Star Crossed Fanfic

[Stravo]

Don't know why, but I found myself listening to Silent Lucidity from Quuensryche when working on this chapter.


Chapter 60: Dreams of Light and Shadow


Everything was so far away.

How did he come to this?

He was running. What was he running from? It was dark, there were flashes of images, a corridor, a door opening, his legs pumping. His breath came ragged, shirt slicked wet with his sweat stuck to his chest.

He could not resists any longer, he could feel the overwhelming urge to turn around, to look and see.

He began to turn, his head looking back through the dark corridor, lit by what seemed like distant fires.

A shadow moved through the shadows and fire, it crossed into his field of vision.

No.

He was stuck. Immobilized.

Fear shot through him like an arrow. He felt as if he were drowning. He struggled against the brackish black fear that threatened to swallow him like a hungry sea. Why couldn’t he move? Why was he trapped?

I need to be free! He shouted to no one and everyone.

Heat. At first the heat seemed familiar. The heat of arid dry desert. But there was more to it than that, wasn’t there?

He remembered looking up at the twin suns and feeling their warm caress on his face. The heat never really bothered him. He was used to it, moved through it, worked in it, lived in it. The heat was comforting.

But there was something else. The heat was intensifying and he could feel it on his flesh now. He tried to turn but the crash had collapsed the housing of the cockpit around him, pinning his legs and his left arm was tangled in one of the overhead compartments that had been pulled loose from the framework by the impact.

Cockpit?

The feeling of confusion passed quickly as he tried desperately to turn and face the source of the heat. Then he heard the low crackling behind him and the smell of burnt circuitry and insulation.

“Luke, are you alright? Luke?”

The voice, it sounded familiar.

“Biggs?” he muttered, still confused, head full of cotton.

“Luke! Hold on buddy, you clipped that outcropping on your last pass. Your hopper’s in really bad shape.”

“I’m hurt.” He muttered.

“I’m coming down. Your uncle, he’s come all the way from the homestead in the speeder. He might get there before me, just hold on.”

“Uncle Owen?” He moaned as pain shot up his right side. But he could now only hear static from his headset. He could feel the fire creeping closer into the cockpit. He tried futilely to free himself, to pull himself free from the crumpled cockpit trapping him as well as any cage might.

The fire was getting so close now. The hair on the back of his head was up.

“Let me out!” He shouted suddenly and shoved hard against the housing. The light from the fires was throwing up an orange flashing light that played off the spider web patterns on his shattered cockpit window.

“I want out!” He shouted and the world seemed to slow down for a moment, as if he were immersed in a raging ocean, massive waves crashing overhead as he continued sinking down into the abyss and his hands pushed upwards and he felt one of the crashing waves wash over him and the cockpit gave way, wrenching open and falling away from him.

Just as suddenly as it came, the waves washed over him and he was free again, the desert heat washed over him and he could smell the sand and the burnt sky. He could also hear the high pitched whine of a speeder coming to an abrupt stop.

He was slowly dropping down a dark tunnel. A familiar face hovered into view.

“Just hold on Luke. We’ll have you out of here in just a minute.”

“Uncle Owen?” his voice sounded as if he were speaking with marbles in his mouth, his tongue refused to work properly.

“Just hold on Luke. I have no idea how you got this canopy off, but now’s not the time.” the gruff older man grunted as he pulled Luke free from the cockpit and half carried/half dragged Luke away from the wreckage.

“Uncle Owen, I’m so sorry.”

“What are you sorry for Luke?” Owen asked as he gently lay the boy out by his speeder. Biggs had come racing down a dune behind them.

“Is he Ok?”

“Yes, he is. Maybe later you can tell me what you boys were doing out here in Beggar’s canyon.” Owen replied grimly.

“We will sir, but I have to save Luke’s skyhopper.”

Owen glanced back at the skyhopper half buried in the sand, thick black smoke started belching out of the cockpit. The thought of Luke burning in that contraption angered the older man as he looked back at his nephew. Darker thoughts also crept into the recesses of his mind.

“Let it burn.” Owen spat.

Biggs’ eyes widened in shock but he shook his head and ran over to the Skyhopper and started spraying the flame extinguisher into the cockpit.

“I’m so sorry Uncle Owen.” Luke muttered weakly. Owen turned back to Luke and put one hand under his nephew’s chin and started undoing his helmet strap.

“Stop talking nonsense Luke. There’s no being sorry for making a stupid choice. We’ll talk about that later.”

“I never meant to, I had no choice.” he muttered, his head swimming as if he were floating above the accident site, looking down at himself and Owen.

“What?” Owen asked in annoyance. Luke looked like he may be suffering a bad head injury.

“I never meant to join the dark side. I didn’t want to become an agent of evil.” Luke replied weakly.

Was that right?

“Why would we be angry about that Luke?” Aunt Beru asked gently as she knelt by Luke and Owen.

She wasn’t there that day. Aunt Beru had taken care of him when Uncle Owen brought him back on a stretcher in the speeder. Where Owen had left Luke in bed with a stern lecture on what he had done, Aunt Beru had quietly walked in afterwards with cold compresses and cool water.

Her touch had eased his pain that night.

Uncle Owen did not come in that night to check on him. HE was ashamed. he could never seem to win Uncle Owen’s love and affection.

She had not been there.

But that morning, when he stumbled out of bed in a ill advised attempt to feel better he walked slowly up the stairs out of his room and watched in shock his Skyhopper sitting out by the garage.

Biggs later told him how Owen had driven out to Beggar’s Canyon and helped Biggs unearth the things and haul it back to the homestead.

Where Beru’s love had been in the compresses, gentle words and cool soothing water, Owen’s love had been in the sweat and grunting of labor. Pulling free the instrument of Luke’s near death because Luke loved it so much. It was important to him and Owen Lars would be damned if the one thing his nephew loved would be allowed to rot in the wastes.

Luke had a revelation about love that day.

“I’m so sorry, I did not want to wear the cloak of Darth Nemesis.”

“It’s Ok, dear. We understand.”

It was Aunt Beru’s voice but a smoldering skeleton stood over him speaking the words. Another smoldering skeleton stood over him undoing his helmet.

“There’s nothing to be sorry for Luke. You were too much like your father. What could be expected.”

“You don’t understand, I’m sorry.”

“Who were we to think that we would have any affect on you?” Owen said darkly.

“There was really nothing else we could do, Owen. Luke, we always wanted the best for you.”

Luke tried to crawl away from the grinning skulls that spoke to him in the voices of his long dead aunt and uncle. He crawled desperately, hands digging deep into the hot sand and pulling himself backwards away from the horrible apparitions.

“Luke.”

“Luke.” they called to him, skeletal arms extended and they suddenly keeled forward and lay sprawled out at the entrance to one of the underground homes. Luke stood by his landspeeder staring at the fallen corpses.

Things are so confusing.

He felt a presence behind him. It was drawing closer. He did not want to look back. The shadow was falling over him as he watched the skeletal remains of the only people he could call parents smoking in the harsh desert winds.

He dropped to his knees and vomited, spewing a thick stream into the sand and slowly slumped down until his forehead touched the sand. He began to sob softly at first as he did so long ago on this very spot.

The presence loomed over him and he saw two black booted feet stand to his left.

“You know who I am. Why are you running?”

Luke closed his eyes and drove himself deep down into the darkness, deep into the very depths of his own mind. Deep where Yoda had taught him to place himself when he wanted to commune with the force. The center of the being, the very core of who he was. Yoda had taught him that here a Jedi was at peace, calm, nothing could penetrate the cool layers of darkness.

Why am I remembering Yoda’s lessons?

He stood alone in the darkness. His breathing relaxed and his thoughts slowed down. He centered himself as he had been taught and reached out slowly with his mind. He needed to know what was happening, why he was so confused.

“A Jedi uses the force for knowledge.”

“These aren’t the actions of a Sith lord.”

Luke smiled softly and turned around to face the speakers.

Yoda and Obi Wan Kenobi stood side by side, illuminated by a pale blue light that emanated from their very bodies. Obi Wan looked just as he remembered and Yoda leaned heavily on his walking stick as he examined his old pupil.

“What do you know about the Sith?” Luke asked directly.

Obi Wan and Yoda exchanged veiled glances.

“We know what needs to be known.” Yoda replied.

“Then you know nothing.” Luke replied bitterly.

“Explain yourself.” Obi Wan demanded.

“I think I’ll be asking the questions here, Obi Wan.” Luke replied hotly. “After all you are in my consciousness.”

“Consciousness is a very tricky subject Luke, particularly from a novice like yourself.”

“Novice?!” Luke laughed bitterly.

“A padawan has more self control than you. Betrayed you have all that you have learned.” Yoda added sadly. There was not a single note of bitterness or anger in the Jedi master’s voice, only a deep abiding sadness and disappointment. It hurt Luke in a way he had never expected.

“Betrayal!” Luke roared. He seemed to grow in stature, towering over the two Jedi masters. Obi Wan and Yoda did not look concerned at all.

“You both taught me everything I needed to learn about betrayal, you taught me a lifetime’s worth, both of you.” Luke pointed an accusatory finger at both of them. “You taught me about my father, you told me he was a hero betrayed by a Sith Lord named Darth Vader.” he jabbed his finger at Yoda. “You told me how powerful my father was and then reinforced this one’s lie. Darth Vader is Anakin Skywalker, my father and you two purposely lied to me, drew my anger and forged me into a weapon to be used against my father.”

The two Jedi Masters said nothing as Luke’s rage illuminated the interior of his center with a pulsing crimson light.

“You would have let me kill him without a SINGLE WORD as to who he was and what he meant to me.”

“Luke—” Obi Wan began.

“Silence!” Luke shouted and his voice was accompanied by thunder and crimson lightning split the dark interior.

“No we will not be silent.” Yoda replied sharply and rapped his stick on the non existent ground for emphasis. “You called us here because you wanted to know why. You have brought us here we did not come.” Yoda replied.

“I brought you?”

“Luke, don’t act as if you don’t already know. You left the service of the Emperor to find the answer to the question troubling your heart.”

“Your heart in conflict it is.” Yoda added.

Luke looked at each of the Jedi masters eyes boring into each one.

“There is no conflict.” he replied coldly.

There was a moment of silence between the three.

“Why have you come here?”

Obi Wan began to speak but Luke held up a hand. “Fine, why did I bring you here? I know you’re liars, I know you betrayed me, I know you tried to manipulate me to kill my own father and now you’re here to try and make me feel guilty about my choice.”

“We said nothing about that Luke. So far you have done most of the talking.” Obi Wan noted.

“And you’ve said nothing.” Luke spat. “You’ve never even tried to admit that you were wrong. Do you have any idea how I felt when he told me?”

“And do you have any inkling the betrayal I felt when my former padawan and good friend turned against the order and the Republic. Your father became Darth Vader and hunted down the Jedi order, Luke, he slaughtered his friends like animals and was a willing accomplice in the destruction of the Republic.” Obi Wan interjected.

“He was my father!” Luke shouted.

“And which part hurts you more, Luke?” Yoda asked quietly. “Darth Vader your father is or lied to you out of love Obi Wan did.”

Luke frowned.

“He lied to me. He sold me his twisted fantasy of being a Jedi knight like my father so that I could kill my own father. Those aren’t the actions of someone that cares about me.”

“Luke, I lo—”

Yoda held up a hand.

“Slaughtered hundreds of Jedi Darth Vader did.”

“And the response is to have the son kill the father?”

“Darth Vader is on the road of darkness. Forever does it dominate his destiny.”

“Palpatine laughed at that particular platitude if you must know. In fact he pretty much eviscerated every little dictum of yours and left me with nothing.”

“Nothing but your own faith in yourself.” Obi Wan noted. Luke crossed his arms and shook his head laughing ruefully.

“You chose to join Vader of your own free will.”

“And what else was I supposed to do? Leap to my death?”

“If you honor all that your friends and you have fought for? Yes.” Yoda replied without hesitation.

Luke blinked at the simplicity of the answer.

I was afraid.

“Luke, you are entitled to know why I said what I said.” Obi Wan began. “When your father turned to the dark side, the good man that was your father was destroyed, replaced by the evil man that is Darth Vader. I could never bring myself to really believe that Anakin, the Anakin I knew most of his life could be the monster that was now stalking and killing his friends was the same person. In my mind he became Darth Vader. Anakin died when he turned.”

Luke shook his head in disbelief. “So you are saying that what you told me was true from a certain point of view?!”

Obi Wan sighed softly.

“Luke, you will find that many of the truths we cling to depend on our point of view.”

“That is a coward’s answer.” Luke snapped.

“It matters not, defend our actions we cannot nor will not.” Yoda interjected. He jabbed his walking stick at Luke. “You brought us here, to this place where your mind is quiet enough to finally hear us, to the place where neither dark side or light side hold sway. This core of your being to ask us a question.”

Luke turned away for a moment, staring down into the darkness at his feet. They all seemed to be standing on nothing, surrounded by simple deep darkness illuminated by their own essence’s light.

“Is there no hope?” he asked softly.

“Luke. There is always hope.” Obi Wan replied gently and reached out to touch his young friend, the son of his oldest friend.

Luke shied away from the touch.

“I’m afraid.” he admitted, shame in his voice, remembering his impetuous statement to Yoda so long ago. “I’m not afraid.” Yoda, it turned out had been absolutely correct, “You will be, you will be.”

“The darkside’s grip upon your heart, with fear does it start.” Yoda pointed out gravely. “Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering.”

“I took my father’s hand in the hope that I could bring him with me to the light, but I also joined him out of fear, fear of death, and in that fear there arose anger, anger at the betrayal of two teachers that I trusted implicitly and in that anger I grew to hate you and all you stood for, hate the path that I had walked before and the weakness of the light was revealed to me as I grew in power by leaps and bounds.”

“More powerful than any padawan I have trained were you. Fast was your ascent in power and skill, faster than your father.” Yoda pointed out.

“Luke you are in the clutches of the darkside now but there is a chance, if you walk away now, if you turned back onto the path you walked before.” Obi Wan urged.

“I’ve done…terrible things.” Luke whispered. The deaths of billions flashed forward across his vision like crowds revealed by a stroke of lightning and their deaths weighed him down like a thousand millstones.

“He needs another voice.”

Luke’s head jerked up as another figure was slowly revealed under the pale blue light of the Jedi Masters. He noted how Obi Wan deftly reached out and took a firm hold of the figure’s hand.

“He is frightened and alone and most importantly of all he wants answers.”

“Ochoa?” Luke exclaimed in surprise. The blind young Starfleet captain smiled warmly.

“Luke, its good to hear your voice again.”

“How?”

“Ben here was very helpful in filling me in on the details you left out and Yoda finally revealed himself to me when it was certain that I could be trusted. I’ve been helping them find you and try to talk to you. But frankly, Luke, this isn’t very helpful is it?”

Obi Wan turned his head sharply.

“What are you doing?” he asked with concern. Yoda nodded sagely.

Luke said nothing but watched Ochoa closely. His heart seemed to ease in the young man’s calm presence.

“We cannot answer your question, the one that has been eating at your heart like acid.”

Luke stared as the truth of his words penetrated the anger and confusion.

“So, Luke, the question is where do you go from here? You thought that Yoda and Obi Wan could answer it for you and you brought them here to the core of your being, But their answers are not what you are looking for. The time has finally come..” Luke felt the presence again.

How could it be here of all places?

“Why would I NOT be here?” came the chilling reply in a painfully familiar voice.

“to discover that the answer does not lie with anyone else but yourself.” Ochoa continued

“But where do I go?” Luke asked.

“Only you know the answer to that.” Ochoa replied without hesitation.

Luke stared into the lifeless eyes of the young captain, the reminder of his own darkness, and began to realize that there was one place he had not gone. One dark place beyond the core.

“Ochoa, why have I not cured your eyes?” Luke asked. The footsteps of the presence reverberated like thunder as it approached.

Ochoa smiled sadly.

“Because until you are not whole, I cannot be Luke. Until you shed your darkness, I will live in darkness. You and I are a closed circle.”

“You must hate me.”

Ochoa shook his head slowly.

“I love you Luke Skywalker, because in the end, I know that the darkness stalking you here, in your core is the construct of anger and fear, the true Luke Skywalker is somewhere else, deep inside, sleeping. It’s up to you to wake him up.”

Luke did not want to look back as he felt its cold fetid breath on the back of his neck.

“I have to go deeper.” Luke replied.

“Luke, no Jedi has gone into the Abyss and come out again.” Obi Wan warned.

“Ben.” Luke smiled softly. “I missed you damn you, I missed you despite it all.” Luke said with a final smile as a cold hand gripped his shoulder.

“You cannot run from me.” it spoke like cold ice running along stone.

Luke closed his eyed and folded his arms across his chest and the young Jedi slipped deeper, past the final shrouds of his core to the one place that all Jedi were warned never to enter, the one place that all Sith lords were told that rage and anger would not offer protection or solace, the one place where the Force itself held no sway.

Into the Abyss.

The last words he heard as he slipped away were his old master’s.

“Mind what you have learned, save you it can.”






The quiet rumble of the Emperor’s Will’s mighty engines reverberated through the cabin. Ernesto Ochoa sat cross legged on the edge of his bed and his eyes snapped open. Almost immediately there was a soft hiss like a flare being ignited and a pale blue light illuminated his face.

“I hope you’re proud of yourself. You led him into the abyss, the very depths of the soul where no Jedi or Sith has ever returned.” Obi Wan snapped.

“The answer is there.” Ochoa replied.

“It matters not. The shroud of the dark side has fallen across this galaxy and the light slowly dims. Little time is left to the defenders of life.” Yoda sighed.

“That boy was our last hope.” Obi Wan whispered.

Ochoa began to laugh.

The two Jedi eyed him curiously.

“How is it, masters, that you have known Luke so much longer than I have, that he has taken my eyes, broken my spirit then gave me false hope masquerading as someone else and you fail to see that there is an irrefutable fact about this that I know in the very core of my being.”

“And that is?” Obi Wan asked.

Ochoa looked right up at the old man’s eyes with his empty ones.

“He will be back.” he replied simply.





Things turned. He could not see what they were but dark shadows crossed his vision and gave him the stimuli he needed to try and raise his head from where it lay, the cool waters of the pool soothing his troubled mind.

I’m going to die.

There was no doubt about that. The headache which had been bothersome at first was now threatening to pound his head into a pulp. He felt torn up inside, shooting pain crossed his organs like phaser blasts and try as he might he could not move.

I’ve always known I would die alone.

“Jim!” the voice was distant like the rumble of thunderheads over the horizon on a cloudy day.

He could not move, did not want to move actually. Things were getting dark.

McCoy’s face drifted into Kirk’s blurred vision.

“Bones.” he muttered weakly. “I think I’m all broken up inside.” he said and smiled. Blood trickled down the side of his lips and caked his teeth. Spock loomed overhead as well, Kirk could tell that concern crossed Spock’s face. Always so stoic his Vulcan friend was. “Spock, you don’t have to be ashamed.” Kirk said and his voice sounded as if it were coming from somewhere else and not his own lips.

“He is obviously delirious.” Spock noted.

“Why don’t you let me make the diagnosis, Spock!” McCoy snapped and opened his medkit at his hip, pulling out a hypo.

Leia rushed over and knelt by Kirk’s right side, grasping his hand.

“Jim.”

He smiled weakly and turned his head to face her.

“Leia…so damned beautiful. Leia.” he whispered as McCoy pressed the hypo against Kirk’s bicep. It hissed softly and McCoy began running a small med scanner along Kirk’s chest.

The hypo made him feel warm and comfortable.

“He’s fine Leia, Luke is fine. He will wake up, he has to.” Kirk explained, his words slurring slightly.

He shook his head as he tried to clear it, but it hurt so much.

“Like I thought, a bad concussion, looks like we have swelling of the brain, some blood pooling in his skull. We’ll need medical emergency teams standing by.”

Leia frowned as she imagined that Luke had done this to Jim. She felt guilty having dragged him into this private crusade to save the fallen Jedi when it was obvious that Jim’s galaxy needed him now more than ever.

“Will it be safe to beam him?” Captain Entebbe asked as he examined Kirk, lying sprawled at the lip of a small pool of clean water, his head lolling in the pool, uniform shredded, blood streaked his face and his left shoulder was in an odd position, his left arm hanging limply at an impossible angle.

He was a scientists not a doctor, but Entebbe knew when a man had been physically beaten into a pulp.

“I’ve stabilized him. Frankly we don’t have the time to shuttle him up. Its amazing he’s still alive as it is.” McCoy leaned in close to Kirk, trying his best to compartmentalize his growing concern for his friend. He needed to be cold and calm at this moment if he was going to help Jim at all. “Jim, listen to me.” McCoy began slow and loudly. “We need to operate right away Jim. I won’t lie to you, you’re in bad shape but I’m going to save you Jim.”

Kirk nodded weakly and coughed, spitting up some blood and shaking his head.

“Damnit, there’s no time.”

Entebbe slapped his combadge.

“Entebbe to Sagan.”

“Go sir.”

“Medical emergency, beam us all directly to sickbay and have trauma and surgery teams standing by. Fire up the EMH for assistance.”

“Aye sir.”

“Clark Gable? You want to see a Clark Gable movie?” Kirk asked looking at Leia with a bemused expression.

“Clark who?” Leia asked McCoy.

“Never mind.” McCoy replied. “You hang on Jim, you hear me, you hang on.”

Kirk grabbed a firm hold of McCoy’s hand.

“I’ve always known, Bones. I’ve always known that I would die alone.” Kirk stated strongly.

McCoy raised an eyebrow in surprise. He squared himself up. “You’re not alone Jim.”

“I never meant it, Edith.” Kirk’s expression suddenly changed as he seemed to look far away with mournful eyes.

They vanished in columns of light.




“Alright clear a space.” McCoy grumbled as he looked around quickly at the large sickbay where they reappeared. Chewbacca quickly bent down and scooped Kirk up in his arms and waited patiently for an order.

“Edith, I never meant to, please believe me.” Kirk muttered loudly.

“Biobed three has been prepped for surgery Doctor McCoy.” a young doctor explained, staring at McCoy with barely restrained admiration.

“Chewie.” McCoy snapped and inclined his head to biobed three. The Wookiee casually strode over and gently laid Kirk out on the bed.

“There was too much at stake, too much to sacrifice, but I did love you.” Kirk whispered fervently.

“We could sure use some Bacta right about now.” Wedge noted with concern. He did not like the look of the young Starfleet captain. He had seen too many pilots brought into med bays looking like that and never coming out again.

“Is that--” the young doctor began staring in wonder at a man lying in his sickbay who must have just stepped out of a history book.

“He is our patient, Doctor?”

“Lothan.”

“Doctor Lothan, that’s who he is. Now we need to clear this room.” he turned suddenly to a nurse. “Start neocortical stimulation we need to keep him from slipping into a coma.” she nodded quickly and rushed over to assemble the equipment. “You, start a series of Pthalotrissus shots. Start dosages at 20cc’s and increase by 10% each new series.”

“Yes sir.” the nurse replied and searched the crash cart for the Pthalotrissus.”

“Let me get you some more help, Sir. I’m not experienced with this kind of head trauma, we could use a second opinion and assistance.” Lothan explained. He quickly keyed in the sequence that activated the EMH program.

“State the nature of your medical emergency.” the sullen looking doctor said appearing out of thin air.

McCoy paused as he stared at the EMH with a look of revulsion and disbelief.

“Holographic doctors?! What has the Federation come to?” he exclaimed.

“I’m sorry, would you please repeat the nature of your emergency?”

“Massive head trauma, patient is human, male, 33 years old in peak physical condition.”

“We will need immediate neocortical stimulation and a series of pthalotrissus shots to stabilize his condition.” the EMH replied as he peered over at Kirk with a clinical eye.

“You know what you can do to help me?” McCoy asked as he suited up and activated the sterility field around bio bed three.

“Yes?”

“Hold this.” McCoy replied and handed the EMH sutures. The EMH looked down at the sutures and back at McCoy. “I am a fully programmed medical hologram. My medical database most likely spans more knowledge than you could ever accumulate in a life time and you want me to hold your equipment?!”

McCoy eyed the EMH with amusement.

“That’s about the long and short of it.” he replied. “Everyone clear the operating room.”

“But-“ Leia began.

“I said clear the OR now or I’ll have security escort you out damnit!” McCoy shouted. The assembled pilots, Wookie, droid, Vulcan, Starship captain and his security team reluctantly filed out.

“I must say I admire your operating room acumen, you have seized control of the situation and projected your sovereignty of sickbay expertly.” the EMH noted.

“That is THE Doctor Leonard McCoy.” Lothan replied.

McCoy rolled his eyes.

“Angels and ministers of grace preserve us.” McCoy muttered. “I’ll get you out of this Jim. I swear.” McCoy vowed as he made his first incision.

The darkness closed in around James T. Kirk and he was very much alone.






The soothing darkness was broken by pain that lanced up his leg like cold steel. He screamed but it sounded muted and weak.

“Apologies Captain, but there is no other way. My internal chronometer has been damaged by a surge of polaron particles. It will take some time to compensate so I do not know how long you have been unconscious or how long I have been in a self diagnostic mode.” the voice cut in through the hazy darkness.

There was a smell. Burning circuitry and thick brackish smoke whirled around him as he moved…no that wasn’t quite right, his legs were not moving. Carried. He was being carried.

“The ship…on fire.” he managed to speak. His voice did not sound like his own, it was thick, clumsy, weak.

“Yes, sir. The fire suppression systems on the bridge were still functioning but several banks were knocked out on the lower decks, the ship is on fire and falling out of orbit.”

“The Queen?” he asked, as time slowly came into focus for him, memories were still jarred and out of place.

“Unknown. When I awakened from my diagnostic loop she was gone.”

“We have to find her, Data.” Picard said as he regained more consciousness, and found out why unconsciousness had been such a blessing. The pain was unbearable, it felt as if every bone in his legs were shattered. His heart pounded in his chest like a jackhammer.

“It is R-7, sir.” R-7 gently corrected him.

“Of course you are R-7, what did I say?” Picard asked confused, memories were leaking in here and there.

“Nothing, sir. I need to stabilize you further. Injuries are extensive, unfortunately I am not programmed for anything other than the most basic first aid.”

R-7 paused at a doorway and keyed it open. Picard vaguely recognized it as one of the escape pod bays on deck 6. R-7 wordlessly placed him on the floor in a sitting position.

Picard gasped as he saw the android clearly for the first time.

The right side of R-7’s face had been blown clear off by some energy surge, exposing the delicate neural grafting and hard unyielding alloys that composed his skull. His naked eye was fully exposed in the eye socket and moved with cold machine like precision. His right arm was limp at his side, burn marks run all along the upper bicep down the elbow, the rest of his arm was missing and his right leg was twisted at an unnatural angle, with a bright shining thin metallic skeletal support structure jutting out at his lower thigh.

“My god, R-7 are you alright?”

The android glanced down at himself.

“I am functioning within parameters considering the extensive damage to my chassis. Unfortunately I was forced to short circuit my self destruct system.”

“Self destruct?”

“All shadowfleet artificial personnel are outfitted with a standard demolition charge to make sure that we do not fall into enemy hands should damage incapacitate us or place us in danger of falling into enemy hands.”

“This is unfortunate?” Picard noted and tried to smile. The pain was too much and he ended up groaning instead.

“Unfortunate in that now I am unable to self destruct of my own accord. Should I fall into Borg hands now…”

“Then we will make sure that does not happen.” Picard assured him.

“Of course sir.”

“Captain Picard!”

Picard stopped short.

“Captain!”

“Who is that?”

“Entering combat mode. Hold position here sir.” R-7 stated and unslung a phaser rifle strapped over his shoulder and cautiously peered out of the airlock.

“Hey what’s that?”

R-7 fired a shot from his phaser.

“Damnit! Hold your fire!”

“We are not Borg!”

“Seven? Captain Archer?” Picard coughed.

R-7 paused.

“I believe that they are the ones in the corridor.” R-7 replied simply.

“Let them in.” Picard ordered.

“Acknowledged.” R-7 slung his rifle. “You may proceed.” he called out.

Archer and Seven slowly approached the airlock and peered past the damaged android.

“Captain Picard! Are you alright?” Archer asked and walked past R-7 reaching for an emergency medical kit at his hip.

“Don’t take this the wrong way, Captain, but aren’t you supposed to be dead?” Picard asked as Archer pressed a hypo against Picard’s neck.

“Funny you should ask that. I thought the same thing. I made sure my helmsman was aiming for the bridge when we rammed you.”

“Your crew?”

“Dead.” Archer replied darkly. “The inertial dampers failed on the engineering deck on impact, everyone else died from injuries and a massive coolant leak that flooded the ship. The bridge was the last to go and Seven managed to set up a containment field as we tried to transport out.”

“Unfortunately the containment field collapsed as we were beaming and only the captain myself and XO Chambers managed to beam out before it was too late.” Seven continued.

“And Chamber beamed into a bulkhead back on Deck 10. Our targeting sensors were obviously off.” Archer finished with a sad shake of his head.

“I’m sorry, Captain.” Picard replied and gripped the young Captain’s forearm. “It’s not easy losing a crew.”

“I know, Captain. But all those sacrifices will be for naught if we can’t stop her.”

“What do you mean?”

“The Queen fled in the Captain’s yacht down to the planet surface several hours ago. Unfortunately we had no way to follow her. She jettisoned all the escape pods on the ship.”

“Save this one.” Picard noted with a soft smile. “I thought it would be best to isolate this pod’s systems from the ship’s core in case R-7 and I needed to beat a hasty retreat.”

“Your foresight could prove to be our salvation.” Seven noted as she walked over to the escape pod.

“Help me up, R-7.”

The android obediently walked over and helped Picard to his feet. “Lean on me for support Captain.” R-7 suggested.

“There’s no way I can talk you out of coming?” Archer asked. Picard fixed the young man with a stony gaze.

“I have been doing battle against the Borg now for years, Captain. This moment has been in my dreams since the day I was freed from their grasp long ago. I plan to be there when the life leaves her eyes and the Collective is finally dead.”

“Then we should get a good chance. I managed to get a satisfactory reading on her course to the surface, I should be able to land us within a few kilometers.”

“Let’s do this Seven.” Archer replied and limped into the escape pod. Picard noticed the blood on Seven’s uniform and the way she nursed her left arm.

“Looks like we’re all a mess.” Picard noted. “But as long as we draw breath…” the doors to the escape pod closed shut. It detached from the Valhalla with a loud whoosh of thrusters coming online and the small ivory pod began its descent to the long dead planet.

Behind them the Valhalla, coupled to her Borg cube escorts and the Defiant jutting out of her saucer section slowly sank into the atmosphere, trailing glittering fire and molten metal as the wrecked ships began their own final descent.




“What do you think he’s dreaming about?” the Andorian asked curiously.

The human shrugged. “How should I know?”

“He looks like he sleeping.” the Nausican noted simply.

“Well he is not. His brain functions are abnormally subdued. I’m concerned the exposure to the subspace cascade may have effected him worse than I predicted.” the Vulcan noted as he watched the readouts on his tricorder.

“Well, then step on it, man, because I just want to get our payment and be out of here before anything happens to him.”

“The boss is just as impatient as we are to get his cargo, don’t you worry. We’ll be making planet fall in six hours.” the human explained.

The Vulcan glanced back at the young sandy haired Sith lord lying on the bunk in the quarters of the small starship. His eyes were wide open but there was no sign that he was even alive. They resembled doll’s eyes as he remained stiff and impassive, the slaver stasis collar around his neck hummed softly suffused with a sickly corpse white glow.

[Ghost Rider]

Nice closure and set up for upcoming material. I would've liked a little more on Kirk's reunion, but I enjoyed that the Borg Queen is stilla ctive(was wondering) and that you've set up more adventures on the horizon...well done.

[Mitth`raw`nuruodo]

first post! reading

EDIT: *sigh* never mind... I guess I will never have my chance for spam. ANyway, reading.

EDIT2: The Luke part was very interesting. I'm curious as to what exactly this "Abyss" is... has it been referenced anywhere in canon SW?

The Borg Queen is still alive, that's cool. As Ghost said, you have set up future stuff very nicely.

[Captain Cyran]

Well, all the players except the imperials have official been beaten the hell out of.

Good chapter Stravo, Ochoa proves to be wise as the great Jedi. McCoy get's an awesome quote.

“Hold this.” McCoy replied and handed the EMH sutures. The EMH looked down at the sutures and back at McCoy. “I am a fully programmed medical hologram. My medical database most likely spans more knowledge than you could ever accumulate in a life time and you want me to hold your equipment?!”

And we finally get back to Picard and R-7. Can't wait to see what is happening with that subplot.

[Grand Admiral Thrawn]

While the Luke and Kirk parts I think are well writen, I think the Borg section feels rushed (like with Captain Archer and the death of his crew, the dialogue), with a little too much luck that feels like super mega character shields.

[Stravo]

While the Luke and Kirk parts I think are well writen, I think the Borg section feels rushed (like with Captain Archer and the death of his crew, the dialogue), with a little too much luck that feels like super mega character shields.

Unfortunately the character shields could not be avoided, I really wanted it to be a fight with just these major characters against the Borg Queen in the finale. Frankly I just didn't feel like adding an extra 3-4 pages describing Seven and Archer's escape. In other words I invoked Redshirt fiat as a writer and temporarily made the crew of the Defiant all redshirts.

[darthdavid]

Even so, i loved it.

[haas mark]

[bounces around] Well, I finally managed to read the first chapter.. and I must say that I'm looking forward to reading the next 59. ^^;

~ver

[Stravo]

[bounces around] Well, I finally managed to read the first chapter.. and I must say that I'm looking forward to reading the next 59. ^^;

~ver

Welcome to the story Ver, and you have the advantage of starting everything fresh.

[El Moose Monstero]

While the Luke and Kirk parts I think are well writen, I think the Borg section feels rushed (like with Captain Archer and the death of his crew, the dialogue), with a little too much luck that feels like super mega character shields.

Actually, I felt that the dialogue within the early half of the chapter seemed a little below your usual standard, Stavro, maybe it was just me, but some of Luke's stuff seemed to be slightly clumsy and rushed. The Yoda and Ben scene didnt sit very well in terms of dialogue, whilst the plot was there.

Still, nice to see that Picard ain't dead yet.

[Captain Cyran]

[bounces around] Well, I finally managed to read the first chapter.. and I must say that I'm looking forward to reading the next 59. ^^;

~ver

Dude, you have missed a lot.

[Stravo]

I'm opening up a brief discussion here. This chapter's response was described as Lackluster, now I can take this to mean one of two things:

This was a good chapter but there was little to comment on.

This chapter was sub par so I just rather not say anything.

I would prefer to know that it is sub par than work under the delusion that this one was cool. Now you could say, "Stravo the whole mindtripping stuff just ain't my bag." and I would totally respect that. But if there were major problems with it that drove readers away, well, there's really only one way I will know and that's by you telling me.

A friendly reminder from one of your resident authors that the sqeauky wheel gets the grease.

[2000AD]

For a brief moment i thought you'd set a new record for fanfic writing speed !

[El Moose Monstero]

There was nothing wrong with the plot itself, the inner mind stuff is completely different from the big battles but is just as necessary, as I said, the problem with the chapter was that the speeches seemed rushed, and yoda especially seemed out of character, the syntax of yoda seemed tacked on (although writing a character like Yoda can't be easy) rather than flowing easily.

The chapter was good, not your best, IMO, as I said before, it just seemed a bit rushed in comparison to the prior chapter.

In my opinion, mind you...

[Stravo]

Lumberjack, I AM interested in your opinion, and yes, Writing Yoda is a bitch.

[Crazedwraith]

umm Maybe i exgaggerated alittle. Anyway it seems to me that there are a lot fewer comments on this chapter than others when at times the starcrossed comments thread was at the top of the board for days and days after a chapter.

IMHO the later SC chapters are not as good but thats is maybe they delve more into phycological depths rather than a simpler story that you could just read.

I also disliked this chapter because of the return of seven/archer/R7/Picard/Borg sub-plot, not because it was bad but because i had thought that sub-plot done with.

[Stravo]

Crazed, don't get me wrong, this isn't a rant, I am just very sensitive about the quality of my product with this fic in particular. I did not want to think that people were not saying negative things because of my status or whatever. i want to know if something doesn't work.

I appreciate you brining this to my attention and I thank you for that.

As to going on in someone's mind chapters, I stated earlier that there was one more with Luke and then that woudl be it, everyone's minds are made up and we can get to Armaged----I mean the climax of the tale.

[Lex]

well to me it's clear why some chapters seem to be worse than the chapters stravo wrote a year ago or so, simple because the exploration is done... everyone knows everything about his or her oppenent, but still, i wait everyday for Stravos new fic... sometimes i only turn to comp on because i wait for a new chapter! ;=)

[FireNexus]

Lumberjack, I AM interested in your opinion, and yes, Writing Yoda is a bitch.

Actually, writing Yoda is easy. He just put the subject and main action of a sentence at the end. Or, in Yoda speak: At the end, he puts the subject and main action.

[Captain Cyran]

Lumberjack, I AM interested in your opinion, and yes, Writing Yoda is a bitch.

Actually, writing Yoda is easy. He just put the subject and main action of a sentence at the end. Or, in Yoda speak: At the end, he puts the subject and main action.

Wrong

At the end, put the subject and main action he will.

[FireNexus]

Made a fool of, I am.

[lukexcom]

Stravo, I just read the last two chapters one right after the other.

The last one did seem a bit rushed compared to the next one. I kind of had the feeling that you were busy with real-world things, but wanted to satisfy us "rabid fans", so you tried to write it while being....distracted? I don't know, but that's the feeling that I got. It's a good chapter, but there were a few longer "plot jumps" (i.e. the Archer-survives-crash explained in a paragraph thing), to which I'm not used to very much, especially in this fanfic, where I've noticed that you take the time to lead the reader thrugh various events, someimtes from various characters' perspectives.

The other chapter, though, I liked a lot. I could just feel the tension on the Executor's conference room.

Also, I don't know why, but I always get the feeling that quantity+detail+depth=quality. I know it's a bad concept, but that concept really helped me thoroughly enjoy such works as Tolkien's LOTR (I think The Hobbit should have been twice as long), or the Mars Trilogy. And I guess that fact, combined with the few weeks of delay between your postings, makes reading Starcrossed a priceless experience that I have never expereinced before. And I thank you for that.

[2000AD]

Lumberjack, I AM interested in your opinion, and yes, Writing Yoda is a bitch.

Actually, writing Yoda is easy. He just put the subject and main action of a sentence at the end. Or, in Yoda speak: At the end, he puts the subject and main action.

Wrong

At the end, put the subject and main action he will.

I'm guessing Talk like Yoda day will soon join Talk like a pirate day?

[Stravo]

And I guess that fact, combined with the few weeks of delay between your postings, makes reading Starcrossed a priceless experience that I have never expereinced before. And I thank you for that.

Lukexcom, thank you so much for the kind compliments. Sometimes its not just a rush to please the rabid fans, but its a rush on my part because I just want to get it all down on paper (so to speak) ASAP.

[JodoForce]

I just want to know how Ochoa gained uber-Jedi-master status out of the blue