This story is a sequel to my earlier story, "TOS: A New Dawn."
"I'm so lonely." Curzon Dax lamented. He took another drink of whatever the bartender had given him, to kill his pain.
Ahida smiled as she sipped her Klingon Raqudajino. "She's only been gone a few hours."
"Yes. But she was the love of my life."
"Seemed more like she was the love of the week."
"A week, a life. Now she's gone."
"New base personal will be rotated in, in a couple of days. I'm sure you'll find someone new."
Curzon looked around the nearly empty club. A few recently off duty Red Shirts had congregated across the room.
"Hmm. The bartender, she's an intriguing person, I wonder?"
"I don't think she's your type. I've spoken to her. Guinan has never told me her age. Based on want she told me, I estimate her age as between two and three hundred years."
"When you add my age and my symbiotes age, we're close enough. Treat her as a young lady, she will melt in my arms."
"Good luck.". Ahida said, as she got up. "I'm gonna go get a good night's sleep."
"You need it after this crazy week."
The temperature was nearly freezing as Ahida crossed the deserted base compound. With so many people gone, there was an eery silence. Between the buildings she could see the ruins of the Guardians dead city.
For the few humans who still celebrate Halloween, this would be the perfect place for a haunted house.
As she walked into her quarters, she was stunned to see a woman with long, snow white hair using her computer. She turned around and said.
"Lt. Ahida Uhura, good to see you. I trust you have recovered from your injuries from that unfortunate incident at your graduation?"
"Admiral Georgio! I'm well, thank you. I wasn't aware you were on base, much less in my quarters."
"After your encounter with your counter part, from what some call a Mirror Universe, I was fascinated. We knew that the Guardian could send people back and forth in time. No one ever suspected it connected us with other universe's."
"Admiral, with all due respect. Why are you in my quarters?"
"As director of Section 31, I can do, nearly anything I want."
Ahida was silenced by that statement.
"Don't be so naive, You're a smart girl, you have to know we exist."
"It is hard to believe that the Federation would tolerate such an organization."
"The Federation would not last five years without us to do its dirty work. Have you never noticed how often the number thirty one comes up? Everything from ship's registries to supply invoices. Even the order number that transferred you from the Academy here. A nine didget number followed by dash three one. It indicates you work for Section 31. Everyone on this base does. Only a small handful know it."
"I don't believe it."
"For years we suspected you have some special connection with the Guardian. I intend to use it for my advantage."
Georgio stood up and drew a phaser from the civilian jacket she wore. Absent mindedly she pointed it at Ahida while she checked it's setting.
"Oh, how careless of me, to forget my basic phaser safety." She said as she dropped the weapon back in her pocket. "Years ago, when I was an emperor, I set my own rules to live by."
"Emperor?"
"Your Aunt Michael never told you about me?"
"She spoke often of her days as your First Officer on the Shenzhou. And how your time as a Klingon prisoner changed you."
"A convenient lie. To explain my, "unorthodox" behavior after I replaced my dead counterpart."
"Why are you here?"
"Simple really. I once heard your Aunt tell a man from my Universe, all you had to do was ask and we would try to send you back. That's what Star Fleet is. So, Ahida Uhura, will you help send back to where I belong?"
"Yes."
"Then let's go."
As they walked across the deserted compound Georgio spoke.
"In your report, your counterpart stated that Spock is now Emperor. He plans to reform the Empire, into something like the Federation."
"Yes."
"He will fail. Our ways are too deeply ingrained. She also said that I was a vile human being."
"She did."
"If you aspire to be anything above a commoner, or a slave, you have to be. I found it humorous that you punched her in the nose. Why didn't you go for the knife?"
"It seemed logical. Nothing would have been gained by death. Besides, I did gain the upper hand."
"Yes. You are much like my Michael."
"What?"
"Of course, you wouldn't know that. In my universe, she was my adopted daughter. That sort of makes us kin."
They had now reached the entrance to the Guardian's secure compound. When they entered the gaurd station, the two guards on duty snapped to attention at the sight of the Admiral. No ID was checked nor words spoken. The guards nodded in recognition and opened the door. Georgio smiled as her and Ahida walked straight into the Guardian's area.
I maybe getting paranoid, Ahida thought, it almost looked like they bowed. What kind of place is this?
As they approached the Guardian. Georgio called out: " Guardian, I wish to go back to to where I belong."
The Guardian boomed out, "I will not allow this woman access."
Georgio drew her phaser and pointed at the Guardian.
"I am time itself. Your weapon cannot harm me."
"Fine." Georgio reached up and grabbed Ahida by the base of her neck, pulled her close and pressed the muzzle of her phaser to her temple. "You will do as I command, or I will blow your pets head off."
The Guardian was silent for a moment then said, "Very well. Where do you want to be?"
"My Universe. Show me Emperor Spock's first day." Images began to rapidly flash through the Guardians portal. She watched Spock's coronation. Greeting Ambassadors and other dignitaries. Then sitting behind an ornamental desk in an office she knew well. It was one of the safest places in the Universe for the Emperor to be. Unless you had access to the Guardian of Forever. Across from Spock was an elderly, but dignified Asian man.
"Stop. Back up. There hold." She smiled. "My old lover and closest advisor. Still alive and content to serve who so ever shall sit on the throne. As soon as I eliminate Spock, you will once again serve me. Guardian, this is where I want to go."
"You may enter."
Georgio dragged Ahida towards the Guardian. She was almost paralyzed as Georgio had a Vulcan like grip on her neck.
"Spo..." she managed to say, before the Emperor's fingers dug deeper into her neck. She could see the bearded Spock. That wasn't her father, but she felt a kinship. He was a spark of light in a dismal Universe. She had to do something.
Just before stepping into the portal, Georgio shoved Ahida away. She jumped and was engulfed in a shimmering blue light. She felt her feet as they touched the floor, she raised her phaser, the light cleared. She was back.
But not in front of Spock's desk as she had expected. She arrived just in time to see Michael Burnham wrap her arms around a younger Emperor and vanish into a transporter beam.
"No." She shrieked. Lorca's men were storming through a door. She shifted her aim. But it was too late. Before she could fire a shot, she was struck by at least three blasts.
On the other side of the Guardian, Ahida watched in stunned silence as the body of Emperor Phillipa Georgio, and her various titles, flared and exploded into a shower of sparks. The image flickered off.
"Guardian, what happened?" Ahida asked.
"She wished to be sent where she belongs. But she wanted to replace the rightful Emperor. That I wouldn't allow. I granted her wish. I sent her to where she belonged."
The Guardian fell silent. Ahida knew he would speak no more tonight. She walked away.
At the Guard Station, the guards again snapped to attention.
"Where's the Admiral?" One asked.
"What Admiral?" Ahida asked. "The Admiral wasn't here. And nothing happened. Understand?".
The guards looked at each other and the ranking one said, "Nothing happened tonight. We understand."
"Good" She said.
When Ahida returned to her quarters, she sat at her desk.
"Computer."
"Working."
"Guardian Activity Report." She watched as the words appeared on the screen. Followed by the current stardate and Report no. zero, zero, zero, one seven, dash...
"Thirty one." She whispered. "Computer, delete report."
"Deleted."
She got up and fell on her bunk. She reached for her stuffed Sehlot and held it close. Sleep would not come easy tonight. She was not naive. She knew very well that the brightest places, still had dark corners. It was frightening, how easy she had become part of the darkness. Only one thing she could do. Spread a little light in her corner.
