2255 - James T. Kirk and Spock of Vulcan begin serving on board the USS
Enterprise.
2295 - Kirk retires from Starfleet and begins his career as a politician in the Federation Council.
2296 - Spock is promoted to Admiral and retains command of the USS Enterprise-A.
2300 - The Klingon Empire and Romulan Star Empire join the Interstellar Federation of Planets.
2305 - Kirk is elected Vice President of the Federation; Jean-Luc Picard is born in La Barre, France on Earth.
2315 - Beverly Howard is born in Copernicus City, Luna.
2323 - Picard enters Starfleet Academy.
2327 - Picard graduates from Starfleet Academy and serves on board the USS Enterprise-B under Admiral Spock's command.
2333 - Beverly Howard enters Starfleet Academy.
2335 - William Thomas Riker is born in Valdez, Alaska on Earth. Dr. Noonian Soong finishes creating the android Data.
2336 - Deanna Troi is born on Betazed.
2340 - Worf is born on Qo'NoS, the Klingon Homeworld.
2341 - Beverly graduates with a medical degree from Starfleet Academy; Picard and Howard accept posts aboard the USS Stargazer.
2345 - Jean-Luc and Beverly marry.
2349 - Beverly gives birth to Wesley Picard on the planet Caldos, a Federation colony.
2351 - Corruption and sectionalism become rampant in the Federation Council. President Sarek of Vulcan is replaced by James T. Kirk.
2352 - Relations between the Klingons and the Romulans begin to sour; Qo'NoS and Romulus leave the Federation. War erupts between the Klingon and Romulan empires.
2353 - William Riker and Data enter Starfleet Academy. Many planetary governments-Bajor, Cardassia, Benzar, Ferenginar, Bolarus--threaten to secede from the Federation amidst internal conflict and corruption.
2354 - Princess Deanna Troi begins serving in the Fifth House of Betazed. Betazed, Bolarus, Ferenginar, Bajor, Cardassia, Benzar, Nausicaa, Breen and many other planetary governments officially secede from the Federation.
2355 - Spock retires from Starfleet and retreats to Vulcan. The Interstellar Federation begins to fall apart as more planetary governments officially secede from the Federation. A war erupts between the Federation (led by Earth, Vulcan, Andoria, Tellar, Orion, Tholia, and Rigel) and the separatist movement (led by Betazed, Bolarus, Ferenginar, Bajor, Cardassia, Benzar, Nausicaa, Trill, and many others.) The Romulans and the Klingons continue their war and declare neutrality during the Federation Civil War.
2356 to 2378 - Height of the Empire-Alliance War, also known as the "Borg War." Many Alliance planets (Betazed, Trill, Ocampa, Rinax, Cardassia, Bajor) and non-aligned worlds (Dominion, Kazon Union, Hirogen Alliance, Vidiian Sodality) fall under control of the Galactic Empire. Empire continues to assimilate hundreds of worlds and billions of people across the galaxy.
2356 - Picard is promoted to Fleet Captain. In a bold attempt to mobilize the fleet, President Kirk signs Executive Order #1260, the Federation Defense Act, creating more powerful warships and implementing a program to enhance performance of Fleet officers with the use of cybernetic body implants. Many Starfleet officers and cadets (including William Riker and Data) refuse to undergo the transition; they either voluntarily resign their commissions or are discharged from service.
2357 - The Interstellar Federation collapses. With the aid of his "cyborg" sentinels, semi-organic and semi-mechanical beings, President Kirk dissolves the Federation Council, nullifies the Stellar Constitution, and proclaims himself emperor (taking on the name Emperor Tiberius) of the new Galactic Empire. Fleet Captain Picard undergoes procedures for cybernetic enhancements and is appointed head of the new Borg Fleet. He is given the name "Darth (Lord) Locutus" and is given command of a prototype Borg warship called the Destroyer. The separatist movement, known as the Freedom Alliance, continues to fight a losing battle. Riker and Troi join the Alliance.
2358 - Acting under direct orders from Emperor Tiberius, Darth Locutus begins the "assimilation" of all Empire citizens and residents, who are subjected to undergo cybernetic implantation. Tiberius' scientists completes building the "Borg Vinculum," a supercomputer that links all the cyborgs to form a collective mentality and subjects them to mind control. Beverly and Wesley Picard flee the Empire and defect to the Alliance.
2360 - The Borg Fleet begins invading Klingon and Romulan space. Klingon Empire and Romulan Star Empire sign a temporary peace treaty. Alliance recruits the help of the Romulans and the Klingons.
2361 - The governments of Qo'NoS and Romulus officially declare war on the Galactic Empire and join the Freedom Alliance. Worf of Qo'NoS meets William Riker, Deanna Troi, and other Alliance fighters.
2365 - Beverly Picard is killed in a Borg raid.
2367 - Wesley Picard undergoes combat training and becomes an apprentice to former Admiral Spock, now a senior member of the resistance movement.
2368 - Data develops an invasive programming sequence to disrupt the Borg Fleet's hive mind, but only temporarily. The Empire quickly finds a way to adapt and counteract the devastating effects of the virus program.
2370 - Alliance scientists continue the research and development of effective weapons and defenses against the Empire's Borg Fleet, including multi-phasic shielding and transphasic torpedoes.
2374 - Alliance doctors, led by Katherine Pulaski and Herman Zimmerman begin research on a neurolytic pathogen that could infect the Borg Fleet.
2377 - Battle of Sector 001. Alliance forces cause the massive destruction of Borg shipyards near the Jupiter Station. Wesley Picard is captured and brought before Emperor Tiberius and Darth Locutus. Alliance forces led by William Riker, Princess Deanna, Data, and Worf raid the base on Mars, the primary source of energy in the Empire and the location of the Borg Vinculum. Alliance forces begin the use of neurolytic pathogens on the Borg Fleet, which affect both the biological and technological functions of Borg drones.
Escorted by several Borg drones, including his own father, Darth Locutus, Wesley Picard entered a large chamber that was the private office of Emperor Tiberius, the all-power ruler of the Galactic Empire. Wesley, aboard the imperial prototype warship known as the Destroyer, couldn't help noticing the most prominent features of the chamber-the transparent aluminum windows that provided a panoramic view of space. The Emperor's executive desk, placed on an elevated platform, was just a few meters away from the window, and the Emperor smiled as he saw the on-going battle between the Borg Fleet and the Alliance forces from a distance. Tiberius turned to greet Wesley in a sinister voice as he descended from his executive platform.
"Greetings, young Picard," said the Emperor. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you."
"You'll have to excuse me if I don't share your enthusiasm," replied Wesley.
Darth Locutus glared disapprovingly at Wesley, his left eye and occular implant piercing through the young rebel's soul. Locutus' look had that effect, as though his stare alone could kill.
"Show some respect to the Emperor, you rebel bastard!" exclaimed Annika Hansen, a cyborg bounty hunter who helped capture Wesley Picard. She aimed her photon blaster, attached to her left cybernetic arm, right in front of Wesley's face. Wesley gave the bounty hunter a dispassionate look.
"Enough!" said Emperor Tiberius. "Hansen, you and the guards may leave. You have done a great service to the Empire today."
With that, Hansen and the other Borg drones exited the chamber.
"So, Mr. Picard, I've heard so much about you from your father here," continued Tiberius, a man in his 140s. His imperial garments were similar to the black jumpsuits worn by the Borg drones except that he had a cape on. Cybernetic implants were grafted to his wrinkled face; he wore a black metallic gauntlet equipped with a photonic blaster on his right hand. His left mechanical arm had assimilation tubes that came standard with every Borg drone in the Empire. He had a metallic face plate covering the upper left part of his face, accentuated by an occular implant with infrared light. The technological enhancements seemed to be keeping him strong even for his advanced age. "He has been talking endlessly about you as of late- "
"Just cut to the chase, Tiberius. I know why you've brought me here," said Wesley in a stern voice. "You know damned well that the you're losing this war, and your precious Empire is about to collapse .Ugh!"
Wesley fell on his knees and grasped his neck as he suddenly felt intense pain throughout his body, the pain being generated by the "obedience collar" around his neck. The metallic horseshoe-shaped collar was just one of the highly effective novelties developed and used by the Empire in dealing with the enemy. Who would have thought the Empire would succumb to torture when the Borg Fleet could simply assimilate people into the Collective? The hive mentality was controlled and processed by the supercomputer, the Vinculum, which was directly accessed by and remotely controlled by Emperor Tiberius.
"Insolent fool!" Locutus muttered. "You've got a lot to learn, boy, especially about humility!"
Darth Locutus, with a dispassionate look on his face, looked down on Wesley, who was recovering from the great pain inflicted upon him by the evil Emperor.
"You realize, of course, that you're only alive-still alive-because your father wishes it," continued Tiberius.
Wesley gave Darth Locutus a quizzical look.
"My son, you must join me. Together, you and I will serve the Emperor and bring victory and glory to the Galactic Empire. It's time for us to be reunited."
"Don't call me your son. You're not my father! He's dead as far as I'm concerned. And you're probably more demented than I imagined if you think I'm willing to betray my friends in the Alliance by shifting my loyalties to the Empire. It's not going to happen!"
"But look at your friends, Wesley. Look at them," said Tiberius, who motioned Wesley to look through the transparent aluminum window and watch the space battle between the Empire and the Alliance forces. From a distance, Alliance starships of all shapes and sizes were engaging the distinctively spherical and cubical warships of the Borg Fleet. "They are dying out there . Defeat of the Alliance is inevitable. Surely, you'd like to be on the winning side."
So many of Wesley's friends and colleagues in the Alliance had died fighting the Borg Fleet. Kathryn Janeway, Benjamin Sisko, Tuvok, Chakotay, Julian Bashir, Geordi La Forge, just to mention a few-they were all dead, just as Wesley's mother Beverly had died a few years ago. At this very moment his other friends-Worf, Data, Princess Deanna, and Riker-could be either dead or dying.
Meanwhile, members of the Alliance, led by William Riker, Princess Deanna of Betazed, Worf of Qo'NoS, and the android Data, had broken through the security perimeter of the Command Central, a large facility that housed the Borg Vinculum on Mars. Getting through the fleet of Borg warships was half the battle; landing their ship, the Millennium Falcon, on the planet surface was yet another challenge.
"Where are Tom and B'Elanna?" asked Riker, holding a phaser.
"I'm sorry, Will. They didn't make it. They were killed in the massive explosion at the western power plant," the Betazoid replied.
"We have to hurry," said the large Klingon. "More Borg reinforcement drones are coming this way!"
A few moments later, the four rebels had reached the compound where the Vinculum supercomputer was located. Alarms were sounding off, bodies of Borg drones and Alliance rebels littered the ground, and smoke filled the rooms. The facility was in flames. At the center of the compound there was a large tower, which was a power reactor that looked like a gigantic warp engine. There seemed to be a power reactor in every sector of the Empire that processed and distributed energy throughout a stellar system like Sector 001.
The rebel leaders and their colleagues entered a large building and made their way to the control room. Riker and Data carefully studied the computer array that formed the Vinculum.
"Data, do you think you can access the main computer from this workstation?" asked Riker.
"I will try, Will," responded the android. After a moment he said, "The system seems to be protected by a complex Borg encryption code. It will take some time for me to decipher and bypass the security system before I finally have access to the Vinculum."
"Just do your best, Data," said Princess Deanna encouragingly.
"Riker!" exclaimed a man named Miles O'Brien. "More Borg drones have arrived. They're heading this way!"
"Data, we don't have much time."
Back on the imperial ship, the Destroyer, Wesley momentarily watched the space battle and thought of his friends in the rebel movement.
"I hope they make it," Wesley thought.
"Wesley, I'm asking you as a father. Join me," said Darth Locutus. "End your association with the rebels now, and come back home to the Empire."
"That will never happen! Earth is no longer my home. At least not now, but the fall of the Empire is imminent, and you and the Emperor are doomed. Aaahhh!!!"
Wesley writhed in pain as Emperor Tiberius once again mentally activated the pain collar around Wesley's neck. This time the intensity level was higher.
Darth Locutus looked at Wesley, then at the Emperor.
"Wesley, you must end this suffering," said Darth Locutus.
"Yes, young Wesley, we are giving you a choice!" said the Emperor. "One way or another, you will comply."
When the Alliance started using a bio-engineered virus, a neurolytic pathogen, against the Borg Fleet, the Empire had suffered tremendously. The pathogen affected both the physiological and technological aspects of the drones, rendering them inactive and disrupting their functions, such as communication, regeneration, and assimilation capabilities. The Empire had been unsuccessful in its attempt to counteract the disabling effects of the virus that permanently severed the link of the drones to the hive mind. Only Alliance doctors and scientists who engineered the virus knew of an effective counter-agent, which the Empire had been trying hard to obtain.
However, the virus had to be administered at close range and using direct contact. It had no direct effect on the Vinculum, and it was necessary for the Alliance to destroy the supercomputer. Emperor Tiberius accessed and controlled the supercomputer that enabled him to tap into the Borg Fleet and the hive mentality of the countless citizens of the Empire.
"N-Nooo . I-I'd . r-rather . die!" Wesley uttered.
"That can be arranged!" said Tiberius, increasing the pain intensity level and watching Wesley's body twist in pain.
Wesley struggled to remove the pain collar around his neck, gripping both ends of the horseshoe collar and successfully prying it open. He gasped as he slowly picked himself up, his obsolete gray and black Starfleet uniform drenched in sweat. The combat uniform was given to him by his mentor, former Admiral Spock of Vulcan, who formerly served with James T. Kirk, now known as Emperor Tiberius, many decades ago aboard a Federation starship. Spock, who also mentored Jean-Luc Picard, had trained Wesley well in many areas including combat.
Emperor Tiberius mentally summoned four Borg drones into his chamber. They all pointed their photon blasters at Wesley.
"Now, young Picard, you will die for your arrogance," said the Emperor.
Wesley looked at Darth Locutus and said, "Are you going to let this happen? If you claim to care so much about your own son, are you just going to stand there and watch me suffer and die?"
Darth Locutus was suddenly bombarded with images-memories of his family when he was still a Starfleet officer. He was reminded of the times he shared with his now deceased wife Beverly and their son, young Wesley.
"Jean-Luc, dinner's ready . Jean-Luc, aren't you going to come to bed?"
"Daddy, look what I made in school today!"
"Very nice, Wesley . Wesley . Wesley ."
Tiberius was able to sense Darth's flashbacks. He chuckled and said, "He's appealing to your humanity, Darth Locutus. Unfortunately, you already lost it many years ago."
Wesley continued, "Listen to me! You were once a great Starfleet officer! Now look at you. See what you've become. The Emperor has totally blinded you, and he's been manipulating you for years, all for the sake of power! What has it really gotten you? You've lost your family. You've lost Mom and me. You betrayed everyone you ever loved. You've contributed to the deaths of millions and the enslavement of countless people across the galaxy. If there is one shred of humanity left in you, Father, then I beg of you, come out of the dark side."
Darth Locutus stared at Wesley and glanced at the Emperor.
"Emperor, there must be another way to get the information we need. I will think of another method to get him to cooperate," replied Locutus.
"Are you questioning my authority, Darth?" asked Tiberius.
Back on the Martian surface, Data continued to tap into the Vinculum. Riker, Princess Deanna, and Worf fought the wave of Borg drones that continued to assault the entrance to the compound.
"I've decoded the primary system. Two more subsystems to go," said Data.
"O'Brien, are the detonators in place?" yelled Riker.
"Aye, sir. They've been set to go off in approximately 15 minutes."
"Let's just hope we have that much time to get out of here," Riker replied.
"Will, do we really want to destroy this whole complex?" argued the Betazoid. "We don't know what that the destruction of the Vinculum will do to those who have been assimilated into the Collective. The potential damage has not been fully explored."
"We've had this discussion before. It may be our only hope, Deanna. If Data is unable to shut down the Vinculum, we'll have to destroy it . and this whole power generation complex along with it.
The rebels were starting to become overwhelmed by the Borg drones that continued to press forward.
O'Brien was shot to death by a photon blast.
"Riker to Millennium Falcon! Prepare to transport seven people and get ready for departure any minute!"
"Aye, sir," replied the voice of Harry Kim, a young rebel who piloted the ship, hidden in a volcanic crater.
"Not at all, Emperor. I live only to serve you and the Empire," said Locutus.
"Then you have no objection to having Wesley Picard killed?"
"I believe he would be more useful to us alive than dead," said the Borg commander. "Since he refuses to cooperate, we can assimilate him into the Collective and extract valuable information from him, such as the whereabouts of hidden Alliance bases that could lead us to their scientists, thus ridding us of the threat of the neurolytic virus."
"I am aware of that, Darth," said the Emperor. "For a moment there, I thought you were letting your human side get in the way of your work. Remember, you are a Borg, a servant of the Empire."
"You lost your humanity a long time ago, Emperor, but I know my father hasn't!" Wesley exclaimed. He turned to face his father and said, "Face it, Darth Locutus, you're a human being, flesh and blood, just like me. I am your son, and you're my father. You may have changed, but there's still hope for you to be redeemed. The fact that you wanted to bring me here . suggests that you still feel a family connection between us, a bond that can't be easily broken."
"Oh, please. Don't flatter yourself, young Picard," said Tiberius. "As I said, you're only here because we need information from you, information we will get one way or another!"
"As you wish," Wesley replied, bowing before the Emperor
The young rebel then quickly drew an old, Starfleet-issue, Type II hand phaser-another souvenir from his old Vulcan mentor-hidden inside one of his boots and fired at the two Borg drones in front of him.
"Get him!" yelled the Emperor, scurrying away to his desk for safety.
The two remaining Borg guards fired at Wesley using their photonic blasters, but having been trained well by Master Spock, Wesley easily dodged the blasts as he ran inside the large executive chamber, taking cover behind the Emperor's large computer consoles. He easily incapacitated the remaining Borg guards.
"Darth Locutus, kill him!" yelled the Emperor.
The Borg Fleet commander moved towards Wesley's direction. He did not fire upon his son.
Wesley, on the other hand, was left with no choice but to shoot Darth Locutus. Soon Wesley came to realize that Darth had activated a personal shield system that deflected the blasts made by the Starfleet phaser. Darth overpowered Wesley, twisting his arm and bringing him close to the Emperor.
Emperor Tiberius shook his head and said, "You see? You cannot win, young Picard."
Tiberius raised his left mechanical arm and held it close to Wesley's face, and three injection tubes sprouted from the back of the Emperor's hand, injecting Wesley's neck with nanoprobes.
"Noooo!!!" Wesley screamed.
Data's hands danced across the computer controls, attempting to bypass the Vinculum's security systems.
"One more subsystem, and I will have complete access," he muttered.
"Will, we have 45 seconds until detonation!" said Worf, whose right leg had been shot.
"Data!"
"Stand by!"
The nanoprobes served as the Borg's primary weapons in terms of assimilating humanoid species into the Collective. The assimilated individual usually started to undergo minor physiological changes minutes after he or she had been injected, rendering the body temporarily inactive as well as receptive to the subsequent technical modifications.
"The Alliance cannot triumph over the Empire. You will come to realize that you soon will be a part of us," the Emperor laughed. "Darth, take him to the nearest assimilation chamber to complete-"
Emperor Tiberius gasped.
"Ugh! Hah . W-What's happening?" the Emperor said as he collapsed.
"My lord, are you all right?" said Darth.
"I-It must've been . s-something he . assimilated," said Wesley, who was starting to undergo physiological changes. He was starting to feel his humanity slipping away.
"Nooooo!!! I . I-I can't . hear the voices! The v-voices! They're- they're . fading. Aaaargh!!! W-What . did you do . to me?!?" exclaimed Tiberius. Darth rushed to his side.
"I have successfully bypassed the security system and integrated a computer virus into the Vinculum. Shutdown anticipated within one min-" said Data.
"We've got to get out of here!" Riker exclaimed. "Millennium Falcon, six to beam up now!"
While the transporter beam whisked away the remaining Alliance fighters, a massive explosion engulfed the whole compound, obliterating the Vinculum and the main power reactor. The shockwave nearly intercepted the departing Millennium Falcon, a special Defiant-class starship designed and created by the Alliance to combat the Borg.
"Nooooo!!!" screamed the Emperor as he realized he had completely lost the connection to the Vinculum.
"Aaaaahhh!!!" Darth and Tiberius yelled in pain just as the Vinculum was destroyed and their connection was severed.
Thousands of assimilated species across thousands of stellar systems in the galaxy experienced a brief loss of communication with the Collective when the Vinculum was shut down. Shortly after it was destroyed in the massive explosion at the Command Central compound on Mars, there was a power surge that caused the Collective to go haywire, affecting every drone's neural pathways. The drones of the Borg Fleet were more likely to suffer neural damage than the "citizen drones" who had only minor cybernetic implants forced upon their bodies by the Empire.
Wesley's primary stage of transformation halted.
"We made it! Hahahah!!!" said Riker, sitting in the cockpit of the Millennium Falcon.
"It would appear that my whole attempt to disable the Vinculum had been futile. The whole system would have been destroyed by the explosion in any case," said the android.
"Don't worry, Data. What's important is that we accomplished our mission. Besides, we wanted to terminate people's connections to the hive mind before destroying the Vinculum. Theoretically, just destroying the supercomputer could have done permanent neural damage to those who were linked to the Collective," said Riker.
"I hope Wesley's all right," said Princess Deanna. She always felt close to the young rebel. She felt drawn to him, though not in a romantic way, and was always concerned for his safety to the point of being overprotective sometimes.
"He'll be fine. I'm sure of it," said Riker. Will, who made no attempt to hide his amorous feelings for Deanna, often felt jealous of Wesley
"Qapla!" Worf interjected in his native Klingon language.
As the drones were liberated from the hive mind, Borg ships began to undergo massive systems failure and a series of malfunctions. The Alliance ships took advantage of the opportunity to destroy the remaining Borg warships. Klingon battlecruisers, Romulan Warbirds, Bolian starfighters, and Vulcan battleships fired upon the menacing Borg cubes and spheres that now drifted lifelessly in space. The Jupiter Station had been secured, and debris littered the nearby shipyards. Other starbases and space stations- both in the conquered territories and elsewhere in the former Empire-were quickly taken over by Alliance forces. There was virtually nothing left of the Command Central base on the Martian surface. The massive explosion created a whole the size of a volcanic crater.
Wesley Picard picked himself up and slowly approached Darth Locutus' incapacitated body. The Emperor appeared to be either dead or unconscious.
"W-Wesley ." he whispered in a disoriented voice, but he soon overcame the effects of the electrostatic shock he felt as a result of his severance from the Collective . "It's over."
"Dad?"
"Wesley, listen to me. There's no time to explain everything. You have to get out of here quickly," said Locutus, sitting up.
"What about you? Why don't you come with me, Dad?" said Wesley, helping his father to get up.
"I can't. I died a long time ago, remember? I did many terrible things."
"No, please. Dad, don't say that. I-I'm sorry about what I said earlier-"
"No . no, you were right," said Darth Locutus approached a computer console and began a punching in some command codes.
"You were under the influence of the Emperor-"
"Self-destruct sequence in ten minutes," announced the computer.
"Take the turbolift to Level 50, section Alpha. There you will find numerous shuttlepods. Now go!"
"I'm not leaving without you!"
"Wesley, I made a mistake, a terrible mistake, a long time ago. I lost you and your mother. I don't want to lose you a second time. At least I will have the comfort of knowing that you'll live on. Please leave."
"Dad ."
"You haven't got much time, son," said Darth Locutus, or Captain Jean-Luc Picard, as he was known. "It's all right, Wesley. The galaxy is free once again. The Empire is dead now. Go back to your friends. Your sister most likely awaits you."
"My sister?" said Wesley, confused. "But I'm your only child."
"Your mother and I didn't tell you about Princess Deanna. You see," explained the elder Picard, "when I was younger, I had a brief affair with Princess Lwaxana during a diplomatic mission to Betazed Prime. Wesley, Deanna is your half-sister."
"Deanna? But . does she know-She hasn't said anything to me since we met."
"She may or may not know, Wesley. That's why you have to go to her. Wesley, she's the only family you have left."
Emperor Tiberius started to regain his consciousness and observed the two men talking from a distance. He slowly aimed his photonic blaster at Wesley and fired. Darth sensed the danger and pushed Wesley out of the way.
"Look out!"
The blast hit the older Picard in the back. Wesley grabbed his hand phaser and vaporized the evil Emperor's body.
"Dad! No!"
"Wes . ley," Darth Locutus gasped. "F-Forgive . me, my son, for-"
"Dad."
With that, Darth Locutus, former Starfleet officer who led the vicious Borg Fleet of the Galactic Empire, perished.
Wesley held his dead father in his arms for the last time. He quickly exited the chamber. The hallway was filled with insensate and disoriented Borg drones walking aimlessly or standing with blank expressions on their faces.
"Where's the turbolift? I need to get to the hangar bay quickly!" he asked one of the Borg drones, who failed to respond.
He found a turbolift and quickly made his way to Level 50, Section Alpha.
"Self-destruct in 30 seconds," announced the computer.
Wesley quickly hopped into one of the shuttlepods and departed the prototype mother ship that was the Destroyer. Seconds later the massive moon-size imperial ship was destroyed in a spectacle of light, debris flying in every direction.
"Goodbye, Father," said Wesley as he watched the explosion from a distance.
The following day, the Alliance and the formerly conquered worlds of the Empire celebrated in their victory. Planets, lunar settlements, asteroid colonies, space stations rejoiced. The Borg Fleet was history. There had already been talk of establishing a provisional government to restore the old Insterstellar Federation as well as Starfleet. Many Alliance officials, including former Admiral Spock had agreed to meet and discuss the new era of freedom and democracy, for the age of darkness and tyranny was no more.
For Wesley Picard, William Riker, Princess Deanna Troi, Worf, Data, and so many other people in the galaxy, it was a new beginning-a time to heal and a time to rebuild. A new era was dawning. The rebirth of the Federation and of Starfleet had come.
"Deanna," said Wesley as he was reunited with the sister he didn't know he had.
"What is it, Wes?"
"There's something I have to tell you ."
The End
2295 - Kirk retires from Starfleet and begins his career as a politician in the Federation Council.
2296 - Spock is promoted to Admiral and retains command of the USS Enterprise-A.
2300 - The Klingon Empire and Romulan Star Empire join the Interstellar Federation of Planets.
2305 - Kirk is elected Vice President of the Federation; Jean-Luc Picard is born in La Barre, France on Earth.
2315 - Beverly Howard is born in Copernicus City, Luna.
2323 - Picard enters Starfleet Academy.
2327 - Picard graduates from Starfleet Academy and serves on board the USS Enterprise-B under Admiral Spock's command.
2333 - Beverly Howard enters Starfleet Academy.
2335 - William Thomas Riker is born in Valdez, Alaska on Earth. Dr. Noonian Soong finishes creating the android Data.
2336 - Deanna Troi is born on Betazed.
2340 - Worf is born on Qo'NoS, the Klingon Homeworld.
2341 - Beverly graduates with a medical degree from Starfleet Academy; Picard and Howard accept posts aboard the USS Stargazer.
2345 - Jean-Luc and Beverly marry.
2349 - Beverly gives birth to Wesley Picard on the planet Caldos, a Federation colony.
2351 - Corruption and sectionalism become rampant in the Federation Council. President Sarek of Vulcan is replaced by James T. Kirk.
2352 - Relations between the Klingons and the Romulans begin to sour; Qo'NoS and Romulus leave the Federation. War erupts between the Klingon and Romulan empires.
2353 - William Riker and Data enter Starfleet Academy. Many planetary governments-Bajor, Cardassia, Benzar, Ferenginar, Bolarus--threaten to secede from the Federation amidst internal conflict and corruption.
2354 - Princess Deanna Troi begins serving in the Fifth House of Betazed. Betazed, Bolarus, Ferenginar, Bajor, Cardassia, Benzar, Nausicaa, Breen and many other planetary governments officially secede from the Federation.
2355 - Spock retires from Starfleet and retreats to Vulcan. The Interstellar Federation begins to fall apart as more planetary governments officially secede from the Federation. A war erupts between the Federation (led by Earth, Vulcan, Andoria, Tellar, Orion, Tholia, and Rigel) and the separatist movement (led by Betazed, Bolarus, Ferenginar, Bajor, Cardassia, Benzar, Nausicaa, Trill, and many others.) The Romulans and the Klingons continue their war and declare neutrality during the Federation Civil War.
2356 to 2378 - Height of the Empire-Alliance War, also known as the "Borg War." Many Alliance planets (Betazed, Trill, Ocampa, Rinax, Cardassia, Bajor) and non-aligned worlds (Dominion, Kazon Union, Hirogen Alliance, Vidiian Sodality) fall under control of the Galactic Empire. Empire continues to assimilate hundreds of worlds and billions of people across the galaxy.
2356 - Picard is promoted to Fleet Captain. In a bold attempt to mobilize the fleet, President Kirk signs Executive Order #1260, the Federation Defense Act, creating more powerful warships and implementing a program to enhance performance of Fleet officers with the use of cybernetic body implants. Many Starfleet officers and cadets (including William Riker and Data) refuse to undergo the transition; they either voluntarily resign their commissions or are discharged from service.
2357 - The Interstellar Federation collapses. With the aid of his "cyborg" sentinels, semi-organic and semi-mechanical beings, President Kirk dissolves the Federation Council, nullifies the Stellar Constitution, and proclaims himself emperor (taking on the name Emperor Tiberius) of the new Galactic Empire. Fleet Captain Picard undergoes procedures for cybernetic enhancements and is appointed head of the new Borg Fleet. He is given the name "Darth (Lord) Locutus" and is given command of a prototype Borg warship called the Destroyer. The separatist movement, known as the Freedom Alliance, continues to fight a losing battle. Riker and Troi join the Alliance.
2358 - Acting under direct orders from Emperor Tiberius, Darth Locutus begins the "assimilation" of all Empire citizens and residents, who are subjected to undergo cybernetic implantation. Tiberius' scientists completes building the "Borg Vinculum," a supercomputer that links all the cyborgs to form a collective mentality and subjects them to mind control. Beverly and Wesley Picard flee the Empire and defect to the Alliance.
2360 - The Borg Fleet begins invading Klingon and Romulan space. Klingon Empire and Romulan Star Empire sign a temporary peace treaty. Alliance recruits the help of the Romulans and the Klingons.
2361 - The governments of Qo'NoS and Romulus officially declare war on the Galactic Empire and join the Freedom Alliance. Worf of Qo'NoS meets William Riker, Deanna Troi, and other Alliance fighters.
2365 - Beverly Picard is killed in a Borg raid.
2367 - Wesley Picard undergoes combat training and becomes an apprentice to former Admiral Spock, now a senior member of the resistance movement.
2368 - Data develops an invasive programming sequence to disrupt the Borg Fleet's hive mind, but only temporarily. The Empire quickly finds a way to adapt and counteract the devastating effects of the virus program.
2370 - Alliance scientists continue the research and development of effective weapons and defenses against the Empire's Borg Fleet, including multi-phasic shielding and transphasic torpedoes.
2374 - Alliance doctors, led by Katherine Pulaski and Herman Zimmerman begin research on a neurolytic pathogen that could infect the Borg Fleet.
2377 - Battle of Sector 001. Alliance forces cause the massive destruction of Borg shipyards near the Jupiter Station. Wesley Picard is captured and brought before Emperor Tiberius and Darth Locutus. Alliance forces led by William Riker, Princess Deanna, Data, and Worf raid the base on Mars, the primary source of energy in the Empire and the location of the Borg Vinculum. Alliance forces begin the use of neurolytic pathogens on the Borg Fleet, which affect both the biological and technological functions of Borg drones.
Escorted by several Borg drones, including his own father, Darth Locutus, Wesley Picard entered a large chamber that was the private office of Emperor Tiberius, the all-power ruler of the Galactic Empire. Wesley, aboard the imperial prototype warship known as the Destroyer, couldn't help noticing the most prominent features of the chamber-the transparent aluminum windows that provided a panoramic view of space. The Emperor's executive desk, placed on an elevated platform, was just a few meters away from the window, and the Emperor smiled as he saw the on-going battle between the Borg Fleet and the Alliance forces from a distance. Tiberius turned to greet Wesley in a sinister voice as he descended from his executive platform.
"Greetings, young Picard," said the Emperor. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you."
"You'll have to excuse me if I don't share your enthusiasm," replied Wesley.
Darth Locutus glared disapprovingly at Wesley, his left eye and occular implant piercing through the young rebel's soul. Locutus' look had that effect, as though his stare alone could kill.
"Show some respect to the Emperor, you rebel bastard!" exclaimed Annika Hansen, a cyborg bounty hunter who helped capture Wesley Picard. She aimed her photon blaster, attached to her left cybernetic arm, right in front of Wesley's face. Wesley gave the bounty hunter a dispassionate look.
"Enough!" said Emperor Tiberius. "Hansen, you and the guards may leave. You have done a great service to the Empire today."
With that, Hansen and the other Borg drones exited the chamber.
"So, Mr. Picard, I've heard so much about you from your father here," continued Tiberius, a man in his 140s. His imperial garments were similar to the black jumpsuits worn by the Borg drones except that he had a cape on. Cybernetic implants were grafted to his wrinkled face; he wore a black metallic gauntlet equipped with a photonic blaster on his right hand. His left mechanical arm had assimilation tubes that came standard with every Borg drone in the Empire. He had a metallic face plate covering the upper left part of his face, accentuated by an occular implant with infrared light. The technological enhancements seemed to be keeping him strong even for his advanced age. "He has been talking endlessly about you as of late- "
"Just cut to the chase, Tiberius. I know why you've brought me here," said Wesley in a stern voice. "You know damned well that the you're losing this war, and your precious Empire is about to collapse .Ugh!"
Wesley fell on his knees and grasped his neck as he suddenly felt intense pain throughout his body, the pain being generated by the "obedience collar" around his neck. The metallic horseshoe-shaped collar was just one of the highly effective novelties developed and used by the Empire in dealing with the enemy. Who would have thought the Empire would succumb to torture when the Borg Fleet could simply assimilate people into the Collective? The hive mentality was controlled and processed by the supercomputer, the Vinculum, which was directly accessed by and remotely controlled by Emperor Tiberius.
"Insolent fool!" Locutus muttered. "You've got a lot to learn, boy, especially about humility!"
Darth Locutus, with a dispassionate look on his face, looked down on Wesley, who was recovering from the great pain inflicted upon him by the evil Emperor.
"You realize, of course, that you're only alive-still alive-because your father wishes it," continued Tiberius.
Wesley gave Darth Locutus a quizzical look.
"My son, you must join me. Together, you and I will serve the Emperor and bring victory and glory to the Galactic Empire. It's time for us to be reunited."
"Don't call me your son. You're not my father! He's dead as far as I'm concerned. And you're probably more demented than I imagined if you think I'm willing to betray my friends in the Alliance by shifting my loyalties to the Empire. It's not going to happen!"
"But look at your friends, Wesley. Look at them," said Tiberius, who motioned Wesley to look through the transparent aluminum window and watch the space battle between the Empire and the Alliance forces. From a distance, Alliance starships of all shapes and sizes were engaging the distinctively spherical and cubical warships of the Borg Fleet. "They are dying out there . Defeat of the Alliance is inevitable. Surely, you'd like to be on the winning side."
So many of Wesley's friends and colleagues in the Alliance had died fighting the Borg Fleet. Kathryn Janeway, Benjamin Sisko, Tuvok, Chakotay, Julian Bashir, Geordi La Forge, just to mention a few-they were all dead, just as Wesley's mother Beverly had died a few years ago. At this very moment his other friends-Worf, Data, Princess Deanna, and Riker-could be either dead or dying.
Meanwhile, members of the Alliance, led by William Riker, Princess Deanna of Betazed, Worf of Qo'NoS, and the android Data, had broken through the security perimeter of the Command Central, a large facility that housed the Borg Vinculum on Mars. Getting through the fleet of Borg warships was half the battle; landing their ship, the Millennium Falcon, on the planet surface was yet another challenge.
"Where are Tom and B'Elanna?" asked Riker, holding a phaser.
"I'm sorry, Will. They didn't make it. They were killed in the massive explosion at the western power plant," the Betazoid replied.
"We have to hurry," said the large Klingon. "More Borg reinforcement drones are coming this way!"
A few moments later, the four rebels had reached the compound where the Vinculum supercomputer was located. Alarms were sounding off, bodies of Borg drones and Alliance rebels littered the ground, and smoke filled the rooms. The facility was in flames. At the center of the compound there was a large tower, which was a power reactor that looked like a gigantic warp engine. There seemed to be a power reactor in every sector of the Empire that processed and distributed energy throughout a stellar system like Sector 001.
The rebel leaders and their colleagues entered a large building and made their way to the control room. Riker and Data carefully studied the computer array that formed the Vinculum.
"Data, do you think you can access the main computer from this workstation?" asked Riker.
"I will try, Will," responded the android. After a moment he said, "The system seems to be protected by a complex Borg encryption code. It will take some time for me to decipher and bypass the security system before I finally have access to the Vinculum."
"Just do your best, Data," said Princess Deanna encouragingly.
"Riker!" exclaimed a man named Miles O'Brien. "More Borg drones have arrived. They're heading this way!"
"Data, we don't have much time."
Back on the imperial ship, the Destroyer, Wesley momentarily watched the space battle and thought of his friends in the rebel movement.
"I hope they make it," Wesley thought.
"Wesley, I'm asking you as a father. Join me," said Darth Locutus. "End your association with the rebels now, and come back home to the Empire."
"That will never happen! Earth is no longer my home. At least not now, but the fall of the Empire is imminent, and you and the Emperor are doomed. Aaahhh!!!"
Wesley writhed in pain as Emperor Tiberius once again mentally activated the pain collar around Wesley's neck. This time the intensity level was higher.
Darth Locutus looked at Wesley, then at the Emperor.
"Wesley, you must end this suffering," said Darth Locutus.
"Yes, young Wesley, we are giving you a choice!" said the Emperor. "One way or another, you will comply."
When the Alliance started using a bio-engineered virus, a neurolytic pathogen, against the Borg Fleet, the Empire had suffered tremendously. The pathogen affected both the physiological and technological aspects of the drones, rendering them inactive and disrupting their functions, such as communication, regeneration, and assimilation capabilities. The Empire had been unsuccessful in its attempt to counteract the disabling effects of the virus that permanently severed the link of the drones to the hive mind. Only Alliance doctors and scientists who engineered the virus knew of an effective counter-agent, which the Empire had been trying hard to obtain.
However, the virus had to be administered at close range and using direct contact. It had no direct effect on the Vinculum, and it was necessary for the Alliance to destroy the supercomputer. Emperor Tiberius accessed and controlled the supercomputer that enabled him to tap into the Borg Fleet and the hive mentality of the countless citizens of the Empire.
"N-Nooo . I-I'd . r-rather . die!" Wesley uttered.
"That can be arranged!" said Tiberius, increasing the pain intensity level and watching Wesley's body twist in pain.
Wesley struggled to remove the pain collar around his neck, gripping both ends of the horseshoe collar and successfully prying it open. He gasped as he slowly picked himself up, his obsolete gray and black Starfleet uniform drenched in sweat. The combat uniform was given to him by his mentor, former Admiral Spock of Vulcan, who formerly served with James T. Kirk, now known as Emperor Tiberius, many decades ago aboard a Federation starship. Spock, who also mentored Jean-Luc Picard, had trained Wesley well in many areas including combat.
Emperor Tiberius mentally summoned four Borg drones into his chamber. They all pointed their photon blasters at Wesley.
"Now, young Picard, you will die for your arrogance," said the Emperor.
Wesley looked at Darth Locutus and said, "Are you going to let this happen? If you claim to care so much about your own son, are you just going to stand there and watch me suffer and die?"
Darth Locutus was suddenly bombarded with images-memories of his family when he was still a Starfleet officer. He was reminded of the times he shared with his now deceased wife Beverly and their son, young Wesley.
"Jean-Luc, dinner's ready . Jean-Luc, aren't you going to come to bed?"
"Daddy, look what I made in school today!"
"Very nice, Wesley . Wesley . Wesley ."
Tiberius was able to sense Darth's flashbacks. He chuckled and said, "He's appealing to your humanity, Darth Locutus. Unfortunately, you already lost it many years ago."
Wesley continued, "Listen to me! You were once a great Starfleet officer! Now look at you. See what you've become. The Emperor has totally blinded you, and he's been manipulating you for years, all for the sake of power! What has it really gotten you? You've lost your family. You've lost Mom and me. You betrayed everyone you ever loved. You've contributed to the deaths of millions and the enslavement of countless people across the galaxy. If there is one shred of humanity left in you, Father, then I beg of you, come out of the dark side."
Darth Locutus stared at Wesley and glanced at the Emperor.
"Emperor, there must be another way to get the information we need. I will think of another method to get him to cooperate," replied Locutus.
"Are you questioning my authority, Darth?" asked Tiberius.
Back on the Martian surface, Data continued to tap into the Vinculum. Riker, Princess Deanna, and Worf fought the wave of Borg drones that continued to assault the entrance to the compound.
"I've decoded the primary system. Two more subsystems to go," said Data.
"O'Brien, are the detonators in place?" yelled Riker.
"Aye, sir. They've been set to go off in approximately 15 minutes."
"Let's just hope we have that much time to get out of here," Riker replied.
"Will, do we really want to destroy this whole complex?" argued the Betazoid. "We don't know what that the destruction of the Vinculum will do to those who have been assimilated into the Collective. The potential damage has not been fully explored."
"We've had this discussion before. It may be our only hope, Deanna. If Data is unable to shut down the Vinculum, we'll have to destroy it . and this whole power generation complex along with it.
The rebels were starting to become overwhelmed by the Borg drones that continued to press forward.
O'Brien was shot to death by a photon blast.
"Riker to Millennium Falcon! Prepare to transport seven people and get ready for departure any minute!"
"Aye, sir," replied the voice of Harry Kim, a young rebel who piloted the ship, hidden in a volcanic crater.
"Not at all, Emperor. I live only to serve you and the Empire," said Locutus.
"Then you have no objection to having Wesley Picard killed?"
"I believe he would be more useful to us alive than dead," said the Borg commander. "Since he refuses to cooperate, we can assimilate him into the Collective and extract valuable information from him, such as the whereabouts of hidden Alliance bases that could lead us to their scientists, thus ridding us of the threat of the neurolytic virus."
"I am aware of that, Darth," said the Emperor. "For a moment there, I thought you were letting your human side get in the way of your work. Remember, you are a Borg, a servant of the Empire."
"You lost your humanity a long time ago, Emperor, but I know my father hasn't!" Wesley exclaimed. He turned to face his father and said, "Face it, Darth Locutus, you're a human being, flesh and blood, just like me. I am your son, and you're my father. You may have changed, but there's still hope for you to be redeemed. The fact that you wanted to bring me here . suggests that you still feel a family connection between us, a bond that can't be easily broken."
"Oh, please. Don't flatter yourself, young Picard," said Tiberius. "As I said, you're only here because we need information from you, information we will get one way or another!"
"As you wish," Wesley replied, bowing before the Emperor
The young rebel then quickly drew an old, Starfleet-issue, Type II hand phaser-another souvenir from his old Vulcan mentor-hidden inside one of his boots and fired at the two Borg drones in front of him.
"Get him!" yelled the Emperor, scurrying away to his desk for safety.
The two remaining Borg guards fired at Wesley using their photonic blasters, but having been trained well by Master Spock, Wesley easily dodged the blasts as he ran inside the large executive chamber, taking cover behind the Emperor's large computer consoles. He easily incapacitated the remaining Borg guards.
"Darth Locutus, kill him!" yelled the Emperor.
The Borg Fleet commander moved towards Wesley's direction. He did not fire upon his son.
Wesley, on the other hand, was left with no choice but to shoot Darth Locutus. Soon Wesley came to realize that Darth had activated a personal shield system that deflected the blasts made by the Starfleet phaser. Darth overpowered Wesley, twisting his arm and bringing him close to the Emperor.
Emperor Tiberius shook his head and said, "You see? You cannot win, young Picard."
Tiberius raised his left mechanical arm and held it close to Wesley's face, and three injection tubes sprouted from the back of the Emperor's hand, injecting Wesley's neck with nanoprobes.
"Noooo!!!" Wesley screamed.
Data's hands danced across the computer controls, attempting to bypass the Vinculum's security systems.
"One more subsystem, and I will have complete access," he muttered.
"Will, we have 45 seconds until detonation!" said Worf, whose right leg had been shot.
"Data!"
"Stand by!"
The nanoprobes served as the Borg's primary weapons in terms of assimilating humanoid species into the Collective. The assimilated individual usually started to undergo minor physiological changes minutes after he or she had been injected, rendering the body temporarily inactive as well as receptive to the subsequent technical modifications.
"The Alliance cannot triumph over the Empire. You will come to realize that you soon will be a part of us," the Emperor laughed. "Darth, take him to the nearest assimilation chamber to complete-"
Emperor Tiberius gasped.
"Ugh! Hah . W-What's happening?" the Emperor said as he collapsed.
"My lord, are you all right?" said Darth.
"I-It must've been . s-something he . assimilated," said Wesley, who was starting to undergo physiological changes. He was starting to feel his humanity slipping away.
"Nooooo!!! I . I-I can't . hear the voices! The v-voices! They're- they're . fading. Aaaargh!!! W-What . did you do . to me?!?" exclaimed Tiberius. Darth rushed to his side.
"I have successfully bypassed the security system and integrated a computer virus into the Vinculum. Shutdown anticipated within one min-" said Data.
"We've got to get out of here!" Riker exclaimed. "Millennium Falcon, six to beam up now!"
While the transporter beam whisked away the remaining Alliance fighters, a massive explosion engulfed the whole compound, obliterating the Vinculum and the main power reactor. The shockwave nearly intercepted the departing Millennium Falcon, a special Defiant-class starship designed and created by the Alliance to combat the Borg.
"Nooooo!!!" screamed the Emperor as he realized he had completely lost the connection to the Vinculum.
"Aaaaahhh!!!" Darth and Tiberius yelled in pain just as the Vinculum was destroyed and their connection was severed.
Thousands of assimilated species across thousands of stellar systems in the galaxy experienced a brief loss of communication with the Collective when the Vinculum was shut down. Shortly after it was destroyed in the massive explosion at the Command Central compound on Mars, there was a power surge that caused the Collective to go haywire, affecting every drone's neural pathways. The drones of the Borg Fleet were more likely to suffer neural damage than the "citizen drones" who had only minor cybernetic implants forced upon their bodies by the Empire.
Wesley's primary stage of transformation halted.
"We made it! Hahahah!!!" said Riker, sitting in the cockpit of the Millennium Falcon.
"It would appear that my whole attempt to disable the Vinculum had been futile. The whole system would have been destroyed by the explosion in any case," said the android.
"Don't worry, Data. What's important is that we accomplished our mission. Besides, we wanted to terminate people's connections to the hive mind before destroying the Vinculum. Theoretically, just destroying the supercomputer could have done permanent neural damage to those who were linked to the Collective," said Riker.
"I hope Wesley's all right," said Princess Deanna. She always felt close to the young rebel. She felt drawn to him, though not in a romantic way, and was always concerned for his safety to the point of being overprotective sometimes.
"He'll be fine. I'm sure of it," said Riker. Will, who made no attempt to hide his amorous feelings for Deanna, often felt jealous of Wesley
"Qapla!" Worf interjected in his native Klingon language.
As the drones were liberated from the hive mind, Borg ships began to undergo massive systems failure and a series of malfunctions. The Alliance ships took advantage of the opportunity to destroy the remaining Borg warships. Klingon battlecruisers, Romulan Warbirds, Bolian starfighters, and Vulcan battleships fired upon the menacing Borg cubes and spheres that now drifted lifelessly in space. The Jupiter Station had been secured, and debris littered the nearby shipyards. Other starbases and space stations- both in the conquered territories and elsewhere in the former Empire-were quickly taken over by Alliance forces. There was virtually nothing left of the Command Central base on the Martian surface. The massive explosion created a whole the size of a volcanic crater.
Wesley Picard picked himself up and slowly approached Darth Locutus' incapacitated body. The Emperor appeared to be either dead or unconscious.
"W-Wesley ." he whispered in a disoriented voice, but he soon overcame the effects of the electrostatic shock he felt as a result of his severance from the Collective . "It's over."
"Dad?"
"Wesley, listen to me. There's no time to explain everything. You have to get out of here quickly," said Locutus, sitting up.
"What about you? Why don't you come with me, Dad?" said Wesley, helping his father to get up.
"I can't. I died a long time ago, remember? I did many terrible things."
"No, please. Dad, don't say that. I-I'm sorry about what I said earlier-"
"No . no, you were right," said Darth Locutus approached a computer console and began a punching in some command codes.
"You were under the influence of the Emperor-"
"Self-destruct sequence in ten minutes," announced the computer.
"Take the turbolift to Level 50, section Alpha. There you will find numerous shuttlepods. Now go!"
"I'm not leaving without you!"
"Wesley, I made a mistake, a terrible mistake, a long time ago. I lost you and your mother. I don't want to lose you a second time. At least I will have the comfort of knowing that you'll live on. Please leave."
"Dad ."
"You haven't got much time, son," said Darth Locutus, or Captain Jean-Luc Picard, as he was known. "It's all right, Wesley. The galaxy is free once again. The Empire is dead now. Go back to your friends. Your sister most likely awaits you."
"My sister?" said Wesley, confused. "But I'm your only child."
"Your mother and I didn't tell you about Princess Deanna. You see," explained the elder Picard, "when I was younger, I had a brief affair with Princess Lwaxana during a diplomatic mission to Betazed Prime. Wesley, Deanna is your half-sister."
"Deanna? But . does she know-She hasn't said anything to me since we met."
"She may or may not know, Wesley. That's why you have to go to her. Wesley, she's the only family you have left."
Emperor Tiberius started to regain his consciousness and observed the two men talking from a distance. He slowly aimed his photonic blaster at Wesley and fired. Darth sensed the danger and pushed Wesley out of the way.
"Look out!"
The blast hit the older Picard in the back. Wesley grabbed his hand phaser and vaporized the evil Emperor's body.
"Dad! No!"
"Wes . ley," Darth Locutus gasped. "F-Forgive . me, my son, for-"
"Dad."
With that, Darth Locutus, former Starfleet officer who led the vicious Borg Fleet of the Galactic Empire, perished.
Wesley held his dead father in his arms for the last time. He quickly exited the chamber. The hallway was filled with insensate and disoriented Borg drones walking aimlessly or standing with blank expressions on their faces.
"Where's the turbolift? I need to get to the hangar bay quickly!" he asked one of the Borg drones, who failed to respond.
He found a turbolift and quickly made his way to Level 50, Section Alpha.
"Self-destruct in 30 seconds," announced the computer.
Wesley quickly hopped into one of the shuttlepods and departed the prototype mother ship that was the Destroyer. Seconds later the massive moon-size imperial ship was destroyed in a spectacle of light, debris flying in every direction.
"Goodbye, Father," said Wesley as he watched the explosion from a distance.
The following day, the Alliance and the formerly conquered worlds of the Empire celebrated in their victory. Planets, lunar settlements, asteroid colonies, space stations rejoiced. The Borg Fleet was history. There had already been talk of establishing a provisional government to restore the old Insterstellar Federation as well as Starfleet. Many Alliance officials, including former Admiral Spock had agreed to meet and discuss the new era of freedom and democracy, for the age of darkness and tyranny was no more.
For Wesley Picard, William Riker, Princess Deanna Troi, Worf, Data, and so many other people in the galaxy, it was a new beginning-a time to heal and a time to rebuild. A new era was dawning. The rebirth of the Federation and of Starfleet had come.
"Deanna," said Wesley as he was reunited with the sister he didn't know he had.
"What is it, Wes?"
"There's something I have to tell you ."
The End