open us up to the same dangers that probably got to Jim, so I logically deduced that an Alliance ship was needed. We needed something fast to outrun any enemies, particularly Imperial and equipped with a hyperdrive to make searching for Jim go much quicker.” McCoy began as he walked around inspecting the outside of the ship.

Spock listened intently, hands clasped behind his back.

“The Falcon became my clear choice, though aesthetically she ain’t too pleasing but as we of Earth say, beggars can’t be choosers.”

“So I’m told.”

“After choosing the ship the method of acquiring it became my next test in logic.”

Spock continued following McCoy.

“Princess Leia COULD allow us to use it but then we run into the entanglement of her wanting to come along and considering the potential coup situation we have going with that strutting marionette Jellico, I figured it was best we have a friend in power remain behind to keep an eye on things until we get Jim back here.”

“I am impressed thus far, Doctor.”

“Don’t interrupt, Spock, I’m pretty proud of this. Anyway, this left the option of stealing the ship. So I spent the last three days watching them and their protocols and schedules. This is their night cycle and the only real personnel out here are droids. They won’t question us as allies going into the Falcon.”

“Assuming we get in how do you intend to activate the controls and how will you figure out the major systems? I assume, logically this is where I come in.”

“That would be presumptuous of you.” McCoy replied with a grin.

Spock looked confused for a moment.

“I see from your expression that my logic has you stumped by little green blooded hobgoblin, but allow me to illuminate your thought processes.”

Spock said nothing but was indeed perplexed by the turn of events.

“I could not figure out the systems, but I couldn’t count on your assistance because you might pull some logical reason why we shouldn’t go, so I did the next best thing.”

The ramp to the Falcon suddenly started to come down. Spock glanced over in concern mixed with curiosity. The ramp fully deployed and Scotty walked down the ramp cleaning his hands on a rag.

“Tis done, Doctor. I have the power core on line and I’m fairly certain that all major systems are nominal. We can deploy at any time.”

“Weapons?”

“I wouldna take ye out without weapons, Doctor.” Scotty replied with a grin and a wink. He glanced over at Spock and his grin widened. “Mr. Spock, it’s a pleasure to see you come to join us rogues.”

“Mr. Scott, I must say that I am surprised to see you here.”

“No surprise there, Mr. Spock, all the good Doctor had to say was that we were going to save the Captain and that’s all he needed to say.”

“Very well, we have an engineer, I assume you then asked me to come along to help you pilot this vessel since you lack any piloting skills yourself?”

“It’s all about you isn’t it?” McCoy replied with a wink. Scotty hid a smile as Spock glanced around for a moment, hiding his growing confusion.

“I figured that Scotty would be too busy keeping things running and thinking once again that you might come up with some silly logical notion on why we shouldn’t go rescue Jim I decided on the next best thing.”

There was the sound of knocking and Spock looked up. Sulu waved at him from the cockpit and gave McCoy and enthusiastic thumbs up. Spock looked back at McCoy who was returning the thumbs up sign.

“You’re logic is flawless.” Spock said dryly.

“Of course it was Spock.” McCoy replied and patted Spock on the shoulder. “Don’t be so hard on yourself, at least I did decide to ask you to come along.”

“Considering your flawless plan, I seem a bit redundant at the moment.”

“Nope, I needed a commanding officer for this mission and who better than a fairly decent first officer.”

“If memory serves you once stated that I was the finest first officer in the fleet.” Spock replied with a haughty expression.

“Well, you have to understand that you had just regained your sight after I blinded you and was feeling sort of guilty. We humans tend to say things we don’t mean when we feel pity or sorrow for someone.” McCoy grumbled.

“I will keep that in mind Doctor.” Spock replied.

“Gentlemen, if you will, we’re a little pressed for time and someone’s bound to come investigate.” Scotty urged.

“How about hangar bay access?”

“I already took care of that. The controls have been jury rigged so that I can trigger them from the cockpit, by the time their flight control officer is aware of what we’re doing we’ll already be preparing to make the jump to light speed.”

“You really are a miracle worker.” McCoy beamed.

Scotty opened his mouth to say something when he stopped suddenly and his eyes widened slightly. Scotty fumbled for the phaser at his belt.

McCoy turned quickly and hi eyes widened as well.

“Your flawlessly logical plan, I assume had made arrangements for just such a contingency?” Spock asked.

“Damn it you emotionless dolt, do something. My plans didn’t take into account a seven foot walking carpet.”

Chewbacca stood casually, holding his bow caster in one hand and the other resting against the nose cone of an X-Wing. His paw was lightly tapping the metal skin of the fighter in a drum like rhythm much like a human drumming his fingers.

“Uhhh…I don’t need a universal translator to tell me that he’s pissed.” McCoy muttered to Spock out of the corner of his mouth.

“I find that the best approach to potentially hostile situations is to directly confront the issue.” Spock stated and stepped forward. “We intend to steal this vessel.”

“Why did you tell him that!” McCoy exclaimed.

“We wish to take the Millennium Falcon to find and rescue Captain Kirk.”

Chewbacca glanced between the cool and calm Vulcan and the visibly flustered Doctor.

“We won’t put a scratch on her, I promise.” McCoy added helpfully.

Chewbacca shook his head and snorted something.

“Did I hear that correctly?” McCoy asked Spock.

“I do believe that you did.”

Chewbacca grunted and howled as he waved someone behind him to follow and Threepio and Artoo appeared meekly from behind the X-Wing.

“So you’re going to help us?”

The Wookie replied with another series of grunts and growls as the droids quickly approached the ship.

“We too are concerned for Captain Kirk and you may need my services in this venture.”

“Oh yeah, what for?”

“I am fluent in over six million forms of communication and have recently downloaded your universal translators language database to supplement my own.”

“Ok.” McCoy replied unimpressed. “What about the rolling trashcan here?” McCoy asked jabbing a thumb at Artoo who turned his domed head and squawked something insulting.

“Artoo is a mechanic beyond compare and he has felt an attachment to Captain Kirk ever since their adventure together back on Earth when they escaped the Imperial forces.”

McCoy glanced down at Artoo.

“Fine, the more the merrier, but can we leave now before we have half the ship wanting to join us on this mission?” McCoy asked sullenly.

“Of course Doctor. I might add that your flawlessly logical plan has evolved into a fine example of why logic is not the best path available to humans.” Spock said without looking at McCoy and followed Chewbacca up the access ramp.

McCoy glared up at the ramp.

“Let’s see what kind of turn out we would get if this were a rescue mission for you, you green blooded—“ McCoy disappeared up the access ramp. It quickly closed shut.






Run.

There was no other option at this point. Go to ground and ride out the storm. He had been trained endlessly on these scenarios. Cover’s blown, backup plans have gone to hell, contacts have been arrested or worse, assume that everything has been compromised, all safe houses have been tainted and go to ground like a good little agent.

All storms pass, this one would as well the conventional wisdom said. The conventional wisdom was horribly wrong in this situation. The scenarios never envisioned an extragalactic civilization with a technological edge as high as this one, they did not envision leaders capable of utilizing ESP and other non traditional methods to either interrogate or find their opponents. The scenarios did not envision a hefty majority of the quadrant under their control in under three months. It was a worst case scenario to beat all worst case scenarios and was usual in his case, Michael Adare was right in the middle of it.

Adare stopped in an alley off one of the great market bazaars that dominated the center of the Imperial capital. He was sure that he was not being followed but caution was the watchword for the day. He looked as if he were examining a bag of fruits that he had just purchased but he was actually checking himself for tails.

The Romulans may be a conquered people and Nemesis certainly had purged the ranks of the Tal Shiar with ruthless efficiency but those that remained were the truly dangerous ones, spooks and black operators that were either too valuable to purge or too smart to allow themselves to be purged. Gone were the majority of the simple thugs that dominated the Tal Shiar. Now it was strictly dangerous and smart agents that were looking for anything to hang their hat on for career advancement in an organization whose days were numbered.

They must have done the same math that Adare had done when he first made contact with the Tal Shiar sleepers Section 31 had planted here. The Tal Shiar would soon be swallowed up by whatever espionage branch Nemesis would eventually dream up.

He certainly would feel no compunction to keep around an espionage division that had served a conquered government. Those that he felt were valuable would be moved to this new branch and those that were either too dangerous, suspicious or simply annoying would be mercilessly purged. So in these twilight times for the Tal Shiar there was a mad scramble to do anything to distinguish themselves from the competition.

In the end no one wanted to die because they were considered obsolete.

Adare knew it was coming, particularly after the disastrous battle of Romulus. Damn James Kirk for his timing and idiocy. His planet killing machine had very nearly tried to devour the planet and decimated a good portion of the fleet based here. Adare’s sources and contacts dried up over night.

One thing was helping foreign agents out for money or personal vendettas, it was quiet another to help agents of a power that had just tried to literally destroy your world. Soon he had shown up on the radar screen of the Tal Shiar and they had made the opening move.

He had stepped out for a quick run and check of the area, when upon returning to his safe house he noted the red washcloth hanging out of a window. It was the sign he had worked out with Saraz, the kindly old Romulan woman that had housed and fed him all this time in case she was even suspicious that his position had been compromised.

He did not even hesitate, he glanced up and saw the red washcloth and kept on walking without skipping a step, right past two very obvious security agents trying to look casual in the restaurant across the street. he did not stop walking until he was out of the sector and hunkered down inside the burnt out hulk of a processing plant that had seen better days.

He needed to map out a quick strategy.

He had two options.

He could continue his mission, wait until Nemesis returned to Romulus, ignoring the pathetic rumors that he had disappeared. A man that competent and powerful did not just disappear. It was a smart move on his part. He had ‘disappeared’ just as the Imperial reinforcements arrived to test the loyalty of his Imperium. Those that embraced the Empire too quickly would be marked and remembered.

“You ingenious bastard.” Adare muttered to himself as he was finally satisfied that he was clean of tails.

He bit into a juicy wet fruit that he had been introduced to in his last assignment on Romulus. His thoughts were cold calculating and frustrated by the limitations now imposed on him. Adare was a loner by nature but he was accustomed to some support, Section 31 or the Shadowfleet was always a call away.

Now they were both suspiciously quiet.

He had heard rumors, vague and unconfirmed that the new Imperial fleet under a Grand Admiral named Thrawn had attacked a Federation remnant base and decimated the fleet station there. Part of him hoped that it wasn’t true and the more blood thirsty part of him wished that it was Kirk’s faction that had their base destroyed. Fitting punishment for the man that was most responsible for the situation he found himself in.

All he needed to was get Nemesis in his sights and BANG, end of problem, assignment complete and with the right moves he might even pull off framing the new Imperial forces causing one hell of a rift among them, maybe even triggering a civil war between the factions. A man could hope and dream.

Right now the cold harsh realities were that he was an agent whose entire support structure was compromised or even destroyed. On fact he may not even be an agent anymore, but a lone wolf trapped deep behind enemy lines.

He could just run.

Run far away from here. He still had some secret accounts available to him and he still knew some people that would not sell him out, who were sharp enough to realize that Kirk’s actions were wholly independent of his own and which they had formed true bonds of friendship not just connections of convenience.

He could flee to the hinterlands of the galaxy and hope that everything turned out well.

Adare watched the people moving about the market. They all moved as if they were living in a dream, slow, uncertain, quiet. He could feel it in the air, the heavy feeling of oppression and uncertainty. The Romulan Empire may not have been the picture of democratic freedom, but the people were usually happy and well represented. They were a proud and noble people that had been utterly defeated.

He wondered what it must be like on Earth and he imagined streets full of people just like this, zombies walking about doing their duties but uncertain of their future and scarred by the ugly reminder that they were no longer free, but a conquered people. The very thought brought turmoil to his heart and mind. He was a patriot, no matter what the effete snobs like Picard thought, his first true love and duty was to the Federation. The thought the his precious federation was no more, relegated to factions clinging to the edges of known space striking in hit and fade attacks was sickening to him.

It also angered him and he yearned for revenge. He could not imagine his people walking around like these faceless Romulans, as if in shellshock.

He would kill the man most responsible even if it cost him his own life. He closed his fist tightly. He would derive such pleasure from seeing the stunned look frozen on Nemesis’ face as the bullet materialized in his brainpan, exploding and reducing Nemesis’ head to a thick cloud of blood, brain tissue and bone.

All he had to do was be patient.

His eyes darted to the left and he saw the Tal Shiar agent as he wove his way between the crowd.

He smiled coldly to himself.

They could keep looking for him, it would only keep him sharp and when the time came, there would be a reckoning. One thing his training had taught him was the awesome power of patience. Just wait and it will all be revealed to you. Wait and your prey would eventually walk right into your sights.

He nodded to himself.

Michael Adare stepped out of the alley, passed the Tal Shiar agent from behind and palmed the man’s ID. He kept on walking. He knew that it was a useless gesture. The agent would report the identification stolen and they would lock it out of the system in a matter of moments.

But that was not the point.

The point was that the hunter had been tapped by the prey, a sign that the prey was not afraid. Maybe, just maybe it would make them a little afraid of just who they were dealing with. It really didn’t matter, it made him happy doing something to them, his thoughts were soon dominated by the image of Nemesis’ heads in his sights. He smiled softly as he disappeared like a mist into the crowd.






The ship landed with a loud roar, kicking up a cloud of snow that was instantly reduced to a snowy mist by the exhaust. The lights quickly intensified as a flood light swept the barren plain where the vessel had landed. The light flashed along the surrounding terrain in a precise search pattern.

The bright white light cut through the evening darkness, illuminating much of the area as it passed over hills and old battered solitary naked trees. The light suddenly passed over something, paused and slowly swept back.

The light settled on the manmade crater and the aft end of a starship that jutted out of the crater. A recent snowfall had covered the black earth, setting a virgin bed of snow and ice around the shattered starship. The floodlight remained on the starship, illuminating all the details.

A hatch on the ship opened with a soft hiss and a figure descended cautiously holding a blaster rifle at the ready. The figure checked his surroundings and slowly made his way to the starship. He peered into the crater and waited for his internal sensors to verify what he already knew.

The area was not booby trapped.

The ship’s sensors had confirmed that the warp core had been ejected so the potentially most dangerous part of the Runabout was gone. Still, Kirk was a clever bastard and he could just as easily seeded the area with phaser power packs, the man had a knack for that, very nearly killing him back at the bar when he flung his overloaded phaser back at him.

No sign of such a contrivance.

He walked over to the rear hatch and touched the keypad. Nothing. He entered a series of keystrokes on a wrist unit of his armor and held it out to the panel. There was a loud whine and suddenly the doors snapped open after the control panel popped and fizzled with smoke.

He stepped back quickly, rifle at the ready but no fire or any other sound emerged from the open hatch.

He slowly peered inside. He saw no movement, helmet picked up no heat signatures.

He stepped into the Runabout.

His worst fears were abated as he saw only one body strapped into the crew compartment, both the pilot and copilot seat were empty. He thought that Kirk may have perished in the crash which would have been an anti climatic end to a hunt that had thus far proven as challenging as was promised.

He gruffly jerked the corpse’s head up by the hair. It was the kid that had ruined his perfect set up shot. Kirk’s head would have come off in one clean shot and the hunt over. Instead, this kid spotted him at the last moment and had taken the shot for his commander. He could not conceive of ever doing that for anyone.

“Idiot.” he hissed and admired the blaster wound on the young man’s chest for a moment with all the detached interest of a butcher admiring a well placed cut.

He released his grip on the corpse’s hair and the head flopped back down. He quickly surveyed the situation, noted the blood smearing the pilot’s station. One wounded, pretty badly. He quickly checked the ship from cockpit to stern.

Emergency supplies were missing, several survival jackets and various weapons. There was a phaser rifle still strapped into place in an overhead compartment. Kirk had chosen to travel as light as he could, abandoning fire power for mobility. Same decision he would have made faced with similar circumstances. He paused over a box propped up against a bulkhead.

He crouched down to examine it. A transmitter, long range distress beacon. Why would he leave something so valuable behind? This was worth more than anything else he had taken with him if he expected rescue.

He slowly glanced backwards at the pilot’s seat.

“You can’t walk can you?” he deduced coldly. Kirk had abandoned the transmitter to help the pilot. His respect for the man had dulled considerably. Faced with the same set of circumstances he would have left the pilot to rot and lugged the transmitter. This foolish quality of mercy was always the downfall of too many of his prey.

He slowly stood up and aimed downward, blasting the transmitter into a pile of smoking components. He adjusted his utility belt and checked his life support stores. He walked back out of the Runabout and stopped at the lip of the crater. He cautiously kicked away the thin layer of virgin snow.

There.

A deep imprint at the lip of the crater. Kirk was not a large man, neither was the pilot. The depth of the print indicated that Kirk was carrying something very heavy, the pilot. There was no smile of triumph, merely a cold satisfaction that he was right on the trail.

He paused to look back at Slave One. He pointed his left hand at the vessel and triggered a hidden palm switch. The lights dimmed instantly and the Slave One quickly cycled down. In minutes, the ship would be as cool as the snow and terrain around it, making any attempts to track him via sensors from orbit would be difficult at best.

Nothing would interrupt him from this hunt.

“Let’s finish this Kirk.” Boba Fett breathed and started walking into the snow, following the trail and ready to finish the hunt once and for all and there would be no more tricks that would save James T. Kirk this time.

[Ghost Rider]

Sweet chapter.

I like the Nemesis revelation and I want to see the Kirk vs Fett.

[Soontir C'boath]

Love the chapter Stravo
I enjoyed the dialogue between McCoy and Spock lol heheh.

Cyaround,
Jason