Chapter 10: The Last of the War Emperors
It had been ages since James Tiberius Kirk had been able to walk around. Not even to mention the much longer time since he could walk around without having both his own men and the men of other officers shadowing him. The former to protect him, the latter to keep an eye for any mistake they could take advantage of. The Empire had not reached Cardassian space during the time he was Emperor. But, the little information he'd been able to obtain mentioned some recent unpleasantness between the two Alpha Quadrant super-powers.
His walk was ever so stiff. According to what little he did know, it had been almost eighty years since he had been put in cold storage. That was a long time, but what had happened since then? Wars seemed to still be happening, so that was good.
There was a knock at the door, and he straightened as much as his stiff back would allow. Well, it was actually the bending that was the problem. Even in stasis, the muscles got stiff and sore. Even with almost a week having gone by, he wasn't able to do much more then two or three inches in any direction.
"Come," he said, his voice still a little rusty from inuse.
The door opened and a human stepped into the room. The man was elderly, with a balding head of grey hair. They stood roughly the same height, but the man was a bit out of shape. Had Kirk been at his prime, he could have easily beaten the man. But this wasn't the best he had been in, and he'd have been worsted. The man wore a black uniform with grey shoulder pads, wearing the Terran Imperial logo on his right breast. He wore small metal discs on his collar, and he wondered what they were for.
"James Tiberius Kirk," the man smiled, clapping his hands together, "A legend come to life."
"You will address me by my title," Kirk snapped, "I am Emperor Tiberius Kirk. Once an Emperor, always an Emperor. And you shall observe the niceties."
"I'm afraid you aren't in any position to demand anything," the man reminded him firmly, "This is a different time. The Empire is not what it once was. And neither are you."
Kirk couldn't argue it, although he wanted to. This was as alien as anything he'd ever come across. Perhaps the closest anything came was his time in the alternate universe. With the weaklings that inhabited it. Their "glorious" Federation where everyone was equal. The strong ruled. That was the point behind everything.
"I assume you have a lot of questions," he said, "I am Admiral Erik Pressman."
"I assume you are the military governor of the Empire's conquered Cardassian territories," Kirk said with a stiff smile.
Pressman snorted. "The Empire does not stretch this far," he assured him, "In fact, the Empire returned all Cardassian territories lost during the late Cardassian War."
Kirk frowned. "Then if you are not in charge," he asked, "What are you doing here?"
"I am currently leading a union of Gorn and Bree against the Terran Empire," Pressman said, "Or I should say, the current ruler."
"Traitor!" Kirk barked, although it was weak, "I'd skin you alive if I could. I assume the old traditions for torture are still in place."
Pressman sighed and pushed himself up onto a table. He looked at Kirk as a parent did an impatient child. It infuriated Kirk to no end to see him sit so smug. What gave him the right to act such? James Tiberius Kirk was Emperor! No matter what anyone said.
"It's a long tale," Pressman said.
"You better start talking then," Kirk growled, pushing himself up to sit on the bed.
"After you were overthrown by Spock," Pressman said, "He put you in cold storage. As soon as you were out of sight and out of mind, he advocated a change in Imperial Policy."
"What?" Kirk frowned.
"He advocated the Imperial forces take a defensive posture," Pressman continued.
"WHAT?!" Kirk bellowed, "What was he thinking?"
"He convinced the military to discontinue the booths and other more dramatic forms of punishment," he said, "And he even began a program of allowing worlds not part of the powers you conquered to join of their own free will and become buffer zones. You could call them satellite nations to the Terran Empire proper."
"Spock was always a sentimental fool," Kirk shook his head, "I assume he was overthrown?"
"Actually the changes grabbed hold over the people," Pressman shrugged, "Especially when he lowered taxes by twenty-five percent and allowed the Klingons and Romulans to continue using their own ships in the Imperial forces. He began the successive reign of the Good Emperors or the Alien Emperors as they are more commonly refereed as."
"How many of these peace loving fools have reigned?" Kirk asked. The whole idea of peace loving aliens as Caesar turned his stomach something fierce.
"After Spock died, his brother Sybok ruled for ten years as a religious fanatic," Pressman said, "And then two Talokians have sat on the throne; both female. During the reign of the mother, I was imprisoned for doing illegal experiments with cloaking technology."
Kirk snorted. "That's no crime," he said, "Not when I was in charge."
"You are not in charge," Pressman reminded him.
"So what is the state of the Empire now?" Kirk asked, "Why was I unfrozen?"
Pressman sighed. "The Empress was assassinated by Cardassians and the Empire went to war against them," he explained, "But after making great headway, a new power attacked us from the Gamma Quadrant. The Dominion. The new Empress, Mallor, was nearly killed in the first major action, trying to retake one of the Empire's provinces. She was put into a coma, and a human Captain called William Riker used it as a pretense of taking over the government. He's a usurper and the Empress is still alive. The Dominion is being held at bay, but I have vowed to return the Empress Mallor to her throne. That's why I have united these nations together to oppose Riker."
"Why do you need me?" Kirk asked, crossing his arms, "You seem to be doing quiet nicely."
"You are one of the most brilliant tactical minds in Imperial history," Pressman said, "And Riker has been called 'the modern Tiberius'. We need your mind to overthrow him."
Kirk threw back his head and laughed. It had been so long since he had laughed that it hurt him after only a few chortles. But, it was enough for his point. Pride would not allow him to let this pretender to the throne go unanswered. But...at the same time, the Empire had become weak. Ruled by leaders who believed peace was the way.
Bah! Great men were conquerors. Not peace-makers.
"I'll do it," he said, "But I will kill you before the end."
"Oh?" Pressman asked amused, "And why's that?"
"I have always hated traitors," he replied, to which Pressman laughed in his own stead.