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Sao Paulo-Class tactical escort ISS Relentless, Alcyone system
Captain's Log, Stardate 86785.2. Another dull patrol mission. The offensives against the Klingon/Cardassian Alliance are proceeding well enough that the Emperor thinks we would be useful elsewhere.
Namely, here, where long-range scans detected a large burst of Chroniton and Tachyon Particles some two days ago, and our Emperor wants me to check it out.
I'm commanding a WARSHIP, not a bloody research vessel!
*sigh* Still, I must bide my time. I need to build my power base up further before I can make my move. Soon, though, oh so very soon, I will follow in the footsteps of the First Empire's greatest ruler…
Empress Sato… guide my footsteps as I ascend the path to Empress myself…
The roughly 150 meter long Sao Paulo-Class escort, whose blueprints were recently… acquired by the Empire, flew near the only inhabited planet in the system, searching for whatever produced the readings that sent them to this godforsaken place. "Captain Maxwell, with due respect, I do not believe we are going to find whatever it is Command sent us here to find. We-"
"I quite agree, to be honest," replied the Captain, Hitomi Maxwell, a woman 24 years of age with dark brown hair styled into a ponytail that fell to her waist, violet eyes, and ample… assets. "Command is likely sending us on a wild-goose chase. Still, we have to at least try and search - I'm sure you all know the potential consequences for if we were to have disobeyed orders."
Most of the crew shivered at that. The mildest penalty for disobeying orders was spending time in the Agony Booth. The harshest… didn't really need to be explained.
"Understood, ma'am. continuing search." The Relentless continued her search, all the while unknowing that what they were searching for was in polar orbit, having been there for two days.
Polar orbit
In orbit, hidden by most passive sensors used by all TacEscs, was an older-style Imperial starship. Her yellow markings were bright enough that they should have been visible on sensors, but physics didn't work that way. The ship was a refit Constitution-Class heavy cruiser, her name and registry proudly displayed in black on the light gray hull: ISS Exeter, NCC-1672.
And her crew were waking up.
On the bridge, the vessel's master, Imperial Starfleet Captain Ronald Pinkerton, was getting back onto his seat. Unlike most captains, Pinkerton was highly tolerant of failure, as a dead man could not learn from his mistakes. Unlike most Imperial officers, he had no higher ambitions besides serving the Empire with his abilities. And he was good at what he did. He was a fleetkiller: dozens of starships died by his weapons, and he left few survivors. He had even 'looked into the mirror', so to speak. But that didn't matter. "Report!" He barked.
The dozen or so officers got back to their feet and to their posts as best they could. "Sir, I believe we fell into some kind of wormhole," one officer reported. "We're at Alcyone, and according to the ship's chronometer, we've been unconscious for two days."
"Status on defense systems?" Ron asked.
"All systems online," the Tactical Officer replied. "We-"
The sensors post beeped out a warning, and the science officer walked over to it. "Sir, we're picking up a ship on sensors," the officer reported. "Unknown configuration and it's not displaying a known IFF."
Ron reacted quickly. "Stand to battle stations, but make it look like we're dead," he said. "Lure them to us."
ISS Relentless
They hadn't really seen it until they'd been able to see it visually. But there it was, an ancient Constitution-Class Cruiser from the first Empire. A refit version, at that. And it looked perfectly intact, if inert.
"Amazing," Hitomi breathed as she looked upon the hull. "It looks… pristine… Sensors, any idea what might have happened to it?"
"I'm not sure: the polar magnetic field is still interfering with our sensors," they reported. "But it's odd: I'm not detecting any damage to it. No meteor impacts, nothing. It's as if the ship just left the yard. In fact, I think we could put the ship back into service."
"Lock a tractor beam onto it and prepare to beam over repair teams," Hitomi ordered, smiling at the boon presented to her. "We reclaim this ship in the name of the Empire."
The Relentless locked a tractor beam onto the Constitution, bringing it closer to them. Exactly what they didn't need. "Captain, I'm picking up a power surge!" The warning from the Sensor Operator came too little, too late as the Constitution opened fire with her phaser banks, hitting the port nacelle and the deflector, knocking out the Relentless' shield generator.
"Looks like someone else got to it first!" Hitomi remarked. "Open fire - aim to disable!"
The Relentless fired her pulse cannons at the Constitution, but unlike the Relentless, the Constitution, which Hitomi idly saw was named the ISS Exeter, (a name that sounded familiar) had performed an Alpha strike with that stunt, and halved the power to the Sao Paulo's energy weapons by knocking out the port nacelle, and the Exeter still had her shields. The Exeter engaged her impulse engines, banking 45 degrees to port in the doing, exposing most 23rd Century captains' worst nightmares: the three phaser banks, all aimed at the Relentless. Hitomi realized what was going to happen.
"They're going to broadside us!" she shouted. "Evasive maneuvers!"
The Relentless fired her engines, but the gunner on the Exeter was good at his job. The three phaser banks fired, finding their target, but due to the ablative armor, not doing the heaviest damage. Still, the Relentless had lost power to her aft torpedo launchers, and couldn't fire her deadly quantum torpedoes. She was forced to fight back with her meeger beam armament: two phaser arrays, dorsal and ventral. The Exeter, meanwhile, had turned to face the escort before firing her most dangerous weapons: four Mk VI photon torpedoes, all at the Relentless' starboard nacelle.
Two missed, but only barely, but the ship was rocked as the other two slammed into the nacelle. "Damage report!" Hitomi barked.
"Weapons are down, warp drive is offline, and sublight engines are useless! We're dead in the water!"
The communications console beeped. "We're being hailed."
"Onscreen," Hitomi ordered. "Let's see just who we're dealing with."
The face of their opponent appeared, and it was not what they were expecting. They were thinking maybe pirates or Alliance. Instead, they faced men and women of the dominant races of the old Empire - humans, Vulcans and Andorians - wearing the red and black uniforms of the original Terran Empire. "This is Captain Ronald Pinkerton of the Imperial Starship Exeter to the unidentified vessel. You are beaten, and your ship will be taken to the closest Imperial starbase. Cooperate and I will argue for leniency. Resist, and I will kill all of you."
Hitomi was startled. Captain Pinkerton? But he'd disappeared 116 years ago! 'Apparently he got pulled through time,' she thought. "This is Captain Hitomi Maxwell, of the Imperial Starship Relentless," she replied, causing a shocked look to appear on Ron's face. "I… doubt that there are any Imperial Starbases where you remember them, Captain Pinkerton. It's… you've been missing for a long time."
Ron's face twisted into a scowl. "Captain, I will need access to your database," he said. "In the meantime, please come aboard my vessel. I wish to apologize to you in person, and I will send damage control teams to your ship to help you repair it."
"I understand," Hitomi said. Something told her this would pay off even more than she was originally hoping. "I will be there shortly, and I will bring a datachip with our database on it."
"I'll see you there, Captain," Ron said, and the transmission ended, returning the dominating image of the Exeter to the screen.
"XO, you have the Bridge," she said as she stood from her chair, heading to leave the Bridge. "Alert the transporter room to prepare for my arrival, and have the engineering teams prepare to assist the teams coming from the Exeter - I'd imagine they'll need to be instructed in how to repair 25th Century Technology."
"Aye, Captain," her First Officer replied as she left the Bridge.
First was a stop by her ready room, to download the database into an isolinear chip, and maybe grab a PADD, in case they didn't have Isolinear Chip Readers - they had been a rather new technology back in Ron's time, after all.
And then it was over to the Transporter Room, to beam over to a meeting with a literal living legend.
ISS Exeter, Transporter Room
The transporter room was one of the few things on the Exeter Ron did not trust anyone to operate. There were too many ways to make 'accidents' with them. He trusted his transporter operators with his life (success was rewarded, and Ron rewarded well, and he punished those who purposefully fucked up with anything short of the booth and death) but with other captains? Fuck no. He beamed them over personally. He engaged the unit, and Hitomi was beamed over within 8 seconds. Three slower then she was used to, but you don't argue with the classics. "Captain Maxwell, welcome aboard the Exeter."
"Thank you, Captain Pinkerton," Hitomi replied. She held up the Isolinear Chip and the PADD. "This Isolinear Data Chip contains a copy of my database - I know these were a rather new technology back in your time, so in case your computers weren't upgraded to use them, I brought along something that can use them."
Ron gingerly took the chip out of her hand. "These didn't exist back in my century," he said. "But I think we can get this little thing to work with duotronics. Please follow me: I have a meal being prepared for us on deck 9. Consider it part of the apology I have to give you for damaging your ship."
Hitomi nodded. "That would be good, and I'd imagine we do have a lot to talk about," she said. "However, let me just say right now that if you were entertaining any notions of it continuing into, say, the bedroom, don't - I don't swing that way."
"Captain, I had no intention of doing that," Ron replied with the shake of his head. "I'm not an idiot. Besides, I already have someone. It's part of my rule to captains of the Imperial Starfleet that I beat the living shit out of: give them a good meal. It makes you extremely hard to dislike, and thus less eligible for assassination."
"Alright," Hitomi replied. "Just so we're clear." She then looked at him. "So, first, a question: Do you have a guess as to just when you are?"
"I assume the late 24th Century at least, judging by your ship's design," Ron replied. "It's nothing that I've ever seen, and I have seen quite a bit in my career in the Imperial Starfleet."
"It is actually the year 2409," Hitomi replied. "The early 25th Century. And, I have to be honest, here, the… the Empire you know fell shortly after you disappeared. I am an officer in the Second Terran Imperial Starfleet."
Ron actually stopped moving before turning his gaze onto her. Needless to say, having him glare at you was not something you wanted. "Captain, you had best explain how the Empire fell before I lose what patience I have left. I do not wish to do something unbecoming."
And so she did. She explained what she had read from the history books, about Emperor Spock, and his 'reforms', and how this led to the collapse of the First Terran Empire, and how the Klingon/Cardassian Alliance had come in and conquered everything, before detailing the resistance that had begun in the 2370's, leading into the formation of the Second Empire with the reclaiming of Terra some ten or so years ago.
"I see. Did history tell you how the resistance got started, or how Spock got his ideas for his 'reforms'?" It was clear Ron had a theory, but he needed information from Hitomi to confirm it.
"Not much is mentioned about where Spock's ideas for reform came from," she informed. "However, the resistance first got started after a pair of individuals from another universe blundered into ours thanks to a malfunction on their ship as it passed through a wormhole. The man who lead the resistance started it because he'd learned that somewhere humans weren't subservient, though he died shortly thereafter, and his second, who went by 'Smiley' took it up, acquiring assistance from this other universe on two separate occasions, and stealing schematics from that universe that allowed them to build the predecessor to my ship."
"I fucking KNEW it." Ron growled out. "Captain, that universe is directly responsible for the fall of the Empire. In 2267, the ISS Enterprise NCC-1701 was on a mission to conquer a world to gain access to its' dilithium. An ion storm caused four people, including Kirk himself, to become transposed."
"Transposed?" Hitomi asked. "You mean, they had counterparts in this other universe, and they switched places?"
"From the USS Enterprise NCC-1701. Same class, same everything except for her mission and the nation she served. They served the United Federation of Planets-" Ron spit on the deck to show his disgust for the UFP. "An alliance of peace loving pacifists! They only had one real warrior among them."
Hitomi's eyes narrowed. "So… Spock talked with their Kirk, and the concepts of their Federation were the basis for his 'reforms'?"
"Yes. The bastard kept quiet for 16 years, serving as first officer on the Enterprise without anyone noticing. Then I met the only Federation captain who could give me trouble."
"And who was that?" Hitomi asked, honestly curious as to who could give a Fleet Killer like Ron trouble.
"Me. Or at least, my counterpart from their universe: Captain Ronald Pinkerton of the USS Exeter, NCC-1672."
"I see," Hitomi replied. "Let me guess - he's as much a Fleet Killer as you are?" It seemed about the only way to explain it.
"He was amazing. Two Exeters facing each other in combat, with the Enterprise and the Reliant assisting me to take him down. But he LIVED. That showed me that they had something that could save them."
"I see," Hitomi replied. "I get the feeling that Spock waited for you to disappear before he made his move. Despite how misguided he was, he was certainly a true Imperial in terms of patience and the ability to seize on an opportunity." She chuckled. "A bit like my own role model, only she didn't bring down the Empire."
"He became commander of the fleet after Kirk disappeared. And then he sent me on a mission to the edge of Imperial space. I encountered a ship, geometric in design, and I nearly destroyed it. After the ship went critical, we fell unconscious. The next thing I know, I'm waking up, preparing for battle." At that, they arrived at the turbolift that would take them to deck 9.
"I see," Hitomi replied. "Perhaps he knew what you would face, and hoped you would die, and when you disappeared, he believed you were dead, and made his move." She chuckled again. "Definitely a brilliant move, only outshone by what my role model did, and that because she succeeded in not just claiming power, but in bringing the First Empire to glory."
Ron glanced at her as they stepped inside the lift. "Perhaps you can tell me more over dinner." The doors closed.
The next day
ISS Relentless, Bridge
Hitomi settled into the Captain's chair of her ship again, preparing to contact Command and inform them of the discovery she had found.
Of course, she would not tell them everything - such as how she had informed Ron of her ambitions, and how he had agreed to support her in her quest to become Empress - but they still needed to know that he was alive, at least. "Communications, are we ready to call Command?"
"Yes, ma'am: all repairs are complete. At least until we have to put in to port. Say what you will about the Captain, but he knows how to beat the shit out of a ship."
"That's for sure - of course, that's why they call him a Fleet Killer," she remarked. "Alright, open a channel."
"Connection established." The face of the local fleet commander, a man by the name of Louis Andersen, appeared on the screen.
"Report, Captain," he said. "The Emperor has been waiting, and both our heads are on the chopping block this time."
"We found something here all right, Admiral," Hitomi replied. "Something we weren't expecting - a First Imperial Constitution-Class Cruiser, intact, pristine, and apparently having time-traveled."
"So? A relic from the 23rd Century isn't going to-"
"It's the ISS Exeter, the ship that went missing just before the fall of the First Empire," Hitomi informed. "Commanded by none other than the Fleet Killer himself, and still very much alive."
Andersen paled. "Pinkerton? Good God, this is a windfall, Maxwell. Tell me what happened. The status of your ship?"
"Damaged a bit - when we first found him, he was only just waking up, and Second Imperial IFFs are apparently different enough from First Imperial IFFs that he didn't recognize our ship."
"I get the feeling you're understating this, Captain," Anderson replied. "I know what Pinkerton is capable of. He wrecked your ship badly enough that you couldn't tell me that you'd found him until now. Report to the nearest starbase as soon as possible, and bring your new commanding officer with you. Long live the Empire."
"Long live the Empire," Hitomi replied, before the channel cut out. She then let out a small smile as she whispered a variation of that phrase, one she had begun saying when she realized that with Ron's help, her dreams were almost within her grasp…
"Long live my Empire…"
Ron the True Fan: Well, that explains how Dark Ron met the lady who practically became his evil stepdaughter.
Takeshi Yamato: Yep.
117Jorn: Uh-huh.
Ron the True Fan: Well, you'll have to wait for the next one, people: we've got other fics to work on. Enjoy!