2993 lines
154 KiB
Plaintext
2993 lines
154 KiB
Plaintext
Subject: Trek Wars Part I
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TREK WARS - PART I - EXODUS
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STAR FLEET OFFICIAL COMMUNIQUE - PROTOCOL JE6 -/ MESSAGE READS :
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STARSHIP ENTERPRISE (NCC1701-D) DESTROYED WITH LOSS OF ALL HANDS ON TRAINING
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MISSION TO SIGMA FOXTROT SECTOR. ONLY SURVIVOR : PICARD, ADMIRAL J.L.
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ADMIRAL PICARD HAS SURRENDERED TO CAPTAIN ROGAN OF THE TRANSPORT HERCULES
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AND AS OF THIS STARDATE IS DEMOTED TO THE RANK OF ENSIGN UNTIL A FULL
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COURT-MARTIAL CAN BE CONVENED.
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ENSIGN PICARD EN ROUTE TO EARTH FOR COURT-MARTIAL ON CHARGES OF GROSS
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NEGLIGENCE.
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FOR THE CREW OF THE ENTERPRISE, A MINUTE'S SILENCE WILL BE OBSERVED AT THE
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NEXT MEETING OF THE FEDERATION COUNCIL.
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MESSAGE ENDS// DISCONNECT.
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** Transport Hercules(NCC1400-45-B). Earthbound. **
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Picard, the rank pips stripped from his uniform, still could not believe
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that it had happened. The Enterprise had been following a pre-ordained
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path with Captain Riker at the conn, and he had chosen to go to inspect
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the shuttle-bay. He had sat for a moment on the bridge of the Galileo -
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the craft which had brought him aboard the Enterprise when he had taken
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command - and in that moment all hell had broken loose.
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A titanic shock had shaken the Enterprise. As decompression alarms bellowed
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and the very fabric of the ship groaned, The shuttle had automatically
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sealed. One last, enigmatic transmission from Captain Riker at the Conn -
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"My - God! Look at the Size of that thing!" And then he had been thrown
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clear by the explosive decompression of the shuttlebay. Now, broken to the
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rank of ensign, he knew with cold certainty that his career was over.
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"Oh, not yet, Picard. That would make my life terribly boring, and we
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wouldn't want that, would we?"
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Picard glowered at the voice, but calmed himself. Anger never did any good.
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"Q," he acknowledged in a tight voice.
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"So formal, Mon Capitaine? I just thought you'd like to know where your
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friends are..."
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Q materialised with his usual flash of light. It took all of Picard's self
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control not to grab the little runt by the neck and squeeze.
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"Amongst Humans, we have a thing called tact." He growled.
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"Oh! You thought I was intruding on your grief. Well, you're right. It's
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wasted, after all." As the last of Picard's tattered pride gave way and he
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prepared to lunge, Q continued hastily, "Since they're still alive and in
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very good health."
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Picard caught at the shred of hope. A quiet voice in his head told him
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that he was clutching at straws, but he ignored it and focused on Q.
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"Oh, yes, Mon Capitaine. The erstwhile and annoying Captain Riker, The
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dreadful first officer Mr Crusher, The overly aggressive security chief
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with the Klingon ancestry, the engineering expert without the eyes and the
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whole gamut of muddle-headed trainees and their exasperated counselor,
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that Betazoid Woman, what was her name again? Oh, and a certain CMO tipped
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to be the hottest bet for captaincy of the Pasteur when it gets out of its
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over-run production line. I believe you where quite fond of her."
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"Your point?" Picard said cooly, refusing to rise to Q's baiting.
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"They went through a singularity left over from one of my earlier
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experiments. Quite... violent, at least from a mortal viewpoint... but the
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ship was essentially intact when it emerged on the other side."
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"Which is where." Picard was gathering his mental forces. The creature of
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desperation was being replaced by the strong-willed leader of old.
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"Oh, a long time ago, Picard, in a galaxy far, far away." Q smiled
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obsequiously, almost condescedingly.
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"So what do I do about it?" Picard felt desperation bite once more : out of
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the entire Galaxy? How would he ever get to them?
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"You'll need to contact an old friend and find some contacts. You'll need
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a mercenary team of about four, five people. Then meet me at these
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co-ordinates and get ready for the ride of your life." He tossed Picard a
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piece of vellum, folded neatly into four. Picard opened it.
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"This is blank, Q."
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"Oh, silly me." Q said with a voracious, predatory smile. A quill pen appeared
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and scratched out a series of digits.
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"Just who is the old friend you recommend I look up?" Picard asked.
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"Well, there are two people on Earth at the minute who are deeply surprised
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to be there. One is fond of digging, and the other one just seems to like
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blowing things up, apart or away."
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"Vash and Tallera." Picard guessed.
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"Bravo. Get to it, Ensign." Q gave Picard just long enough to see his
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mocking grin before he blinked out.
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Picard sank into deep contemplation. This was going to be difficult.
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** Starship Enterprise. Under Attack, location unknown. **
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Riker surveyed the damage report.
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"How many of those things are out there?"
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"Sensors report at least twenty-five small ships. They're so small they're
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avoiding our phaser blasts." Alexander Rhozhenko Worf growled from the
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weapons console.
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"Type?"
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"Unknown. Early reports suggest a one-man craft with a pair of Ion Engines
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and large solar panels to charge their main cannon. They're incredibly
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manouverable." reported Ensign Dygjek from the Sensor station.
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"Shields, Mr Worf?" Riker snapped, holding the armrests firmly as the
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bridge shook once more. Alexander Worf looked more like his father every
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day, Riker thought. Especially now, with that defiant glare in his eyes.
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"They are holding, captain. The blasts are not phasers, though. They
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appear to be actual laser beams, although I can't see how a ship that size
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could put out a beam with the power figures I read."
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"Mr Crusher, I want a Lorenz somersault with a wide spread of photon
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torpedoes." Riker barked.
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"Aye sir."
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The great ship rolled its nose upwards, up and over, sweeping in a tight
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circle as the torpedo tubes flared time and time again.
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"Report."
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"Fifteen of the small fighter craft are damaged or destroyed. The ten
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remaining are regrouping." The trainee Science Officer's voice jumped an
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octave. "Sir! I read a large vessel incoming-"
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He never finished his sentence. Out of nowhere, blurring from a faded
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outline to a solid ship, came a vessel that dwarfed the Enterprise. The
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huge ship had none of the clean lines of a federation ship, none of the
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aesthetic curves or white, sharp beauty. This ship was a ship of war.
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"Rebel Alliance Nebulon B Frigate Excelsior hailing unidentified craft and
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TIE fighters. Unidentified craft, Identify yourself. TIE fighters - look
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behind you!"
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From behind the tiny aggressors, a wing of needle-like ships swung in,
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incredibly fast, and in a few seconds, it was all over. The three fighters
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- their wings split in an X-shape - roared close to the Enterprise.
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"This is Captain William T. Riker of the Federation Starship Enterprise
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hailing -" he raised an eyebrow at the coincidence "-Excelsior. We're new
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here. Any hints on how to avoid those things?"
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"This is Wedge Antilles, New Republic Fleet, Rouge Squadron. You look pretty
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beat up. Had a lot of run-ins with the Imperials?"
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"Not really. We hit a bad wormhole or something. How does it look from out
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there?"
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"Your ass-end is all shot up, but I think you'll hang together. I don't
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think we can squeeze you into a hangar bay : are you hyperdrive capable?"
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"We have a warp drive capability." Riker hedged.
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"Hmm. This is going to be a bit difficult..."
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--
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+=======================================================================+
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| [] |
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| Matt.R.Austin [] "We will return you to our normal |
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| M.R.Austin@bradford.ac.uk [] service as soon as we are certain |
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| [] what is normal anyway." |
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| [] - Tricia MacMillan, HHGTTG |
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+=======================================================================+
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Path: tivoli.tivoli.com!geraldo.cc.utexas.edu!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!pipex!uknet!strath-cs!bradford.ac.uk!mraustin
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From: M.R.Austin@bradford.ac.uk (MR AUSTIN)
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Newsgroups: alt.startrek.creative
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Subject: Trek Wars Part II
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Date: 23 Mar 1995 22:47:52 GMT
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Organization: University of Bradford
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TREK WARS - PART II - PICARD THE MERCENARY
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** San Francisco Spaceport. **
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Picard waited at the shuttle door in silence. When it hissed open, he
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saluted crisply to the officers awaiting him, feeling a bitter sense of loss
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at the irony of it all. How the mighty are fallen.
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"Ensign Picard." The voice threw him, for a moment, but he rapidly placed it.
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"Maam." he said, formally. The president of the United Federation of
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Planets inclined her head. God, she looks terrible, Picard thought. Hardly
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surprising.
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"Picard, I want to talk to you about your request for dismissal from the
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service." She'd changed so much... was it possible that this was the same
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woman he'd once known?
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"I have my reasons, Maam." He kept his stance and voice even.
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"I'm sure you think you do. The fact is, Picard, you're the scapegoat for
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this mess, but that won't last forever. I know if you could have averted
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this whole catastrophe you would have. When this is over I for one would
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be glad to see you back in service... there are some who always suggested
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that Admiralty was a waste of your talents for field command."
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"Maam. I must leave the fleet immediately. I have to - There are many
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things that I must deal with here. I am no longer fit for service in this
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fleet." He unclipped his solitary rank pip and communicator badge and
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offered them.
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She stared at them for a long while. "I know this must gall you, Picard. I
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can tell-"
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"Please, Maam-"
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"Call me by my proper name, Damn you! We've know each other too long to
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beat around the bush."
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"Lwaxana. Please understand that I cannot allow my name to be linked with
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the fleet any more. I have to leave."
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"I know you must feel guilty over Deanna -"
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"Lwaxana, please just listen. I have received word that it just might be
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possible that they are still alive. But in order to follow this lead I
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must be disgraced and dismissed. I have to contact someone with a
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definite animosity toward the fleet."
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Lwaxana Troi stared at him with sad eyes. "Deanna was more dear to me than
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your entire crew was to you. If there is the slimmest chance she might be
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alive, you must do as you see fit."
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She turned on her heel and left. Picard looked at the ground for a moment.
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"Most impressive, Mon amour." Picard tensed. "Hi honey. You'll never
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believe who I just ran into."
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"I could hazard a guess," Picard said quietly, turning slowly around. Vash
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was there, hands on hips, looking serious.
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"There I am, closing the deal of the century, and pow, big flash of
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light. I'm going to wring the little-"
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"Those are such widely held sentiments, my dear, that You'll just have to
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take a ticket and get in line along with the rest of the galaxy." The
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mocking laughter put the seal on the arrogance of the voice.
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"Q!" they yelled in unison. There was a flash, and Q appeared, dressed in
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a medieval costume that Picard recognised.
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"Dashing, isn't it?" Q smiled, giving his Guy of Gisburne outfit a quick
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brush down with the palm of his hand. "Ah, this brings back memories...
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You are an extremely tricksy woman, Vash, and I am certain I did
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those Tellarites a big favour by removing you from their presence. Have I
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mentioned that you've hardly aged a bit? Unlike our dreary companion,
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whose head has, if its possible, got greyer than ever."
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"You've given me more than a few extra grey hairs, Q." Picard said,
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rubbing his bald head to subvert the joke.
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"And in return, Picard, you have given me whole minutes of amusement. I
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believe Tallera is waiting for you in a little coffee bar to the left of
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the main exit. You'll need this."
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He threw Picard a small bottle. Picard read the label and then looked at Q
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in surprise.
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"Superglue remover?" he asked. A terrible thought hit him.
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"See you around, Picard," Q said and popped out.
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"Come on, Vash. Tallera is in a bit of a sticky situation."
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** Starship Enterprise. In contact with New Republic Frigate Excelsior. **
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"So you see, Captain Riker, you're in a bit of a sticky situation."
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"Thank you for pointing that out." Riker put in drily.
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"We are more than willing to tow you in for repairs, but we'd need certain
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assurances first."
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"If I and some of my crew transport over to you as honour-hostages, and you
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place a small unit on our ship, will that suit you?"
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"Certainly. I'll be interested to meet you, Captain."
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"Riker out. Transporter, Myself, Mr Crusher, Mr Worf and Lieutenant
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Barclay to beam over. Counsellor Troi to receive the visitors."
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The sparkle of the Transporter field took them away.
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On the bridge of the Excelsior, Captain Ma'Baan was extremely shocked when
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four people materialised out of thin air. His already wide eyes widened
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still further. The tall man with the beard stepped forward decisively, one
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hand extended in greeting.
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"I'm Captain Riker."
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"Pleased to meet you, Captain," Ma'Baan recovered his footing. "If you
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don't mind, just how did you do that little trick?"
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"We have matter transporters."
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Ma'Baan blinked involuntarily, closing both the external and internal
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eyelids that his race had been blessed with.
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"If it were not for the evidence of my own eyes, I would be inclined to
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call you a liar or a madman." In fact, to his wide-spectrum sight, the
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transporter effect had been spectacular.
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"Haven't you developed a mattertransferance system?"
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"Perhaps we might have, if we had not spent so many years fighting amongst
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ourselves..."
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"Civil Wars?"
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"Bitter and vicious ones. It is noted by us that your ship is not a ship
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of war. Although we are puzzled by the wreckage of the Tie fighters : the
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energy-to-destruct ratio seems ludicrously small. Some predictions even
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range to 2 : 4. Our own turbolasers cannot get beyond 17 : 6."
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"We used Photon Torpedoes."
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"How odd. Our own ships carry Proton torpedoes. It appears we have a great
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deal to discuss, Captain Riker."
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The ships in the Enterprise shuttlebay were the same daggerlike vessels
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that had made such short work of the attacking craft. They had slipped
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gently between the ripped doors and settled on extendable landing skids. Three
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men and three small, stumpy robots were approaching the airlocked door,
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their faces hidden behind helmet seals and blast shields. The outer door
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hissed closed and the lock cycled open.
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"I'm Wedge Antilles, and these are Meko and Tikks. You're counsellor Troi?"
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"Yes." Troi acknowledged with a small nod.
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"If you don't mind me asking, just who were you councilman for?"
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Troi paused, trying to understand the earnest young man's question.
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"I'm a psychiatrist and Empath. My job is watching the mental health of
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the crew."
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"Hmm. I figured from the ship design that you had a different culture, but
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this is going to take some adjusting to..."
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--
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+=======================================================================+
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| [] |
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| Matt.R.Austin [] "We will return you to our normal |
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| M.R.Austin@bradford.ac.uk [] service as soon as we are certain |
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| [] what is normal anyway." |
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| [] - Tricia MacMillan, HHGTTG |
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+=======================================================================+
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Path: tivoli.tivoli.com!tadpole.com!uunet!EU.net!uknet!strath-cs!bradford.ac.uk!mraustin
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From: M.R.Austin@bradford.ac.uk (MR AUSTIN)
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Newsgroups: alt.startrek.creative
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Subject: Trek Wars Part III
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Date: 23 Mar 1995 22:48:16 GMT
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Organization: University of Bradford
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Lines: 196
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TREK WARS - PART III - TROI AND THE ROGUE.
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** Kyoto's Cafe-Bar, San Francisco Spaceport. **
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Tallera was sitting silently, fuming slightly, when Picard found her.
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"This is an insult for which you will pay dearly, Picard. Whoever that oaf
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was who dared to- to-" She came to a halt, unable to articulate around her
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rage.
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"Glue you to your seat, please continue?" Picard said evenly.
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"He had better start watching his back unless he wants a knife in it!"
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Picard studied his fingers for a moment, mostly to avoid looking Tallera
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in the eyes. Her gaze was as heated with rage as the slopes of hell.
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"Is that all?" When Tallera went a very undignified purple he continued
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quickly, "You've just met Q. He makes a habit out of annoying people for
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no very good reason. And as for killing him, well, I'm afraid there's
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rather a backlog of death threats on him at the moment."
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Tallera smiled coldly. It was not the sort of smile that inspired Picard
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to rate Q's survival chances very highly if he were ever foolish enough
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to get within arm's reach of her.
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"I need you to do me a favour, Tallera. I need a small team of topflight
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mercenaries for some very unusual work. And I need them soon."
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Tallera's eyes flickered for a moment as she tallied up past
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acquaintances.
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"What sort of team?" She asked, professional nature gaining the upper hand
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over her anger for a moment.
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"A general combat one. It may be necessary to take back a starship." I
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hope not, Picard added to himself.
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Tallera narrowed her eyes.
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"I can name two, plus myself, who might be convinced to do it for
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appropriate cash payments."
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"I need four or five."
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Something in Tallera's face puzzled Picard. "How badly."
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"I'm willing to pay a lot."
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"Then I can get you the best shipboard fighter the galaxy has ever known.
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But you'd better be extremely well provided for or have a hell of a good
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reason. The Raven doesn't come for just anyone."
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Vash raised her eyebrows. "He's still kicking around?"
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"Yes." Tallera said, looking mildly annoyed.
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"I ran across him when I was time-jumping with Q, about fifty years ago."
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"Fifty years? He-"
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"He's an immortal, Picard."
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** Republic Frigate Excelsior Hangar bay. **
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The X-wings, Captain Riker considered, were startlingly beautiful
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machines. There was a hard edge to them : they had the symmetry and poise
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of a throwing dagger, the clean, sharp, deadly lines that made them look
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as though they were moving even sitting still. He wouldn't mind taking one
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out for a spin sometime.
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Except, of course, for the minor fact that there wasn't a gun in the place
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aimed right at his back. He could understand the paranoia, but he wished
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it would get disposed of. The 'New Republic' had been fighting for years, he
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understood, and were liable to keep on fighting.
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He turned to the robot who was following him. There, too, was something
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different : in this galaxy, robotics was clearly an advanced science,
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capable of mass-producing units. This was a protocol droid, he understood,
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an aging model called a B-2DI. It was roughly humanoid, but with a
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polished silver surface, with an art-deco look to it's stylised human shape.
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"So where exactly are we going to?" he asked it.
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"The orders came in from Counsellor Princess Leia Organa only moments ago,
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sir. The Princess has taken some considerable interest in your appearance,
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and has ordered you to be brought to a rendezvous at the soonest
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opportunity. Once our technicians have finished convincing our network to
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talk to yours, we shall be on our way to meet the Millennium Falcon."
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"How about you fill me in on the history of this place while we're moving
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along."
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"Certainly sir, but I should warn you I'm only an interpreter and not very
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good at telling stories. Well, not at making them interesting, anyway."
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"Go ahead..."
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"Two years ago, The Rebel alliance scored a crushing blow against the
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empire with the destruction of both it's latest weapon, the Death Star,
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and it's head, the Emperor Palpatine, in one blow, at the battle of Endor..."
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Over on the Enterprise, Troi was just bringing the tour to an end with the
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Holodecks. The pilots - the only name she was sure of was their leader,
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Wedge - looked around in stunned surprise as she ran the Black Sea program
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that Worf had introduced her to. Wedge looked around and grinned.
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"This is amazing. And you say this is all for recreation?"
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"It is occasionally used for training, but more often that's done in a
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specific gym. Mostly it's here for relaxation."
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"Can I program something?"
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"Sure : Computer, accept the next voice and allow base-level clearance."
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"Hi there. Desert environment, double-suns, canyons formed by wind
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erosion. A large valley."
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The simulation began to form.
|
|
"A city. Sprawling. Buildings mostly in white, all in early stages of decay."
|
|
He looked around.
|
|
"It'd pass for Tatooine." He looked around. "If my eyesight were a little
|
|
poorer."
|
|
Troi detected a deep well of memories.
|
|
"Is this your homeworld?" she asked.
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|
"Not mine. A friend's."
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A bitter twinge of pain clouded his thoughts.
|
|
"I wonder where he is right now."
|
|
|
|
"Approximately six months ago we started having trouble with the Imperials
|
|
again. Almost overnight, they began to co-ordinate on a much larger scale,
|
|
forming a coherent fleet in this area. Five months ago, we discovered that
|
|
one of the Admirals of the Fleet was unaccounted for. Three months
|
|
ago, an expedition to this area vanished without trace. And a month ago,
|
|
Princess Leia Organa's brother, the Jedi Knight Luke Skywalker, was in
|
|
this sector when his X-wing vanished without a trace. While he is not
|
|
assumed to be dead, given his remarkable survival skills, the chances of
|
|
finding him are extremely small. And the battle against the Imperials
|
|
grows harder every day. It seems that the battle of Endor was not as final
|
|
as we might have wished." The B-2DI came to the finish of its tale.
|
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Riker nodded grimly. This galaxy had been torn by war for decades. He had
|
|
heard the story of the Clone Wars, the Old Republic pitted against the
|
|
Empire, and of the Rebel alliance and the battles of Yavin, Hoth, and
|
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Endor. He had heard the story of the young 'Jedi', Skywalker, and of his
|
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friends : the smuggler Han Solo, the pilot Wedge Antilles, and the rogueish
|
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Lando Calrissian. And of his sister, the current figurehead of the New
|
|
Republic, Leia Organa. He had never before encountered any group so
|
|
strained by irreconcilable wars. The Emperor made Hitler look like a
|
|
reasonable and civilized man. And the coldly related information about Grand
|
|
Moff Tarkin was enough to make him shudder. He had sparked the rebellion at
|
|
the massacre at Ghorman, slaughtering the protesters at the spaceport by
|
|
bringing down a warship on top of them, landing jets reducing the
|
|
protesters to ash and smoke in seconds... The concentration camps had not
|
|
accrued so many deaths over the course of the entire second world war as
|
|
Tarkin had ordered in one moment when he commanded that the first Death
|
|
Star be fired on Alderaan. He would have been inclined to disregard the
|
|
stories as propaganda, but it was all so believable. He had the feeling
|
|
that trying to explain the slowly boiling tensions of the Romulan problem
|
|
and the deteriorating alliance with the Klingons, not to mention the
|
|
Cardassians and the ever-more-complex beauracracy of the Federation, would
|
|
be like trying to explain Socrates to a Rock. It wasn't that they were
|
|
stupid, just that their frame of reference was entirely different.
|
|
He sighed.
|
|
"You've had a more difficult time of it than us, and that's a fact. The
|
|
last real war we had to contend with was the Eugenics wars, way back in
|
|
the twentieth century."
|
|
"Is your society stable, sir?"
|
|
"Not exactly. We don't fight openly, but there's always that threat. And
|
|
there's always a paper war happening somewhere. And we've met any number
|
|
of beings and races that could forseeably destroy us if they put their
|
|
mind to it. Let me tell you about the Borg..."
|
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Picard surveyed his small group. Lansen was a short, wiry fellow with a
|
|
permanent grin. According to Tallera, he was the best thief in the system.
|
|
Next to him, Koigot stood, quiet, impassive. A glittering implant lit his
|
|
temple, revealing the tiny interface jack that connected to his little
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biocomputer. He was rated the best shot with a pistol phaser in five systems.
|
|
But the Raven was still more impressive. He stood nearly six inches taller
|
|
than Picard. Slung at his side was a broadsword of some length. He wore a
|
|
long black overcoat, ragged at the bottom, giving him the air of a
|
|
tattered, but still predatory, old bird. He wore a black fedora and a
|
|
mask of black metal shaped like a medieval knight's shield, with the stylised
|
|
outline of a raven in flight on it in white, like a heraldic device. The
|
|
outstretched wings of the bird framed the eyeslits, through which red eyes
|
|
glowed.
|
|
"I will do this for nothing." He announced quietly, his English slightly
|
|
tainted with an unidentifiable accent. "Loyalty to comrades, one final stand
|
|
against the uncaring machine, these things are pleasing to me. The Raven
|
|
bids you welcome, Picard."
|
|
"Yeah, same here." Lansen grinned. Koigot merely nodded.
|
|
"Now we leave," Tallera said with a look of slight annoyance on her face.
|
|
She seemed disappointed that The Raven had not charges his usual enormous
|
|
fees.
|
|
"Indeed." came the arrogant voice, and Picard half closed his eyes in
|
|
desperation.
|
|
"I thought you didn't like interfering too much with events?"
|
|
"I'm not in control here, Picard." Q paused, clapped one hand to his heart
|
|
in mock grief. "Do you know how difficult that was to say? I'm quite
|
|
/shattered/ by the concept. I'm hurrying you along because I'm so terribly
|
|
/Bored/ by all this fooling around. You see, the two timelines are
|
|
beginning to fray, and I rather fear that unless we get your friends back
|
|
we'll be looking at a full scale Stocastrophe. You really wouldn't want to
|
|
go through the whole Trelane business again, would you?"
|
|
Picard shuddered. Their encounter with Trelane, Q's... Apprentice? Pupil?
|
|
Protege? - had been emotionally searing. He had seen Jack Crusher, driven
|
|
half insane, ripped from another universe and dropped into their own. He had
|
|
witnessed a Beverly Crusher dying - which Beverly, from an infinite
|
|
number of possible Beverlies, he could not know, but the sound of her neck
|
|
breaking as she fell had driven ice into his soul.
|
|
"You see, Picard, that anomaly was never intended to be permanent. It was
|
|
a fledgling immortal's first attempt at something really impressive that
|
|
got quite out of hand. The distortion around it is so great that even
|
|
Q-continuum physical laws begin to break down. We call it Drift Hysteresis.
|
|
Darktime. It's a conjunction point between two galaxies that are
|
|
fundamentally not equipped to be connected. Think of it as the point
|
|
between a vat of nitroglycerine and a roaring fire. If it opens too
|
|
widely, the reality bulkheads may fail and a chain reaction might just
|
|
take us all out in a bang that would make the big one look like a damp
|
|
firecracker. So let's move, shall we?"
|
|
Picard clenched his fists. This was going to be interesting to say the least.
|
|
|
|
--
|
|
+=======================================================================+
|
|
| [] |
|
|
| Matt.R.Austin [] "We will return you to our normal |
|
|
| M.R.Austin@bradford.ac.uk [] service as soon as we are certain |
|
|
| [] what is normal anyway." |
|
|
| [] - Tricia MacMillan, HHGTTG |
|
|
+=======================================================================+
|
|
Path: tivoli.tivoli.com!geraldo.cc.utexas.edu!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!pipex!uknet!strath-cs!bradford.ac.uk!mraustin
|
|
From: M.R.Austin@bradford.ac.uk (MR AUSTIN)
|
|
Newsgroups: alt.startrek.creative
|
|
Subject: Trek Wars Part IV
|
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Date: 23 Mar 1995 22:48:34 GMT
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Organization: University of Bradford
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Lines: 144
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Message-ID: <3ksts2$63r@columbia.acc.brad.ac.uk>
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NNTP-Posting-Host: discovery.brad.ac.uk
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X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.2 PL2]
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Xref: tivoli.tivoli.com alt.startrek.creative:7155
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TREK WARS - PART IV - THE RAVEN IN FLIGHT.
|
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|
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Picard looked around his group. They might well all be top-notch personnel,
|
|
but he still faced the 'minor' problem of getting them to Q's coordinates.
|
|
"Now all we need is a ship. Unless, Q, you'd care to stop all this fooling
|
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around and take us directly?
|
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Q grimaced.
|
|
"Oh, Picard, whatever gave you the idea that I might make this all easy
|
|
for you? No. You need a ship."
|
|
"Why?" Vash put in. "You didn't need one to take me on our little
|
|
archaeological whistle-stop tour of the galaxy."
|
|
Q grinned smugly. "I'm not half the omnipotent immortal I used to be, my
|
|
dear." He intoned, sarcastically. "I simply can't be bothered to haul you
|
|
around willy nilly for your personal amusement anymore. I've grown tired of
|
|
all that. No, you'll need a ship."
|
|
Picard closed his eyes.
|
|
"So in other words, you can't do it."
|
|
"Won't, Picard." Q said sharply. "I won't do it, not I can't do it. It just
|
|
makes things more interesting."
|
|
The Raven spoke. "I have a ship. We will go immediately."
|
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Q rubbed his hands.
|
|
"Attaboy. Oh, this is going to be more fun than I've had in aeons." He
|
|
began to sing in a rich baritone. "Here we are again, happy as can be..."
|
|
Tallera shot a glance at Picard.
|
|
"I really am going to break his neck for him one day."
|
|
"But not today, my over-aggressive friend. Not today." Q clapped his hands.
|
|
"Now, shall we stand around discussing things while the universe goes
|
|
foom, or shall we flit off and find the excitement?"
|
|
|
|
** Starship Enterprise. Perimeter Space of New Republic. **
|
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|
|
Wesley finished checking the readouts on the navigation console.
|
|
"Where's the rendezvous?" he asked. Troi looked at Wedge.
|
|
"Near Kashyyyk. Han and Leia are en route from Coruscant now."
|
|
"Okay." Wes tapped his communicator. "Bridge to Captain Riker. We have
|
|
the star maps and our destination."
|
|
"Very good, number One. Warp Two."
|
|
The Enterprise blurred into a starbow and was gone.
|
|
"Go to hyperdrive for Kashyyyk. And notify Admiral Ackbar that he needs a
|
|
new frigate on patrol."
|
|
"The Sunfire is already outward bound. All personnel, Jump stations. All
|
|
personnel, Jump stations. Orienting for the jump to lightspeed."
|
|
The excelsior rotated, aligning her prow with the distant speck of light
|
|
that was Kashyyyk's main sun. And was gone.
|
|
|
|
Leia was beginning to get tired of this.
|
|
"Again?" She said.
|
|
"It's not my fault. I had that unit overhauled two months ago."
|
|
"No hyperdrive. Again."
|
|
"I think its-Ow!" there was a dull ringing sound.
|
|
"Is that a pipe? Or is it the emptiness of your head making all that noise?"
|
|
"Ha-ha. Chewie, I need a Ditmars-six wrench and a coil of Polygamite
|
|
monofilament. And if you've got a Mark Nine microcutter, that'd help."
|
|
Chewie grunted and passed the tools down.
|
|
"Never should have let Lando's boys near this tub." Han's voice echoed up from
|
|
the pit of piping. "I just found a sabacc card down here. I'm willing to
|
|
bet that half the man-hours I paid for were spent on cards..."
|
|
Leia groaned and went up to the bridge. It was remotely embarrasing that
|
|
a counsellor of the New Republic had to rely on a rackety old smuggler's
|
|
vessel for transport, and she said so.
|
|
"I agree most heartily, Princess Leia." C-3P0 piped up from the corner.
|
|
"Well, sweetheart, I love you too. This rackety old smuggler has patched
|
|
up the Hyperdrive, so anytime you like we can get going for Kashyyyk."
|
|
"I'll believe it when I see it," she said with a smile.
|
|
Han pulled the lever and the stars blurred into starlines.
|
|
"I believe it." She said, a little surprised.
|
|
Han smiled from behind a layer of grease. "See? This old bird's got a few
|
|
years left in her yet."
|
|
|
|
** San Francisco Spaceport. **
|
|
|
|
Vash looked at the Ravenflight with a distinctly disapproving air.
|
|
"You fly around in that thing? You're braver than I thought."
|
|
The Raven's expression, thankfully, was hidden behind his mask.
|
|
Picard examined the ship with a critical eye. It might be old, but a
|
|
starship captain's eye for detail picked out the overlarge plasma
|
|
conduits, the additional bulge around the engines. The Ravenflight was a
|
|
fast ship under the decaying exterior.
|
|
"It'll make warp five and at sublight it's the equal of a Carrack-class
|
|
cruiser. It's fast enough for you."
|
|
|
|
Once they were aboard and the Raven had gone to the bridge, Picard drew
|
|
Tallera to one side.
|
|
"Who is the Raven, exactly? I mean his real name, where he comes from."
|
|
"No-one knows his real name. He's thought to be the last of a race long
|
|
since dead, but he's not telling anyone."
|
|
"And what is this whole Immortality thing?"
|
|
"He's as vulnerable as you or I to damage. But as near as anyone can
|
|
figure, he's been around for at least a hundred years."
|
|
"I have a projected lifespan of another two hundred years, Picard." came
|
|
the Raven's voice from behind them. "I've been around for more than a
|
|
millenia. As to my name, as to my race, both long since ceased to have any
|
|
meaning. Now there is only the Raven. I am what I am and no more." The
|
|
Raven's voice was very quiet.
|
|
"I have seen all four Enterprises go about their missions. I have seen
|
|
Star Fleet fight time and time again to survive, to rise above the ghosts
|
|
of war and find a better peace. Know this : unless they can do so, the
|
|
human race still may perish at it's own hand. I have seen my own race die,
|
|
Picard. It is a fate I would wish not even upon my worst enemies."
|
|
For a moment, there was silence.
|
|
"I am the last of my kind. Once, we straddled the galaxy, fearless,
|
|
indestructible. Now our fire has gone out of the universe. I am all that
|
|
is left. It is a high and lonely path I tread."
|
|
Picard looked down. There was such pain in the unearthly voice that it cut
|
|
him to the bone.
|
|
"Now, we must go."
|
|
|
|
The Enterprise slowed as it reached the Kashyyyk system. The lush green
|
|
planet below looked cool and appetizing.
|
|
Wedge looked at the screen.
|
|
"Well, here we are. Wookiee central, the planet with the most dangerous
|
|
natural hazards this side of the galaxy."
|
|
"What's a Wookiee?" Wes asked.
|
|
"Eight-foot humanoid covered head-to-toe in hair. They look pretty fierce,
|
|
but they're good friends of the Alliance. But that's all academic : we're
|
|
only waiting for the Falcon. It'll be good to see Han again..."
|
|
|
|
A few moments later, the Excelsior dropped out of Hyperdrive into the
|
|
Kashyyyk system.
|
|
"The Falcon should be here any minute, Sir." Riker's droid companion
|
|
informed him.
|
|
"Is this the same Millenium Falcon that fought at Yavin and Endor?"
|
|
"Indeed, sir, At Yavin, Solo rescued Luke Skywalker from attack, and at
|
|
Endor General Calrissian led the attack on the Second death star in it
|
|
while General Solo co-ordinated the ground attack. It was also responsible
|
|
for the evacuation of Princess Leia from Hoth, and before that for her
|
|
rescue from the first Death Star."
|
|
"Quite a history."
|
|
"Indeed, sir. General Solo is one of the best known figures of the
|
|
Alliance after Commander Skywalker and Leia Organa. He is a gambler of
|
|
some repute : he won the Millenium Falcon from Lando Calrissian in an epic
|
|
nine-hour game of sabacc."
|
|
"Does he play poker?" Riker asked, thinking that he might just have to see
|
|
how good this Solo was...
|
|
|
|
--
|
|
+=======================================================================+
|
|
| [] |
|
|
| Matt.R.Austin [] "We will return you to our normal |
|
|
| M.R.Austin@bradford.ac.uk [] service as soon as we are certain |
|
|
| [] what is normal anyway." |
|
|
| [] - Tricia MacMillan, HHGTTG |
|
|
+=======================================================================+
|
|
Path: tivoli.tivoli.com!geraldo.cc.utexas.edu!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!pipex!uknet!strath-cs!bradford.ac.uk!mraustin
|
|
From: M.R.Austin@bradford.ac.uk (MR AUSTIN)
|
|
Newsgroups: alt.startrek.creative
|
|
Subject: Trek Wars Part IX
|
|
Date: 23 Mar 1995 22:54:28 GMT
|
|
Organization: University of Bradford
|
|
Lines: 188
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Message-ID: <3ksu74$63r@columbia.acc.brad.ac.uk>
|
|
NNTP-Posting-Host: discovery.brad.ac.uk
|
|
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.2 PL2]
|
|
Xref: tivoli.tivoli.com alt.startrek.creative:7161
|
|
|
|
|
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Trek Wars Part IX
|
|
|
|
And Height And Depth And Eternal Stars
|
|
|
|
** Coruscant. Command Control. **
|
|
|
|
The vast assembly hall was barely half-filled. The Republic fleet, Wedge
|
|
had explained to Riker, was stretched to its very limits just trying to
|
|
hold the fragile alliance together : and the Republic Shipyards were
|
|
desperately low on vital supplies. Leia and General Solo were standing
|
|
with them, pointing out key figures in the bustle.
|
|
Riker noticed a dark-skinned man with a dazzling smile approaching from
|
|
behind. The man put a finger to his lips and then jumped on Han. Han went
|
|
crashing to the floor and the two men rolled there, wrestling with each
|
|
other. Riker stepped forwards to intervene, but Leia laid a hand on his
|
|
arm and shook her head, smiling.
|
|
"Lando, you stinking son of a space flea, what the hell are you doing here!"
|
|
"I might ask you the same, oh disreputable one. I thought you intended to
|
|
retire from all of this."
|
|
"I keep meaning to, but..." he glanced briefly at Leia, "There are a
|
|
couple of things that just keep me hanging around." Leia blushed faintly.
|
|
Lando flashed her a hundred-watt smile and took her hand.
|
|
"Princess," he said with easy grace, and kissed it.
|
|
"Same old rogue. Don't you ever change?"
|
|
"I am as eternal as your beauty. But, sadly, business matters call.
|
|
I've had an idea that might solve your metal problems. You're mostly short
|
|
on Hfredium, aren't you?"
|
|
"That's the big bottleneck, yes."
|
|
"I've found a rich site. I fully expect to be able to extract a thousand
|
|
tons a day."
|
|
"That is rich. What's the catch."
|
|
"It's N'Klon."
|
|
"It can't be mined. It's in close orbit around a primary star, for crying
|
|
out loud : you can boil steel on the day side."
|
|
"I've had a few thoughts on that. If you'd care to look them over, perhaps
|
|
pass them on to interested parties that, shall we say, might not be so
|
|
interested if I went personally?"
|
|
"Ackbar doesn't blame you for resigning your commission, Lando. He just
|
|
feels sorry to loose one of his 'Invincibles'."
|
|
"Anyway, I have to flit. The Lady Luck is warming up and I'm due at the
|
|
Makos reclamation facility in ten hours."
|
|
He flashed another smile at them all, shook hands briefly with Han and
|
|
Riker, kissed Leia's hand again, and was gone.
|
|
"That man," Leia said, smiling a little, "is an even bigger rogue than
|
|
you."
|
|
Han looked a little worried about that.
|
|
"I may surprise you yet, Princess."
|
|
Leia smiled, lasciviously.
|
|
"You do that, Han. You do that."
|
|
|
|
** The Ravenflight. Bridge. **
|
|
|
|
The entire of Picard's little band was crammed onto the flight deck. The
|
|
Raven stood in the far corner, brooding and silent. Koigot was flicking
|
|
his modified Type II phaser in and out of its holster with practised ease,
|
|
the implant glittering at his temple. Lansen was flexing his fingers,
|
|
making fists and then releasing them. Tallera was just sitting there, her
|
|
eyes smouldering. Vash was leaning on a console, idly stroking her hair
|
|
into place. Picard wanted to be pacing, but the others took up all the
|
|
available space.
|
|
There was a flash, and Q appeared.
|
|
"Very well. The time has come, I feel, for a little talk. Vash. How do you
|
|
feel?"
|
|
Vash looked as though she'd been expecting that question. "It's almost
|
|
exactly how you described it."
|
|
The Raven stared at her.
|
|
"You're a-" he began, but Q raised a finger to his lips.
|
|
"All in good time. Now, since our masked friend would probably have told
|
|
you this sooner or later, we are in his galaxy. He came to ours a long,
|
|
long time ago, fleeing a persecution that made Hitler's purges look positively
|
|
civilized. But now we have a rather more devious need in mind. Somewhere
|
|
out there is a battleship. Aboard that ship is a person of vital
|
|
importance. We will need all Koigot's accuracy, all Lansen's skills, all
|
|
Tallera's experience, all Vash's special abilities, all The Raven's
|
|
training, and all Picard's high-vaunted intelligence to get him. I have to
|
|
take a little trip elsewhere. Au Revoir!"
|
|
"How will we know who this person is?" Picard shouted.
|
|
"I should imagine that Vash or the Raven will be able to find him. Now
|
|
cease bothering me."
|
|
He vanished.
|
|
|
|
Across space he flew, darting like an arrow towards the beacon of
|
|
Skywalker's mind.
|
|
They had broken his legs again today. They were running out of things to
|
|
do to him that weren't lethal. He felt the mental light of his mysterious
|
|
visitor approaching.
|
|
There was a flash, and a curly-haired man in an unfamiliar uniform appeared.
|
|
"Hello, Luke." he said, smiling.
|
|
"Q?" asked Luke, wondering whether they were feeding him some new
|
|
hallucinogenic. Neither Ben nor Yoda had ever mentioned the ability to
|
|
appear at will.
|
|
"You disappoint me, young Skywalker. I am far more than a Jedi. And,
|
|
indeed, less than a Jedi as well. I never had your training... but then
|
|
again, I never needed it. That's just the way the universe expands, I
|
|
suppose."
|
|
"Can you free me?"
|
|
Q shook his head.
|
|
"This is a complex machine I'm manipulating here. I'm trying to turn it
|
|
off without damaging it or ripping my hand off - metaphorically
|
|
speaking - between the various moving parts. I love playing games like
|
|
this : it's so beautifully complicated. Too many key players, too many
|
|
subtle shifts. This is really going to give me a good, old fashioned
|
|
workout. I've got to go. But be of good cheer, Skywalker. Help is on its way."
|
|
He vanished.
|
|
|
|
Across space he screamed, revelling in the power flowing through him. The
|
|
exposure to Darktime had done more than mess up his materialisation : it
|
|
had very nearly killed him. But, here...
|
|
He looped-the-loop around a cooling supernova out of sheer exhilaration.
|
|
Back to the roots, back to the start. Nearest the bone is where life is
|
|
sweetest.
|
|
Another thought spurred him on. A short passage from Sliin's "The Death of
|
|
Marhata".
|
|
"And as he watched, all was laid waste :
|
|
The petty scribblings of mortal man,
|
|
And the mighty works of God,
|
|
And Height, And Depth, And Eternal Stars,
|
|
were scattered to ash before the void.
|
|
And the rest is Silence."
|
|
The Organians had a touch with epics and poems that Q admired. The Death
|
|
of Marhata had always been his favourite.
|
|
In a flash of light, he arrived.
|
|
"Q!" came the cry, as expected.
|
|
"Well, well, well. Captain Riker! Almost mildly entertaining to see you
|
|
again."
|
|
"I might have guessed you'd be bothering us before long."
|
|
"Oh, believe me, if I had a choice in the matter I wouldn't ever go near
|
|
this grotty little universe again, but events seem to be conspiring
|
|
against me. Which is unpleasant, to say the least."
|
|
Leia was watching him.
|
|
"Who are you?"
|
|
"Ah, the delectable Princess." Q bowed. "I'll let Captain Riker here do
|
|
the honours."
|
|
"This is Q, a member of the Q continuum. A galactic-sized pain in the
|
|
neck, and as arrogant as they come."
|
|
"Oh, the pain." Q clutched one hand to his chest, as if mortally wounded. "You
|
|
cut me to the quick with these accusations, you know. I'm just a dabbler in
|
|
arrogance. You should meet Mogen if you think I'm bad." He smiled, coldly.
|
|
"You're-" Leia began.
|
|
"Oh, *spare* me. Yes, I'm a Jedi of sorts. All sorts, actually. I've got
|
|
some important news for you all, concerning missing loved ones. Ex-ensign
|
|
Picard, after a number of misadventures too tedious to relate, is freshly
|
|
arrived and - sad to relate - as dull as ever. Commander Skywalker is
|
|
neither fit, nor well, but he is still alive. Cancel your red alert, if
|
|
you would : I'm getting a headache."
|
|
Ackbar tapped a pair of buttons, and the klaxon ceased.
|
|
"Now, If we'd all get ourselves in a co-operative frame of mind, I've a
|
|
few orders to give."
|
|
"You are not in a position to give orders." Ackbar said, quietly.
|
|
"You, on the other hand, are not in a position conductive to good health."
|
|
Ackbar shot upwards, stopping inches short of the ceiling.
|
|
"I can lower you, or drop you. Which would you prefer?" Q asked, calmly.
|
|
"Enough of this. Q, bring him down." It was Mon Mothma's tones that echoed
|
|
across the chamber.
|
|
Q smiled. "Certainly."
|
|
Ackbar floated back down to the ground.
|
|
"Now. Are we in a co-operative frame of mind yet?"
|
|
|
|
** The Heart of Fury. Bridge. **
|
|
|
|
The Heart Of Fury was the cleanest Klingon ship Data had ever seen. Worf
|
|
noticed his rapid survey of the room.
|
|
"I seem to have developed a most irritating habit of cleanliness during
|
|
my time at Starfleet." He said, almost smiling.
|
|
Data nodded agreement.
|
|
"This is Lieutenant Ro, who you may remember."
|
|
Worf nodded his shaggy head.
|
|
"And this is Major Kira, an expert in Guerilla tactics."
|
|
Worf extended his hand and shook hers.
|
|
"We should leave now. If it were done, then twere well it were done quickly."
|
|
"Macbeth, I think." Ro said.
|
|
"It loses a great deal in translation, but the Klingon Play is one of our
|
|
greatest works. If you would do me the honour, Commander Data, of taking the
|
|
sensor station?"
|
|
"Of course."
|
|
"Warp three for the Sigma Foxtrot sector."
|
|
The Bird of Prey leaped away from Deep Space Nine.
|
|
|
|
|
|
--
|
|
+=======================================================================+
|
|
| [] |
|
|
| Matt.R.Austin [] "We will return you to our normal |
|
|
| M.R.Austin@bradford.ac.uk [] service as soon as we are certain |
|
|
| [] what is normal anyway." |
|
|
| [] - Tricia MacMillan, HHGTTG |
|
|
+=======================================================================+
|
|
Path: tivoli.tivoli.com!geraldo.cc.utexas.edu!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!pipex!uknet!strath-cs!bradford.ac.uk!mraustin
|
|
From: M.R.Austin@bradford.ac.uk (MR AUSTIN)
|
|
Newsgroups: alt.startrek.creative
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|
Subject: Trek Wars Part V
|
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Date: 23 Mar 1995 22:48:55 GMT
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Organization: University of Bradford
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Lines: 123
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Message-ID: <3kstsn$63r@columbia.acc.brad.ac.uk>
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NNTP-Posting-Host: discovery.brad.ac.uk
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X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.2 PL2]
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Xref: tivoli.tivoli.com alt.startrek.creative:7156
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TREK WARS - PART V - TOWARDS THE DARK SIDE
|
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|
|
Luke did not know how long he had been in this chamber, but his body told
|
|
him it had been too long. They had begun softening him up already :
|
|
torture droids had poked him with red hot irons, passed high voltages
|
|
through him, beaten him, cut him, broken bones, injected him with drugs that,
|
|
Jedi mind-training or no, turned reality inside out. They were stretching and
|
|
compressing time, too, changing the length of the light and dark cycles to
|
|
disorient him. He had been kept awake for a week by pounding noise and
|
|
flashing lights, trapped in the dark. His force-sense could find no living
|
|
being within his reach. The Imperials knew what they were doing. He was
|
|
isolated from anything that might be useful. His manacles had been welded
|
|
shut : any grip he could exert on the mechanism of the lock was useless.
|
|
He knew what they were trying to do. They were slowly, calmly, coldly
|
|
nudging him towards the Dark Side. He could hear Yoda's voice so clearly
|
|
as he thought back.
|
|
"Fear... Anger... Hatred... of the Dark Side are they."
|
|
They wanted to make him afraid, to make him hate them. Then he would have
|
|
taken the first step towards the Dark Side, the first step that could
|
|
never be taken back.
|
|
|
|
He was worried that they might be succeeding in their goal. He could find
|
|
only shreds of calm in his mind, and his dreams were filled with dark
|
|
thoughts of revenge and retribution.
|
|
|
|
He waited. He could do nothing else.
|
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|
|
** Starship Enterprise : Ten Forward. **
|
|
|
|
The Falcon curved around Kashyyyk, burning white in the light of the sun.
|
|
Wedge waved from the window as it slid effortlessly between the Enterprise
|
|
and the Excelsior. Troi smiled. There was a charming honesty and openess
|
|
to the young pilot that she found heart-warming, in a way. After dealing
|
|
with endless numbers of cagey ambassadors, hostile aliens, and so forth,
|
|
it was a pleasure to meet someone with such a marvellously uncluttered
|
|
perspective. He cared for his friends and his ship, and nothing else came
|
|
into the equation. She stepped to his side and watched. She was aware
|
|
that, behind her, the other pilots were relaxing and chatting with the
|
|
Enterprise crew while Guinan kept the synthehol flowing. Wedge had to be
|
|
the only person in Ten-forward that didn't have a drink in his hand.
|
|
"Would you like a drink?" she asked, feeling a little foolish. Good god,
|
|
she thought suddenly, why am I acting like a nervous schoolgirl?
|
|
"I don't know if you have this one. Lando keeps recommending it to
|
|
everyone. It's a weird concoction... Ah... I think it's called Hot
|
|
Chocolate?"
|
|
Deanna smiled. "Oh, I think we can rustle something up."
|
|
|
|
On the Bridge of the Excelsior, Riker entered in time to see the Falcon
|
|
cut across the bow of the Enterprise. He was also just in time to hear
|
|
Ma'Baan mutter "Show-off" and for the muted laughter that comment drew.
|
|
He could almost be back on the Enterprise. The sense of cameraderie was
|
|
the same, the cheery optimism was identical.
|
|
"Hello, Excelsior! Better lay on a landing. Her royalness doesn't like to
|
|
be kept waiting."
|
|
A sound almost exactly like a friendly punch in the arm came over the channel.
|
|
"Sorry, your worshipfulness! Oh, and before you go, Chewie's eager to go
|
|
planetside if he can-"
|
|
There was a loud rumbling growl that made Riker jump.
|
|
"Ma'Baan to Solo. Tell Chewie he can go planetside if he wants, but we'll
|
|
need to be ready to pull out on short notice. It seems like our visitors
|
|
have stirred up a real furore."
|
|
Riker coughed quietly.
|
|
"Excuse me... what was that growl?"
|
|
"Chewbacca. He's a wookie with a kind of honour-debt to Solo. He's first
|
|
mate on the Falcon - and a fine pilot to boot."
|
|
"Wookies are the intelligent indigenous race of the planet Kashyyyk below
|
|
us. They stand between seven and nine feet tall, are erect humanoids, and
|
|
are completely covered in fur. They excel at close combat, ranged weapons,
|
|
and-" The droid cut off when Riker waved a hand to shush it. The Falcon
|
|
was slowly curving gracefully towards the open bay.
|
|
|
|
Picard surveyed the damage in amazement.
|
|
The Klingon Bird-of-Prey had been holed in fifteen or sixteen places.
|
|
Lansen shook his head, biting one corner of his mouth in concentration.
|
|
"I read residuals in the damage that don't make any sense. Looks like a
|
|
laser, but It'd have to be huge to put out the power that caused this."
|
|
"A laser?" Picard looked at him in confusion. "Lasers are outmoded
|
|
technology, overly bulky units which-"
|
|
Lansen cut him off with another shake of his head.
|
|
"These read out as being forty-to-sixty times the power of a conventional
|
|
beam. It looks like they might have rigged some kind of phase/amp-feedback
|
|
effect, but the Daystrom institute couldn't break that problem when they
|
|
were working on multi-use armaments for Starfleet... mind you, that was
|
|
back before they came up with Phasers, so there's been a lot of time for
|
|
someone to break it. And evidently someone has."
|
|
"Even at sixty times the power of a lab-standard cutting beam, it shouldn't
|
|
have done more than clipped the shield...
|
|
"I've got another one." Tallera called from the viewscreen. She tapped out
|
|
a command and the main viewer zoomed in on a small wreck.
|
|
"I have never, in all my years, seen a craft like that." Picard said, quietly.
|
|
The main hull had been drilled clean through with a phaser blast, but the
|
|
two hexagonal panels to either side were a feature Picard had never seen
|
|
in his life.
|
|
"I'm getting some figures on it. Only big enough for one person. Those
|
|
panels are solar cells of a kind. Engines - I read plasma around the
|
|
debris, consistent with Ion engines. I can't tell you anything about
|
|
armament, but I'd bet you any money those tubes under the window are laser
|
|
nozzles." Lansen nodded, pleased with his readings, and shut the display off.
|
|
"Multiple attackers, small, fast craft. The Enterprise Phaser locks
|
|
weren't configured for small craft. There's no reason to suppose that
|
|
Klingon locks were any different." Picard could see it. The Bird-of-Prey
|
|
would have been like a bear under attack from a cloud of hawks. That they
|
|
didn't do a lot of damage would be irrelevant : they would have simply
|
|
kept on pecking and dodging, pecking and dodging...
|
|
"Send an immediate message to Starfleet command, flagged urgent. Inform
|
|
them and tell them to contact Lieutenant Commander Data and Klingon
|
|
Emmissary Worf immediately. And transmit to the Klingon High Command at
|
|
the same time. Keep it short : unknown attackers on the loose, prepare
|
|
phaser locks for multiple, small, fast targets." Picard nodded to himself.
|
|
Vash smiled, slightly. "I'll, er... make it so."
|
|
Picard shot her a look.
|
|
"It looks like Q's anomaly is a two-way door..." The Raven said, grimly.
|
|
|
|
|
|
--
|
|
+=======================================================================+
|
|
| [] |
|
|
| Matt.R.Austin [] "We will return you to our normal |
|
|
| M.R.Austin@bradford.ac.uk [] service as soon as we are certain |
|
|
| [] what is normal anyway." |
|
|
| [] - Tricia MacMillan, HHGTTG |
|
|
+=======================================================================+
|
|
Path: tivoli.tivoli.com!geraldo.cc.utexas.edu!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!pipex!uknet!strath-cs!bradford.ac.uk!mraustin
|
|
From: M.R.Austin@bradford.ac.uk (MR AUSTIN)
|
|
Newsgroups: alt.startrek.creative
|
|
Subject: Trek Wars Part VI
|
|
Date: 23 Mar 1995 22:49:12 GMT
|
|
Organization: University of Bradford
|
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Lines: 269
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Message-ID: <3kstt8$63r@columbia.acc.brad.ac.uk>
|
|
NNTP-Posting-Host: discovery.brad.ac.uk
|
|
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.2 PL2]
|
|
Xref: tivoli.tivoli.com alt.startrek.creative:7158
|
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|
|
|
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TREK WARS - PART VI - THE GATHERING DARK
|
|
|
|
** Republic Frigate Excelsior. Bridge. **
|
|
|
|
Riker ran his hands over his uniform once more. It was already perfectly
|
|
straight, but if he didn't do something soon he was going to start
|
|
fidgeting. It had to be the tensions in the place getting to him : he'd
|
|
dealt with dozens of ambassadors, dignitaries, even planetary Royalty,
|
|
before, so it couldn't be the approaching meeting with the Princess.
|
|
At one side of him, Alexander stood - already towering over Riker's
|
|
not-insubstantial frame. On the other, Wes Crusher was looking more mature
|
|
than ever before. There was a thin scar running down one cheek that he
|
|
refused to discuss, and StarFleet records hedged at an accident on Colony
|
|
Alpha during advanced training. Whatever was behind that incident, Wes
|
|
wasn't talking about it, but he'd changed over the advanced course... Some
|
|
of his optimism and cheerfulness was gone, and replacing it was a tough
|
|
edge that reminded Riker a little of himself. Barclay was still talking
|
|
animatedly with one of the Excelsior crew about his recent performance in
|
|
Chekhov's 'The Cherry Orchard' as Petya Trofimov. There was another person
|
|
who had changed a lot. His confidence had increased in leaps and bounds,
|
|
and he'd become a thoroughly respectable actor. Beverly was even talking
|
|
about trying him in some Shakespeare.
|
|
Those little digressions had kept him diverted for long enough for the
|
|
walk from he landing bay to the bridge. The Door to the bridge slid open.
|
|
"I can't believe you can't get a better sensor package for that thing!" came a
|
|
female voice.
|
|
"Listen, Sweetheart, since Lando knocked the main array off for me I've had no
|
|
end of problems. I'm not about to try a tricky landing just for your
|
|
entertainment. You don't like climbing? Next time, We'll book a shuttle.
|
|
Oh, Hi, Ma'Baan. And you must be the new guys."
|
|
"Captain William T. Riker of the Federation Starship Enterprise. You must
|
|
be General Solo."
|
|
"Skip the General. I stand down my commission in a month's time-"
|
|
"Not if Ackbar has anything to say about it you don't." The woman interrupted.
|
|
"And you must be Princess Leia Organa."
|
|
"Yes. If certain grubby pirates would go get cleaned up, the diplomats here
|
|
can deal with the real business."
|
|
|
|
** The Ravenflight. Sigma Foxtrot sector. **
|
|
|
|
Data angled his head slightly to one side, a physical mannerism that he
|
|
found often encouraged humans to continue. And this was VERY interesting.
|
|
"...I am no longer your commanding officer, but I hope I am still your
|
|
friend. Can you produce me any theories, Data?"
|
|
Data paused, assembling the known facts in a logic field and applying a
|
|
series of Matrix filters.
|
|
"Extrapolations from current data are what could be termed "Sketchy" at
|
|
best, Jean-Luc. However, eliminating all possibilities of less than fifty
|
|
percent, I believe that the hypothesis that the Anomaly is a
|
|
two-directional gate are unlikely. Anomalies are usually single-acting
|
|
introverters which apply a focussed but variable distortion to the
|
|
spacetime continuum, not a fixed tunnel sustained in another set of
|
|
dimensions. I do have records, however, of a tunnel between two universes,
|
|
under StarFleet coding KIRK-ENT-5-1-LAZARUS-INCIDENT. The enterprise
|
|
encountered a humanoid who was given the name "Lazarus". He was eventually
|
|
revealed to be two beings from separate universes. The two Lazaruses were
|
|
sealed in a corridor between the universes, which was apparently generated-"
|
|
"Thank you, Data. It is possible that Q's inference of 'A long time ago in
|
|
a galaxy far away' might be his typically roundabout way of explaining the
|
|
concept of an entirely separate universe. In the meantime, what action do
|
|
you feel is appropriate?"
|
|
"Your decision to notify Worf is most intelligent, Captain. Worf is both a
|
|
trusted member of the Klingons' Greater Council, and also a friend who can
|
|
be trusted to accurately convey your message in appropriate terms. I
|
|
myself am aboard the U.S.S. Lyman en route to station Deep Space Nine for
|
|
a conference on new developments in robotics, a radical new 'Fuzzy Logic'
|
|
chip which may in due course allow a more human response from machines-"
|
|
"Your point, Data?" Picard smiled slightly.
|
|
"I will be in an appropriate position to meet with Worf aboard his
|
|
personal flagship and arrange an outing to the co-ordinates for further
|
|
examination of the evidence."
|
|
"Very Good, Data. It's been good to see you again."
|
|
"I have found it stimulating to interact with you once more also."
|
|
"Good Luck, Data." Picard closed the connection. "And good Hunting."
|
|
He turned to the crew assembled on the bridge of the Ravenflight.
|
|
"That ties up this end of the situation for now. All we need is Q."
|
|
"It's such a delight to hear you say that, Picard. It seems that in your
|
|
old age you are finally coming to appreciate me."
|
|
Picard knew better than to rise to Q's baiting.
|
|
"Well, Q?"
|
|
"The anomaly is invisible to your instruments, Picard. To get through the
|
|
Drift Hysteresis alive, you'll have to do exactly as I say."
|
|
Picard drew himself up.
|
|
"Very well."
|
|
"Second star to the right. And straight on until my warning..."
|
|
|
|
** Deep Space, beyond the Republic rim. **
|
|
|
|
The Imperial Star Destroyer 'Invictus' was cruising through the night, her
|
|
running lights blinking in solemn unison along her 1600-meter length. A vast,
|
|
triangular sliver of metal, a city in space, she sailed serenely onward.
|
|
Her occupants were not so serene.
|
|
"Admiral, how much longer must we tolerate that... abomination amongst our
|
|
crew!"
|
|
The Admiral turned one baleful eye on the young Captain. The man was
|
|
quivering, but whether with anger or fear he could not tell.
|
|
"Hesk will continue to be a part of the operations of my strikeforce until
|
|
I wish it otherwise. He is a valuable addition to our force and as such-"
|
|
The door hissed open and a nightmare entered.
|
|
Hesk was utterly black. Faint gleams of light marked the surface
|
|
occasionally, but most of the light falling on Hesk simply vanished into
|
|
him. The only features in his face were a thin-lipped mouthful of needle
|
|
fangs, and a pair of slitted eyes that glowed with molten fire.
|
|
"Captain Ungari. I will not be referred to as an abomination." His voice
|
|
was rich, melodious, as sticky as tar.
|
|
Without warning Hesk seized the captain's hair with one hand and tipped
|
|
his head back.
|
|
"Sweet kiss of nightfall, the moon's embrace,
|
|
doth light its softness on thy face" Hesk said, poetically, and ripped the
|
|
captain's throat out. He spat the torn flesh onto the desk in front of
|
|
Raust and let the gurgling Captain slump to the deck.
|
|
Raust watched Hesk with his one good eye for a moment.
|
|
"Your powers as an enforcer of discipline are in no question," Raust said
|
|
eventually, "But you will execute only upon my command.
|
|
Hesk crouched to all fours by the corpse.
|
|
"Forgive me, for I am a worm." He said, his voice full of scorn. He lapped
|
|
at the spreading pool of hot red and straightened, looking like a pleased cat.
|
|
He sat down.
|
|
"I require sustenance, Admiral. And regardless of your feeble sacrifices
|
|
to my powers I will still require fresh blood on every possible occasion.
|
|
I am Vader to your emperor."
|
|
Raust's one eye gleamed horribly in the dark.
|
|
"Do Not Mention that Name." he said, his voice on the sharp edge of anger.
|
|
Raust was only human from the waist up, and then only barely so. His legs
|
|
and lower torso had been crushed. One arm had been ripped from the shoulder
|
|
by the indigs of the planet his shattered nav unit had dropped him on. He had
|
|
lost the eye to the attack of a predatory bird only moments later. When the
|
|
imperial troops, evacuating the failure at Endor, had found him hours
|
|
later, he was more dead than alive. Now, he was seated in a
|
|
powerchair that maintained his vital functions, his one remaining arm
|
|
spliced into a neural cradle that converted his nerve signals into motor
|
|
control. A bionic implant eye glinted dully in the empty socket. His skin
|
|
was sagging, half-melted by the tremendous blast of fire that had
|
|
destroyed his lower body and cauterized the wound so effectively, and darkly
|
|
spotted with age.
|
|
|
|
Despite all this, he still had the tactical brain that had made him first
|
|
in his year, every year, through his Officer Training. He had flown Tie
|
|
Fighters and Assault Gunboats during his time as a junior, and he had
|
|
commanded or been high in the command structure of most ships from a Frigate
|
|
through to a Super Star Destroyer. The Executioner, to be exact. He had
|
|
been third in command - the only high-ranking survivor of the catastrophe.
|
|
And the reports of Vader's treachery had seared him to the bone.
|
|
Hesk found it all rather amusing. Alive, the Emperor had been a sadistic
|
|
and cruel man, a foul perverted mass of undead flesh
|
|
|
|
- no, he had been a hero and saviour of their race in a time of darkest
|
|
need
|
|
|
|
- He had slaughtered
|
|
millions
|
|
|
|
- he had saved the righteous
|
|
|
|
- he was the
|
|
devil
|
|
|
|
- he was God -
|
|
|
|
Hesk's mind threatened to overload on him. His attacks were getting worse.
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But his face betrayed not one flicker of his confusion.
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He was Hesk the Warlock, and no-one else. He repeated the statement to
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himself, a mantra of identity.
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He would stay sane. He would.
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Raust watched him silently.
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"We are coming up on the position our patrol last reported in from. They
|
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had encountered a strange vessel and were endeavouring to destroy it.
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Their last transmission was something garbled about X-wings and then they
|
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ceased to send. A scout frigate from Delta group was sent to investigate
|
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and never returned. If the Rebels have developed a new craft it may be
|
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dangerous to us. So we are going in force." A buzzer sounded.
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"We're coming up on the system." He opened a connection and spoke to the
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bridge crew. "Order the crews to their fighters. Interceptors to deploy
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first with Assault Gunboat support, employing Ki's Wedge for maximum
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coverage. And prepare the main gun. Raust out."
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** Republic Frigate Excelsior. Conference room. **
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Leia looked across the table at Riker.
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"Well," she said, "That would seem to cover it. As the official
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representative of the New Republic, I hereby welcome you and your crew
|
|
into the Alliance. You drive a hard bargain, Mr. Riker."
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"Call me Will. You're not such a poor negotiator yourself, Princess Organa."
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"If we're to be allies, you might as well call me Leia. Everyone else does."
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"Very well. Leia."
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"There's only one more thing, really. I don't suppose you came across an
|
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X-Wing while you were out there?"
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Riker shook his head sadly.
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"I'm afraid not. That would be Commander Skywalker, am I right?"
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"He's been missing so long... Even threepio has started to whinge about
|
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missing artoo."
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A comm unit bleeped.
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"Princess! You've got to get off the Excelsior fast. The Sunfire is under
|
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attack - we're needed -"
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|
"Riker to Enterprise, prepare to beam back all crew members on my mark."
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Riker snapped into his communicator.
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"Can you get me clear as well?" Leia asked quickly. Riker nodded.
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Wes Crusher and Alexander Worf came through the doors a second later.
|
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Barclay was only a moment behind. Leia turned on her commlink.
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|
"Han, Chewie, get the Falcon clear. I'll rendezvous in a while."
|
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"Enterprise : Five to beam up. Energize!"
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The sparkling of the Transporter effect took them clear.
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They materialised in Transporter room three.
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"Mr. Crusher, Mr. Worf, with me. Barclay, get down to engineering. Leia -
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would you like to have a look at the bridge?"
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As he marched down the corridor he tapped his comm badge.
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"Riker to LaForge. Geordi, how are your repairs on the shuttle-bay doors
|
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going?"
|
|
The voice had the slightly muffled tone of an enclosure suit. "We're still
|
|
working on it, Captain. We should be done in two hours."
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"Very good, Riker out. Bridge! Open a Channel to the Millennium Falcon for
|
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me and get General Solo."
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|
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** Deep Space, beyond the Republic Rim. **
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The battle, one-sided as it was, raged still. Nimble X-wings sliced
|
|
through TIE squadrons, lasers blazing, eyes locked onto crosshairs. But
|
|
the slower Frigate was taking a pounding as green bolts ravaged the hull.
|
|
Quoroth, Blue Leader, slammed a dodging Interceptor with his cannons and
|
|
called to his squadron.
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"Blue Group!! Somebody tell me what the Hell that Star Destroyer is doing!"
|
|
"He's just sitting there! He could have us creamed, but he's just sitting
|
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there!"
|
|
On the Bridge of the Invictus, Raust's dry, leathery voice gave that
|
|
statement the lie direct.
|
|
It had taken Raust a year to perfect his weapon. Over fifteen additional
|
|
Plasma ring reactors had had to be installed to power the titanic beam.
|
|
"Fire." he said, evenly.
|
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|
|
Along the hull of the Invictus, energy crackled, sparks a quarter of a
|
|
kilometer long building towards the nose of the ship. At the nose, the
|
|
huge projector lit up with an infernal glow.
|
|
A beam of something barely tangible chewed the frigate apart in a split
|
|
second.
|
|
Quoroth screamed. He couldn't help himself. He had never seen firepower of
|
|
that magnitude.
|
|
A TIE fighter came in on his tail as he stared in shock, and blew him apart.
|
|
The thin slit in the scar tissue where Raust's mouth should be curled
|
|
slightly at the edges.
|
|
The replay, slowed by a thousand times, showed the first impact of the
|
|
beam. The slender engineering boom snapped clean through as the Helix of
|
|
pure force sheared through the metal. The Tractor/Pressor helix could rip
|
|
a hole through a ship, on on a wider setting, carve up piecemeal anything
|
|
in a wide-aperture cone of destruction.
|
|
|
|
Deep in the bowels of the Invictus, Luke threw back his head in despair.
|
|
He had heard the throbbing generators and seen the flickering lights, and
|
|
a second later he had felt the tremor in the Force as the Sunfire died.
|
|
He understood the pain Ben had felt when he had sensed the destruction of
|
|
Alderaan. The crew of a Frigate was small, but it was closer... and he
|
|
knew it had been out looking for him.
|
|
He struggled to keep calm. He was standing at the edge of the Dark Side,
|
|
anger calling to him across the divide.
|
|
He forced himself back from the mental precipice, using every remaining
|
|
ounce of his Jedi training.
|
|
He would not break.
|
|
But the darkness mocked him and doubt seared his soul.
|
|
|
|
|
|
--
|
|
+=======================================================================+
|
|
| [] |
|
|
| Matt.R.Austin [] "We will return you to our normal |
|
|
| M.R.Austin@bradford.ac.uk [] service as soon as we are certain |
|
|
| [] what is normal anyway." |
|
|
| [] - Tricia MacMillan, HHGTTG |
|
|
+=======================================================================+
|
|
Path: tivoli.tivoli.com!geraldo.cc.utexas.edu!cs.utexas.edu!howland.reston.ans.net!EU.net!uknet!strath-cs!bradford.ac.uk!mraustin
|
|
From: M.R.Austin@bradford.ac.uk (MR AUSTIN)
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|
Newsgroups: alt.startrek.creative
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|
Subject: Trek Wars Part VII
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Date: 23 Mar 1995 22:49:31 GMT
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Organization: University of Bradford
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Lines: 194
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Message-ID: <3ksttr$63r@columbia.acc.brad.ac.uk>
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NNTP-Posting-Host: discovery.brad.ac.uk
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X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.2 PL2]
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Xref: tivoli.tivoli.com alt.startrek.creative:7159
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Trek Wars Part VII - Into the Fray
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|
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** ISD Invictus. Private Quarters. **
|
|
|
|
In his chamber, Hesk clutched his head and tried to keep his mind from
|
|
shattering. The duality in his nature was killing him. The gestalt mind
|
|
was like an emulsion of water and oil : it kept separating into two
|
|
mutually incompatible halves. To make matters worse, the mindframe
|
|
changes were interfering with his somatic stability : his body was
|
|
restructuring itself in accordance with the predominant mindframe. The
|
|
blood he/they had consumed was making his badly-defined human stomach
|
|
heave. Once, it had known... they both had known... what and who they
|
|
were. Now, their mindframes had become so entangled, neither really knew
|
|
what was it's own memory and what belonged to the other.
|
|
|
|
Hesk's humaniform lost definition as the dark One gained a measure of
|
|
control. The white One's somatology began to recede, and the gestalt
|
|
focussed fiercely on retaining its integrity. Finally, the semi-molten
|
|
darkness reformed, adopting the familiar, smoothed shape. The Gestalt
|
|
forced open the boundaries of its mind and soared outward, searching.
|
|
There were some unpleasantly familiar sensations... not current, but some
|
|
kind of portent for the future... A feeling that made the dark One itch...
|
|
From some godforsaken part of the creature's gestalt consciousness, a
|
|
single letter formed. No. Not a letter. A name. The sensations... a figure
|
|
from future or past, a vision into the streams of time... the arrogant
|
|
laughter, the sneer of derision...
|
|
Q.
|
|
Q was coming.
|
|
Hesk's face remained calm, but both his minds were screaming.
|
|
|
|
** The Ravenflight. Sigma Foxtrot Sector. **
|
|
|
|
On the bridge of the Ravenflight, Picard touched the aft thrusters. There
|
|
was a subtle rumble in the fabric of the ship and Picard looked around.
|
|
What he saw made him jump.
|
|
|
|
Q was on his knees, fists clenched. His face was contorted and his eyes
|
|
blazed. For a moment, Picard thought the look was anger, but then he
|
|
realised what it was.
|
|
Q was in pain.
|
|
Even as the thought entered his mind he was struck with how empty a
|
|
statement that was. Q looked like he was dying. Every muscle was strained,
|
|
bloodless lips framing sharp white teeth, half-closed lids revealing
|
|
terrified eyes.
|
|
|
|
Then the world went white and they vanished.
|
|
|
|
Picard felt the light pass clean through him, so bright and blinding that
|
|
it seemed like a physical blow. He turned. The Ravenflight was glowing,
|
|
every faded colour blazing bright white. His companions seemed like
|
|
shadows of ordinary white against the tide of impossible brightness. Their
|
|
outlines seemed speed-blurred, and Picard found himself forced into speech.
|
|
"What is this?"
|
|
Q sniggered. It was not a pleasant sound. When Picard looked at him, he
|
|
knew something was wrong.
|
|
|
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Q's eyes were filled with insane fire. His laughter was that of cracked
|
|
lunacy.
|
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Picard closed his eyes and prayed.
|
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|
|
** Kashyyyk, Republic Space. **
|
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|
The Enterprise was on Red alert as it warped out of Kashyyyk orbit. The Falcon
|
|
was aboard, and Solo had snapped orders to the helm once on board.
|
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"Coruscant, at your best speed."
|
|
The Enterprise was at Warp six, and when General Solo had been told
|
|
exactly how fast that was, he had raised an eyebrow.
|
|
"That's pretty impressive. The Falcon will make Point Five in hyperspace :
|
|
that's a logarithmic scale with a theoretical maximum of one. It equates
|
|
to about 17 cee in normal space."
|
|
"Our ETA is about nine hours. Do you need anything?"
|
|
"We're all kind of fifth wheels around here until we arrive. We've got to
|
|
get to Ackbar and find out what in the hell is going on."
|
|
Riker considered for a moment.
|
|
"If you'll give me some information, we can set up a tactical tank on a
|
|
holodeck."
|
|
"A what?"
|
|
"A reduced map of the systems involved with all the known forces
|
|
displayed. It's a new control technique we're trying out for large battles
|
|
: it enables us to fight flexibly as a controlled fleet rather than a mob."
|
|
"You guys having Imperial problems?"
|
|
Riker shrugged. "The Klingon alliance is in the balance, the Romulans are
|
|
being quiet - which means they're planning something - the Ferengi have
|
|
tripled their prices into Gamma Quadrant because of the Sispaari conflict,
|
|
the Cardassians are pushing for extradition of political prisoners to the
|
|
extent of covert raiding... At least here you've only got one set of
|
|
enemies to keep an eye on."
|
|
Han gave one of his mournful smiles. "Yeah. But there's a lot of places to
|
|
hide." He fell silent, and Riker realised he was thinking of Commander
|
|
Skywalker. By all accounts the two were close.
|
|
"Come on," Han said, shaking himself out of his reverie. "Let's see this
|
|
tactics setup."
|
|
|
|
They made their way down to the holodeck, and were surprised to meet
|
|
Alexander Worf and one of the X-wing pilots coming out of holodeck Six.
|
|
Worf stood to attention. He lacked his father's beard, but the family
|
|
resemblance was clear. His eyes burned with the same determination.
|
|
"Captain."
|
|
"Mr. Worf, as you were."
|
|
"Permission to speak freely, sir?"
|
|
Riker stopped as he was ushering Solo into the holodeck.
|
|
"Granted." He said, with some puzzlement.
|
|
"I suggest you try the program marked Incom Space Superiority Fighter."
|
|
"Incom..." Riker began, wondering what that was.
|
|
"The X-wing, Captain. It is supremely manoeuvrable, well armed... a true
|
|
warrior's craft."
|
|
Riker smiled. So like his father. "I'll keep it in mind." He tapped the
|
|
door control. The holodeck sealed.
|
|
"Access file Tactank. Ignore subfiles. Prepare to download information
|
|
from temporary storage."
|
|
A cubic tank, some fifteen feet in each dimension, appeared in the center
|
|
of the room. The space within could be scaled, rotated, zoomed, weighted
|
|
for individual force's strength and effectiveness indexes, and even made
|
|
to run potential engagement strategies as accelerated time simulations at
|
|
any level from individual starships to full scale galactic war.
|
|
Solo looked at the display and nodded. "We ought to get the others here.
|
|
Leia, Chewie... the Rogue squadron pilots. We have this saying : two heads
|
|
are-"
|
|
"Better than one."
|
|
"Ain't we got fun now," He said, with one of his trademark lopsided grins.
|
|
Riker smiled back and tapped his communicator badge.
|
|
"Riker to All hands. Can the visiting Republic personnel make their way to
|
|
holodeck six. Out."
|
|
|
|
The Excelsior came out of Hyperspace alert and ready. Ma'Baan's
|
|
wide-spectrum sight saw the wreckage almost as the Scanning officer
|
|
reported in.
|
|
"Scan the wreckage for energy residuals. I want to know what happened
|
|
hear. Get Patrol wings out there and have all crews stand ready. And get
|
|
us aligned for the jump out. I want all hands prepared for emergency
|
|
withdrawal. Go."
|
|
The crew rolled smoothly into action.
|
|
The cloaked Imperial probe droid noted the polished moves. Distant, the
|
|
Invictus received its report.
|
|
|
|
Raust studied the reports with interest.
|
|
"Interesting."
|
|
Hesk snarled. "We cower here like insects when we ride the shoulders of a
|
|
giant."
|
|
Raust turned the baleful glare of his eye on Hesk.
|
|
"You are a fool. You would have us leap to battle against a fly purely to
|
|
prove your own ferocity."
|
|
Hesk froze. The gestalt mind raged. "You," he hissed, "are a coward. You
|
|
hold the most destructive power in the universe and you refuse to bring it
|
|
to bear on those feeble mortals-"
|
|
"SILENCE!" Raust's implant eye flared. A targeting spot nestled warmly on
|
|
Hesk's forehead. It was not known how many weapons were built into the
|
|
powerchair, but no-one doubted that there were many.
|
|
"The Emperor held the most destructive power in the universe. When the
|
|
betrayal came, it could not save him. Power is a fool's trinket : skill is
|
|
the stroke of the master."
|
|
Hesk spat on the floor.
|
|
Raust leaned just slightly forward.
|
|
"Learn this lesson, /abomination/." His voice was as black as midnight, and
|
|
threaded with steel. "When a strong man guards his house, he controls
|
|
it... until a stronger man comes. Then the weaker of the two is broken and
|
|
bound and the stronger free to take of what he will. The Emperor trusted
|
|
too greatly in his own abilities, at the end. He underestimated an enemy,
|
|
and overestimated the loyalty of the accursed Vader. I will walk as the
|
|
cautious cat until the moment to pounce is right."
|
|
His eyes held the glow of infernal light.
|
|
"And then all will know that the Empire has returned."
|
|
|
|
Luke could feel something. Out at the fringes of his force sense,
|
|
there was... a thin edge of a mental screech, something unlike anything he
|
|
had felt before.
|
|
A God is dying, he thought.
|
|
His head Sagged. His legs had been broken with a metal bar, but he closed
|
|
off the pain and the sight of the twisted flesh. In his mind a light was
|
|
burning.
|
|
"Ben..." he said.
|
|
"No." came the answer. In his minds eye, a figure formed. He wore an
|
|
unfamiliar uniform, and his face looked tired... but with a cold arrogance
|
|
that gave him an air of nobility. "Hold to the light, boy. Cling to it.
|
|
We are on our way."
|
|
"Who are you?" Luke called out in his mind.
|
|
"I am the cat that walks by himself, and all times and all places are the
|
|
same to me. I am Q." The face seemed almost to smile. "Stay with the
|
|
light. Stay with the light."
|
|
He faded.
|
|
|
|
For the first time in an eternity of pain, Luke dared to hope.
|
|
|
|
|
|
--
|
|
+=======================================================================+
|
|
| [] |
|
|
| Matt.R.Austin [] "We will return you to our normal |
|
|
| M.R.Austin@bradford.ac.uk [] service as soon as we are certain |
|
|
| [] what is normal anyway." |
|
|
| [] - Tricia MacMillan, HHGTTG |
|
|
+=======================================================================+
|
|
Path: tivoli.tivoli.com!geraldo.cc.utexas.edu!cs.utexas.edu!howland.reston.ans.net!pipex!uknet!strath-cs!bradford.ac.uk!mraustin
|
|
From: M.R.Austin@bradford.ac.uk (MR AUSTIN)
|
|
Newsgroups: alt.startrek.creative
|
|
Subject: Trek Wars Part VIII
|
|
Date: 23 Mar 1995 22:49:56 GMT
|
|
Organization: University of Bradford
|
|
Lines: 383
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Message-ID: <3kstuk$63r@columbia.acc.brad.ac.uk>
|
|
NNTP-Posting-Host: discovery.brad.ac.uk
|
|
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.2 PL2]
|
|
Xref: tivoli.tivoli.com alt.startrek.creative:7160
|
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Trek Wars Part VIII - Birds of Prey
|
|
|
|
** U.S.S. Lyman. En route to Deep Space Nine. Personal Quarters. **
|
|
|
|
Data was running three simultaneous data inputs - one to each eye and the
|
|
third audio only to his ear - when the communicator bleeped for his attention.
|
|
He tapped the badge and the communicator opened the channel.
|
|
"This is Captain Hagmar. We're coming up on DS9, ETA about twelve minutes."
|
|
"Thank you, Captain. If you could inform my other staff for me. I am
|
|
rather preoccupied at present."
|
|
"Ah-" the Captain cleared his throat "There's another small matter
|
|
concerning one of your staff."
|
|
Data turned down the input rate on his audio channel to better focus on the
|
|
problem.
|
|
"Proceed?"
|
|
"It's the Bajoran. She slugged two ensigns, a lieutenant, a commander,
|
|
and, ah, myself in a little fracas about an hour ago." The Captain rubbed
|
|
his jaw gently.
|
|
"Lieutenant (J.G.) Ro?"
|
|
No-one, the Captain thought, no-one but Data could pronounce brackets in a
|
|
sentence. "What was the cause?"
|
|
"As I understand it, one of the ensigns tried to hit on her."
|
|
"She was struck first?"
|
|
"No, he, ah, tried to romance her. She booted him in the... reproductive
|
|
system. His friend tried to intervene and got a black eye and a bloody
|
|
nose for his trouble. After that it all kind of escalated."
|
|
"I see. What is your opinion of these events?"
|
|
"My opinion is she's got a great uppercut and a mean right hook and I
|
|
wouldn't like to meet her in a darkened sub-corridor. But she's on your
|
|
staff, technically it's your jurisdiction."
|
|
"If you would send her to my quarters?"
|
|
"I'll get her released from the Brig and send her down."
|
|
Data unhooked the inputs and dedicated the maximum possible runtime to the
|
|
problem. Lieutenant Ro was proving to be more troubling by the day.
|
|
|
|
** Republic Cruiser Excelsior. Perimiter space. **
|
|
|
|
The Excelsior completed it's sensor sweep. Ma'Baan double-timed across the
|
|
bridge to the console and leaned over to examine the screen. With
|
|
irritation, he dropped one pair his internal eyelids against the strong UV
|
|
light of the screen.
|
|
"The Sunfire is so much diced scrap, sir. We read plenty of TIE fighter
|
|
cannon strikes, but nothing big enough to reduce a modified Frigate to..."
|
|
he paused, lost for words, before gesturing helplessly at the wreckage.
|
|
"*that*. In fact, we read nothing at all. It's like something physically
|
|
mangled it. Scrunched it up like so much wet paper."
|
|
"Get the X-wings back on board and give me as much deep sensor scanning of
|
|
the surrounding space as you can. We're looking for a cloaked probe of
|
|
some sort. Watch all the frequencies for transmissions, even just bursts.
|
|
Order the crew to jump stations and divert all power to shields. Just keep
|
|
the dorsal turret arrays ready and a couple of proton torpedoes hot."
|
|
"Got it, sir. Should I transmit a signal to Coruscant-"
|
|
"Do I look like a Nerf-herder to you? This is way too hot to trust to
|
|
anything bar word of mouth. How about the black boxes?"
|
|
"The dorsal one's been found, slit neatly in two. They're bringing it in
|
|
anyway, in case the techs can retrieve anything. The bridge one is missing,
|
|
presumed destroyed, and the tail one's intact but, according to the
|
|
readings, utterly demagnetised. All the storage, even the core half-stack
|
|
unit that's supposed to survive even if you drop it from the ionosphere."
|
|
"I think it would be something of an understatement to say that things are
|
|
taking a distinctly nasty turn..." Ma'Baan said, blinking rapidly in his
|
|
agitation.
|
|
"Sir! I'm reading-" The sensor lieutenant never finished his sentence.
|
|
Ma'Baan saw it.
|
|
It was a raw hole in space, as if something had punched through from the
|
|
other side. To his sight, the rent blazed with colours : whirling,
|
|
cavorting, spilling ice-cold blues and fiery reds through the divide.
|
|
Something was straining through the hole, a ship of unfamiliar design.
|
|
"Jump to lightspeed! NOW! Magog and Rietzche save us all, go NOW!!!" The
|
|
first officer howled, and the navigator threw the lever. The stars blurred.
|
|
|
|
** The Ravenflight. Bridge. **
|
|
|
|
Picard looked up, slowly, barely daring to believe they might be back in
|
|
normal space. He looked for Q.
|
|
Q was immaculate, draped relaxedly across a velvet chaise longue that had
|
|
definitely not been on the bridge when they entered... whatever it was.
|
|
"Q?" Picard enquired, his voice betraying the tension.
|
|
"And the rest is silence." Q said, his voice almost serious.
|
|
"Are you alright?"
|
|
"What a ridiculous question. I'm Immortal, Picard, I don't catch head
|
|
colds or break bones or whatever it is you squishy lumps of protoplasm do."
|
|
"A simple yes would have done very adequately. Perhaps you'd care to get
|
|
out of the chair and tell me what comes next?"
|
|
Q beckoned Picard over to the chair. Picard, feeling more than
|
|
vaguely irritated by this game, walked over to Q and crouched to bring
|
|
their faces to eye level.
|
|
"Mon Capitaine, I... can't seem to move my legs." Q whispered.
|
|
"Q, this is no time to play games."
|
|
"You want to play games? Get the chessboard out. I can't feel or move my
|
|
legs. My materialisation is all out of sync because of the exposure to
|
|
Darktime... This, for example, was supposed to be leather and I was
|
|
supposed to be sitting in it, not sprawling across it. I'll sort myself
|
|
out given time, but until then I suggest you occupy yourself with checking
|
|
the others. Time is not exactly in plentiful supply, around here."
|
|
Picard sighed and reached to tap his communicator.
|
|
Damn. His subconscious was still firmly tuned to Starfleet methods. No
|
|
communicator badges on this ship.
|
|
He walked purposefully through to the larger room : larger, in that one
|
|
person could pace back and forth if no-one else was in there. The whole
|
|
internal layout of the ship puzzled him : this had certainly never been
|
|
built at the Martian shipyards, nor any other Starfleet site. It was a
|
|
compact ship, a halfway house between a shuttle and a small cargo
|
|
freighter. Everything, to his Starfleet-trained eye, seemed wrong,
|
|
somehow.
|
|
He killed that train of thought as he entered the large room and busied
|
|
himself. "Is anybody seriously injured?" He asked, matter-of factly.
|
|
"I feel like someone kicked me in the ribs, from the inside. But it's passing,
|
|
and there doesn't seem to be any internal bleeding." Lansen spoke up, his
|
|
perpetual grin a little faded.
|
|
"I'm fine." Koigot said, and returned to silent introspection.
|
|
"Nothing here." Vash said cheerily.
|
|
Tallera simply nodded.
|
|
"I'm... alright, Picard." The Raven's voice was a little disoriented.
|
|
"Are you sure?" Picard asked, concerned by the odd lilt. It was almost as
|
|
though he were drunk : the tone was slurred, and his balance was off.
|
|
"I have to talk to Q." The Raven said. He stalked out at speed, his
|
|
disorientation seemingly gone in a flash. Picard looked around the
|
|
others. Vash shrugged. With a small sigh, Picard turned and headed back
|
|
toward the bridge.
|
|
|
|
The door to the bridge was still open when Picard arrived. From the
|
|
corridor, he caught just a snippet of the conversation.
|
|
"Why did you bring me here?"
|
|
"Oh, stop being such a baby : I though you were meant to be a mighty warrior?"
|
|
"The Force is with me... Picard! Show yourself!"
|
|
Picard stepped onto the bridge. The Raven was looming menacingly over Q,
|
|
his eyes glowing brightly through the slits in his mask.
|
|
"Let him be, Raven. Tell me what you were talking about."
|
|
"I want to know where we are."
|
|
"Q hasn't seen fit to tell me that yet. And I know from experience that
|
|
he's as stubborn as a mule, so I shouldn't bother with him."
|
|
The Raven continued to stare at Q.
|
|
"I'm quite capable of taking care of myself, Picard." Q said, sarcastically.
|
|
With a flurry of motion, he kicked the Raven halfway across the bridge.
|
|
The Raven somersaulted neatly and landed on his feet. One hand went to his
|
|
belt, and Picard saw for a fleeting second that the hand strayed to a
|
|
tubular device hooked on his belt rather than to the sword slung at his
|
|
side. But then the Raven growled, and lowered his hand. Q stretched
|
|
languorously and got to his feet.
|
|
"Well, that would appear to be that. Shall we continue?"
|
|
|
|
The Enterprise came out of warp and inserted herself neatly into Coruscant
|
|
orbit. Almost immediately, the hail came from the surface.
|
|
"This is Mon Mothma. I want to speak to Leia Organa immediately."
|
|
"This is Captain Riker of the Starship Enterprise. We'll put you through."
|
|
Under his breath, he murmured to Troi, "I feel like a secretary." Out
|
|
loud, he continued, "Computer, location of Princess Leia Organa."
|
|
"Princess Leia Organa is in Turbolift A/7C, en route to the Bridge."
|
|
"She'll be here directly, Mon Mothma." Riker said, brusquely. As if on
|
|
cue, the turbolift doors swished open and Princess Leia and Han Solo
|
|
stepped out.
|
|
"Mon Mothma's on the line for you."
|
|
"Mon Mothma."
|
|
"Leia. Report, please."
|
|
"We're all fine. I've extended an official New Republic membership to the
|
|
crew of the Enterprise. And incidentally, this ship is amazing. The techs
|
|
would go wild for some of the things the Enterprise can do. Matter
|
|
Transporters, Food replicators... on amenities they're way ahead of us."
|
|
"What about Luke?"
|
|
"Nothing, I'm afraid. They're newcomers : I'll explain as soon as we can
|
|
get into a one-to-one conference. But essentially, they're okay in my book."
|
|
"Your official Jedi book?"
|
|
"From what Luke's taught me, they check out A-1." She turned to Riker.
|
|
"Can you and a few aides transport down with me to the surface?"
|
|
"I'd be glad to. Counsellor Troi, lieutenant Worf, come with me. Mr.
|
|
Crusher, you have the Conn."
|
|
Wes nodded, his face set in a grim expression. What had happened to him,
|
|
Riker wondered. The Traveller had nigh-on ordered him to return to
|
|
Starfleet : had that rejection soured him? Or was it the "incident" so
|
|
obliquely referred to in his Academy files? Certainly, his posting to the
|
|
Enterprise had been mostly secured by the combined influences of Admiral
|
|
Picard and the one man that everybody at Starfleet respected : Boothby,
|
|
the Groundsman at the Academy.
|
|
He shook such thoughts from his head and entered the Turbolift.
|
|
"Transporter Room." he told the lift, and the doors closed. The lift began
|
|
to descend and he began to brace himself for the forthcoming meeting with
|
|
Mon Mothma.
|
|
|
|
** Deep Space Nine. **
|
|
|
|
Data had spoken at length with Lieutenant Ro, at such length that they had
|
|
docked at DS9 before he was finished. He was going to have to configure a
|
|
whole new subroutine for the "Relationships" program, dealing with
|
|
unwanted advances. Emotions continued to fascinate him : lately, he had
|
|
become particularly interested in the language of emotions : namely,
|
|
profanity. The human race alone had developed more offensive terms than
|
|
seemed reasonable. When you started to examine the profanity of the
|
|
Tellarite race, though, you realised what a truly inventive species could
|
|
do. They had over forty-six thousand "swear words" for dealing with
|
|
business transactions alone.
|
|
He took down his central network for a few hundredths of a second - the
|
|
android equivalent of closing your eyes and sighing - and then returned to
|
|
the problem.
|
|
"I am beginning to understand your reasons for striking the Ensigns, but
|
|
your actions against the higher officers puzzle me. Particularly your
|
|
attack on the captain."
|
|
"I didn't know he was the Captain. He wasn't in uniform."
|
|
Data accessed his "stern" physiology file at level 2.
|
|
"I took you for this post at the recommendation of Counsellor Troi. I trust
|
|
you will not render her faith in you unsupportable. That is all." he
|
|
reverted to standard pattern. "Now, we must disembark."
|
|
|
|
Deep Space Nine was an intriguing place, Data decided. The Cardassian
|
|
Architecture, while obviously more functional than decorative, had a
|
|
particular style to it that would bear more intense scrutiny at a later
|
|
date. He spotted O'Brien immediately.
|
|
"Data! Welcome to DS9. I got Sisko to let me greet you, so we can talk
|
|
about things while we go to his office. How are you?"
|
|
"My physical condition is highly satisfactory, Miles. How are you? And
|
|
how are Keiko and your daughter?"
|
|
"We're all fine, but there's some bad things going on in general. Gul
|
|
Dukat is in conference with Sisko at the moment : something about new
|
|
security arrangements..."
|
|
|
|
As they drew closer to Sisko's office, angry voices could be heard.
|
|
"...absolutely not! They're Federation citizens, they have a right to be
|
|
on this station-"
|
|
"The recent rise in Bajoran terrorist activity forces this move, Sisko. If
|
|
you expect us to attend the Diplomatic Talks here, we insist all
|
|
Bajorans are removed from the station first. Only under those conditions
|
|
will we attend. Otherwise, you can - frankly - forget it." There was a
|
|
tight, cruel smile that accompanied those words.
|
|
"I will not be party to the wholesale removal of every Bajoran on this
|
|
station. I will not condone such blatant racism-"
|
|
"And we will not expose our personnel to risk, Sisko. Starfleet Command
|
|
have authorised this : I challenge you to take it up with them."
|
|
There was a moment's silence.
|
|
"Gul Dukat, I hereby... accede to your request, although I note for the
|
|
record that I personally object to this on the grounds that it is
|
|
discrimination of the worst kind. I'll begin clearing the station at
|
|
mid-day tomorrow. Now, if you'll excuse me?"
|
|
Gul Dukat walked out, past Data and O'Brien. His face bore a look of
|
|
tightly contained victory.
|
|
O'Brien watched him go with a sour face. Then he knocked quietly on
|
|
Sisko's door.
|
|
"Commander Data to see you, sir."
|
|
"Come in. Welcome to Deep Space Nine, Commander Data. I want to talk to
|
|
you about your withdrawal from the Logistics Conference. Excuse me for a
|
|
moment, won't you?" He tapped the communicator.
|
|
"Major Kira to my Office in ten minutes, please." he tapped it again to
|
|
close the channel, and turned to Data with an expectant look.
|
|
"I have received a communication from an old friend who wishes me to
|
|
investigate a disturbance in the Sigma Foxtrot sector. I intend to leave my
|
|
staff here to take notes on the conference for me."
|
|
"If it's reason enough for you, then it's reason enough for me. But a lot
|
|
of those who are attending were wanting to see you there. I only point it
|
|
out because they might be disappointed if you don't attend."
|
|
"I feel that this request takes precedence..."
|
|
A short, intense woman burst into the office.
|
|
"What does Dukat want?"
|
|
"Major, I'm in conference-"
|
|
"I don't care. What does Dukat want?"
|
|
Sisko put his hands to his face and sighed.
|
|
"He wants all Bajorans off the station by the date of the Diplomatics Talks.
|
|
And he's got Starfleet backing on it."
|
|
"That's ridiculous. Even if you clear out the Bajorans, they could hire
|
|
an assassin or set a bomb to get him-"
|
|
"I know. It seems to be just a gesture, a little statement that he means
|
|
business. He doesn't care about the threat : he just wants to flex a
|
|
little political muscle, show his dislike as blatantly as possible."
|
|
"So we have to put up with it?"
|
|
"I'm afraid we don't have a choice. This isn't some trade conference :
|
|
this might just stop all out war. And all out war could well mean Bajor
|
|
goes back to the Cardassians : Our fleet is stretched to the thinnest its
|
|
ever been."
|
|
Data raised a hand. "Excuse me, Major. There is a Bajoran among my staff :
|
|
the Logistics Conference is expected to last some time, is it not?"
|
|
"That's what Starfleet's hoping. We've got scientists from all over coming
|
|
to this conference, pushing the non-combatant nature of it and gambling on
|
|
the old adage about never destroying what you might need to get what you
|
|
want. Namely, the Cardies won't blow a whole station away to secure the
|
|
place. Besides, the Hood is on station, holding position five minutes warp
|
|
travel away. First sign of trouble, we evacuate the whole station
|
|
excepting the weaponry officers and their crews. And me."
|
|
"I may have to reassign Ensign Ro to my personal detail in order to clear
|
|
this situation. May I use your communicator?"
|
|
"Go right ahead."
|
|
|
|
Data tapped the comm panel into life and entered his request. Behind him,
|
|
he could hear Sisko and Major Kira arguing. He finished submitting his
|
|
request, and turned around.
|
|
"Major Kira?"
|
|
"What is it?"
|
|
"My Starfleet files on you mention a background with a Bajoran terrorist
|
|
group."
|
|
"What about it?"
|
|
"Do you have personal experience of Guerilla fighting?"
|
|
"A little."
|
|
"Then I have a proposition for you. I have received a communication
|
|
regarding raider activity in the Sigma Foxtrot sector. You must depart
|
|
this station before the conference. I am willing to offer you a consultant
|
|
post aboard a vessel on a mission to that sector."
|
|
"I'm flattered, but it doesn't do anything to help the situation with
|
|
Bajor, now does it?"
|
|
"It could. As I am sure you are aware, the Sigma Foxtrot sector is
|
|
innocuous enough alone : but it does connect on two neutral territories
|
|
which, in turn, connect on to Hostile space. If either of these sworn
|
|
neutrals is assisting the Cardassians, it would constitute an illegal act
|
|
under Organian treaty stipulations. Thereby forcing the Cardassians to either
|
|
retreat or surrender."
|
|
"I'll think it over."
|
|
She left, obviously in deep thought.
|
|
"I believe I have just 'lied'." said Data, at length. "My CPU is in a
|
|
considerable loop."
|
|
"I thought you couldn't lie?" Sisko said, interested despite himself.
|
|
"I cannot deliver false information knowingly. The Cardassian possibility
|
|
is one of the options regarding the origin of the raiders. It has a
|
|
possibility of two point zero six eight times ten to the power of minus
|
|
fifty-seven, to one. Would that not constitute a 'lie'?"
|
|
"Not in my book."
|
|
The Comm bleeped.
|
|
"Commander Sisko. I've just hauled in a couple of Mantynes on drunk and
|
|
disorderly charges. They're insisting they talk to you. They claim they
|
|
are delegates for the Logistics conference."
|
|
"I'll be there as soon as I can, Odo." Sisko said, and tapped the comm
|
|
offline. He had barely opened his mouth when the comm bleeped again.
|
|
"Commander, there's a disturbance on Pylon Two. Two captains are bitching
|
|
about whose cargo is whose : they demand to speak to you..."
|
|
"I'm sorry, Commander Data, you'll have to excuse me."
|
|
"Of course, Commander Sisko. I will make preparations-"
|
|
Sisko's communicator bleeped loudly, two high-pitched wails. The emergency
|
|
code. He very nearly punched it in his haste.
|
|
"Commander, a Klingon Bird-of-Prey just decloaked half an A.U. out from
|
|
the station! They're hailing-"
|
|
The Desk Comm lit up, and Data and Sisko moved round to view the screen.
|
|
An imperious Klingon face stared back at them.
|
|
"This is Captain Worf of the Klingon Scout Vessel Heart Of Fury. I was
|
|
told I could find Commander Data here?"
|
|
|
|
** Coruscant. Command Control. **
|
|
|
|
The main battle room at Coruscant was in full swing. A dozen techs were
|
|
wrestling with a Radar display, while the operators dodged around them,
|
|
frantically punching buttons. Admiral Ackbar was issuing sharp commands
|
|
to the rushing teams. At the head of the room stood Mon Mothma, cooly
|
|
commanding, every inch the confident leader. She dismissed the
|
|
determined-looking man in combat leathers - Commander Katharn, of Special
|
|
Forces, Leia thought, but the man was already leaving and she had other
|
|
things to contend with - and turned to greet them.
|
|
"Mon Mothma, may I introduce Captain William Riker, Counsellor Deanna Troi,
|
|
and Security Cheif Alexander Rhozhenko Worf, all of the Starship Enterprise."
|
|
Mon Mothma accepted their extended hands, not rushing, nor wasting a moment.
|
|
"I would dearly love to become better acquainted, but the situation sadly
|
|
does not allow." She indicated the large display before them.
|
|
"At our last count, there are over a hundred Imperial ships of Capital
|
|
Class or greater still unaccounted for, and that figure is a conservative
|
|
estimate. We believed for a while that we had failed to account for a
|
|
Grand Admiral, a mistake which would have weighed heavily, but the log
|
|
entries concerned are... ambiguous at best, and the twelve named have been
|
|
accounted for. Our friends in Special Forces infiltrated an Imperial
|
|
Dreadnought and has just delivered me this."
|
|
She tapped a control on the panel, and the display showed a slightly
|
|
overweight man in what, for a human, would have passed for his mid thirties.
|
|
"This is Admiral Raust. He was supposedly aboard the Executioner at Endor,
|
|
but it looks like he survived that, which give you some idea of his
|
|
resourcefulness. He has distributed a call to arms over the Imperial
|
|
Network, amounting in effect to a declaration of War against the New
|
|
Republic. His files in the palace Archives indicate that he was inclined
|
|
to be over-cautious and fight battles from a self-preservationist
|
|
viewpoint. Evidently something has spurred him on. It may be that he has
|
|
some new weapon, or it may be-" Deanna felt a wave of emotion
|
|
wash over the woman, a wave of bitter grief and pain that did not show
|
|
itself in Mon Mothma's fine-sculpted face "-that they hold Commander
|
|
Skywalker. Or another factor entirely may enter the equation."
|
|
A comm officer leapt to his feet and hurried towards them.
|
|
"Mon Mothma, Admiral Ackbar sir, the Excelsior just jumped in. The Sunfire
|
|
has been destroyed. And they report a... rip in space from which something
|
|
was emerging."
|
|
"Order the Fleet to standby." Ackbar said, his voice carrying clearly
|
|
across the stunned room. "Prepare for war."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
--
|
|
+=======================================================================+
|
|
| [] |
|
|
| Matt.R.Austin [] "We will return you to our normal |
|
|
| M.R.Austin@bradford.ac.uk [] service as soon as we are certain |
|
|
| [] what is normal anyway." |
|
|
| [] - Tricia MacMillan, HHGTTG |
|
|
+=======================================================================+
|
|
Path: tivoli.tivoli.com!geraldo.cc.utexas.edu!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!pipex!uknet!strath-cs!bradford.ac.uk!mraustin
|
|
From: M.R.Austin@bradford.ac.uk (MR AUSTIN)
|
|
Newsgroups: alt.startrek.creative
|
|
Subject: Trek Wars Part X
|
|
Date: 23 Mar 1995 22:54:45 GMT
|
|
Organization: University of Bradford
|
|
Lines: 212
|
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Message-ID: <3ksu7l$63r@columbia.acc.brad.ac.uk>
|
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NNTP-Posting-Host: discovery.brad.ac.uk
|
|
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.2 PL2]
|
|
Xref: tivoli.tivoli.com alt.startrek.creative:7162
|
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Trek Wars Part X
|
|
Redemption
|
|
|
|
** Enterprise. Coruscant Orbit. **
|
|
|
|
Riker ran his hands through his hair and sighed.
|
|
"Evaluation, inferences and conclusions. And Coffee would be good."
|
|
There was a small chuckle at the comment. They all knew how he felt.
|
|
"Deanna?"
|
|
"They are suspicious, of course - as we would be if someone told us a
|
|
similar story. The appearance of Q notched us some points, though :
|
|
Evidently these 'Jedi' have considerable social standing. To be more
|
|
specific, they were 'the guardians of Peace and Justice in the Old
|
|
Republic.', according to Leia."
|
|
"Any sense of subterfuge, or similar?"
|
|
"None. They are extremely keen to find new allies : after so many years of
|
|
war, they're reluctant to trust in strangers, but at the same time they
|
|
want to be able to trust, to let go the old prejudices. In general, they seem
|
|
to be forward thinking, open-minded, and they have a team spirit of quite
|
|
phenomenal proportions. I'd trust them."
|
|
"Alexander, Tactical analysis."
|
|
"Starfleet has always based its tactics on Naval thinking : it builds
|
|
starships like the ancient destroyers and cruisers of the ocean-going
|
|
fleets. Here, the tactics are based on Airborne conflict. The mind-frame
|
|
is that of the old earth or Klingon 'Fighter Pilots' : Starfleet thinks in
|
|
terms of vast, powerful ships, the Repubic thinks in terms of small, fast,
|
|
manouvrable craft. To be honest, I think they have a point : the Incom
|
|
T-65, the "X-Wing", is a case in point. The larger, 'capital' ships are
|
|
built like naval cruisers, however, with craft like the Frigates falling
|
|
somewhere in-between. Most of the battles are fought between fighter
|
|
craft, with the larger ships either firing from a distance, sacrificing
|
|
accuracy for safety, or being attacked by waves of fighters. They can't
|
|
conceive of two large ships battling it out : they're too valuable to
|
|
risk. The battles become shifted to a personal level, each pilot or
|
|
gunnery officer operating more-or-less freely within certain parameters
|
|
determined by their tacticians. They have a saying : 'If you see it, hit
|
|
it.' In other words, if you have a chance to take out an enemy fighter,
|
|
do so."
|
|
"Sounds chaotic."
|
|
"With due respect, sir, I would be hard pressed to think of any battle
|
|
that has not been chaotic in one sense or another."
|
|
"Point taken. So. In general, we are an oddity in their tactical mind-set."
|
|
"Yes. Although our armaments are superior to theirs in accuracy, and our
|
|
manouvrability is perhaps greater than a ship of comparable size."
|
|
"My feelings are, a good night's sleep would be a big tactical asset."
|
|
There were murmurs of heartfelt agreement.
|
|
"We'll reconvene here tomorrow at 0800, unless the situation changes
|
|
radically during the night. Mr Crusher, If you're rested, then you have
|
|
the conn."
|
|
Wes nodded, face as grim as ever.
|
|
"If you have a moment, though, I'd like to speak to you alone. Dismissed."
|
|
|
|
** The Heart of Fury, en route to Sigma Foxtrot sector. Personal Quarters. **
|
|
|
|
Laren sat in her sparse room and thought, long and hard.
|
|
Her time with the Maquis had been a disastrous mistake. They'd had a
|
|
vision of sorts, a sense of honour, when she'd joined. But as time passed
|
|
and the Cardassians grew more and more a distant enemy, as the rest of
|
|
Bajor began to put its pain behind it and move on, the Maquis had grown
|
|
increasingly fanatical. While politicians pushed for rebuilding and closer
|
|
ties with the Federation, the Maquis became more bitter. Eventually, she
|
|
had fled their company, and, with the sad knowledge that she could never
|
|
again be a true part of Bajoran Society, gone begging to starfleet.
|
|
Admiral Picard had personally sponsored her re-application to the academy,
|
|
against heavy flak from those who remembered her all too well. She'd made
|
|
it to Leiutenant, albeit Junior Grade, and thought she could leave it all
|
|
behind. But every time someone came on to her, like that ensign on their
|
|
transport, she would lash out. Deanna had diagnosed it in her, before she
|
|
re-applied : Fear of placing emotional trust in anyone other than herself.
|
|
The door chime sounded, a more aggressive note than the Federation's
|
|
polite bleep. She said "Come!", then had to get up to operate the control.
|
|
No voice control on this ship.
|
|
It was the other Bajoran, the woman who'd joined them on DS9. Kira Nerys.
|
|
"May I come in?"
|
|
Ro nodded, curtly.
|
|
For a moment, Kira regarded her.
|
|
"I think you think you need to be alone with your thoughts."
|
|
Ro nodded again, her face carefully neutral.
|
|
"I think you're wrong. You know, I used to be pretty active in the Bajoran
|
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Resistance."
|
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"I don't want to talk about that."
|
|
"Oh? Well, that's life, I suppose. We all have to talk about unpleasant
|
|
things. We all have to live with bad decisions, We all have to face the
|
|
fact that everything changes with time... for the worse, as well as for
|
|
the better."
|
|
Ro motioned her in with a wave of her hand.
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"I don't want to stay long. We're going to be coming up on the sector,
|
|
soon. I just wanted to say, well, any time you want to talk to someone in
|
|
the same situation, you know my name."
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|
Ro sighed. "Your situation-"
|
|
"Don't make assumptions," Kira said, and there was a hard edge to her
|
|
words. She softened her voice a little.
|
|
"A few months ago, we had to stop a bomber on DS9. He wasn't just hitting
|
|
Cardassians - ordinary people were getting hurt, even killed. And then we
|
|
found out he was working with the Cardassians, just to stir up anger in
|
|
Starfleet. The bomber was one of my oldest friends, my mentor and teacher.
|
|
Having to betray him was a painful thing... but it was the right thing."
|
|
She brushed at her uniform, and turned to leave.
|
|
"Kira..." Ro said, her voice uncertain. Kira stood, waiting.
|
|
"Thanks."
|
|
"Call me Nerys." Kira said with a small smile.
|
|
|
|
** Enterprise. Conference room. **
|
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|
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"Mr Crusher... Wes. This is entirely off the record. You've... changed a
|
|
lot, since our last tour together. You're sharper, more professional...
|
|
and colder"
|
|
"Captain, I don't want to discuss this-"
|
|
"Dammit, Wes, this isn't Captain Riker talking to you, this is Will. I
|
|
want to know, as a friend. What happened to the Wes Crusher I used to know?"
|
|
Wes' shoulders slumped.
|
|
"You probably know the Traveller told me to go back to Starfleet. He said
|
|
I needed the change. Quoted Dune, in fact : 'Change stirs something
|
|
inside, wakes a part of us that is normally asleep. The Sleeper must
|
|
awaken.' So I did as I was told. I spent a lot of time talking with
|
|
Boothby, with Admiral Picard when he was on Earth. But I just didn't feel
|
|
the same. I didn't belong, anywhere. I hadn't belonged in Starfleet since
|
|
the... incident. But it was worse than that. Everything seemed old, and
|
|
tired, and not a part of the world I used to know. It was like all the
|
|
colour had drained out of the universe. I drifted from one meaningless
|
|
relationship to another, I did as little work as possible. Then I ran into
|
|
Robin again. She was doing an advanced course with some of the same
|
|
modules as me. We... spent a lot of time together. For a while, I felt like
|
|
I had some meaning back in my life." He fell silent.
|
|
"What happened next?" Prompted Will quietly.
|
|
"We were doing that test on the Moonbase - you know, where one
|
|
of the Cadets is supposed to be an agent, and you have to defend yourself?
|
|
Everyone is so suspicious of each other they fight it out, without any
|
|
need for intervention. Robin and I worked together, because we knew we
|
|
could trust each other. But..." He paused. "A maintenance sweep had missed
|
|
a damaged catwalk. I went over it first, and she followed... Half way
|
|
across, the whole section she was on sheared off and fell, taking her with
|
|
it. I dived for her, ripped my cheek open on a torn strut..." a finger
|
|
traced the scar, almost in reflex. "She didn't die. Gravity wasn't strong
|
|
enough. But her back was broken in two places. She didn't blame me. Not
|
|
even through the hours of regen therapy, not even when she fell again and
|
|
again trying to walk, not ever. But I blamed myself. And I promised myself
|
|
that I'd never put myself in a position where I could hurt someone that
|
|
badly again."
|
|
Will nodded.
|
|
"Wes, I don't know what to say... except that there are times when you're
|
|
stuck between the Devil and cold black vacuum, and then you've got to risk
|
|
it. Theres a good line from an old film. 'You take a chance getting up in
|
|
the morning, crossing the Street, or sticking your face in a fan.'"
|
|
That brought a small smile to Wes' face, and for a second, Riker saw a
|
|
flash of the old Wes.
|
|
"Point taken, Captain. I'll think it through."
|
|
"Wes... Don't think you have to carry the whole burden. Deanna will always
|
|
be there if you want a pro, but if you just want to talk... follow the
|
|
sound of the trombone."
|
|
That really did make Wes smile. "I'll listen for the bum notes. Now, I
|
|
think I'm due on the bridge."
|
|
|
|
** ISD Invictus. Hesk's quarters. **
|
|
|
|
Hesk was sitting cross-legged in his room, fighting with himself, when
|
|
there was a flash of light.
|
|
"Well, well, well. What do we have here?" came the familiar, arrogant voice.
|
|
"Q." Acknowledged Hesk. He shifted his position slightly.
|
|
Q sighed. "Now I know why I was so keen to get rid of you. Always
|
|
aggressive, aren't you?"
|
|
"Of course. One of the finer traits the Continuum saw to it that I got."
|
|
"You remember, then?"
|
|
"Oh, yes. Very, very clearly, now." His eyes flared. "You SONOFABITCH!" He
|
|
uncurled into a leap. Q stopped him in midair with a gesture.
|
|
"Not a good move. You've learned nothing since we abandoned you. I just
|
|
came to tell you... I'm here to correct a few mistakes. And you, my sticky
|
|
friend, are number one on my to-do list." He leaned closer to Hesk's
|
|
contorted face. "If I were you, and thank the continuum I'm not, I'd be
|
|
watching my back every moment of the day and night."
|
|
Through what titanic effort Q did not know, but Hesk forced words through
|
|
his immobile throat.
|
|
"I'll have your steaming corpse at my feet next time, Q."
|
|
Q smiled.
|
|
"My friend, you are already dead. I've seen you killed. What I'm going to
|
|
do will be much worse. Much, much worse." He raised two fingers to his
|
|
temple, saluted casually. "Be seeing you."
|
|
He vanished, and Hesk fell to the deck. But Q's mocking laughter echoed
|
|
through the chamber.
|
|
There came a signal at the door.
|
|
"Admiral Raust wants to-"
|
|
Hesk tore the man's stomach out and left him choking blood on the floor.
|
|
He began to walk towards Raust's quarters. A young ensign was a little
|
|
slow in getting out of his way, and Hesk ripped his terrified face off for
|
|
him. He glowered at the others in the corridor, and dived into them with a
|
|
scream of anger. By the time he reached Raust's quarters, he was coated in
|
|
blood.
|
|
He practically ripped the door off its tracks as he entered.
|
|
"What!" he screamed, flecks of blood flying from his lips.
|
|
Raust turned the baleful glow of his bionic eye on Hesk.
|
|
"Look at this."
|
|
He pointed at the screen. On it the blue-red tear in the void showed. The
|
|
Ravenflight appeared.
|
|
"If you examine this ship, you'll notice some interesting things about it."
|
|
Hesk glowered.
|
|
"It's an Old Republic ship. Substantially altered, but I'd know those
|
|
lines anywhere. That, there on the screen, is a Koenyessar Maktor IV. More
|
|
commonly known as the StarSword."
|
|
Hesk shrugged.
|
|
"That line was built specifically for use by one particular group of people."
|
|
He paused, for effect. "The Jedi."
|
|
|
|
|
|
--
|
|
+=======================================================================+
|
|
| [] |
|
|
| Matt.R.Austin [] "We will return you to our normal |
|
|
| M.R.Austin@bradford.ac.uk [] service as soon as we are certain |
|
|
| [] what is normal anyway." |
|
|
| [] - Tricia MacMillan, HHGTTG |
|
|
+=======================================================================+
|
|
Path: tivoli.tivoli.com!geraldo.cc.utexas.edu!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!pipex!uknet!strath-cs!bradford.ac.uk!mraustin
|
|
From: M.R.Austin@bradford.ac.uk (MR AUSTIN)
|
|
Newsgroups: alt.startrek.creative
|
|
Subject: Trek Wars part XI
|
|
Date: 23 Mar 1995 22:55:05 GMT
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Organization: University of Bradford
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Lines: 189
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Message-ID: <3ksu89$63r@columbia.acc.brad.ac.uk>
|
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NNTP-Posting-Host: discovery.brad.ac.uk
|
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X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.2 PL2]
|
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Xref: tivoli.tivoli.com alt.startrek.creative:7164
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Trek Wars Part XI
|
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Unto the Breech
|
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|
|
** The Heart of Fury. **
|
|
|
|
The lighting on the bridge was subdued, and the redly glowing light
|
|
indicated silent running. They were cloaked, preparing for entry to the
|
|
Sigma Foxtrot sector. Worf issued a few rapid commands in Klingon, then
|
|
turned to Data and his party.
|
|
"We've got very little to start with beyond Admiral-" He stopped. "Beyond
|
|
Picard's co-ordinates. And your knowledge."
|
|
He turned on the main viewscreen, showing a three dimensional map of the
|
|
local sectors.
|
|
"So, Mr Data, If you would give me your analysis?"
|
|
"The information I received from Jean-Luc was what might be termed
|
|
'Sketchy'. In essence, the information does not correspond to any known
|
|
craft, nor to the particular design ideas of any known race. I would
|
|
suggest we continue to the site of the destroyed craft and examine it there."
|
|
"Major Kira? Lieutenant Ro? Do you have anything to add?"
|
|
"If I were new to this sector... which most of the indicators would seem
|
|
to suggest... then I'd stay very much where I was. Staying where you are
|
|
means you get familiar with the locale, and you don't risk running into an
|
|
angry neighbour in unfamiliar territory. It's a different matter entirely
|
|
if they know this area well : but for a group trapped behind enemy lines,
|
|
in uncertain territory, staying where you are is the smartest thing you
|
|
can do. It's not a good thing, but it's your best option." Ro said,
|
|
quietly. Kira nodded.
|
|
"I go with that."
|
|
"There is one more point. We do not know whether these ships have the
|
|
technology to penetrate the cloaking field. How much energy can we direct
|
|
to battle systems before the Cloak becomes inactive?" Data asked.
|
|
"With minimal life support and Artificial gravity, we can be battle ready
|
|
about sixty seconds after dropping the field. Remember, though, that we
|
|
can always turn and run."
|
|
Data tipped his head to one side, and one of the Klingons on the bridge
|
|
choked.
|
|
"I have learned that discretion is the better part of valour, and that to
|
|
live to fight another day is better than to die in a futile battle.
|
|
Besides, we can then repower the weapons and be ready for them in a
|
|
moment. It would be a great thing to die in battle for the Empire... but
|
|
it would be a Greater thing to win that battle."
|
|
There were small murmurs of agreement from some of the Klingons, although
|
|
one or two rumbled their disapproval. Worf turned his glare on them and
|
|
they fell silent.
|
|
Worf took the command chair.
|
|
"Co-ordinates laid in and set." Data reported.
|
|
"Engage." Worf said. Data thought he saw, just for a second, a small smile
|
|
on Worf's face.
|
|
|
|
** The Ravenflight. Bridge **
|
|
|
|
Picard was just debating what to do in his head when Koigot called.
|
|
"Got it. Slight subspace distortion off the port bow, range point one A.U.
|
|
Weapons lock laid in."
|
|
"See if you can just cripple it. It might tell us something."
|
|
"Okay."
|
|
He tapped the panel, and a red-orange beam flared from above the cockpit.
|
|
The beam struck something, and for a second, a multi-appendaged metal lump
|
|
showed up, spiralling helplessly. A split second later, it blew up.
|
|
"I didn't hit it that hard... must have had a self destruct." Koigot said.
|
|
"Definitely not any known design." Lansen said from the sensor console.
|
|
"It was an Imperial Probe Droid." The Raven said, his voice a ghostly whisper.
|
|
Tallera turned on him.
|
|
"Time for total truth between us." She said, using the Vulcan phrase.
|
|
"You already know that this is my galaxy. I was... I still am, a Jedi
|
|
Knight. The Jedi were the binding force of the Republic, a force for peace
|
|
and justice whose power came from the Force."
|
|
"That's what you meant when you were talking to Q." Picard said, as the
|
|
memory came back to him. "You said 'The force is with me.' I assumed you
|
|
meant that we would side with you..."
|
|
"The Force is a field that surrounds all life. It binds us together, it
|
|
flows about us and through us... it partially controls our destiny, but we
|
|
can shape our destiny with its use. But as there is Good and Evil, so
|
|
there are two sides to the force. One of our own, a young Jedi called
|
|
Annakin Skywalker, came into the employ of Senator Palpatine. Palpatine
|
|
gathered an army and took the Republic by force, forming an Empire. Under
|
|
the direction of Skywalker, we were systematically hunted down. He himself
|
|
cornered me on Vokos. There was a duel fit for epics. I won, but only
|
|
barely. I flung him into a pit of Lava, and knew that I was doomed. I had
|
|
acted in anger, forsaken my Jedi training. I had begun the journey to the
|
|
Dark Side. I fled. Later, I heard that Skywalker had crawled from the pit,
|
|
more dead than alive, and become a machine-man obsessed with vengeance. He
|
|
became Darth Vader, taking his name from the prophesy of destruction in
|
|
the Jedi Book. There was no hope remaining. I took myself into deep space
|
|
: this very sector. I had planned to space myself in penance, but
|
|
something caught my ship and hurled me through the void. And,
|
|
unbelievably, I found myself without the Force. In your galaxy, a great
|
|
evil hides... I believe Captain Kirk encountered it, on the Enterprise-A.
|
|
It is contained by a barrier of energy. That barrier drains the Force from
|
|
the galaxy, to contain the evil within. So, I found myself alone, lost, and
|
|
half-blinded without my Force Sense. But I realised that without the Force,
|
|
I could not hear and need not heed the call of the Dark Side. And so I
|
|
settled, content to live out my time here, to leave behind the wars of my
|
|
home."
|
|
"Why did you let us convince you to return?"
|
|
"One of your playwrights expressed it well. 'I Could be bounded in a
|
|
nutshell, and count myself king of infinite space, were it not that I have
|
|
bad dreams.'"
|
|
"Hamlet." Said Picard, nodding.
|
|
"I am preoccupied as he. 'To be or not to be. Whether 'tis nobler in the
|
|
mind to bear the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, or take arms
|
|
against a sea of troubles, and by opposing, end them... To sleep,
|
|
perchance to dream... aye, there's the rub. For what dreams may come, when
|
|
we have shuffled off this mortal coil, must give us pause.'"
|
|
Tallera snorted.
|
|
"I cannot understand your people's ability for procrastination. We sit
|
|
here waiting for something to happen-"
|
|
"Ah, she's proably right." Said Lansen from the Sensor station. "I read
|
|
something incoming-"
|
|
There should have been a noise of some sort. But in space, all is silent.
|
|
So, quietly, without fuss, a huge ship appeared above them,
|
|
incomprehensibly vast.
|
|
The Ravenflight shook.
|
|
"They've got a tractor lock!" Lansen yelled, and his face was one of terror.
|
|
"That's a Star Destroyer." Said the Raven, calmly. "Quickly now. Nothing
|
|
but fast and sure moves will save us."
|
|
Silently, the others followed him.
|
|
|
|
** Enterprise. Bridge. **
|
|
|
|
Wes watched the activity outside the Enterprise. A pair of modified
|
|
frigates were forming up with a Calamari cruiser. A flock of smaller
|
|
ships were flitting between the hulks : some repair tugs, some fighters...
|
|
The size of the New Republic force was just beginning to dawn on Wes.
|
|
A frigate broke off from main group and began to manoeuver, coming alongside.
|
|
"They're hailing, sir."
|
|
Wes nodded.
|
|
"Commander Crusher here."
|
|
"Captain Ma'Baan here. Is Captain Riker indisposed?"
|
|
"He's getting some sleep."
|
|
"Wise man. I'd like to follow his example. We're expected to be ready to
|
|
jump out in about five hours. Ackbar wants to load Rogue Squadron aboard
|
|
your vessel and send you through as an exploratory party. Your sensors are
|
|
better than ours, at any rate. One thing though : your 'Warp Drive'. Does
|
|
it work from inside the gravity well of a planet?"
|
|
"On a Sol-type planet, like Coruscant, It's dangerous to get closer than
|
|
the very top layer of the atmosphere, but beyond that we can work
|
|
perfectly safely."
|
|
"The Imperials may have Interdictor craft out. They project a cone of
|
|
pseudo-gravity that can pull a heavy cruiser out of hyperspace in a split
|
|
second. I've got Ackbar to send you converted copies of the training files
|
|
to lock into your computer. You'll be able to identify them through the
|
|
sensors, that way."
|
|
"Thank you."
|
|
"Ma'Baan out."
|
|
The signal cut off.
|
|
|
|
The Invictus hung against the stars, waiting. Other craft were inbound :
|
|
two Interdictors, A multitude of Corellian Corvettes, even one or two Star
|
|
Destroyers. The tractor-pressor helix was being frantically tuned, trying
|
|
to make it take higher loads for longer, replacing the switches that had
|
|
burned clean through when they fired on the Sunfire. And all this had to
|
|
be done whilst maintaining the secure bubble around Skywalker.
|
|
Raust opened a channel.
|
|
"Are you at the craft yet, Hesk?"
|
|
"Positive. There are some letters on the side, but they're not Basic..."
|
|
(I know... I should know how to read this... Why won't my mind work?)
|
|
"We're waiting for scanner teams to arrive."
|
|
(They're there, I know it, but I can't feel them, I can't touch them... is
|
|
this madness? Is this what it's like to be blinded?)
|
|
"Hesk Out."
|
|
(I'm so very sure I should know who I am... And who is Q?)
|
|
That thought galvanised him.
|
|
(Q. Q. I will tear you limb from limb, Q. I know you of old, whoever I am.
|
|
And I have a great deal to pay you back for. If only I could remember what
|
|
it was...)
|
|
There was a noise, and Hesk looked up. Towering over him was a ragged
|
|
figure with tattered wings. He was standing on the rim of the ship. Two
|
|
stormtroopers brought their weapons to bear, and he somersaulted neatly
|
|
out of the way. Something in Hesk's head shouted, 'Jedi!'.
|
|
The tattered figure landed between the two troopers, who shot each other
|
|
as he sprang clear again.
|
|
Something hit Hesk, burning across his side. Another bolt chewed the decking.
|
|
"Fall back!" he yelled. But something was going on in his mind as he
|
|
stared at the determined face behind the gun, the face of an aging man
|
|
with eyes that burned.
|
|
(I know this face,) his memory prompted. (From a vision of the past... or
|
|
the future... I know this man.)
|
|
(Picard.)
|
|
|
|
--
|
|
+=======================================================================+
|
|
| [] |
|
|
| Matt.R.Austin [] "We will return you to our normal |
|
|
| M.R.Austin@bradford.ac.uk [] service as soon as we are certain |
|
|
| [] what is normal anyway." |
|
|
| [] - Tricia MacMillan, HHGTTG |
|
|
+=======================================================================+
|
|
Path: tivoli.tivoli.com!geraldo.cc.utexas.edu!cs.utexas.edu!news.sprintlink.net!EU.net!uknet!strath-cs!bradford.ac.uk!mraustin
|
|
From: M.R.Austin@bradford.ac.uk (MR AUSTIN)
|
|
Newsgroups: alt.startrek.creative
|
|
Subject: Trek Wars Part XII
|
|
Date: 23 Mar 1995 22:55:34 GMT
|
|
Organization: University of Bradford
|
|
Lines: 285
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Message-ID: <3ksu96$63r@columbia.acc.brad.ac.uk>
|
|
NNTP-Posting-Host: discovery.brad.ac.uk
|
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X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.2 PL2]
|
|
Xref: tivoli.tivoli.com alt.startrek.creative:7165
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Trek Wars Part XII
|
|
Into the Darkness
|
|
|
|
** ISD Invictus. Landing bay. **
|
|
|
|
Hesk and his squad had fallen back to the cover of the door. The crew of
|
|
the captured ship were moving through the bay with the ease of
|
|
professionals. Already, Hesk's force were less than half their original
|
|
number, and the steely-eyed man with the glittering implant at his temple
|
|
was felling more and more.
|
|
"Seal the Blast Doors!" Hesk howled.
|
|
(Picard. Q. The two are of the one. They are together.)
|
|
The doors slammed shut.
|
|
"Get reinforcements deployed on every exit, above as well."
|
|
(Riker.)
|
|
(Who is Riker?)
|
|
(Yar.)
|
|
(Who is Yar?)
|
|
(Picard. Q. Riker. Yar. They are all... all... Nothing but names. I know
|
|
them, and I do not know them. I have not ever met them, but I have and I
|
|
will and I won't and I've never seen them and I haven't and yet at the
|
|
same time I have and I will and why does my head pound so?)
|
|
|
|
In the bay, Lansen was running a critical eye over the ceiling.
|
|
"There." He said, and Koigot and Picard blew open the section.
|
|
The Raven hurled himself upward, seeming almost to fly. Tallera fired a
|
|
grapple and swarmed up the rope, eyes blazing. The others followed.
|
|
The Raven was already at the blast door. He drew the tubelike device from
|
|
his belt and-
|
|
There was a snap, and a hissing hum-
|
|
and the lightsaber sprang into life.
|
|
With two economical swipes, he slashed the blast door open.
|
|
Lansen grinned.
|
|
"Hardly subtle," he said, "But a damn sight faster than picking the lock."
|
|
|
|
They met the stormtroopers half-way, and in seconds a vicious firefight
|
|
was blazing. In the midst of it stood the Raven, his glowing blade a blur
|
|
as shots slammed off it. He went through the squad of troopers like a
|
|
whirlwind, his redly glowing eyeslits burning with unholy fire. He was
|
|
chanting in a language Picard had never heard, bellowing his battle cry, a
|
|
bloody-handed god walking amongst them.
|
|
In less than a minute, it was all over.
|
|
|
|
The Heart of Fury shuddered. The weapons console showered sparks, and the
|
|
officer fell backwards, twitching.
|
|
"Shields collapsing!" Howled the Klingon at the console.
|
|
"GET US OUT OF HERE!" Worf Bellowed, And Data's hands fairly flew across
|
|
the console. The Bird of Prey dived, corkscrewed, and blasted clear.
|
|
"Warp Engines damaged." Data reported calmly. "Containment Breach imminent."
|
|
"Shut Down!" Worf snapped.
|
|
"Field holding." Data replied.
|
|
"Full power to the weapons. Get those shields back online. Major, set your
|
|
terminal for fire control and SOMEBODY CLEAR THIS SMOKE!" Worf yelled.
|
|
"They're here!" Ro called from the sensor station, and the battle raged
|
|
once more.
|
|
The Tie Fighters dived and dodged, pinwheeling across the stars in
|
|
deadly arcs, lasers blazing.
|
|
"Rear shields at fifty percent and falling!"
|
|
Kira was wrestling with her console, her fingers flying. A Tie Fighter
|
|
caught a disruptor blast and span out of control, taking another with it.
|
|
"We've got fifteen ships left-" The Heart of Fury shuddered once more.
|
|
"Rear shields down to ten percent and still falling! Fore shields at
|
|
twenty five percent!"
|
|
"The doubled-hulled ones are firing some kind of missile. Concentrate your
|
|
fire on them!" Ro yelled.
|
|
Data's hands blurred, and Kira jumped. Data was running helm and fire
|
|
control both, one hand and one eye for each. The two double-hulled craft
|
|
were caught by a disruptor blasts.
|
|
"Thirteen left."
|
|
"My lucky number." Growled Worf. "Keep Firing!"
|
|
|
|
The lieutenant at the Invictus Sensor station slammed the Red Alert Button.
|
|
"Incoming Craft!"
|
|
"Get the Interdictors into position. Try to keep them distant." Raust replied.
|
|
The battle was joined.
|
|
|
|
The Enterprise blasted out of the stars, her nacelles pulsing almost white.
|
|
Riker stared at the scene.
|
|
"Dear God..."
|
|
Through the viewport, a dozen Star Destroyers were manoeuvring, and swarms
|
|
of smaller craft boiled out of them like angry insects.
|
|
"Launch Rogue Squadron. Alexander... Hit anything you can."
|
|
"Sensors show three Imperial Star Destroyers, Two Interdictor-class Star
|
|
Destroyers, Twelve Frigates, Forty-three Corellian Corvettes, and vast
|
|
numbers of Tie Fighters. I get heavy levels of Transmission from the Star
|
|
Destroyer in the center of the fleet."
|
|
"That's their Command ship. Hit it with whatever you can bring to bear."
|
|
The photon torpedo launchers flared five times.
|
|
|
|
The Invictus shook.
|
|
Deep in the bowels of the gargantuan craft, Picard steadied himself.
|
|
"Something just hit us, and hard. I think we've managed to put ourselves
|
|
on the primary target for an assault."
|
|
Koigot sprayed fire across the advancing troopers.
|
|
"Stow it, Picard." He said, with a grimly determined smile.
|
|
All of the team opened fire at once, spitting blue-white light at the
|
|
troopers. Koigot's beam died, and the powerpack spat out. He slapped in a new
|
|
one in a moment and added his beam once more to the inferno.
|
|
Hesk arrived, like a spectre of death.
|
|
The Raven saw him and charged.
|
|
|
|
The last Tie Fighter burst open before one of Data's pin-point
|
|
accurate disruptor blasts.
|
|
Worf breathed a sigh.
|
|
"Cancel Red Alert. How badly damaged are we?"
|
|
"The Warp core has been stabilised." Data reported. "It will hold for
|
|
speeds no greater than Warp Two, but it will hold."
|
|
"Cloaking field went down when they fired that Ion weapon. It's a
|
|
fused lump. Infra-Red reports three small fires, all being contained.
|
|
Shield generators damage, mostly light, Structural damage negligible, Core
|
|
systems mostly unaffected. We'll hold together, I think." The Klingon at
|
|
the engineering station reported. Data heard his soto voce comment : "You
|
|
hear me, Fury? Hold together."
|
|
Worf relaxed visibly.
|
|
"Is that it?"
|
|
"Not by a long shot." Ro reported. "We've got new company."
|
|
"Red Alert." Worf said, sounding tired. "Once more unto the breech."
|
|
The Modified Frigate bore down on them, turbolasers blazing.
|
|
|
|
The Raven and Hesk were mere inches apart when time froze.
|
|
Q smiled at Hesk's immobile face.
|
|
The action was entirely mental, but, mostly for effect, he passed his hands
|
|
across Hesk's eyes and snapped his fingers in front of his face.
|
|
Hesk dissolved.
|
|
In his place, two entities formed. The Gestalt consciousness shattered like
|
|
glass, forming for each nothing more than a scattered handful of memories.
|
|
The Dark One was a formless blob of black liquid, fluid like oil, sticky
|
|
like tar.
|
|
"I've taken everything that makes you what you are." Q said, lightly.
|
|
"I've taken all your precious memories, all the perception of the future
|
|
that you're so proud of. Since we shed you here, before moving on to
|
|
pastures new, you have been a continual thorn in the Continuum's side. And
|
|
now, you will not even know that. You will be a concentration of evil,
|
|
without knowledge, without form, a worthless skin of evil. But I will give
|
|
you your old name back."
|
|
He leaned closer to the shapeless mass, lowered his voice.
|
|
"Armus."
|
|
With a thought, he hurled the thing from him, across the light-years and
|
|
the twisting pathways of time, to a planet in the far-distant galaxy that
|
|
would, in the Armus' future, see the demise of Tasha Yar.
|
|
"C'est la vie." Commented Q, feeling almost mournful. He turned to the
|
|
remaining part : the part that held the name of Hesk.
|
|
"Hmmm." He considered the albino skin, the malformed face, and shook his head.
|
|
"It'll have to go." He said, in the manner of an artist considering a
|
|
finished piece.
|
|
Not that the real Hesk was, in any respect, finished. The clone of Annakin
|
|
Skywalker, made in an attempt to replace the badly-injured Skywalker who
|
|
had crawled from the lava pit, had failed abysmally. Skywalker's
|
|
DNA had been badly damaged, and the result had been a thing that was of no use
|
|
to the Emperor. It had been cast aside, drifting, until it had encountered
|
|
the creature shaped from the negative outpourings of a race of nascent
|
|
immortals. The two had merged, become one, a creature uncertain of mind but
|
|
possessed of incredible anger and power. Enough power to alert the
|
|
Continuum and set this plan in motion.
|
|
Q flourished his hand and the thing took on the form of the Gestalt once
|
|
more.
|
|
"Nice." he commented to himself. He produced a quick double of his current
|
|
form, who patted him on the back before fading out.
|
|
"A good bit of work."
|
|
He sighed.
|
|
"Oh well," he commented to no-one in particular, "I suppose I'd better let
|
|
events follow their natural course."
|
|
|
|
Time resumed its steady passage. The two met, like giants clashing. Hesk
|
|
did not know what had happened to him, but he knew an enemy when he saw
|
|
one. He dodged the lightsaber with incredible skill and wrenched a tube
|
|
from his belt.
|
|
The green blade sprang into being.
|
|
The Raven stood, lightly balanced on his toes.
|
|
"Let us see if you know how to use that, abomination." he said, evenly.
|
|
Hesk showed his teeth.
|
|
"Deeds, not words."
|
|
The Raven considered.
|
|
"So be it."
|
|
The blades clashed. Sparks filled the air.
|
|
|
|
Picard turned to his team, taking advantage of the brief respite.
|
|
"Vash. Can you find this person we're supposed to look for?"
|
|
Vash grinned, tightly.
|
|
"I've been waiting for you to ask that." She closed her eyes, stretching
|
|
out with her mind.
|
|
"I've got them. Back this way."
|
|
"I'll cover you." Koigot said, impassive.
|
|
Picard Nodded.
|
|
They set off at a run.
|
|
|
|
More stormtroopers rounded the corner. The sight of the duelling figure
|
|
threw them for long enough for Koigot to slice them in two.
|
|
|
|
In space, Wedge and the rest of Rogue Squadron held the line. The X-wings
|
|
dodged nimbly, tracing lines of orange fire across the hordes of Tie
|
|
fighters. Space was thick with them.
|
|
"Enterprise here. We read some heavy modifications on the Star Destroyer
|
|
in the center of their fleet."
|
|
Wedge corkscrewed and fired, blasting clean through a wing of Interceptors.
|
|
"Got you. Keep an eye out."
|
|
A bleeper sounded in his helmet.
|
|
"Here come the Cavalry!" he whooped.
|
|
The Republic fleet was arriving.
|
|
|
|
The Heart of Fury groaned.
|
|
"Shields down!" yelled the first officer.
|
|
"Photon torpedoes aft!"
|
|
Data ignored the failure of the lock-on program and fired. The first
|
|
torpedo knocked down what was left of the shields.
|
|
The second, by chance only, struck the engines.
|
|
For a second, explosions racked the engineering module of the scout
|
|
frigate. Then one explosion ruptured the reactor containment vessel.
|
|
The Frigate blew apart in a spectacular shower of pyrotechnics.
|
|
"Hold tight!" Ro yelled, and the explosion caught the Heart of Fury,
|
|
tossing it like a leaf in a gale.
|
|
|
|
Luke could sense them coming, now. A warrior, a thief, a man of command,
|
|
and... a Jedi? He reached out his mind, touching the pursuing stormtroopers
|
|
with confusion, muddling their sense of direction.
|
|
|
|
Tallera was watching like a hawk.
|
|
"I don't like this, Picard. It's too quiet. They're planning something."
|
|
"Silence, please. The maestro is in concert." Lansen said. The lock on the
|
|
door was completely unfamiliar to him, but a lock was a lock wherever it
|
|
came from...
|
|
|
|
On the bridge, Raust watched the deploying Republic fleet.
|
|
"Ackbar's stamp is on this. Watch the Mon Calamari. Order the main gun
|
|
charged and re-deploy the fighters. As soon as you identify the command
|
|
ship, target it and fire."
|
|
|
|
Hesk and the Raven slashed, stabbed, circled. Koigot's phaser was still
|
|
playing merry hell with the troopers foolish enough to enter his line of fire.
|
|
The impasse held.
|
|
Hesk found himself winning. His opponent was faltering, falling back. He
|
|
hissed through his teeth.
|
|
"Do you know the expression, 'To bate an ace'?" The Raven enquired, and a
|
|
horrible doubt entered Hesk's mind.
|
|
"To concede an early advantage to an opponent in order to ensure his
|
|
eventual destruction." The Raven finished, deflecting a swipe. He
|
|
somersaulted backwards.
|
|
Hesk watched him, wary of some new trick.
|
|
The Raven shut down the lightsaber.
|
|
Hesk sneered in victory.
|
|
"Now, you die!" he crowed, and he lunged.
|
|
The Raven threw up his hands and dark lightning crackled. The wicked
|
|
fingers of force-driven electricity tore into him, into his soul. The
|
|
Raven's eyes burned like fire.
|
|
|
|
Hesk clawed at empty air and screamed as the Raven's fearsome power raged
|
|
through his system. Here was power driven beyond all care for self, beyond
|
|
control, power driven by a bitterness and hatred so deep that not even
|
|
Hesk, the embodiment of evil, could encompass it.
|
|
Hesk fell to his knees, sparks arcing to the decking.
|
|
For a moment, the Raven held back. Enough of his old, honourable self
|
|
remained for that. But it was trickling out of him, the last grains of
|
|
humanity pouring through the neck of the hourglass, leaving the vacuum
|
|
blackness of the Sith.
|
|
Hesk, his body shaking as though possessed, forced his head up.
|
|
"Do you not even have the strength to finish what you began?" he spat.
|
|
"The journey is complete." The Raven said, his voice filled with pain.
|
|
He sent forth the force-lightning once more, and Hesk died.
|
|
|
|
From the decking, He picked up Hesk's fallen Lightsaber. The Dark Side
|
|
held him, now, a prison from which death would be his only escape. But
|
|
here... this weapon had been crafted and wielded by a Jedi of a subtle new
|
|
mastery, a Jedi of greater scope than any he had seen in his long life. To
|
|
his force sense, it glowed with the power of freedom and justice. Not even
|
|
Hesk's evil had tainted it. He threw it to Koigot.
|
|
"This belongs to the person Q would have you rescue. Return it to them."
|
|
Koigot looked at him questioningly.
|
|
"It is a high and lonely path I tread. I cannot walk this road : nor can I
|
|
turn back. It ends here."
|
|
He sighed, and the huge figure seemed smaller, as if broken by the weight
|
|
it carried.
|
|
"But if I am to die, it might as well be a glorious death. Remember my
|
|
name. Tell the others I bid them the last farewell."
|
|
He turned on his heel and began his journey to the heart of the storm.
|
|
|
|
|
|
--
|
|
+=======================================================================+
|
|
| [] |
|
|
| Matt.R.Austin [] "We will return you to our normal |
|
|
| M.R.Austin@bradford.ac.uk [] service as soon as we are certain |
|
|
| [] what is normal anyway." |
|
|
| [] - Tricia MacMillan, HHGTTG |
|
|
+=======================================================================+
|
|
|
|
Trek Wars Part XIII
|
|
Morituri Te Salutant
|
|
|
|
Worf hauled himself to his feet. The bridge was a smoking ruin of twisted
|
|
metal and tangled wiring.
|
|
Data extracted himself from under a collapsed girder and went to work on
|
|
his console, jury-rigging the wiring with all the speed his system could
|
|
muster.
|
|
"Sound off." Worf croaked from smoke-clouded lungs.
|
|
"Ro. I'm okay."
|
|
"Kira. My leg is pinned."
|
|
"Kha'Ghal. Fit for duty."
|
|
"Chak. Fit for duty."
|
|
There was a moment of silence.
|
|
Worf bowed his head.
|
|
"In death, you honour our lives.
|
|
You have not fed the hungry mouth of War in vain.
|
|
We will remember your names."
|
|
Chak and Kha'Ghal saluted solemnly.
|
|
"Data. Report."
|
|
"Warp engines beyond field repair. Warp core breach probable in twelve
|
|
hours or less. Impulse engines damaged. All port and forward thrusters
|
|
destroyed. Disruptors destroyed. Sensors damaged. Life support failure in
|
|
fourteen hours. Reactor has suffered heavy damage. Five separate hull
|
|
breaches. Structural integrity compromised throughout. Primary and backup
|
|
transmission systems inoperative, probable hardware failure. Transporter
|
|
repairable. Flight control systems shorted. We are adrift and gaining
|
|
velocity."
|
|
"And the bad news?" Kira said, grimacing through the pain.
|
|
Data turned from the console.
|
|
"Overall survival prospects are-"
|
|
"Never tell me the odds." Kira said through clenched teeth.
|
|
|
|
Lansen was muttering to himself as he sorted through the wiring.
|
|
"Can we just burn our way in?" Tallera asked, impatiently.
|
|
"Depends how many pieces you plan on being in. There are explosives all
|
|
over this area. No, not that one, it's never the negative lead, got to be
|
|
a T-1 loop in this thing somewhere..." he resumed his quiet monologue.
|
|
Footsteps echoed through the corridor and Tallera and Picard assumed
|
|
defensive positions.
|
|
"It's Koigot." Vash said. "He's alone."
|
|
"Got you, you little-" Lansen joined two wires and touched a third to the
|
|
connection.
|
|
The lights flickered.
|
|
Lansen looked up.
|
|
"That wasn't me..." he said, defensively
|
|
The door slid open.
|
|
|
|
Tallera was the first through.
|
|
"Great space..." She swore, quietly.
|
|
A broken thing hung on the wall. It raised its eyes and managed a crooked
|
|
smile.
|
|
"Luke Skywalker..." he managed.
|
|
"We'll get you out of here." Picard said decisively.
|
|
"You must be Q's rescue party." Luke said, forcing the words past his
|
|
swollen tongue and cracked lips.
|
|
Picard raised an eyebrow, but set to work.
|
|
Koigot arrived at a run.
|
|
"The Raven's split off to do his own thing. He told me to bid you the last
|
|
farewell."
|
|
The ritual words lit a beacon in Luke's mind.
|
|
"The Raven is a Jedi?"
|
|
"Yeah. You should have seen it. He threw these lightning bolts. It
|
|
was... scary."
|
|
Tallera, working carefully with her phaser on Luke's manacles, snorted.
|
|
"You, scared? Must have been terrifying."
|
|
"Listen..." Luke managed. "The lights... They're charging the main gun. We
|
|
have to warn the others."
|
|
"He gave me this, as well."
|
|
Koigot held out the lightsaber.
|
|
Picard took it, considered it, and turned it on.
|
|
(Just like a feint in fencing. Flick it through fast and clean.)
|
|
He whipped the glowing blade through Luke's manacles in a blur of motion.
|
|
Luke smiled.
|
|
"Pretty good."
|
|
"Vash, Lansen, help him. Form up : we'll see if we can get back to the
|
|
Ravenflight."
|
|
|
|
"The command ship is redirecting a huge amount of power to storage cells.
|
|
I read new power sources coming on line." Wes reported, crisply.
|
|
"Look at the fighters. They're cleaning out an area. And she's swinging to
|
|
bring her nose to bear on Ackbar's flagship. We've got problems."
|
|
"Tie Bombers closing off the port bow!"
|
|
Alexander's hands danced on the console. The phasers flared.
|
|
"Good shot." Riker nodded.
|
|
|
|
The Raven strode through the corridors, His heart cold and his mind churning.
|
|
(The way of the dark side is that of a snowball rolling down a hill. What
|
|
begins as a tiny snowflake becomes an avalanche too great to stop. All I
|
|
can do is direct it where it will do least harm, or perhaps some small good.)
|
|
(Here.)
|
|
He hit the door control.
|
|
The officer went for his gun and fell, blue sparks crawling over his skin.
|
|
The Raven threw his mighty powers at the consoles. Insulation and casing
|
|
disintegrated, flaring into flame in its haste to depart, and metal
|
|
sparked and ran.
|
|
|
|
On the bridge, the cry went up.
|
|
"Shields failing!
|
|
"Backups." Raust responded, calmly.
|
|
"The main gun is taking too much of the charge! They'll be down for two
|
|
minutes!"
|
|
"Deploy the other cruisers for defensive coverage. Hold position."
|
|
|
|
"The command ship's shields are weakening. The fleet is redeploying to
|
|
protect it." Wes reported.
|
|
"Let's give them a real oddity in their tactical mind set, shall we?"
|
|
Riker remarked, almost pleasantly. "Full ahead."
|
|
|
|
On the Invictus, Luke raised his head.
|
|
"They're panicking on the bridge. The shields are failing."
|
|
A blaster bolt ricocheted off the wall and she ducked.
|
|
"We're pinned down." Koigot reported. "There's no way we can get to the bay."
|
|
Lansen's grin was utterly gone.
|
|
"Ave Picard." he said, grimly. "Morituri te salutant."
|
|
"We have to call for help, somehow."
|
|
"My kingdom for a communicator." Tallera snapped.
|
|
Vash closed her eyes and stretched out.
|
|
(The mind, Vash, is a strange and wonderful thing... it envisions
|
|
impossibilities, it breaks down barriers, it can open the whole universe
|
|
to you. Stretch out with it. Stretch out with your feelings.)
|
|
Out into space she hurled her Q-trained mind, seeking a familiar spark.
|
|
|
|
Deanna jumped.
|
|
(Trapped. Need help. Get us out of here.)
|
|
(Vash?) her mind responded, even as she leapt to her feet.
|
|
(We're on a Star Destroyer. Their shields are going and they're charging
|
|
some sort of weapon-)
|
|
"Vash is out there. On the Command ship." She said, while her mind fairly
|
|
burned with the power of the message she sent.
|
|
(The Admiral?)
|
|
(Here.)
|
|
"Admiral Picard's with her-"
|
|
"Mr Crusher, we've got to punch through that cordon somehow!"
|
|
"Republic fleet, this is Enterprise. Direct anything you can bring to bear
|
|
on our next target : We're going in."
|
|
The weapons of the Enterprise blazed as she screamed forward.
|
|
|
|
Raust stared at the white ship tearing across space.
|
|
"Emperor's teeth!" swore one of the console ops.
|
|
They couldn't be doing this. It ran contrary to every tactical ploy Raust
|
|
had ever studied, to everything the republic knew of tactics. Even at
|
|
Endor, Calrissian's desperate gambit had been a rational attempt to escape
|
|
the fearsome firepower of the Death Star, not a headlong charge into enemy
|
|
territory.
|
|
"Concentrate fire on that ship."
|
|
|
|
Koigot's beam died on him and he pushed home his last powerpack.
|
|
"The Enterprise is on its way." Vash reported.
|
|
(We're still here, Deanna.) her mind encompassed the vast Destroyer,
|
|
locating them in space, converting mental image to solid co-ordinates.
|
|
|
|
The Heart of Fury trembled.
|
|
Data applied himself to the beam pinning Kira and lifted it aside as
|
|
though it were made of paper. Kira groaned.
|
|
Data flicked through his physiology files and identified emergency
|
|
procedure. He tore a thin strip from his uniform top and looped it
|
|
around Kira's leg.
|
|
"This will hurt a little."
|
|
He slipped a short length of broken strut through the loop and tightened the
|
|
tourniquet.
|
|
"Hold this." He told Ro, and strode to the sensor console.
|
|
"What's happening, Data?" Worf asked.
|
|
"Uncertain. Sensors, even in their damaged state, cannot detect anything
|
|
out of the ordinary. But we are accelerating towards something : a mass
|
|
that does not register."
|
|
The decking bucked beneath them and Kira moaned softly.
|
|
"I hypothesise that we are drifting toward Q's timespace distortion-"
|
|
The world went white.
|
|
|
|
The Enterprise broadsided a Frigate as it tore past, sending flaming
|
|
debris flying. Ackbar watched.
|
|
"Give them all the support we can. Keep the defensive line occupied."
|
|
The orders flew across space, and the republic fleet advanced.
|
|
|
|
Raust stared in confusion at the fleet. Here were tactics that eluded him,
|
|
subtleties that had to be wrenched from their hiding places rather than
|
|
appearing so obvious to him. Desperation was a greater innovator than
|
|
necessity in the heat of battle.
|
|
The white craft punched through the cordon.
|
|
"Shield Status."
|
|
"Capacitors charging. Another forty-five seconds."
|
|
"All gunnery crews, target that ship. How long until the main gun is ready?"
|
|
"Twenty seconds."
|
|
The door to the bridge exploded inwards.
|
|
The Raven stood silhouetted in the doorway.
|
|
"Vengeance." He said, simply, and all hell broke loose.
|
|
Raust screamed for Hesk in blind terror, but the Raven's lightning arced
|
|
wildly across circuits, showering incandescent fire across the vast chamber.
|
|
After an infinite moment, the cataclysm came to an end.
|
|
Raust's chair was damaged. His breathing came hard, each gasp torn from
|
|
the smoky air by sheer will.
|
|
The Raven considered the devastation.
|
|
"What then remains, but that we should cry,
|
|
Not to be born, or being born, to die?"
|
|
He lifted his hands to his mask and unclipped it, letting it fall. His
|
|
eyes still lit with red, but Raust saw, just for a second, the glitter of
|
|
tears.
|
|
"And so it ends."
|
|
The Raven turned his power inwards, and died.
|
|
|
|
Raust wheezed, but his implant eye blazed. He forced the powerchair
|
|
forwards, to the fire control station. If he was going to die, it would be
|
|
in one final act of retribution. He threw open every circuit, brought
|
|
every power source to his station, and swung the nose to bear on the
|
|
closing fleet.
|
|
|
|
Koigot's beam failed and he ducked a laser blast. Picard flashed a burst
|
|
across the advancing troopers, ignoring the insistent bleeping of the
|
|
low-power light. Tallera turned on Vash.
|
|
"Where the hell is -"
|
|
Light enfolded them and the world sparkled away.
|
|
|
|
They crouched on the transporter pad, unwilling to believe it.
|
|
"Admiral." The transporter chief nodded with a small smile.
|
|
The floor shuddered.
|
|
|
|
Riker clenched his fists.
|
|
"Get the shields back up!" he roared.
|
|
Wes looked up from the sensor station.
|
|
"We've got heavy subspace radiation across the whole spectrum -"
|
|
A sadly battered Bird of Prey burst through the rift.
|
|
|
|
On the bridge of the Heart of Fury, Data saw the enterprise and tapped his
|
|
comm badge.
|
|
"Data hailing enterprise. We need to beam out-"
|
|
|
|
A proton torpedo slammed into the hull of the Enterprise.
|
|
"We're losing power to primary systems!" Geordi reported from engineering.
|
|
"They hit a main junction point!"
|
|
"Data, we're losing power. You'll have to beam over to us. Alexander, wide
|
|
spread of phaser bursts, now!"
|
|
|
|
Data assessed the situation. Before he could speak, Worf spoke.
|
|
"I will stay. We can only beam five. Remember my name."
|
|
Data lifted Kira effortlessly and ran to the transporter, Ro and the two
|
|
Klingon officers on his heels.
|
|
Worf stared at the huge grey craft before them, and smiled as the computer
|
|
slurred the countdown to warp core breach.
|
|
"In Death, I honour your lives.
|
|
I will not feed the hungry mouth of War in vain..."
|
|
|
|
Data materialised on the pad and lowered Kira abruptly to the deck. He
|
|
leapt to the console and blurred his hands over the controls.
|
|
Over fifteen of the decks, lighting failed.
|
|
Worf stared down at himself as the sparkles took him away.
|
|
|
|
On the bridge of the Invictus, Raust closed the contact to the main gun.
|
|
He choked blood, and the light in his implant died.
|
|
Over the surface of the Invictus, sparks arced.
|
|
|
|
"Get us the hell out of here!"
|
|
The Enterprise leapt clear, her impulse engines blazing like the stars
|
|
themselves.
|
|
|
|
The Bird of prey exploded. Antimatter spewed, and the tattered wreck of
|
|
the Heart of Fury became the heart of a fireball, a blast propogated at
|
|
the speed of light. The explosion raged against the unresisting texture of
|
|
the void and the relatively insignificant mass of one Imperial Star Destroyer.
|
|
The nose of the craft swung wide, and the helix of pure force tore through the
|
|
cordon of Imperial craft like a chainsaw. Plasma fire erupted from
|
|
ruptured reactors, shattering those unaffected by the beam itself. Within
|
|
seconds, the Imperial fleet was decimated, and space itself boiled with
|
|
the ferocity of the explosion.
|
|
|
|
Out of the fire blasted the Enterprise, her hull charred and pitted, but
|
|
her running lights and warp nacelles burning bright and defiant.
|
|
|
|
In the transporter room, Worf looked at Data almost angrily.
|
|
"You have denied me a glorious death."
|
|
Data considered.
|
|
"Yes. In order that you may go on to greater glories."
|
|
Worf's face split in a grin, and he roared with laughter.
|
|
|
|
Luke was still weak, despite the best care the Enterprise and the Republic
|
|
could offer, but he took his accustomed place at the council table for the
|
|
meeting.
|
|
|
|
"You could stay with us, you know. The clean-up from that battle won't be
|
|
easy, and we could use more people like you." Leia said.
|
|
Picard shook his head.
|
|
"Q is adamant that we return to our place tomorrow at latest. He's off
|
|
doing things on his own at the moment, but he'll come back. He always does."
|
|
"But we'll throw you a party for tonight," Han said with a lopsided grin.
|
|
"Sounds good." Lansen piped up, and the others smiled.
|
|
"We'll see you in the main hall in four hours. Until then." Mon Mothma
|
|
concluded.
|
|
|
|
Picard fiddled with his uniform. After so long out of Regulation clothing,
|
|
it felt vaguely strange. His little team of Mercenaries formed a knot of
|
|
colour amid the Starfleet uniforms : Tallera in black combat leathers,
|
|
looking somehow relaxed and alert at the same time, Koigot in a metallic
|
|
blue tunic and loose trousers, Lansen beaming happily in a colourful silk
|
|
jacket that made him look like a harlequin, and Vash resplendant in a
|
|
floor-length red dress that she had borrowed from Deanna. He came to
|
|
attention as the doors ground open, and had to clench his jaw to stop it
|
|
dropping.
|
|
It looked like the entire republic had turned out to see them. Stirring
|
|
music began from the orchestra seated to one side of the chamber, but even
|
|
their huge numbers did not make a dent in the total of people in the room.
|
|
He summoned his reserves of dignity and struck out, striding in time to
|
|
the music, along the huge concourse to the distant dais where Mon Mothma,
|
|
Leia, Luke, and all the others stood. The others fell into step with him
|
|
faultlessly, heads up, eyes bright.
|
|
|
|
The music reached a crescendo as they began to mount the steps, stirring
|
|
the blood in Picard's veins. He normally detested Martial music, but this
|
|
was something else. As they came closer to Mon Mothma, the music fell in
|
|
volume, dropping into the background.
|
|
Mon Mothma tipped her head upwards.
|
|
"For their Deeds at the Battle Of The Rift, and for the rescue of
|
|
Commander Skywalker from Imperial captivity, The New Republic honours the
|
|
crew of the Enterprise with this token of our appreciation."
|
|
She placed a golden medallion around the necks of Picard, Riker, and Worf.
|
|
They turned together to face out across the vast hall as the music rose
|
|
once more. The applause almost drowned it out.
|
|
|
|
Han climbed the steps, with Guinan at his side.
|
|
"Ladies and Gentlemen, We have a little announcement to make!" Han grinned.
|
|
The two glanced at one another, and then cried in unison,
|
|
"The Bar is Open!"
|
|
The revelries began.
|
|
|
|
Across the great hall, dancers whirled, but here and there, people stood
|
|
alone. Picard was sipping a cup of Earl Grey that Guinan had provided for
|
|
him in passing when Luke stepped to his side.
|
|
"I don't know if this will work where you are going, but I thought you
|
|
might like to have it. I made one up especially."
|
|
Picard took the lightsaber from Luke.
|
|
"I don't know how to thank you-" Picard began.
|
|
"This is my thank-you, for what you did for me." He extended his hand, and
|
|
the two men shook.
|
|
"I have to go. I'm going with Commander Katarn to retrieve Artoo and my
|
|
X-wing from Raust's space-platform base. I know you'll be gone before I
|
|
get back, but... don't think I'll ever forget you."
|
|
"Nor I you." Picard said with a small smile.
|
|
Luke raised one hand in a casual salute, then turned and moved away into
|
|
the crowd.
|
|
Picard considered the Lightsaber. It would make a damned fine momento of
|
|
this little outing.
|
|
"A new toy?" remarked an amused voice from behind him. "Can I play?"
|
|
He turned round, and found Vash standing there. For the second time that
|
|
evening, he had trouble keeping his mouth closed.
|
|
She smiled, and offered him her arm.
|
|
"Shall we?"
|
|
Picard put his cup down neatly and bowed from the waist.
|
|
"I would be delighted."
|
|
They danced.
|
|
|
|
Troi was besieged with ardent suitors, but she spotted Wedge chatting with
|
|
Meko and Tikks and walked over.
|
|
"Might I have the next dance?" She enquired, a mischeivous sparkle to her
|
|
eyes.
|
|
"Ah... uh, sure... I mean, if you're free... why not?"
|
|
He took her hand, and lead gracefully into the steps of the dance.
|
|
|
|
Han was chatting to Leia when Riker approached. Han flashed him a rakish
|
|
smile, and Riker replied in kind.
|
|
"They say you're pretty good at cards." Riker said.
|
|
"I hear the same thing about you." Han replied.
|
|
"Do you know how to play poker?"
|
|
|
|
Q watched from the rafters, draped across the beam looking down.
|
|
He became aware of a prescence and sat up.
|
|
The Raven appeared, outlined in blue light. Below, on the dancefloor, Luke
|
|
looked up and smiled.
|
|
"Have a seat." Q said, almost smiling.
|
|
The Raven shook his head.
|
|
"I've come to give you my thanks, Q."
|
|
Q shrugged.
|
|
"I did very little, really."
|
|
The Raven smiled.
|
|
"You freed me from my nightmares, Q. That alone would have been enough."
|
|
He tipped his head on one side, as if listening to a distant voice,
|
|
and sighed.
|
|
"I must go."
|
|
"I know the feeling." Q said, ruefully. "Whenever something goes wrong at
|
|
home, it's always 'Fetch Q', 'Where's Q?', 'Get Q : He'll know what to
|
|
do.' But I would have us part as friends."
|
|
The Raven nodded, waved in farewell, and faded out.
|
|
"Just don't tell Picard." Q said, slightly grumpily. "I don't want to
|
|
ruin my image."
|
|
|
|
From high above, he watched the revelries. Riker and Solo were staring,
|
|
poker-faced, at each other as they played. Republic and Starfleet
|
|
personnel mingled, chatting with the manner of old friends.
|
|
"Ain't life grand." He said.
|
|
Far below, Picard and Vash were dancing far too slowly for the music. It
|
|
even looked like they were kissing, but of course, that was silly. Still,
|
|
he grinned.
|
|
"And here's to love. Let the band play on!"
|
|
And so, it did.
|
|
|
|
--
|
|
+=======================================================================+
|
|
| [] |
|
|
| Matt.R.Austin [] "We will return you to our normal |
|
|
| M.R.Austin@bradford.ac.uk [] service as soon as we are certain |
|
|
| [] what is normal anyway." |
|
|
| [] - Tricia MacMillan, HHGTTG |
|
|
+=======================================================================+
|