Star Trek/Star Wars: The Best of Both Worlds

[JME2]

Thank you. As I said, I am going to bring in the Borg, but with a twist...

As for the next chapter, I'm shooting for it to be up before the weekend.

[Robert Walper]

Thank you. As I said, I am going to bring in the Borg, but with a twist...

As for the next chapter, I'm shooting for it to be up before the weekend.

*cough*

...

*tapping foot*

Ahem.

*cracks knuckles*

I'm waiting...better be a Borg cube or two to read about as well. Lest I become *que heavy breathing* "most displeased with your apparent lack of progress".

[Crazedwraith]

Thank you. As I said, I am going to bring in the Borg, but with a twist...

As for the next chapter, I'm shooting for it to be up before the weekend.

*cough*

...

*tapping foot*

Ahem.

*cracks knuckles*

I'm waiting...better be a Borg cube or two to read about as well. Lest I become *que heavy breathing* "most displeased with your apparent lack of progress".

Let the genius work, *aims I-MOD at Walper* Hey JME2 if you have Hazard team do yuo have I-MODs? I wanna see the drones get there asses whupped by I-MOD weilding Redshirts if only to see Walper's response.

[JME2]

Thank you. As I said, I am going to bring in the Borg, but with a twist...

As for the next chapter, I'm shooting for it to be up before the weekend.

*cough*

...

*tapping foot*

Ahem.

*cracks knuckles*

I'm waiting...better be a Borg cube or two to read about as well. Lest I become *que heavy breathing* "most displeased with your apparent lack of progress".

Let the genius work, *aims I-MOD at Walper* Hey JME2 if you have Hazard team do yuo have I-MODs? I wanna see the drones get there asses whupped by I-MOD weilding Redshirts if only to see Walper's response.

I had a mention of the I-Mods in the second chapter, but that was from when I was unsure that the Hazard Team would be brought in. They will so I will have to edit that mention.

Also, the update will not come this weekend. My computer's interent acessibility has died out for the moment and it'll be some time before I can get it repaired; I'm writing from a friend's machine. Sorry about that.

[Robert Walper]

Let the genius work, *aims I-MOD at Walper* Hey JME2 if you have Hazard team do yuo have I-MODs? I wanna see the drones get there asses whupped by I-MOD weilding Redshirts if only to see Walper's response.

Hey, it's a fanfic, not an analysis.

Besides, I played "Voyager Elite Force" and liked it. After all, it canonly showed Borg drones can adapt to direct impacts by high explosive weaponry. Take that you Borg haters!! MAWAHAHA!!!

[JME2]

Okay, I'm back online. Let me give you the reason for my silence and the delays. My computer's internet acessibility died a week ago, the latest in a string of constant probelms facing my computer (It's what I get for using Windows ME\). So, rather than deal with the increasing severity of the problems or costly repairs, I wiped the hard-drive. Luckily, I was able to burn all of my important files, including 'The Best of Both Worlds' (everything written thus far along with future bits) onto a CD. My system is now back to a peak performance level, as is the interent connection. so, the new chapter will be up soon. Thank you for your patience.

[Crazedwraith]

Let the genius work, *aims I-MOD at Walper* Hey JME2 if you have Hazard team do yuo have I-MODs? I wanna see the drones get there asses whupped by I-MOD weilding Redshirts if only to see Walper's response.

Hey, it's a fanfic, not an analysis.

Besides, I played "Voyager Elite Force" and liked it. After all, it canonly showed Borg drones can adapt to direct impacts by high explosive weaponry. Take that you Borg haters!! MAWAHAHA!!!

But it contuined the borg lack of KE sheilds ever cheated and given your self the desparado rifle?

[JME2]

Chapter 10's getting there. I project it will be up sometime next week.

[Robert Walper]

Let the genius work, *aims I-MOD at Walper* Hey JME2 if you have Hazard team do yuo have I-MODs? I wanna see the drones get there asses whupped by I-MOD weilding Redshirts if only to see Walper's response.

Hey, it's a fanfic, not an analysis.

Besides, I played "Voyager Elite Force" and liked it. After all, it canonly showed Borg drones can adapt to direct impacts by high explosive weaponry. Take that you Borg haters!! MAWAHAHA!!!

But it contuined the borg lack of KE sheilds ever cheated and given your self the desparado rifle?

The explosive weaponry was deployed by solid projectiles...my point stands. Mawahaha!!!

As to the desparado rifle no...why, the Borg couldn't adapt to it?

[Robert Walper]

Chapter 10's getting there. I project it will be up sometime next week.

And you decided to torment us some more by making a new post, with your name on the thread, and your fans eagerly scrolling down only to find the simple "more to come soon"!!!! You bastard!!!

[Crazedwraith]

Hey, it's a fanfic, not an analysis.

Besides, I played "Voyager Elite Force" and liked it. After all, it canonly showed Borg drones can adapt to direct impacts by high explosive weaponry. Take that you Borg haters!! MAWAHAHA!!!

But it contuined the borg lack of KE sheilds ever cheated and given your self the desparado rifle?

Well i used it for ages and they never adapted.

The explosive weaponry was deployed by solid projectiles...my point stands. Mawahaha!!!

As to the desparado rifle no...why, the Borg couldn't adapt to it?

EDIT: Why the fuck did i post this??

[JME2]

Chapter 10's getting there. I project it will be up sometime next week.

And you decided to torment us some more by making a new post, with your name on the thread, and your fans eagerly scrolling down only to find the simple "more to come soon"!!!! You bastard!!!

This takes time. When I write one chapter, I'm thinking ahead a hundred chapters, trying to plot out how the move in the present will affect the future. I appreciate your patience, though. Thank you.

[JME2]

Part of the delay is that I'm thinking of doing another subplot suggested by one of the readers who really has helped in plotting this course of the story. Basically, if written, it would focus on the Ferengi and a deal gone wrong with what's left of the Hutts. If it doesn't, then I can simply write it as a seperate story.

[Robert Walper]

Part of the delay is that I'm thinking of doing another subplot suggested by one of the readers who really has helped in plotting this course of the story. Basically, if written, it would focus on the Ferengi and a deal gone wrong with what's left of the Hutts. If it doesn't, then I can simply write it as a seperate story.

Hey, BTW JME2? If you're writing with the Borg involved, be sure to give me a PM if you want to make sure your Borg "speeches" sound about right. I tend to be picky on their statements being in character(and anything else similar).

That's my Borg fanatism for ya...

[JME2]

That's my Borg fanatism for ya...

There's nothing wrong with fanatism; it's how I sum up me relationship with the Batman comics/cartoon.

[JME2]

Okay, gentlemen. You wanted it and now you've got it!

Disclaimer: Star Trek created by Gene Roddenberry and owned by Paramount Pictures. Stat Wars created by George Lucas and owned by Twentieth Century Fox and Lucasfilm. I own the story and any original characters/species. No copyright infringement is intended.

The Best of Both Worlds: Part X

"If you want to make peace, you don't talk to your friends. You talk to your enemies."

-Moshe Dayan-

Author’s Notes:

* I’ve made edits to the previous nine chapters, thereby eliminating grammatical errors and fixing a few things. For example, Hikaru Sulu is still alive (Chapter 2) and the development of the I-Mod has been fixed to help bring in the Hazard Team (Chapter 2)

* Well, it was inevitable that with a threat like this, a certain autonomous Starfleet covert agency would remain silent for only so long.

* Cortin Zweller’s involvement with that certain covert agency can be seen in the TNG Section 31 novel ‘Rogue’.

* See if you can spot the Neon Genesis Evangelion reference in this chapter.

* As of this writing, since Enterprise, is only in its third season, we have some, but no clear idea or indication as to the fate of the Suliban Cabal. I’m simply presenting my theory on what will happen to them in this chapter.

* In terms of the Star Trek portions, I’m not simply going to focus on characters from TNG, VGR, and DS9. Our beloved heroes from TOS will also have their share of the spotlight. Admiral Uhura had already appeared and Scotty and McCoy will also have a part to play before this is all over. As for Sulu, we’ll have to see.

* (This one I should have put in the last chapter) Uhura’s role as Head of Starfleet Intelligence and her role in the Catalyst pathogen is detailed in the sixth and final book of the Lost Era series, ‘Catalyst of Sorrows’.

* Dr. Bendes Kettaracht was first mentioned in the fourth season VGR episode ‘The Omega Directive’ and later appeared in the TOS Section 31 novel ‘Cloak’.

Enjoy!

***

Location: Coruscant

That Galaxy Far, Far Away

With a flick of her wrist, Senator Viqi Shesh of Kuat was admitted through New Republic security scanners and checkpoints into the floor of the senatorial building which contained her office. The office was not set in the decorum of Kuati architecture as it had been for Kuati Senators during the Old Republic, but this was to be expected and not just because Palpatine had had the old building demolished after the disbanding of the Imperial Senate. Construction on this newer addition to the Coruscant skyline, the Atrium of the Senate and its adjoining facilities had hastily proceeded after the Almanian militant Kueller had bombed Senate Hall a decade before.

But then, the daughter of one of Kuat’s highest ruling houses wouldn’t have expected anything less of such surroundings.

Viqi Shesh was one of the Republic’s most vocal senators and rising stars. She had been elected as Kuat’s representative and was representing her world well, parlaying her charisma and intelligence into triumphs for Kuat, by being placed on the committees of SELCROE and NRMOC. She was also the greatest traitor in the organization’s short, twenty year existence, though everyone who knew that was either dead or on the other side of Duro.

Or so she hoped.

Thanks to her position in the Senate, she had read the transcripts of Director Dif Scaur’s debriefings following the bogus defection attempt and that NRI had had suspicions that there was a mole in the New Republic government. Thanks in part to her actions, however, NRI’s credibility was remaining checkered and stained, allowing her to continue acting in the interest of Yuuzhan Vong.

She did so by passing classified and sensitive intelligence Warmaster Tsavong Lah or attempting to pass pro-Vong articles of law, such as the attempted Appeasement Bill several months prior. Of course, she didn’t give a care about the Vong’s ‘True Way’ or their pantheon of imaginary gods. She didn’t care if they massacred every single life-form in the galaxy. There were only two things she cared more about than anything in this galaxy and they were the basis of her betrayal.

She cared for her personal glory and for the safety of her homeworld of Kuat.

Shesh personally had no qualms about selling out the New Republic. She had grown up during the Galactic Civil War and while she had not fully believed in the Empire, she admired the strength and clarity of vision that the Nubian Chancellor turned Emperor had demonstrated, something that the Old Republic had not shown in years.

Well that and that Kuat had been, as with Akyard Industries, a major contractor for the Imperial fleet. KDY had welded and sculpted the Star Destroyers that had made the Imperial Navy a force to be reckoned with. And in return, the Emperor had made the ruling Houses rich beyond their wildest dreams.

In the present day, Kuat was still a major ship-producer, though the KDY facilities, prior to the outbreak of the war, hadn’t been operating at full capacity. It wasn’t as if the Republic hated Kuat. The idiots like Fey’lya were smart enough to continually court a wealthy and powerful world like Kuat if the government was to remain stable.

No, there was just still lingering resentment over how easily they had chosen not to fight Palpatine but to instead ally themselves with his institution. An example of this that many continued to use was the Republic strike on the Kuat Drive Yards a year before Thrawn’s campaign, where the KDY design team -- in a move that ironically mirrored what had happened with the Incom Corporation right before Yavin -- had defected to the Empire, taking with the them the prototype for the Eclipse-class Super Star Destroyer.

That had been part of her initial purpose when she had been elected to the Senate, to try to mend Kuat’s reputation with the ‘lower societies’ of the galaxy. Of course, the Yuuzhan Vong invasion and the fate of Ithor had changed all that.

As had the discovery of the Nubian wormhole.

That was why she was communicating now with Lah. The events of the last two weeks had completely thrown everything into chaos and Viqi Shesh wished to report the latest developments in the corrupt and crumbling government of the New Republic to the Warmaster of the Yuuzhan Vong’s forces.

She looked up towards her office door and made sure that it was sealed. She had told her new assistant to begin packing her luggage and other articles of travel - she had a trip to take, after all, the result of her political efforts that morning - but needed to communicated with Lah in silence and solitude. The Kuati senator’s vast wardrobe would keep him busy enough to open a direct line to the Warmaster.

Satisfied that all was clear, she reached into a sealed compartment of her desk that could only be opened by genetic, vocal, and retina scans. After having completed the necessary tests, the compartment slid back to reveal

It was a villip, the Yuuzhan Vong’s organic equivalent of a comlink. A Yuuzhan Vong agent had presented it to her six months earlier - she had not been able to tell if it was actually a Yuuzhan Vong cloaked in an ooglith masquer or simply a member of the Peace Brigade.

The Peace Brigade was a loose alliance of people of all species that wanted to survive the Yuuzhan Vong invasion and had lost all hope believe in the new Republic because of their appeasement policies and laziness towards helping the refugees. So they allied themselves with whom they had seen as the winning side, the Yuuzhan Vong. They assisted the Vong by corrupting planetary governments and having them give into the invaders, transport warriors and amphistaffs throughout un-occupied sectors, and capture high ranking officials and Jedi

A simple stroke and the villip began to unfold, expanding and folding until the center bulb had taken on the features of a tattooed, scarred, and downright fearsome appearance of the Yuuzhan Vong known throughout both cultures as Warmaster Tsavong Lah.

“Viqi.”

“Warmaster.”

This was the closest that the Senator and the Warmaster would ever have to small talk. He insisted on calling her by her first name during their conversations and she really didn’t mind.

“Report to me that which you know, specifically any and all information related to this ‘United Federation of Planets’.”

“Very well, Warmaster. This Federation is much smaller, yet even more primitive than the New Republic. Their total assets include roughly one hundred and fifty star systems, and a few thousand small warships, which are inferior to Republic and Yuuzhan Vong craft. For example, their propulsion system is pathetic compared to dovin basals and hyper drive, which allow both of our governments to cross this galaxy in a matter hours or days. Their warp drive is so slow that they require decades to cross their galaxy!”

The Warmaster was silent of course.

“Continue.”

“Their ships are far smaller, the majority of them being the size of a Matalok-class medium crusier or a G'Nocr-class Interdictor.”

“And of their weapons, their teeth and their claws?”

Shesh had grown accustomed to Lah using primitive metaphors in his dialect for the six months that she had been passing on information to the Warmaster. But she said nothing, lest he become angry with her. And the last thing Viqi needed to deal with was a furious Warmaster

“More primitive than turbolasers and ion-cannons. Their principal weapons are called ‘phasers’, which lack the punch of Republic or Yuuzhan Vong energy weapons. And their torpedoes are their heaviest weapons, hardly packing as much of a punch

“What is the Republic Senate’s position on this Federation?”

“The Senate is divided on the discovery, which had, despite my laudable efforts, has effectively quieted the arguments against the Jedi. There are many who wish to pursue an alliance of an alliance with this Federation and their Starfleet. They believe that the Federation’s galaxy, which they call ‘the Milky Way’ of all things, would be a valuable ally in the war effort. Some of those who support it include a few whose worlds lie in the path of the invasion corridor. Others, including Kuat, are opposed to such an undertaking for various reasons, namely citing Jedi interference and Jedi mind-control ,” she said with a sly smile on her face.

Her arguments against the Jedi were an amalgam of practical and personal reasons.

Practically, the arguments against Jedi had proven to be an excellent distraction and Senate-dividing issue thus far. Many blamed the Jedi and Corran Horn in particular for the destruction of Ithor and had eagerly accepted the Warmaster’s offer for peace in exchange for the Jedi. Personally, it was a different matter.

The ramblings of Bail Organa’s adopted daughter following Duro’s capture about corruption and misapplication of resources meant for refugees of the Vong’s conquests had caused enough stir to have her removed from SELCORE, which thankfully hadn’t destroyed her political career, only slightly set it back. She was already on her way back, having earned the seat on the NRMOC.

Still, no one screwed with Viqi Shesh and she intended in one form or another to drive that point home to the former Chief-of-State, her family, and their alliance of smugglers and Jedi.

“There is a further advantage to our cause. They have just come out a major conflict which one of their local powers, a government called the Dominion. This war has drained their limited resources and sapped their morale. They may very well not want to become embroiled in a war with the Yuuzhan Vong.

“What is the standing of the infidel Fey’lya?”

“He supports such an endeavor and will personally meet with the Federation Council in a city on the other side of the wormhole called ‘San Francisco’. I anticipated that and have been appointed his advisor for the diplomatic meetings with the Federation in order to advance our cause.”

The Warmaster’s neutral expression took on a hint of a smile.

“Good work Viqi. Do everything that you can on the other side of that wormhole to stop a Republic-Federation alliance and you will have guaranteed your glory and the safety of your world.”

Viqi knew, as she had learned from the previous conversations with the Warmaster, that he had had said all that he wished to say. Yet, she had one final question

“Warmaster, I have one last thing to ask.”

“Be brief.”

“You realize the tactical opportunity, of course. With Fey’lya on the other side of that wormhole, this is the perfect time to renew the invasion. Without its leader present, the New Republic will further crumble under your onslaught.”

The villip regarded the Kuati senator for a long moment.

“We will worry about resuming tactical operations. Your goal is to stop that alliance from happening.”

With a simple stroke, Shesh’s villip reverted back to its natural state, that of a brown ball roughly the size of a human head. After placing back in the hidden compartment of her desk, the Senator leaned back in her plush chair, thinking over the data Krey’Fey had brought back from his initial meetings with the Federation Council. She really had no interest in any world other than Kuat and could care less about the Federation or strange aliens like the ’Tholians’ and ’Breen’ other than the threat they posed to the Vong‘s attempts to gain control over the galaxy and her attempts to save Kuat.

Of everything that Krey’Fey had brought back, what she had been most interested by was what this Federation had called the ‘Khitomer conspiracy’, an incident which elements of the governments of several powers had tried to sabotage a conference that would have guaranteed peace between this Federation and the ‘Klingon Empire’. She couldn’t help but wonder if there were those on the other side of the Naboo wormhole that felt otherwise about the Federation Council’s standings on a pro-Republic agreement/alliance.

If they did, then perhaps they could do just as much work for her as she for Tsavong Lah…

***

Location: Earth

The Milky Way Galaxy

According to the San Francisco official structures database, the chamber that Fleet-Admiral Alynna Nechayev was standing in was nothing more than an abandoned warehouse used by Starfleet in previous years originally as a factory from which to manufacture the TR-116, an attempt to build a projectile-based alternative to the phaser that had failed miserably and save for a series of murders on Deep Space Nine three years before, had been all but forgotten by Starfleet.

When the weapon design had been abandoned, the factory had been scheduled to be demolished. Unfortunately, the condemnation notice somehow kept getting lost in the vast data network that comprised all of Starfleet, something that the real owners of this building wouldn’t have had any other way, owners with whom she would speaking shortly.

Of course, no one would know that.

According to Starfleet Command’s up-to-date network, she was at home in her apartment on Lombard Street in San Francisco; it was surprising just how easy it was to manipulated the system when you were in a high position of power. And the real owners had outfitted the warehouse with sensor bafflers, communication jammers, transport inhibitors, and a few pieces of tech that officially was still on Starfleet R&D’s drawing boards, but that this group had pioneered by themselves.

“It’s been a while, Admiral.”

The chamber was suddenly bathed in white light and Necheyev found herself facing, in the center, a circle of twelve black monoliths. They all appeared to be carved out of the Earth mineral obsidian. Emblazoned on the exterior of the monoliths was the Federation logo. Also in red lettering beneath each logo, were the numbers one through twelve, all in the Terran Roman numeral style.

Others would wonder what they meant, but she knew what the lettering meant and who these men were. They were among the most experienced in their organization. In a literal and figurative sense, they were also among the most powerful men in the eight thousand light years of space that the Federation occupied - they had no headquarters after all and such a measure was therefore, at times, necessary. This gathering had no real name. For purposes, she simply thought of it as a Cabal - not to be confused with the long-dormant Suliban Cabal.

The Suliban Cabal had been a troublesome interstellar force that had plagued Earth and the legendary Captain Archer back in the 2150’s. They had apparently played a large role in something that DTI agents had heard rumors of, but had never been able to verify, something that had labeled as a ‘Temporal Cold War’. Whatever the Sulibans had been involved with, however, no longer mattered. The Cabal had been caught in the crossfire sduring the Earth-Romulan Wars and pretty much all of the Suliban race had moved on for parts unknown.

In any event, this Cabal only gathered together in cases of extreme emergency. The V’Ger incident of 2271 was such an example as was the formal announcement of the Cardassian Union’s alliance with the Dominion in 2373. None of them were actually in the room, however. These operatives were transmitting from all across the expanse of the Federation and beyond it, from the super powers like the Klingon and Romulan Empires to smaller organizations like the Tzenkethi Coalition to the Gorn Hegemony.

“Too long,” she said after a moment of silence.

The last time she had had this meeting with them had been near the end of the Dominion War. The men and women represented by these monoliths believed that the Breen fleet that had attacked Earth had made it as far into the Terran system as it had with a little help in the highest echelons of Starfleet Command and had requested her help in the matter. They had been incorrect, but she had been in contact with them since then.

“Do you realize why we’ve called you here?”

“I’d assume it has to do with the Council’s standing and Picard’s discovery.”

In public - the meeting in the TPT two days before withstanding - she spoke Picard’s name with a sense of pride and respect. Amongst these monoliths, she spoke it as if it were an unholy word. She had respected Picard once upon a time. Her extreme dislike of the captain had all started ten years earlier when she had ordered the Galaxy-class Enterprise-D to implant an invasive program - which ironically, her people in Tech hadn’t developed by themselves as she had originally thought; it had in fact been this cabal’s operatives, though she hadn’t discovered that until four years earlier - into the recovered Borg drone that had become known as Hugh. Initially Picard had full heartedly agreed with her.

In the end, however, he had chosen to let Hugh return intact to the Collective, arguing that he had allowed the prejudice resulting from his assimilation to influence his original answer. He refused to partake in what he called an act of genocide against another species.

Genocide.

He was a fool.

It wasn’t about an act of genocide. It was an act that could and would have ended the threat of the Borg Collective once and for all. The Borg weren’t a typical enemy of the Federation that could be negotiated with, spied upon, and successfully countered, nor were they a threat that was just a system away.

The Borg adapted. They wiped out civilizations and conquered them, assimilating them behind their wish to ‘raise quality of life for all species’. No two ways about it, the Borg Collective had to be stopped at any cost, even if it meant the violation of the Prime Directive - something that Picard and Janeway had proven themselves adapt at doing. They could have been stopped then and there and Picard had ruined it all.

Necheyev had given him hell after he had filed his report with Command. She had tried to push for a court martial, but the other high ranking Starfleet admirals - as much as they hadn’t liked to say it - agreed with Picard’s reasoning. Humiliated, she had privately vowed to neither forget or forgive Picard for the incident. Ironically, however, that was how she had first come into contact with the organization.

Which was not to say that had been a real surprise. She had heard the rumors of their organization for years, but had never really thought them to be true. And when they had indeed proven to be correct, she had believed in their cause. They were able to promote Federation ideals and Starfleet agendas that in the current government was not simply possibly.

They had agreed to mutually keep an eye on Picard, unsure of what further damage he might cause for their organization.

That was what she had done for the past decade and in that time, there had been other instances when she and the organization could have destroyed him, from the defection of her protégée Ro Laren to the Maquis movement to the loss of the Enterprise-D at Veridian Three. But he had managed to survive and was still in command, no thanks to his senior staff and his old friends in the hierarchy of Starfleet Command. Thankfully for her, the old generation of Admirals was disappearing as young blood made its way into Command in the aftermath of the Dominion War.

She too would eventually too have to join the exodus, but not just yet, not until she repaid Picard for all that he had done to her and had stopped him from signing the Federation’s death signature.

Or rather the Federation Council from signing it. The official diplomatic talks between both governments wasn’t scheduled to begin until Chief of State Fey’lya arrived in another day or two, but already a majority of the Federation Council was speaking of entering into an agreement or alliance with the New Republic.

They were as foolish as Picard was. Couldn’t they see that the Federation couldn’t survive another war, especially one on a galactic scale?

“Yes, that is correct. You may also assume what our decision is regarding the current state of Sector 001”

“Yes.”

“We’re going to attempt to close the wormhole; it’s too great a risk to the future of the Federation to ally or make any agreement with the New Republic. You’ve seen the recordings that their envoy provided, of what these Yuuzhan Vong are capable of. If enter our galaxy, it would spell doom for the Alpha Quadrant. However, some of the Republic’s technology does hold merit, particular in the fields of their ‘turbo lasers‘, ‘ion cannons‘ and ‘bacta’. This is where we require your assistance, yet again Admiral.

“How so?”

“Tomorrow morning, Starfleet Intelligence will discover evidence of an attempted hacking into their primary database, which of course contains sensitive data to the security of the Federation. All hands will point to the New Republic’s lead vessel, the Crix Madine and their ‘slicer droids’. Your duty will be to incite more Anti-Republic ideas through the Senate and the Command. From there, a series of chain reactions will begin which shall culminate in the closing of the wormhole and the capture of technology aboard the Republic envoy, technology that will allow Starfleet to become the dominant figure in this quadrant as it was projected at the end of the war.

Necheyev had heard this theory and projection issued throughout Command since the end of the Dominion War. Both the organization and strategists like Kyle Riker had theorized that following the conclusion of the conflict, the Cardassian Union would be occupied and the Klingon Empire would spend the next ten years recovering. That left only the Federation and the Romulans to wrestle for dominance in the Quadrant.

“Will there be an agent that I report to?”

There was silence throughout the chamber before the lead monolith responded.

“An agent has indeed been selected for this operation, who you will be working with. The rest of this meeting does not concern you, though your presence, as always, is appreciated, Admiral Necheyev.”

The lights flashed out for a few moments and when the lowered lighting came back online, she could see that not only had the monoliths vanished, but there was a figure standing in front of her. He was a middle-aged human with a thick shock of white hair, yet possessing an air that combined seriousness with boyishness.

“You will report to me, Admiral.“

“And your name is?“

The man smiled. He knew that she had recognized him from the not-widely publicized, but still infamously known, incident in the Geminus Gulf six years prior, yet he couldn’t resist.

“Zweller. Cortin Zweller of Section 31 at your service.”

***

Location: Duro

The Galaxy Far, Far Away

Warmaster Tsavong Lah sat in his Chamber of Command aboard his flagship, the Sunulok, in orbit of the infidel world called Duro.

But he was not alone.

He had gathered numerous figures, both in person and from villip transmission. They included several lower commanders, yet several notable others such as Supreme Commander Nas Choka, currently involved in the campaign against Hutt space. The memory chilab had finished replaying the Kuati Senator’s transmission from Coruscant.

“You have heard the information that the infidel Viqi Shesh has provided about this Federation. I trust all here are satisfied with what the gods have seen fit to provide us with?”

The warriors and commanders snarled in agreement or murmured.

One of the villips, however, was not silent.

“What is the Supreme Overlord’s opinion on this matter?”

Lah smiled. Had nay other warrior asked that, than his life would have been forfeit. But as a Supreme Commander, Nas Choka was one of the few that could question Tsavong Lah. That and he liked him very much.

“I have spoken with Supreme Overlord Shimrra, who has told me that the Gods have approved of my plan. The Battle Group of Yun-Yamaka, under your direction, Supreme Commander, will move into position at the farthest reach of Hutt space; I know that after months of fighting such a disgusting race your warriors crave a worthy opponent.”

“You are correct, Warmaster.”

“Then prepare to move your fleet. We shall wait for the infidel Shesh to convince this ‘Federation’ that we are the masters and that their place is not on the side of the Republic. If that fails to work, than I have placed agent on board the New Republic envoy who, should he succeed, allow the Yuuzhan Vong a glorious day of victory in he name of Yun-Yuuzhan!”

***

Location: Sector 001

The Milky Way Galaxy

The wormhole that a Starfleet science officer on the U.S.S. Gormenghast had dubbed the Phoenix Gate had minutes earlier blossomed open to reveal a new influx of ships from the Naboo end of the wormhole pouring through a cleared corridor in the defensive perimeter that the Federation construction ships had laid two weeks earlier. Even though they were being treated with diplomatic care, the weapons field was on hot standby.

It wasn’t as if the Federation didn’t trust the New Republic. It was simply that no one wished to see a repeat of the Odyssey incident or the outbreak of another Dominion-esque war with the New Republic. Needles to say, the Federation ships were standing vigilant, with the Millennium Falcon watching everything. The only ones on board were Han Solo and the Skywalker siblings.

Mara and Ben were still on the Enterprise, the former still recovering from the ravages of childbirth. The droids had been spending a lot of time with the Federation’s sole android Data while Jacen, Jaina, and Anakin had been exploring Earth. Each had concentrated on a sector of the planet that delved into their interests.

As a result, Anakin was astounding engineers at the Daystorm Institute, Jaina was quickly becoming Starfleet Academy’s most wanted opponent on their flight simulators, and Jacen was in what the natives had called a Tibetan monastery, to reflect and meditate.

If they hadn’t needed to be here, Luke would have joined his nephew.

The main ship of the incoming Republic fleet was, as it had been a week before, the Ralroost with a flanking guard of several Corellian Corvettes, two Imperial-class Star Destroyers and other Republic craft. But there was one that was non-military. The Federation would not recognize, but the Republic and those on the Millennium Falcon would.

It appeared to be a normal Action VI Transport, but the Skywalkers and Solos easily recognized it as the Wild Karrde. The Wild Karrde was in many ways similar to the Millennium Falcon. While both ships appeared ordinary and common on the outside, they were loaded with modifications and technology that certainly didn’t make them ordinary cargo freighters The ship was the personal flagship of Talon Karrde, a crafty and charismatic smuggler who had risen to the top of the competition that had tried fill the void left by Jabba the Hutt’s death at the Pit of Carkoon twenty-two years earlier.

Karrde had certainly changed in the fifteen years since they had come into contact with the leading smuggler in the galaxy. Back then, Luke had been rescued by Karrde after his X-Wing had had a run-in with Thrawn’s flagship Chimera and while Karrde had treated his wounds without question, he had also been prepared to hand the son of Anakin Skywalker over to the Imperials; even five years after Palpatine’s first, fiery death, the Imperial bounty on his head had been as large as it had been after the destruction of the first Death Star. That had unofficially started a rivalry between Luke and Wedge to see who get more credits added to his Imperial bounty.

Of course that had been before Luke had learned from Yoda that such things a Jedi craved not.

However, their relationship with Talon had gone from being antagonistic and wary to a trusted friendship. Luke’s marriage to Mara had helped in many ways to forge new ties with Karrde - as well as drive him crazy; Mara had been his chief of staff and an immense resource for the Smuggler’s Alliance, the ragtag union of smugglers.

Though he would say he was still in it for the profit, they all knew that Karrde did not not truly mean that; like Han, he had a soft side that he rarely showed. Talon had already proven himself to be invaluable in the war, through his own intelligence networks and his fleet, as demonstrated several months when he had evacuated most of the Jedi trainees from Yavin 4.

In the cockpit, Han, Leia, and Luke sat, watching as the Federation ships moved into a flanking position to escort the New Republic Chief of State to his meeting on Earth. Their attention on the spectacle was broken by a loud noise emanating from the console.

At first Luke though that another piece of hardware on the Falcon had broken - something that he had been joking about as back as Endor, something that seemed to happen every time something went right - but he saw that the communications systems flickered to life revealing a hail.

“Millennium Falcon, this is the Wild Karrde. Pick up; I know you’re there.”

Han hit the console.

“We heard you the first time.”

“Good to hear your voice, Solo. Well, I believe that I owe you and your family a bottle of Corellian brandy.”

“For what?”

“You guys have changed the course of galactic civilization once again.”

Luke chuckled wryly.

“It comes with the job description, Talon.”

“Well it makes my life easier and more interesting. I’ve already sent advance Smugglers Alliance personnel ahead of me. They’ve made contact with several of the races from Earth. Seems that there are a lot of planets in this galaxy interested in doing business with us, especially something called the ‘Ferengi Alliance’. Heard of them?”

***

Leia instantly recalled the basic attributes of the Ferengi race from the information that had been provided by Picard and Starfleet to the New Republic guests.

“Yes. Apparently, they’re a race dedicated to the principles of business and capitalism. They have a near-religious doctrine on the ’proper’ way to doing business that they call the Rules of Acquisition.”

“Rules of Acquisition? I like them already. At least they sound better than the Hutts.”

***

Han smirked.

“Yeah, but from what I’ve heard, you can’t trust ‘em any better than the Hutts or what‘s left of their pitiful excuse for a criminal empire.”

For once in his life, the smuggler Han Solo was indeed correct.

The Hutts that had been able to flee the Yuuzhan Vong invasion of Hutt Space had settled out on other Outer Rim worlds, like Tatooine which the Vong were all but ignoring as a result of the Hutt-Yuuzhan Vong pact in which the latter had declared no interest in the desert world, even if it was the homeworld of the leader of the Jedi. Thus Tatooine had become their new ruling world and main base of the Hutt clans.

From the former Palace of Jabba the Hutt, the surviving clans were directing the Resistance against the Invaders, yet were still making money in their usual businesses: slavery, smuggling, podrace bets, etc. They even took high fees for hiding refugees and Jedi, for helping evacuations with their ships and fleets, or for delivering information about the Yuuzhan Vong to the Jedi and vice versa. This came as no surprise for during the Galactic Civil War, they had played both sides of the game for their enrichment. But because of the Vong occupation of Hutt Space and of Nal Hutta, they favored the Jedi to a larger degree.

The communications panel began beeping again. too

“Hold on a second Talon, we’re getting a message.”

Han peered at the information scrolling across the console. Leia tried to look over his shoulder.

“Han, what is it?”

“We’re getting a message from the Ralroost. It’s Fey’lya and he’s asking for both of you guys. Look, I’ll keep talking to Talon. You deal with piece of Hutt slime on the subspace transceiver in the cargo hold.”

As the Skywalker twins headed out, Han reopened the link to the Wild Karrde.

“So, Talon, what’s the status of the New Republic Senate?”

Han had never claimed to have much interest in politics, but even he couldn’t help but be curious as to how the rest of the New Republic was reacting to the events of the last two weeks.

“Well, there are a good number of worlds that don’t look favorably upon any kind of agreement or alliance between the New Republic and this Federation - mainly planets that are in range of the invasion corridor and that still hope to placate the Vong. There’s no single vocal opponent, but it’s tied between Senators Rodan and Shesh - though in Rodan’s case, it’s most likely just more anti-Jedi sentiment.”

Karrde was correct in his assessment. Of everyone in the New Republic Senate, Fyor Rodan of Commenor was one of the most vocal opponents of the Jedi. Why he was opposed, however, was a mystery that they hadn’t been able to determine, though Jacen had suspected it was related to smuggling operations that rogue Jedi had attacking right before the invasion had begun. Luke had meant to ask Lando about what he knew.

And on the subject of Calrissian…

“Where’s Lando? I thought for sure he wouldn‘t miss out on an opportunity like this.”

“Last I heard he’s on Telti and Balmorra, both weapons and droid producing worlds. If I know Lando as well as I do - which compared to his friendship with you Solo, is properly inaccurate - then the old gambler is up to something big.”

***

The image of New Republic Chief of State Borsk Fey’lya regarded Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa Solo from the confines of the Millennium Falcon’s forward cargo hold. Despite its use during the Alliance’s brief struggle against Prince Xixor and Black Sun, Luke knew that both Han and Lando did not like to use the Falcon’s subspace transceiver, preferring instead the Holo-Net.

This however, was an exception to the smuggler‘s preference.

“I’ll be brief, Master Skywalker, since I am due on Earth . The anti-Jedi arguments are being ignored for the moment - the entire Senate has been dumbfounded by your discovery of the Nubian wormhole and of the United Federation of Planets. Is there anything you wish to add?”

“No. Everything occurred exactly as Admiral Krey’Fey and General bel Iblis described in their reports.”

“Good. I’ll get right down to the point. We have a slight problem with this wormhole. Technically, the Republic fleet’s presence in Naboo space violated their diplomatic and territorial rights. We’re going to have to negotiate with the Naboo ruling council in order to continue using it. Leia, I want you to talk to them.”

Leia was silent for a moment. She was clearly considering the implications, the effort needed to convince Naboo - not to mention thoughts on the planet where her mother had been born and where she had me the man who had become the Sith Lord Darth Vader.

Finally, she replied.

“I will accept the assignment, Borsk.”

The Bothan barred his fangs.

“Good. I will speak to both of you once I am on this world called Earth so that we may work out the specific details.”

The transmission ended and Leia looked at her brother.

“You realize he’s just doing this to increase his political standing and make himself look good.”

Luke nodded in agreement.

“I know. But the Federation and the inhabitants of this galaxy - they are the key to bringing balance and winning the war against the Yuuzhan Vong. I am certain of it, Leia.”

***

Location: The Quintessence

Somewhere in the Universe

Q couldn’t believe what the Stranger had just told him here in the meeting place, that the Merging had occurred before. If this was the case, than how was it the Q did not know? Had they simply not participated or had something worse occurred? He was willing to accept that while the Q were old, even they did not fully exist in both ends of the space-time continuum.

The Stranger, as if sensing the thoughts of the entity - which given godlike powers wasn’t exactly that hard to do - spoke.

“The exact details of the Merging are complicated and dense, as I have learned all of these years.”

“Well that’s fine and all, but that still doesn’t explain why I as a Q don’t r - hey, I am talking to you!”

Q was facing the direction of the seat of the Bajoran Prophets. Sisko appeared to not be paying attention to the dialogue between Q and the Stranger.

Or rather, had appeared.

The Bajoran Emissary had vanished from his seat.

M and Ayelborne began speaking to each other in hushed tones while Q’s eyes met with the Stranger.

“Where the hell is he going?”

***

Location: Earth

The Milky Way Galaxy

“Come in.”

Admiral Nyota Uhura smiled as Captain Jean-Luc Picard of the Enterprise-E stepped into the confines of the Chief of Intelligence’s office. The office was modestly sized and filled to the brink with PADDs, data consoles, and a half-finished bowl of plomeek soup, the Vulcan delicacy that she had been introduced to by Captain/Ambassador Spock over a century ago.

In a small display case glancing out of the wall was a personal communications device, design that had not seen action since the closing years 23rd-century. Uhura had practically worn that thing day and night for twenty-seven years onboard the first two Starships Enterprise and could not bear to part with it. In her will, however, she made it clear that in the event of her death, it was to be donated to the Starfleet Museum.

Perched on the edge of her desk was a photograph of seven middle-aged men and women clothed in a wine-red uniform, smiling and posing for the camera. It was a picture of Uhura and the rest of the senior staff of the Enterprise-A. Even Hikaru Sulu was there, despite his status then as Captain of the U.S.S. Excelsior. The photograph had been taken on the Enterprise’s bridge, shortly after her crew - at least as a whole - had done one final service to the Federation by stopping the Khitomer conspirators from plunging the UFP and the Klingon Empire into chaos and on the road to war.

What a time it had been.

Now, it seemed history was repeating itself. The organization she had served for over a century - as a Communications officer, lecturer, Division Head, and more- was on the brink of a new era

“Thank you Admiral. I just wanted to thank you once again for what you did three days ago in the Tactical Preperation Theater. I regret it slightly because that make the fourth time a former crewmember of the original Starship Enterprise has pulled my bacon out of the fire.”

Uhura chuckled.

“I seems to happen with Captains of the Enterprise. So, what can I do for you, Captain Picard?”

“You are aware that New Republic Chief of State Fey’lya has arrived on Earth.”

“Of course. I wouldn’t be much of a Head of Intelligence if I wasn’t. Why do you ask?”

“If we’re going to reach some kind of agreement or alliance with the New Republic, I feel, simply with my years of negotiating treaties and agreements

“I have a few ideas for who’d be best suited for the task. Who were you considering?”

“Oh, Vadosia of Bolia, Ambassador Odan of Trill, or even Riva are such possibilities.”

“It’s a pity that Ambassadors Curzon Dax and Sarek are deceased.”

“Or that Spock is on Romulus. Starfleet could always attempt to extract him again.”

Picard referred to a classified operation that he had known the full details of once Uhura had divulged it to him eight years previously.

While the hulk Enterprise-D had been salvaged, Starfleet had made ready to transport the body of James Tiberius. Kirk back to Earth. Command had recognized the contribution Kirk had made to Starfleet and had extracted his former first officer and friend Spock of Vulcan in a risky operation for which Starfleet Intelligence had participated in.

“ I’m working on seeing if such an operation is feasible again. I doubt that we’ll be able to pull it off, though. The Romulans have increased their homeworld’s defensive and sensory perimeters because of the Dominion War. It would be very difficult to try and get Spock out of there. Besides, even if we asked the Romulan government, they wouldn’t let us get him; he’s still a wanted figure for his role in the reunification effort.”

“Do we have any idea of what the Romulan Empire’s position on the New Republic is?”

Uhura shook her head.

“Absolutely no idea. There being silent, which bothers me slightly even though its pretty much what we’ve come to expect of them.”

Picard lightly chuckled at that.

“There’re probably trying to figure out how they can get their hands on an agreement or some of the Republic technology by remaining the shadows.”

Probably, Uhura thought.

By Federation standards, the Republic’s technology was a heck of a lot more advanced and even more fantastic then most of what Starfleet had.

Heisenberg in particular is going to want to examine that tech.

She had first met the-then Lieutenant Gustav Heisenberg a mere hour before she and her crewmembers had stolen the original Enterprise out of Spacedock. Despite that, they remained good friends, even more when he had become Starfleet Intelligence’s chief tinker and designer of advanced, state-of-the-art technology.

He had continued what scientists such as Dr. Bendes Kettaracht - who, while contributing immensely to Starfleet Tech, had also unfortunately been the reason that Starfleet Intel and Command had initiated the Omega Directive - in analyzing cloaking devices and improving Starfleet’s sensor capabilities

It wasn’t a romantic. She simply considered him a good friend, albeit not as close as she was to her former crewmembers, but a good friend nonetheless. Besides, she was too old for that kind of physical relationship. Like Kirk and Scotty, she had never married. Nyota was almost a hundred and forty standard years old, but she felt at least a century older and could attribute this not to her age, but to her position in life. Running Starfleet Intelligence was not exactly a walk in the park. In many ways, it was even more demanding then the position of C-in-C.

She had to continually shift through reports from various agents, or Listeners as she had code-named them, that were planted on worlds across Federation territory and beyond, be it friendly or neutral. Uhura had to identity potential threats and determine if a routine ship communiqué was in fact a coded message, something that came naturally her due to a quarter of a century of communications experience on the original Enterprise and its first successor.

In fact, after Starfleet Command had rather mysteriously closed the Catalyst case - before they could attempt to identify who in Romulan space had unleashed the pathogen into the Neutral Zone, she had seriously considered sending in the resignation

But she hadn’t.

There was still so much she could accomplish as both a Starfleet Academy instructor.

“Well, in any event Captain, we - ”

The silence of the office was broken by the blaring of red alert klaxons. Consoles and display screens all over the office went into a lockdown mode. Uhura quickly punched a code sequence into the communications panel that put her through to another member of Intelligence.

“This is Admiral Uhura. What the hell is going on?“

“Admiral, there’s been an attempted hacking into Intelligence’s networks. We’ve managed to put up a firewall and block it for now.”

“Any idea where it came from.”

“Not yet. We’re still trying to pinpoint the original broadcast point.”

But despite the fact that he didn’t name anyone, she could hear who he though it might be in his tone of voice and who even she couldn’t’ deny was a possible suspect.

The New Republic.

***

Location: Bajoran Space

The Milky Way Galaxy

“Ops to Colonel Kira. Colonel, please come in.”

“Computer, Lights.”

The Bajorans were usually a calm and spiritual people who behaved with kindness and generosity to each other. However, there was nothing more dangerous in the Bajoran Sector at this hour than a sleep-deprived Kira Nerys.

She had not been able to sleep well in three years, ever since the end of the Dominion War and for a good reason.

Odo.

She still saw those last moments at night, of her friend and her lover, clothed in a tuxedo, melting into his natural gelatinous form and rejoining his people in the Great Link. Odo had been more than just the Station’s Head of Security. The shape shifter had been her friend, her confidant, her lover, and her soul mate. It killed her to be away from Odo, to have to let him go.

But she had had bigger things to think about than her lover, as much as she hated to admit it.

With the conclusion of the war, Starfleet had rushed to get things all across the quadrant back to a state of normalcy. Their priority had been in assisting the Cardassian survivors in getting their civilization out of the very deep hole that their leaders had put them in. Deep Space Nine had, and in a lot of ways, still was, the hub and center of the Cardassian reconstruction efforts.

It hadn’t been easy. After Sisko’s apparent death, some in Starfleet had been uncomfortable with a former Bajoran terrorist being put it command of such an important installation. Thankfully for her Admiral Bill Ross, with whom she had worked closely during the latter stages of the war, had argued against the voices of dissent in her favor.

And Bajor itself was involved in a matter of high importance. After the end of the war, her old commander from the Resistance, Bajoran First Minister Edon Shakaar had begun talks with the Federation Council to renew Bajor’s application for membership in the United Federation of Planets, an application that had been postponed due to Sisko’s warnings shortly before the outbreak of the Dominion War. After almost three years of deliberation, they had been close to finalizing Bajor’s acceptance into the interstellar government.

Until the Terran wormhole had been discovered two weeks earlier.

Kira had been very upset and emotional when the news of the wormhole’s di

She was very worried about the implications of this discovery for Bajor

During the Occupation, Bajor had been considered to the Cardassian Central Command a plethora of resources and cheap slave labor. To the Federation prior to 2369, it was thought to have been a haven for terrorists and militants and nothing more than a local hot spot that their government had no interest in interfering with. The only reason Bajor was on the map was because of the wormhole that had been discovered mere weeks after the Union had pulled out.

While the wormhole and the promise of new exploration had helped to boost Bajor’s nonexistent economy, it has also renewed Cardassian interest in the planet and had put them in the middle of the hostilities between the Federation and the Dominion. Yet, Kira knew that not only could Earth be placed in a similar bind with this New Republic, but that the focus and attention that Bajor had had since the end of the war would be lost.

Bajor needed to join the Federation, to prevent itself from being isolated and exploited by someone like the Cardassians again.

Bajor will never be alone

Kira’s eyes snapped open.

Was that a voice she had heard?

Before she could give the matter any further thought, her room melted in a brilliant explosion of light and suddenly, Kira was standing in a large open white space.

Colonel.

She whirled around -

- and came face to face with a tall figure dressed in the current Starfleet uniform, possessing a dark skin tone, baldness, and a goatee.

There had been few times in the Colonel’s life when she had been shocked into silence. It was a short, but notable list and included such instances like the encounter with her Mirror Universe opposite, the Intendant, to Odo’s intent to rejoin the Great Link. But what she saw before her easily topped all of the others. It was a man that she had not seen since the senior staff’s party celebrating the conclusion of hostilities with the Dominion.

It was Captain Sisko.

When she had first met Benjamin Sisko a decade beforehand, she had found him to nothing more than a weak, Starfleet lackey crying for the death of one single individual while her people were mourning the millions of deaths that could be attributed to the Cardassian occupation. Her opinion of him, had changed greatly after she had gotten to know him better and after he had truly embraced his role as the Bajoran Emissary.

Mixed emotions flowed throughout the Bajoran Colonel’s mind. One was relief that Sisko was still alive, joy that her Commander, her superior, and her friend was standing before her.

But there was also confusion.

Why was he appearing to her? Why not Jake and Kasidy, who were currently on Bajor, living on the acres of land that Sisko had intended to build a home on as soon as the war was over. Kasidy had wanted the Emissary’s second child, who was a bouncing baby boy, to grow up in a peaceful place, in the place that Ben had wanted.

Luckily, Kai Unkteh - who had, as Quark had predicted shortly before she had banned his gambling pools three years earlier, become the next Kai - and the rest Vedek Assembly had served noticed that the family of the Emissary was not to be disturbed by anyone in anyway. A team of Bajoran militia officers continually monitored the site in the event that something should happen, at Unkteh’s insistence.

At least he’s not like Winn; he‘s more like Opaka.

After the ‘death’ of Kai Opaka in the Gamma Quadrant, the next Vedek to become Kai had been Winn Adami of the Rakantha Province. Though she had the support of the majority of the Vedek Assembly, there were those who had bitterly opposed her, mainly the deceased Vedek Bariel’s supporters who also thought she had backed former Minister Jaro Essa during the Circle’s attempt to take over Bajor, though they had never been able to prove it.

At first Kira hadn’t known what to make of these allegations. As quasi-religious as she was, she respected Winn initially for enduring five years of prison and torture. As time had gone on, however, she had seen the true Winn Adami, a self-serving politically ambitious person who cared only about herself and the power she wielded as Kai. She also partially held her accountable for Bariel’s death, but had never pursued that course.

And then, in the final days of the Dominion War, the Kai had utterly vanished from the capital province, last seen heading into the mountains with a farmer.

Even after three years, neither the Kai, the Vedek Assembly, or her old friend First Minister Shakkar had made any official confirmation on the fate of Kai Winn or of the rumors that she had perished in the Fire Caves in the same incident that had apparently claimed the life of the Emissary and, as it was also rumored, the much hated Gul Dukat.

Kira had never believed that Sisko was dead and not just because of the vision Kasidy had said she‘d had of the Captain three years prior. No, they’d all been through so much over the course of seven years and Kira knew that the Prophets would look out for the Emissary.

“It’s…damm, it’s good to see you Captain.”

Sisko smiled.

Likewise.

The Emissary looked around the white expanse and then back at Kira.

I have little time and therefore I must be brief. I am here because you will be presented with a path that you must follow, one that will helped to balance the Merging.

Kira frowned.

“What’s a Merging?”

The Merging is the end of the everything, of Bajor, of all existence. It can be fought, but the scales must be balanced in order to achieve a unifying force. A conflict is coming, one that the Prophets will be fighting.

He looked

I must go. And Colonel? I’m going to want that office back when I return.

Kira smiled.

***

She closed her eyes and when she opened them again she was in her own room again.

The vision had ended. The white expanse of the Celestial temple had been replaced by the dull gray styling of the Cardassian architecture.

Kira suddenly remembered that Ops had been attempting to page her. She reach out across to her nightstand and tapped the Bajoran communicator pin that she wore while on duty.

“Yes, Commander Chakotay?”

“Sorry to wake you, Colonel, but we’ve just received a priority message from Starfleet Command asking for you.”

A few moments later, the standard Starfleet desktop computer that the S.C.E. had installed after the station had been refitted following the Occupation was online and the displaying the face of an old friend of Deep Space Nine’s new second officer.

“Admiral Janeway, what can I do for you?”

“Colonel Kira, I know this sounds premature and that s a member of the Bajoran Militia, you are not obligated to undertake this mission . Hell, I can’t even make this official until Command decides what to do about what stance to take with the New Republic, whether or not we ally with them”

“I’m listening.”

“Very good. Colonel, how would you feel about a trip to the Gamma Quadrant?”

***

Location: The Quintessence

Somewhere in the Universe

Q

Sisko was sitting back in the Prophet’s seat.

“I apologize for my momentary delay. An old friend of myself and the Prophets needed guidance.

The Stranger asked no questions

“I know exactly what you speak of and encourage such a thing.”

Q looked dumbfounded.

“You do?”

The Stranger nodded.

“Of course. The linear governments, their organizations, and their people, must present a unifying force if the Merging is to be successfully countered. Any and all must unite to fight it.”

Q piped in.

“Or as the Earth expression would go, the more the merrier?”

The Stranger nodded.

“Yes, indeed. For things as they have transpired this far will be coming to a head and soon, my fellow members of the Quintessence. I can feel in the core of my being, can discern it in the chaos and order of the cosmic ballet. In short, we must be prepared for our success against the Merging will be determined quite soon. We must be prepared.”

***

To be Continued…

[Crazedwraith]

Very nice.
The Ferengi are completely reformed socialists in your time era though.

[Burak Gazan]

Perhaps, like many fans, he chooses to ignore the craptastic Federation-izing of the Ferengi Alliance (or better yet, Nagus Rom got thrown off the tower of commerce by a worthy successor )

Wheels within wheels, lovely, cant wait to see what happens next

[Robert Walper]

Not a single Borg cube to be seen...*whimpers pitifully* Why, JME2? Whhhyyyy!?!?!

[Mlenk]

Great stuff. Keep up the good work

[JME2]

Not a single Borg cube to be seen...*whimpers pitifully* Why, JME2? Whhhyyyy!?!?!

Not a single Borg cube....yet.

As you can see, I'm building suspense for something dramatic - as well as the Borg. Take heart my friend. If they do not appear in Chapter XI, then they certainly will by Chapter XII.

[JME2]

Perhaps, like many fans, he chooses to ignore the craptastic Federation-izing of the Ferengi Alliance (or better yet, Nagus Rom got thrown off the tower of commerce by a worthy successor )

Wheels within wheels, lovely, cant wait to see what happens next

I confess that I'd forgotten about Rom's ascension. No matter; we will visit Ferenginar and see what Rom's been up to.

[Robert Walper]

Not a single Borg cube to be seen...*whimpers pitifully* Why, JME2? Whhhyyyy!?!?!

Not a single Borg cube....yet.

Mawahahaha.....

As you can see, I'm building suspense for something dramatic - as well as the Borg.

Yeah, and it's killing me! Seriously though, it is keeping us tuned.

Take heart my friend. If they do not appear in Chapter XI, then they certainly will by Chapter XII.

Gah! You mean I might have yet to wait for another chapter still?! Did I tick you off or something?

Seriously though, keep up the good work. Hopefully, you won't make Borg out too badly...another fic with thousands of Borg cubes being slaughtered effortlessly by the Imperials wouldn't be as entertaining. I want them to be threatening.

PS: If you want to include some descriptions of Borg vessels and capabilities, like in some tactical meeting perhaps...I'm your man.

[JME2]

I'm already at work on Chapter XI. Thanks you everyone for the feedback and ideas, as always.

[Trogdor]

Seriously though, keep up the good work. Hopefully, you won't make Borg out too badly...another fic with thousands of Borg cubes being slaughtered effortlessly by the Imperials wouldn't be as entertaining. I want them to be threatening.

I think you might be setting you up for a disappointment. Given Luke's vision that I think involved cubes among the NR/Trek fleet and the hints JME2's been dropping, I think they're going to be good guys somehow.