Star Crossed Fanfic

[Mark S]

... and i'm sure he wouldn't really Hiss either...

"Obi Wan has taught you well. But you are not a Jedi yet."

That line was hissed if ever one was.

[Crazedwraith]

kewl story. But i feel sori 4 the poor shadowfleet. Poor Captain Durant having to blow his own brains out. though he did seem rather insane at the end.

[Dark Primus]

Excellent chapter, good battle with lots and lots of dead people and androids of course.

[Natorgator]

Awesome chapter, except for one thing that I'm confused about.

How come the ships equipped with the phase cloak were able to pass through the shields and dense hulls of the imperial ships, but the the transphasic torpedoes weren't...that doesn't make sense to me. Don't they both use the same phasing technology?

[Darth Fanboy]

... and i'm sure he wouldn't really Hiss either...

"Obi Wan has taught you well. But you are not a Jedi yet."

That line was hissed if ever one was.

you can't really "hiss" per say with Vader's mechanical voice to begin with, and we'll just have to disagree on this.

[Stravo]

Awesome chapter, except for one thing that I'm confused about.

How come the ships equipped with the phase cloak were able to pass through the shields and dense hulls of the imperial ships, but the the transphasic torpedoes weren't...that doesn't make sense to me. Don't they both use the same phasing technology?

The phase inducer on the torpedo has an extremely short duration and piercing capablilty due to the size restriction in order to fit into a standard torpedo casing. From watching the Endgame Episode I DID NOT see the torpedo phase INTO the cube, I merely saw it pass through the Borg shileds and explode on contact with the Borg cube. The transphasic torpedo is obvioulsy (to me) based on the Krenim chronal torpedoes which passed through the Voyager's shields because they were slightly out of phase with the local time reference but impacted agianst the hull, NOT PHASING thorugh it.

And even IF the transphasic torpedo did pass through the Cube, quite frankly Borg cubes are simply not as heavily armored as a stardestroyer.
I am merely going from what I have seen in the episodes, not imparting any more or less than what I observed.

Transphasics are simply not the uber wank weapons that the Trekkies would liek to think from my observations.

[Ghost Rider]

Kick-ass as always, Stravo.

[lukexcom]

FIRING SQUAD!

YES SIR!

[Natorgator]

Transphasics are simply not the uber wank weapons that the Trekkies would liek to think from my observations.

Gotcha, thanks for clearing that up...even still, I like how the shadowfleet was able to bloody their nose a bit

[Eleas]

This was good, but I feel Thrawn wasn't always in character. Particularly his over-excited rhetorical question about the androids was... well... it killed that scene for me. Thrawn doesn't gush, especially not in front of his troops.

[Crazedwraith]

Starcrossed does not concern me ,Stravo i want The twillight war not excuses

[Eleas]

kewl story. But i feel sori 4 the poor shadowfleet. Poor Captain Durant having to blow his own brains out. though he did seem rather insane at the end.

Would it trouble you too much to speak English?

[Crazedwraith]

kewl story. But i feel sori 4 the poor shadowfleet. Poor Captain Durant having to blow his own brains out. though he did seem rather insane at the end.

Would it trouble you too much to speak English?

yeah it would.

[2000AD]

Starcrossed does not concern me ,Stravo i want The twillight war not excuses

Starcrossed does concern me and i still want Twilight War AND that comic book cross-over. However, i want SC more than the other 2!

Alternatively is there someone out there who can go and chain Stravo to his computer so he can write all three non-stop?

[Captain Cyran]

Starcrossed does not concern me ,Stravo i want The twillight war not excuses

Starcrossed does concern me and i still want Twilight War AND that comic book cross-over. However, i want SC more than the other 2!

Alternatively is there someone out there who can go and chain Stravo to his computer so he can write all three non-stop?

Iggy and I could do it...we'd have to cross the state though, but it's no big deal.

[Stravo]

I feel oddly alarmed and wonder if perhaps I'm facing a Misery situation.... (Imagines Iggy holding me down as Captain Cyran swings that big old slegdehammer.)

[Captain Cyran]

I feel oddly alarmed and wonder if perhaps I'm facing a Misery situation.... (Imagines Iggy holding me down as Captain Cyran swings that big old slegdehammer.)

No no no Stravo, if Iggy and I were to hurt you, you wouldn't be able to write anymore.

We'd just chain you to your chair infront of your computer, leaving your hands free enough to type, we'd bolt the chair to the ground. We'd give you food to eat, water to drink, and a bottle to piss in.

[Stravo]

Eleas, where exactly does Thrawn gush? I reread it again, specifically the part that you mentioned and all he says is: "As if the droids were constantly talking to each other" Triumphantly. I don't know if thats a gush but at the same time I've always seen Thrawn as a teacher and he was working on an assumption that Piett and Jejerrod were not in on. When he said that it was more as a teacher telling a promising student something brilliant, like when solving a particulalrly tough equation you feel some elation and you also want to let the students know what you just did. That's my take on him anyway. He is cool calm and professional to the Nth degree but I always found his impulse to teach (as he did with Palleon) a far more interesting character trait than his uber military genius.

[Eleas]

Eleas, where exactly does Thrawn gush? I reread it again, specifically the part that you mentioned and all he says is: "As if the droids were constantly talking to each other" Triumphantly. I don't know if thats a gush but at the same time I've always seen Thrawn as a teacher and he was working on an assumption that Piett and Jejerrod were not in on. When he said that it was more as a teacher telling a promising student something brilliant, like when solving a particulalrly tough equation you feel some elation and you also want to let the students know what you just did.

Ah. Well, my impression was that this was not the way Thrawn does things. He may be a teacher, and delights in watching his men improve their reasoning, but he always keeps his excitement muted. What I mean is that he wouldn't allow himself to project the impression that he wasn't in control, that he didn't already know exactly what something meant.

That's my take on him anyway. He is cool calm and professional to the Nth degree but I always found his impulse to teach (as he did with Palleon) a far more interesting character trait than his uber military genius.

I realize that. You're doing great things with the characters, and I certainly don't think you're shortchanging Thrawn. It's just... I don't know. Everything I read in the Thrawn trilogy, Hand of Thrawn duology and Side Trip points to someone who rather than discuss a solution with the student chooses to project the impression that he already knows the answer, and wants the other to figure it out as well.

[Kuja]

I feel oddly alarmed and wonder if perhaps I'm facing a Misery situation.... (Imagines Iggy holding me down as Captain Cyran swings that big old slegdehammer.)

No no no Stravo, if Iggy and I were to hurt you, you wouldn't be able to write anymore.

We'd just chain you to your chair infront of your computer, leaving your hands free enough to type, we'd bolt the chair to the ground. We'd give you food to eat, water to drink, and a bottle to piss in.

You forgot the cattle prod for when he falls asleep.

[Captain Cyran]

I feel oddly alarmed and wonder if perhaps I'm facing a Misery situation.... (Imagines Iggy holding me down as Captain Cyran swings that big old slegdehammer.)

No no no Stravo, if Iggy and I were to hurt you, you wouldn't be able to write anymore.

We'd just chain you to your chair infront of your computer, leaving your hands free enough to type, we'd bolt the chair to the ground. We'd give you food to eat, water to drink, and a bottle to piss in.

You forgot the cattle prod for when he falls asleep.

*Gasp* How could I forget the Caddle prod?!

[Dalton]

Fucking A, there are some plot twists here that are up beyond Chuck's level. Jeez louise!

[Stravo]

I know its been a while but here we are, a little longer than I expected but there was a lot that needed to be said in this chapter, plus the introduction of someone some of you might enjoy. I also want to take this time for a shameless plug and urge you to check out the Twilight War, its been viewed quite a bit not many responses so I just want to make sure there is consumer awareness of this tale. Anyway no more shamless self promotion, on to the story:




Chapter 48: Hard Choices



“I’m not exactly thrilled on how that turned out.” Mara grumbled as she adjusted a circuit board over her head and was rewarded by the soft hum of a system coming online. Nemesis remained seated at the pilot’s controls and was impassive, eyes staring out into the void.

“Battle damage aside, we almost got killed and we lost Kirk, not what I would call a very productive day.” she continued and grunted softly as she pulled out another burnt out control unit. The inside of the shuttle’s cockpit reeked of burnt our circuitry and fused panels. A thin layer of whitish smoke still hung in the air and one large blast pattern was burnt into the side of the cockpit, the blast had very nearly decapitated her.

“I’m still trying to get the communications grid online. Right now we’re stuck with short range on receive only. Unless I can find anything wrong in here I may have to do a short extra vehicular inspection to see if the transmitter itself may have been damaged and if that’s the case we’re stuck out here with no ability to communicate with the fleet.” she paused as she glanced over at him. “But you’re not worried about that at all are you?”

Nemesis seemed to be looking somewhere, peering far away as if trying to catch sight of a far off object in a misty morning.

“Because you can always communicate with the others using the Force, or even call on Lord Vader.”

Nemesis seemed to twitch slightly at the mention of the name.

Mara nodded to herself. It never failed. There was something between those two Sith lords and she could only guess at what it might be. Nemesis was as tight lipped about it as anything else in his life.

“I could use some help back here. It was your idea to bring us into this mess and it was your brilliant idea that caused us to lose most of our systems to avoid the Bounty hunter.”

“I can no longer see my way clear.” Nemesis murmured.

Mara stared at him, trying to glean what she could from his face.

“I am as blind as any of you and now I can barely see my quarry.” Nemesis snapped suddenly and banged his fist on the cockpit window. The sudden jolt of movement after nearly an hour of silence caused even Mara to jump slightly.

“Lord Nemesis…” she began.

“I should have seen Fett’s intrusion into this mission. I should not have been surprised by his attack.” Nemesis growled.

Mara said nothing. She did not want to provoke his rage any further. It was a hell of a thing to be so close to someone that could kill you if her were in the right mood.

“This is not going well at all and I am stuck, as blind as I was on Hoth. I cannot see the road ahead.”

“We still have the advantage.”

Nemesis turned his head and pinned her with his gaze.

“You’re a Sith lord. It should not matter that he got the drop on us, Lord Nemesis. We will still be victorious. One Sith lord is worth a thousand bounty hunters. Doubt does not become you.”

Nemesis’ eyes narrowed on her.

“A dark lord that is going to rule this galaxy should not be so disconcerted by the actions of a bounty hunter. Need I remind you that he is the greatest of them and you beat him.”

“Evaded.” Nemesis corrected her coldly, eyes never leaving hers.

“Does it matter?” she replied with a flip of the head.

Nemesis remained silent for a moment.

“There is wisdom in your words, Mara.” Nemesis slowly smiled and it warmed Mara unexpectedly. “I see I chose my dark queen well.”

Mara fought it, there was no way in hell she was going to blush in front of him.

“I’m not your queen yet.” she replied.

Nemesis blinked. He started to laugh and laugh hard shaking his head ruefully.

Mara smirked and crawled out of her seat down to the open panel on the floor where a sea of scattered boards and panels were arrayed around the panel. She began to pull on one last pin that would free a burnt out power node in the bottom of the panel.

They had very nearly blown themselves up in Nemesis’ mad plan to get rid of the bounty hunter. A shunt of plasma into the ion drive and the resulting explosion masked their jump to light speed. Of course, when they entered hyperspace, the plasma backwash followed them through and very nearly incinerated the shuttle. But the end result was what was needed. Fett thought that his last pass had blown the shuttle up leaving nothing but a cloud of fire.

The shuttle was only able to remain in hyperspace for a short period of time and now they were slowly drifting through an oort cloud in some far off system. The comets were flowing past them in lazy slow patterns, many of them not close enough to the sun to sprout their tell tale trails of ice and debris.

Now it was up to Mara and Nemesis to get the shuttle back up and running and hope they could get in touch with the fleet for pickup. She did not relish being stranded out here in the middle of nowhere in a crippled shuttle, particularly with all the ill will they had harvested in their conquest of this galaxy.

She switched crouched positions and pulled even harder on the pin. Damn thing must be fused to the housing, she mused.

Suddenly Nemesis was beside her, his hands closed around hers.

“You need help.” He said softly.

She glanced up at him sharply, a stray lock of hair fluttered into her eyes.

“I can do this myself.”

“Of course you can, but this will go quicker with my help.”

“I’m doing fine.”

Nemesis stared into her eyes and down at her hands.

“You’re trembling.” He noted. She glared at him for a moment. His eyes were like deep pools, each one swallowed her in and she felt lost.

“No I’m not.”

Nemesis’s grip around her hands softened slightly but the bolt suddenly came loose with a sharp shriek of metal coming loose. They had not pulled at all, he obviously had reached out with the Force and pulled it loose.

His fingers were slowly tracing lines up and down her own.

“Stop that.” She started to pull back her hands but he held his own firm. She grimaced.

“My hands are dirty.” She snapped the first thing that came to her mind.

“My hands are dirty too.” Nemesis replied softly, his voice no longer the cold menacing Sith lord that could kill at a moment’s notice, more like the farm boy he was at heart.

Mara looked up at him and he seemed so much closer than before.

“You fight so hard, you fight against what you want.” he said softly.

“I am no one’s tool. I am no one’s pawn.”

“No, you’re merely a Hand.”

“Damn you.” She hissed.

“If you do not become my queen, you damn yourself. I hold in my hands and heart the keys to your liberation. You are not a pawn but a queen.”

“You have no hope of opposing him.” She whispered.

“Haven’t you heard? I’m the new hope.” He answered.

Mara thrust her head forward and kissed him. Her lips locked with his in a hard passionate kiss, all her frustrations and anger at her exile and divided loyalties excised in this one rebellious moment and as she kissed him she imagined her spitting on that awful yellow eyed pasty corpse that had promised her so much and made her nothing more than glorified slave.

She kissed him and wished that by doing so she was also stabbing the old bastard that had made her an enemy of the man she now loved. A dark queen on a dark throne, her power would know no limits and their children would inherit the very stars.

Her hands clasped his strongly and he roughly drew her close to him, his strong arms pulling her off the floor into his chest where he held her close enough so that she could hear his thundering heartbeat.

As suddenly as the passion and fire overcame her their lips parted, hesitantly, they gazed at each other, hunger in their eyes but suddenly he rose like a ghost as an alarm buzzed on his board. He drew the cape around him and looked down at her where she knelt on the floor, body still on fire with passion.

“You must decide, Mara Jade. I am not a patient man like my father before me. I will not wait for your answer forever. Events are quickly drawing to a head and I will need everyone by my side. You are either with me or against me. I plan to take on a god and depose him, cast down his wretched reign of shadow and rebuild an edifice of pure order. You can either profit from this or be destroyed. The choice is as always yours. Simple really Mara. Remain loyal and be a Hand for the rest of your life, ready to be cast aside at a moment’s notice as he was ready to do when he ordered you to kill me, or you can become what you deserve. To be raised as a queen among women, to look down from a throne and see all the mighty works before you. I offer you this one chance at freedom and my love. After you made your choice there will be no turning back.” Nemesis stared into her eyes for another moment then turned back to the cockpit and checked the status board.

Mara watched him, chest heaving as she caught her breath. She never considered herself a passionate woman but his very presence had ignited in her a torrent of emotions she always denied that she possessed.

“The Bounty Hunter should be picking up Kirk’s trail. His shuttle was heavily damaged before going to warp. he could not have gone far.”

Mara slowly rose from her kneeling position and quietly adjusted her tunic.

“Once the ship goes to hyperspace we will follow.”

“You’re going to let him do the hunting.”

Nemesis smiled.

“Yes. Why expend any resources when we have our galaxy’s finest bounty hunter trying to achieve the same goal as we are? We will let him expend energy and resources while we patiently wait and once he has found and captured Kirk we will be there to relieve him of his quarry.”

Mara nodded, appreciating the cold calculating brilliance of the plan.

“Besides, Fett and I have a reckoning. There is something he did that he must pay for and I have waited far too long to do so.” Nemesis added acidly and slid back into the cockpit of the shuttle to run a diagnostic on damaged systems.

Mara stood alone in the back of the shuttle cockpit and knew that a choice had to be made and soon. Passion or duty, life or death.





“Are you certain?” Picard pressed.

“No doubt about it, Captain. It’s the Borg vessel we’ve been tracking for several days now. They finally slowed and stopped outside of this system. We’re currently here.” Archer pointed to the Starfleet emblem pulsing quietly two thirds of the tactical display behind the menacing flashing green threat symbol. “Cloaked with all power systems on minimum usage. We’re probably as stealthy as a starship can be right now. We’ve had no indications that the Borg have detected us, not so much as a stray sensor beam in our general direction.”

“What do we know about this system?” Picard asked curiously, skeptical of Archer’s belief that the Borg were unaware of their presence.

“Reading seven planets in the primary’s system. Two of the worlds are borderline class M, one of them is still resonating as having suffered through some form of nuclear warfare. Picking up heavy radiation clouds and dust in the atmosphere. The second world is mostly arid, barely suitable for any form of settlement.” Seven reported.

“There was a war she said.” Archer murmured.

“Captain?”

Archer sighed.

“When we were stuck with the queen bitch, she relayed some of the Borg’s history to us and part of their origin involved a war that decimated her home world. I wonder if this is that same world.”

“I would expect such a world to be at the heart of the Collective.” Picard countered.

“Not necessarily, Captain Picard. The Collective does not attach any emotional significance to worlds of origin. This system while once a thriving civilization was not suitable for Borg inhabitation. It would have required intensive terraforming in order to make it more habitable and the Borg at the time were not as advanced as we are now. They needed a world where they could live and as such branched out from this system. They would not care where this system lay in the great scheme of things.”

“I would accept that hypothesis Seven save for one detail I cannot ignore, this system is days away from Borg space at transwarp velocities. Essentially outside the Collective itself in a relatively uninhabited portion of this quadrant.”

“What are you thinking, Captain?” Archer asked.

Picard looked back at the screen. The Borg vessel was a crazed amalgam of his Sovereign class Shadow vessel and four Borg cubes, fused together into an odd diamond formation radiating out from the center of the Valhalla. Passive scans revealed massive power readings and a weapons array that would put a standard Borg cube to shame.

They had nearly burnt out their warp engines following her, trying to stay as close as possible to her and using the transwarp hub system that the Queen’s vessel used to track her half way across the galaxy. As he watched the ship he could almost feel her eyes on him and he imagined that same cold smile.

He could feel it in his skin. This was a trap. She drew her pursuers here for a purpose and now she was waiting, taunting them with her very presence.

“The Queen has proven to be a master manipulator. She has been using the Borg as her personal power base and slaves for untold millennia. When the Collective was destroyed by the Empire she came here. Why? What could this world hold for her that she risked everything to come here.”

“If this was the source of the Collective then perhaps there is a means for her to resurrect the Collective.” Seven breathed as the realization dawned on her.

“Considering the kind of reception she would get from the Collective I think it’s even more insidious than that. She may want to start a new Collective.” Archer added darkly.

“That’s her plan. She is going to use some sort of means that can be found on that world to start a new Collective.” Picard stated coldly. “No matter what happens now we have to stop her. The Federation has lived in fear and dread of the Borg for over a decade now and they are no longer. To simply sit back now and allow this awful thing to be born again would be a crime against all sentients everywhere.”

“One thing Picard, unfortunately the Federation is no more. Its been all but swallowed up by this Galactic Empire.”

Picard opened his mouth to speak when Seven interjected.

“We are overlooking a far more important factor.” She paused and looked at each of the captains. “Currently the only race in this galaxy that has proven able to withstand the Empire and even hurt them are the Borg. They wield the weapons and technology that may save us in the end, or at the very least forestall the inevitable.”

Picard took a step towards Seven.

“You’re advocating some sort of treaty with the Borg?” he replied angrily.

“I am merely pointing out that we cannot deny that they would be this galaxy’s best chance at repelling the Empire. Thus far Starfleet, the Klingons and Romulans have proven ineffectual in stopping them. The Borg were viewed as a threat by the Empire and now that the Imperial forces believe that they have destroyed the Borg, we will have the advantage of surprise.” Seven replied evenly.

Picard stared at the beautiful young woman for a moment and looked back at Archer.

“I heard of your Captain’s treaty with the Borg. Frankly she should have been court-martialed and stripped of all honors and command.” Picard growled.

“That is irrelevant. Captain Janeway was doing what she thought was right in regards to the safety of her crew and considering my experience with Federation Starfleet captains I wonder how many more would have done the exact same thing to secure the safety of their ship and crew and maintain the balance of power in this galaxy. After all, once the Borg are gone what would Species 8472 have done? Simply return to fluidic space and leave us to a now Borg free galaxy? This weakness of humans to look in the short term will doom you one day.”

“You’re human too unless I’m mistaken and I would not have forged a devil’s pact with those inhuman creatures. They only deserve one thing – extinction and by God I mean to see it done.” Picard replied tightly, voice rising as he spoke.

“Your emotional state indicates that you are not making a rational decision on this matter. Your hatred of the Borg is well documented.”

“Do you forget that they took me, I know what they are, I have been in the belly of that beast. There is NOTHING redeemable about them.”

“Can you compare a few short days as Locutus of Borg to my lifetime as Seven of Nine?” she replied icily, voice low and quiet.

Picard acted as if he had been slapped.

“Then you of all people should see that we cannot allow her to carry out this plan. To do so would doom untold trillions to a dead and vacant life as a Borg drone.”

“Captain, please.” Archer began calmly, putting a restraining hand on Picard’s shoulder.

“I have also learned patience from the Borg and the advantage of being able to analyze a problem from all angles. I am pointing out a valid alternative to a suicidal attack. We can use the Borg against the Empire and you want to pursue a personal agenda against them. To what end?”

Picard nodded gravely,

“The ends justifies the means is that it?” he pressed.

“I have found in my short time as a human that more often than not this is the case. You may feel comfortable watching everything you have ever known and loved vanish to the Empire so that you can remain morally pure, I for one will fight with my dying breath this invasion and if it means making pacts with old enemies I will do so without hesitation. If we defeat the Empire and drive them off then and only then should we debate the morality of these actions.”

“Seven.” Archer interrupted. Seven ignored him, her eyes piercing Picard with their laser like intensity. “Morals and scruples Captain have never won wars, particularly wars of survival. Think on that before you blindly lurch like some demented drone on a mission of destruction because they may have hurt you.”

Picard slammed his fist down on the railing running along the outer edge of the bridge.

“You have no right to make these assumptions about me, Seven and I would point out that it was scruples and morals that stopped Federation captain from killing you or leaving you to your own devices instead of trying to reassimilate you back into human life.”

“Uh, sirs. The Borg ship is on the move.” the helmsman reported and pointed to the screen. The massive vessel wheeled around and faced the system’s primary. It quickly accelerated away.

“Follow them.” Picard ordered.

“Where are they heading?”

“Looks like the third planet.”

“That would be the world that was obviously damaged in a war.” Seven added.

Archer nodded and steepled his fingers under his chin as he stared at the Borg ship. Picard stood by his side.

“Captain, very soon we will have to make a decision, engage the Borg or attempt to make peace with them. Where do you stand?”

Archer glanced over at Picard but could not answer him as his eyes drifted over to Seven of Nine. He watched her for a moment, the way she moved, the stern expression of concentration on her beautiful face. Archer frowned.

To deal with the devil that had already betrayed them once or enter a near suicidal fight to stop the rebirth of possibly the only force in this galaxy that could stop the Empire.








The Avalon facilities were nearly overwhelmed by the influx of damaged vessels, hospital ships unloading wounded were quickly followed by shattered starships limping into berths for emergency repairs. Dominating the repair yards was the Excalibur, floating in the center of several berths placed together to try and contain the enormous conical vessel. Several large gashes were cut into the sides of the ship, a marvel to Federation engineers who had never seen solid neutronium blasted open in such a manner, a humbling reminder of Imperial firepower.

The asteroids that the base was built into were clustered around in a rough circular pattern, the center dominated by ship building facilities that were kept separate from the repair berths. Ship building was taking place at a very slow scale, new designs were being worked on around the clock by the surviving star fleet Corps of Engineers and Rebel Alliance engineers.

A desperate crash course in creating a working hypermatter reactor was meeting very spotty success, however the weapons technology was proceeding apace and the first starships outfitted with proton torpedo launchers were almost ready to leave their dry-docks. A dozen starships had been retrofitted with the new designs but the Federation designers were still having trouble duplicating the yields that Alliance torpedoes had.

It was a give and take with light turbolaser batteries being erected along the outer defense ring of the base, still too large and bulky to place on starships and drew too much power to be practical they were relegated to defend the most vital areas of the base. A large cannon housing was slowly going up at the heart of the complex. A heavy turbolaser battery the weapons would not be completed until the hypermatter reactor was finished. There simply was not enough power to allow the weapon to fire in any manner unless they had the vast power reserves that hypermatter would allow them to utilize.

It was a slow start but it was a start.

Leia contemplated the progress with a sanguine eye as the buzz of the council around her suddenly rose.

“The question remains the same. It is rather simple, where is James T. Kirk?” one of the council members demanded.

Leia turned her attention back to the first provisional Alliance council. Created to provide political leadership to the Federation remnant Kirk led, the council was only in its second meeting and already the cliques were gathered, lines drawn and axes and daggers sharpened for the political infighting she was so accustomed to.

“Gentlebeings, I have to reiterate that you know as much as I do on this matter. Captain Kirk left with Lieutenant commander Thomas Paris and Ensign Pavel Chekov for parts unknown in the Runabout Hudson and they have not been heard from since they departed. Starships are currently combing the main travel routes between Avalon and the outer reaches of Federation space.”

“We happen to know that you were the last person he saw before he left. Surely he told you more than this.” the Terran council member countered.

“I was wounded at the time recovering from emergency surgery. Frankly I don’t remember much but surely most of you know him better than I do. He keeps his cards close to his chest.”

“He has chosen a particularly inappropriate time to go missing wouldn’t you say princess?” The Tellarite representative asked with a stern gaze.

“He would not have done this on purpose, I assure you.”

“Some of us have to wonder, Princess. There are rumors circulating that Kirk was distraught after the Battle of Romulus.”

“Your point being?” Leia replied sharply.

“He may have decided that this battle is a lost cause and decided to cut his losses and run.”

Leia started to respond.

“You ungrateful bastards!” McCoy thundered. The council members jumped in their seats as Leonard McCoy slammed his datapad on the massive council table, emphasizing his anger and frustration after sitting here for an hour listening to them. He could hear it in their voices, the way the beat around the bush. They had been wanting to accuse him of this ever since the first meeting when it was announced that he went missing.

“When the Empire was banging on Earth’s door and tearing our fleet a new one, your predecessors all called for surrender. Many of you were looking for a leader, anyone willing to give them hope and a cause. You rallied to his cause and said you were ready to follow him to the bitter end. No one here had any illusions as to the chances at victory but we’re all here because we believed that one man gave us a better chance at wining the impossible fight than anyone else.” McCoy got up and stalked over to the large picture window that showed the great expanse of the Avalon station and its attendant ships.

“Look out there. What do you see? There’s hope out there.” A starship was drifting by, a tug pulled it with tractors towards a repair berth, the Nebula’s starboard nacelle was half gone, the forwards portion blasted away revealing a shattered stump and blackened metal and transparent aluminum. Written across the saucer’s surface in bold blue letters

THE FEDERATION LIVES.

“Have we forgotten the message?” McCoy demanded.

“Dr. McCoy, the fact remains, Kirk led our fleet into the worst defeat since the Battle for Sector 001, he did not come to this council to give us a report on the battle, instead he takes small group of officers, takes a long range ship and simply vanishes into the stars.”

“Has it occurred to you my cynical friend that Jim might have been captured or killed out there?”

“Highly unlikely Doctor.” The Vulcan representative interjected.

“Oh, care to explain that to me. I know Jim and he would not leave us high and dry like this.”

“Doctor McCoy,” Spock began from his own seat at the council table. “logically, if Captain Kirk had been captured or killed by Imperial forces they would have made announcements of it by now, either paraded him or his corpse before any camera that they could. The Empire is quite adept at the uses of propaganda.”

McCoy scowled at Spock.

“You’re not possibly saying that Captain Kirk ran away.” McCoy snapped.

“No Doctor I am not suggesting anything other than this. Something has happened to the Captain that has rendered him either unable or unwilling to report on his status.” Spock replied evenly.

“There are others that are not so kind, and let me say this if word of this gets out to the fleet it will be poison for morale.” The Tellarite representative grunted tersely.

“Word WILL NOT get out to the fleet however will it gentlebeings?” Leia stressed. “If we find out that word of these rumors gets out to the fleet we will know who to blame.” Leia finished with a stony gaze at each of the Council members.

“Princess, what do we do? We may keep word of the rumors secret but how long until our fleet commanders begin to ask for their commander?” the Terran representative asked.

“I have kept my counsel on this matter simply because I find it abhorrent to think that Kirk would do anything remotely like what has been suggested here but there is a weighty issue that must be put forth on the table.” The quiet Andorian representative finally spoke up after remaining seated silently in a corner of the table.

The Council all slowly turned to face him.

“Andor is currently directly in the cross hairs of the enemy. With the major fleet element of this remnant all but destroyed and no other major front in this war, the Empire cannot help but turn their attention and gaze to Andor.”

The council members exchanged troubled glances.

“I do not think I need to remind you how vital our world is to the war effort here. We currently comprise over 60% of your shipbuilding and 70% of your raw materials and supplies. If Andor falls, I assure you, this Federation remnant will fall as well. You can lead this fleet without Kirk you cannot fight this war without supplies and ships.” The Andorian spoke in a near whisper.

“What can we do? We’re still reeling from our defeat over Romulus. A loss of six hundred ships is not something we will easily recover from. The wounded alone have completely overwhelmed our medical facilities.”

“I might add that Andor has taken over 5,000 of your wounded to be treated on our homeworld.”

Leia could barely suppress the frown. The Andorians were pushing and pushing very hard. There was something they knew and were not sharing. She suspected that perhaps the Andorians had some sort of intelligence link to the Imperials, something that had made them very nervous and they had come her practically demanding for help.

She had read up on most of the major races in the Federation and she knew that the Andorians were a proud people, a warrior race steeped in tradition and secrecy. They had spent the last decade preparing to secede from the Federation and the Imperial attack came at precisely the right time. Defenses intended to protect them from a Federation backlash were now put to use defending them from an Imperial onslaught.

But she knew as well they did that if the Empire truly came for Andor, there was little they could do to stop them. As she watched the Andorian, using her years of experience as a politician, diplomat and warrior, she concluded that the Andorians knew that the Empire was coming and they were trying to rally what they could in defense of their homeworld.

Now, in this coming desperate battle, precisely when they needed strategic and tactical genius to help them, Jim was missing.

Something told her he was in serious trouble. Something urged her to go find him and quickly. But where would she go?

“We urge you to hold true to your friends now, when your remnant looked for support during those chaotic times after the fall of Earth. We stood by you. We helped build the ships with which you fight, repair the ones that survive, feed your troops and support you in any way we can. Now the enemy has turned his eye to Andor and we want to be ready to pluck it out. Will you stand with us?”

“What are you saying? Are you saying they are going to attack?” the Terran representative asked, obviously dismayed. Leia knew that the vast majority of Starfleet was comprised of humans and they were now taking the brunt of the casualties.

“It would appear a logical assumption from the Andorian plea.”

“We do not pleas, Vulcan.” the Andorian representative hissed angrily.

“This bickering is pointless. No matter what we may all think, this fleet cannot allow Andor to fall.” Leia interjected calmly.

“And what sort of resources are you thinking of committing, the largest task force in our fleet was all but wiped out, the rest of our fleet is in hiding or being repaired. We do not have infinite resources. Kirk was pushing us to the breaking point with his constants attacks.”

“Perhaps I should have brought this up with him since he seems to be the only one that can grasp the danger of the situations we are currently involved in.” the Andorian representative snapped.

“We have no choice. We have to mobilize what we have and prepare for the defense of Andor.” Leia concluded.

“Will you be committing your forces, princess?” the Tellarite asked with a barely concealed sneer.

“The Reckless Hope will be at Andor.” Leia replied. There was no choice really, if she did not commit her scant resources to this fight the council would simply hold back their own support and Andor would stand alone. If that happened the Andorians would feel no remorse in cutting off the vital yet fragile string of supplies they received.

“And so will we!” someone bellowed as they strode into the meeting chamber. Several security officers were desperately trying to hold him back.

“What is this?” the Tellarite exclaimed.

“Silence, Tellarite! I am Worf son of Mogh, Chancellor of the Klingon Empire.”

“There is no Klingon Empire any longer.” The Tellarite snarled angrily at the Klingon.

“As long as a Klingon draws breath there will always be an Empire. We carry it here.” Worf slapped his chest with emphasis. “James Kirk understood this when he led your glorious rebellion against the Empire and now I am here to add my voice to the chorus of races that will not bend knee to these Imperial Targs!”

“Chancellor Worf, as much as we appreciate your assistance in the Battle of Romulus, you have to admit that the vast majority of your fleet has been destroyed.” Leia replied smiling softly at the bravado of the Klingon warrior. His flagship and a handful of others had limped out of the battle and were being repaired at the Avalon facilities. The Empire itself had become something of a nonentity.

“I still have ships and warriors ready to be thrown into this fight. Will you turn away a warrior now? You need every ship, every warrior, every gun that you can get your hands on. My own empire is lost, yes, but that does not mean that I cannot be part of the effort to end this invasion.”

“I do not see any logical reason to deny the Chancellor’s request.” Spock commented.

“And for those of you still looking for a reason I happen to know of something which you do not that can help turn the tide of this war.”

“Oh?” Leia replied, arching an eyebrow quizzically.

“My men have been raiding their trade routes within the Romulan empire and in our last engagement we struck a freighter that I later learned was carrying the hyper drive units that the Empire has been installing in warbirds.”

The councilors all exchanged glances.

“Imagine if you will getting your hands on these hyperdrive units for your fleet.”

“The tactical disadvantage we’ve been slaving under would be lost.” the Terran ambassador murmured.

“I will only tell you of the downed freighter’s location if we are allowed to join this Alliance.” Worf finished crossing his arms on his chest and staring intently at each of them. He did not want to think about the losses, the deaths. He refused to turn and face the horrible scarred remnants of his empire. He needed to look ahead. Looking back meant giving into the madness that was tearing the remaining warriors apart. The grief at a lost empire and people.

All the bluster and bravado in the world would not change one very harsh fact.

The Klingons as an empire and a people were all but dead.

This would be the last stand of the Klingon warrior and he would be damned if it would be alone in the dark raiding commerce.

“I don’t think we have much of a choice.” The Vulcan representative stated gravely.

“Chancellor, we welcome you to the Alliance.” Leia said with a smile and indicated an empty chair at the table.

Worf nodded and took his seat.

“Then it is decided?” The Andorian asked.

Leia looked at each of the Council members who nodded, some reluctantly.

“The Federation will come to your aid, we will make our stand at Andor when the Empire comes.”

“Have no doubt, they are coming.”

“Princess there is the question of leadership.”

“Excuse me?”

“Who will lead this expeditionary force? You?”

Leia frowned.

“I am not comfortable as a fleet commander. I simply don’t have the skill. Is there anyone else. Captain Riker perhaps?”

“Riker is a possibility, particularly since he commands the Excalibur.”

“I have a candidate that is perfect for this assignment.” The Terran representative beamed and nodded to his aide who quickly shuffled out to the reception area.

“Is there a problem with Riker?” Leia whispered to McCoy.

“You’re asking the wrong man, this isn’t even my time. But as I gather, a lot of the blame for the Excalibur’s failure to turn the tide at Romulus is being heaped on him.”

“That’s unfair, I was there. He had no choice, the ship was under the control of a Sith.”

McCoy shrugged.

“Its a lot easier to blame Riker than the spirit of some dead sorcerer and certainly easier than blaming Jim.”

Leia shook her head.

A tall slim man strode into the council chambers. He looked stern and his eyes watched each of the councilors like a hawk. Leia recognized a professional military man when she saw one. It was a rarity among the Federation officer corps who seemed more comfortable as scientists than warriors.

“I present Captain Edward Jellico.”

“Gentlemen.” Jellico bowed his head slightly.

“I know his record, most impressive.”

“One of the few true warriors that survived the battle of Sector 001. He has been given command of the fifth fleet by Kirk and I believe that until Captain Kirk returns he will be a suitable replacement.”

“I have the utmost respect for Captain Kirk. If it weren’t for him we would be lost. But now that he is not here and we are threatened it is my intention to save this fleet, to save Andor and to give the enemy a warm reception in hell.”

The Terran representative smiled. The Tellarite nodded approvingly. Worf did not look as convinced.

“Captain Jellico, I think I speak for everyone here that this mission suits you perfectly. Please assemble your fleet for the defense of Andor.”

“Yes sir.” Jellico replied with a sharp salute.

“Ah, Captain, one question, we were unaware that Andor was in danger until now. How did you guess that.” McCoy asked.

Jellico cocked his head slightly.

“Doctor McCoy, I presume?”

“Yes.”

“Its obvious to anyone with a modicum of strategic or tactical sense that you follow up a victory with an attack and what is the most logical and valuable target to attack when the enemy is reeling, the very source of his supplies and ship building capability. Andor was a target the day it decided to aid us. Only now the Empire has the ships and the time to dedicate to its destruction. I’m going to try and stop that from happening.”

McCoy nodded slowly but Leia could tell he was troubled.

“I just want to make one thing absolutely clear before I take on this assignment.”

“Go ahead, Captain.”

“I am NOT James Kirk. I will never be James Kirk. I don’t subscribe to tricks and complex plans of attack. I don’t put my faith in wonder weapons. I will fight this war like a military man, conserving my resources and striking where it makes most sense and will have the most impact. I just want that clear from now.”

“You sound like you’re taking over for good, Captain Jellico.” McCoy noted.

Jellico fixed McCoy with a stony gaze.

“If and when he returns I will step down.” Leia leaned forward in her seat as she felt something, almost like a tug from a child’s hand. An answer bubbled up in her mind, almost instinctual. He’s lying. “Until then, I am in command now, Doctor.”

The meeting quickly broke up and Leia stood at the large picture window staring out at the stars. Her hand rested on the glass. She could dimly hear McCoy talking to Spock as they left.

“That bastard intends to hold on to power, Spock. I know it.”

“What do you suggest we do, Doctor?”

“We go find Jim. You and I, right now.”

“That is illogical, we have no frame of reference from when to begin our search.”

“I do, my logical friend, now follow me.”

Spock watched the Doctor for a moment, arched an eyebrow and shrugged his shoulders slightly. He followed Dr. McCoy out.

Leia absently traced a pattern on the glass.

Where are you Jim? We need you now more than ever. The vultures are circling and you are no where to be found. Are you even still alive? Again the gentle child like tug and she heard her own voice whisper soothingly. Yes.

“Jim, please. Where are you?” she whispered allowed, hand planted firmly against the glass.







It’s so very cold.

I didn’t known death would be this cold.

[Kuja]

FIRST POST!

EDIT: Excellent dialogue. Not much action, but good characterization.

[Kelly Antilles]

Hmmm... *contemplates finishing that scene betwen Mara and Nemisis* Muwhahahaha....

Great chapter as always Stravo. Wish I could write as well as you do.