Wild Space
Iskadrell
Three Days Later

A fleet of Republic/Federation/Klingon/Romulan ships emerged from hyperspace, entering what was believed to be Iskalloni space, armed and ready for battle. They were under orders from the Supreme Chancellor and Milky Way Command to enter Iskalloni space and test their strength as a threat to the galaxy. The Republic of this fleet was under the direct commander of Commander Thrawn who was experienced with the Milky Way and was given this mission as a test his skills.

Or possible because he was expendable.

Therefore it came as a small relief along with surprise that upon Iskalloni space they wrecks of multiple ships as they moved deeper into Iskalloni territory. They made sure to scavenge what they could from the wreckage while looking for answers on who could have attacked them.

"Has there been any progress, captain?" Thrawn asked, staring out the window.

"We've looked over the wreckage thoroughly, Commander. The weapon signatures do not match anything we have in our database, not even Borg. Whatever did this, it's not anything we've come across." The clone answered.

Thrawn closed his eyes. "The Iskalloni have been attacked but by a new enemy…Or perhaps one we have encountered."

"Sir?" The clone captain questioned.

"Continue moving forward and I want active scanning." Thrawn dismissed the clone's question.

The fleet continued, even coming close to the Iskalloni home world which should have been avoided but the fleet continued and they found more wreckage of Iskalloni ships. It was obvious that whoever the Iskalloni fought they won. The cybernetic race lost by a landslide as the Iskalloni homeworld came into view, looking utterly devastated.

"Take as much as we can and then set course for Geonosis. Tell the Milky Way ships they are free to return to their portal or Coruscant." Thrawn said, taking in the information they had found.

The Iskalloni had been defeated by an unknown enemy but the wreckage from their ships which utilized bio-technology and were advanced as the Borg would go a long way to upgrading and enhancing the Republic fleet. Of course they would make sure the remnants would not somehow come alive and infect them like Borg technology was capable of according to Starfleet. With this new technology they would be stronger and more powerful which was needed in light of recent events surrounding the Milky Way Galaxy. If Thrawn was right then the mysterious enemy that destroyed the Iskalloni were the same ones who commanded the aliens that had captured him and had built the mysterious but powerful gateway technology.

The Iconians.

Arkanis Sector
Geonosis System
Geonosis

Admiral Tarkin watched in admiration of the giant construct the size of a moon surrounded by hundreds of ships over the Geonosian homeworld, being built by thousands up thousands of the bugs. The skeleton frame was nearly completed but was still a long way from being operational. The system was completely locked down to make sure no one entered see the massive station still under construction. Geonosians, construction and worker droids, clones that been put into maintenance work and workers supplied through secret channels were at work 24/7 to build possibly the largest space station to exist in the universe.

But it was not going fast enough.

That was why the Chancellor appointed Tarkin as head of the project who was free to supervise the project in any way desired. And right now Tarkin needed more workers to speed up the construction and the Chancellor promised more workers immediately. Tarkin only grinned as he imagined the station complete, acting as the ultimate form of power in the universe. If only it was finished now the Separatists and any other threats lurking out there would be utterly eliminated instantly.

This station would become the living incarnation of what Tarkin imagined as the future.

The ultimate enforcer which would keep any rebels in line through the only method that worked.

Fear.

Tarkin grinned as he watched the construction, unable to wait for the day he would first walk across the decks of the Ultimate Weapon. That however was just the beginning. There were other threats than just the Separatists and were possibly more dangerous than a band of alien rebels. Tarkin had already submitted several plans for the creation of a secret army and fleet while memorizing all information in the Unknown Regions provided by Thrawn.

The Weapon remained at Geonosis simply to gather the necessary resources before it would be moved to a more secure location. While being moved Tarkin planned to create a secret fleet to protect the weapon and build up an army to be prepared against any of the Republic's enemies. Already Rothana and Kuat Drive Shipyards were producing at a hundred percent because of the war but Tarkin knew of a dozen corporations in the galaxy with scientists and engineers he could find and bribe with the right promise to take part in the project. Already he had contacted the top designers from Republic Siener Systems, Rendili Stardrives, Rothana Heavy Engineering, Corellian Engineering Corporation, and even made contact with smaller corporations such as MandalTech, MandalMotors and Mandal Hypernautics that had suffered a decline because of Duchess Satine's policies.

It was surprisingly easy to convince them send their top designers without Satine even knowing which was not surprising in the slightest. Oh well, it was Satine's loss and Tarkin's gain. In addition to that designers, engineers, and scientists from Blastech Industries, Trilon Inc, Athakam Medtech, Crozo Industrial, CoMar Combat Systems, Chedak Communications, Mer-Sonn Munitions Inc, Cybot Galactica, Genetech Corporation, Industrial Automaton and even survivors from Theed Engineering that had survived the Borg attack on Naboo that wanted to help protect their planet from anymore threats and even a band of Kaminoans with the Jango Fett genetic material needed to create clones were part of the project. The purpose of this joint venture would be the creation of the most advanced force in the galaxy.

Tarkin mused that the reason the Federation was so advanced was because it employed the scientific minds of thousands of thousands of people from its multi-planetary alliance and so Tarkin planned to model this new force after the Federation in a way. They would analyze the information on the Borg, the Iskalloni, the Undine and any other enemies in the Milky Way supplied to them from either the Federation or from the remains of the Iskalloni and few Borg ships that had been destroyed in the last few encounters. Every day would be devoted to building, designing, and creating a fleet powerful enough to equal and perhaps surpass the technology of the Milky Way at its peak. Basic information on Federation and Klingon technology was provided and even if work was slow Tarkin predicted they would advance faster than either the Republic or the Separatists quickly in just one year.

They would concentrate on communications, medical research, weaponry, sensor, shielding, cybernetics, and so much more. So many theories that were put aside because of issues like money or simply because they were considered useless and too expensive due to pathetic bureaucracies would be given the chance to florish where they were going. Plans for numerous shipyards, bases, and research facilities would be built in the few systems that had been charted and kept hidden from public eyes were made and the resources already on their way with thousands of workers and construction droids. A great many people signed on simply to leave the devastation of the Clone Wars and they were convinced by the idea of colonizing new worlds far from the war, thus making it safe for their families.

It was surprising how many civilians volunteered, numbering in near thousands that all had experience in one job or another that could contribute to the project. Tarkin believed that this secret force would be perfect for use against the Separatists depending on how long the war might last but the point of this project was to develop far from the eyes of anymore potential enemies, including the ones from another galaxy.

Perhaps Tarkin should call this Project: Enterprise considering the history of the famous starship of the Federation.

Of course that was not the only plan to advance the Republic. The Chancellor was making requests to send scientists and troopers to the massive constructs known as Dyson Spheres to examine the technology. After all if the Iconians were advanced enough to build a massive sphere meant to hold a star that made the knowledge hidden in those spheres invaluable. Perhaps they could learn how to build an ever larger weapon with a star as its power source which would make the Republic the most powerful force in the universe.

This would ensure the safety and order of the galaxy which was threatened each and every day by the Separatists and the unknown enemies in the Milky Way.

"Hyperspace contacts, sir. Security codes confirm them to be Admiral Thawn's taskforce. Admiral Thrawn's ship is opening a channel. Priority One."

"Accept the transmission." Tarkin replied.

If Thrawn was back so soon he either was forced out of Iskalloni space, he was victorious, or something else happened.

Coruscant
Senate Building
Chancellor's Officer

"The Iskalloni homeworld was devastated. There is little life left and it is below the surface. The remaining Iskalloni are struggling now to survive but with the civilization in ruins it will be centuries before they fully recover on their own." Thrawn explained.

Palpatine frowned. "Did you identify the attackers?"

"There was nothing left we could use to identify whoever attacked. However I believe that it was the Iconians who were behind the assault. The ability to open portals to any corner in the universe for ships and armies would lead to complete surprise and near total domination in battle. For whatever reason the Iconians are the most likely suspects."

"Any reason why they would destroy the Iskalloni?" Palpatine questioned curiously.

"Perhaps they do not wish to see either galaxy dominated by the Borg or the Iskalloni. Thus they eliminated one threat before it interfered with their plans. My fleet collected much debris and dead Iskalloni before we returned to Geonoses. Even mere wreckage will provide us with many answers on how advanced the Iskalloni were and will aid us in advancing our own technology."

"Yes, you are right. Good work, Commander Thrawn." Palpatine nodded and ended the transmission before leaning back in his chair and pressing his fingers together as he turned his chair around and looked out the window.

Once again it seemed the Iconians were lurking in the darkness, planning something for both galaxies which no doubt threatened his own plans. It was obvious that if the Iconians destroyed the Iskalloni it was because the Iskalloni was a threat to their plans and so they were eliminated before they could become a threat and allowed that shapeshifter Laas to try and take control of the Republic and start a war with the Milky Way. It was precisely what Sidious would do if he were in their position and a part of him actually applauded the Iconians for their deception, strategy, and their cruelty. He had heard what they had done in the Milky Way, including creating a super nova that destroyed the original Romulan homeworld and manipulating various factions of the Milky Way Galaxy into fighting each other.

In many ways what they had done were literally Sith tactics but at the same time it showed how dangerous they could be.

He briefly wondered if the Iconians were possibly the Milky Way's version of the Sith but discarded those thoughts. Regardless of whatever they were the Iconians and their abilities made them all the more a threat to Sidious and his own plans to transform the Republic into an Empire. He did not know what their plans exactly were except from what Admiral Tarkin and Skywalker had told him. They wished to subjugate the Milky Way and re-establish their own galaxy spanning empire which was defeated centuries ago when their home world was bombed.

The Iconians had survived, likely due to their gateway technology and had spent centuries planning their return. It was actually similar to the Grand Plan started by Darth Bane after the destruction of the Brotherhood of Darkness and the establishment of the Rule of Two. The Federation and Klingon Empire speculated the Iconians had recruited races like the Elachi and Solanae to serve as soldiers and scientists and manipulated other races like the Undine to serve their needs in causing conflict. It was similar to how the Sith had worked on manipulating events in the galaxy for the last thousand years, accumulating knowledge and resources, amassing influence to undermine the Republic and the Jedi, and use the war to slowly tear down the Republic and weaken the Jedi by forcing them to fight in the war and die slowly over the course of the war while suffering from decreased faith by the public in their ability to maintain peace and order.

Sidious wondered just how strong the Iconians' influence in the Milky Way really was. Did they have agents in every government directing their agenda? Were they behind the portals that led to this galaxy? Could they have manipulated the Borg and the Devidians to do it and thus leading to contact between the two galaxies?

Too many questions and not enough answers.

His apprentice had suggesting sending bounty hunters to search the galaxy for more Iconian gateways and he approved of the plan but there was no possible way to confirm a gateway would ever be found in this lifetime. They needed another army, ready to fight for them against the Milky Way. The Republic and the Separatists weren't the only forces in the galaxy. Species like the Gungans and the Wookies were warriors with their own armies while the Death Watch and the Nightsisters were a force to be reckoned with in their own right.

Of course neither Death Watch nor the Nightsisters would willingly ally with the Sith and had proven to problems that needed to be removed sooner or later. Science and engineering divisions in both the Republic and Separatists were working to develop ships and weapons to stand against the Milky Way while refitting the current fleet to give them a better chance. Palpatine already looked over the designs for a new ship based of off the Klingon and Romulan bird shaped vessels and it was impressive looking. The new design was over seven hundred meters in length with the bridge connected to a long neck like body with an X-shaped split wing structure at the rear end.

A hangar bay based off of the hangars on the new Imperator class Star Destroyer was located at the ship's rear end, on the 'belly' underneath the main reactor. The engines and maneuvering thrusters on the wings allowed the new ship to be extremely maneuverable at sublight speed. The armaments consisted of fifty five turbo-lasers, five laser beam cannons, eleven torpedo and missile launchers, eleven point defense laser turrets, and ten ion cannons while able to carry over a single fighter squadron while using multiple shield generators for better protection. The secret weapon through was the composite-beam laser that focused the laser beam cannons from the tips of the wings into the forward laser cannon at the very front, creating a more powerful and deadly laser beam that was exceptionally powerful and destructive.

It was a little ironic to be building powerful ships for fighting the unknown while already fighting a war but Sidious was not taking any chances with this new galaxy's presence.

A second larger ship was modelled after the Star Destroyers used by the Sith Empire during the Great Galactic War known as the Harrower class dreadnaught which measured over eight hundred meters in length and sported reinforced heavy armor and four shield generators for protection while being armed with heavy turbo-laser batteries, quad laser cannons, ion cannons along with launchers for proton torpedoes and concussion missiles. The most powerful weapon would be a Plasma Cannon, which acted like a Romulan Plasma Torpedo, capable to obliterating any unshielded starships instantly. In addition to its impressive armaments it carried over nearly a hundred starfighters, specifically the new T.I.E. fighter class that was still in testing stages but would be ready very soon.

Raith Siener had expressed interest in looking over the technology used by the Milky Way factions, having visited the Milky Way Embassy on Coruscant and Sidious considered somehow finding a way to acquire samples somehow.

A third new ship would act as an escort carrier, modeled as a nimble narrow hulled design with an arrowhead bow and three thrusters in a vertical row on the stern, making it fast enough to engage even Milky Way ships despite their speed. It was armed with two singled barreled cannons on the dorsal centerline and two double-barreled weapons mounted on the vertical centerline, fifteen forward torpedo and missile launchers with two hangars for launching fighters. The escort carrier was designed upon reading on the Federation's tactical escort class, specifically the famous Defiant class that played a pivotal role in the Dominion War. It showed that even the Federation, an organization dedicated to peace and exploration was capable of building full-fledged warships.

There were even plans for two new Star Destroyer type ships that were at the moment in construction at Kuat Yard Drives. The first was labelled the Tector-class that was as large as the new Imperator class but had no ventral hangar. Instead of hangars the design used additional armor that covered areas normaly used for main hangar operations and the reactor core. It was desgined to be more efficient for ship-to-ship combat with less internal weak spots but it would need fighter carriers to provide any fighter support.

They would have additional fire power and shielding with the same modifications being made to its sister designs. The second was the Secutor class that would act more like a carrier, carrying over a hundred fighters due to its large size. It would serve along side the Tector and Imperator, increasing the number of fighters and bombers, giving the 'Republic Navy' a vast advantage in numbers and fire power. They would serve him well in the future.

Of course he would order them to continue to improve the design, seeking to overcome any possible weaknesses that might be exploited but that was further down the road.

In addition to that the bodies of the Jem'Hadar he killed and their weapons were sent to a secret facility. The Jem'Hadar were clones like his clonetroopers and thus learning about the genetic engineering that created them could possibly improve designs to the clones. Their weapons were apparently plasma and polaron based with an anti-coagulant that stopped the natural healing process and even disrupted attempts by medicine to heal the target if they had not already died which was something he actually admired for its ruthless effeciancy. The polaron based weapons could even pierce deflector shields, at least the ones used by Droidekas which would be very useful for the Republic.

Clearly the Dominion was not much different from the Iconians and possibly the new Empire he was forging, however it was no doubt that the Dominion would not ally with him, or stay allies for very long from what he had read. It would take time but it would lead to a considerable advancement in blaster technology. The Dominion was advanced, more advanced than the Federation had been before the start of the Dominion War but even if the Alpha and Beta Quadrant factions were strong enough to face their ships and armies the Dominion still had the advantage in numbers.

He had looked up all non-classified information regarding the Dominion War, learning about their their tactics and what the Federation did to counter them. Advances in weaponry and shielding was proceeding at a slightly increased pace since the discovery of the Milky Way but they needed more. They would need to create new armor for their ships, stronger than durasteel which even though was stronger than duranium it fell short of the ablative armor that the Milky Way factions had produced through the years against enemies like the Borg and the Dominion. They had not managed to replicate the armored skin of the Zillo Beast yet but there was a planet with an armor stronger than durasteel.

'The Besker on Mandarlore…But it's a neutral planet for a moment. The phrik on Fest could be used but using armor for ships would waste these resources.' Sidious grimaced.

There was also the matter of the fact that it was possible the Republic was compromised by the Undine and the Dominion so he needed to crack down on this before it ruined his plans. His thoughts went over to Captain Thrawn and his knowledge of the Unknown Regions. A chance to expand the Republic secretly into the unclaimed sector of the galaxy would be perhaps the best he could do at this time. Secret bases and shipyards could be built there and when they were ready he could call upon them to aid the Empire.

It was a start but they needed to advance just as much and the Milky Way factions were surprisingly vigilant in protecting their technology, even in a new galaxy. However Sidious came up with an alternative to simply building up their forces, a proposed alliance with the factions of the Milky Way against the Borg, the Undine and the Iconians.

And it was time to see how the Senate would react.

Bringing his hood over his face he activated the holo-communicator and as expected Count Dooku answered his call. "My master."

"Lord Tyrannus, have the bounty hunters accepted their new assignment?"

"Yes, my Lord. They have been given all the information we have on the Iconians and possible planets where a gateway might be located. However given the fact that a gateway was not discovered until it was used to abduct people, including two Jedi will likely be some time before we ever see results." Dooku answered.

"Very well. In the meantime we will build up our forces for the possibility of conflict with the Milky Way or the Iconians. Building up ships is one thing but we'll need weapons and resources. Is the operation for the strike into the core worlds still proceeding on schedule?" Sidious asked.

"Yes, Master. Grievous has been assembling the fleet without drawing suspicion from the Republic. He will be ready by the end of the solar cycle."

"Good but I am adding an additional target. I want a fleet ready to take the planet Bespin." Sidious stated. "We will need the additional tibana gas for our weapons but you will not need to hold the planet. Take as much as you can and disperse it to all our factories. The Republic will not allow Bespin to remain under Separatist control for long."

"I understand. Is there a plan to deal with the Borg and the Iskalloni?"

"The Iskalloni are no longer a threat. They were destroyed by an unknown threat, possibly the Iconians."

Dooku raised an eyebrow. "The Iconians? They destroyed the Iskalloni? This is unexpected."

"Yes. It is possible they believed the Iskalloni a threat to their own plans and eliminated them. Their planet was devastated to the point that very little could survive. Any survivors will either die out or be use of use to us under our science division for study. And during the Undine attack I was assaulted by a shapeshifter, a Changeling from the Milky Way, the same ones that lead the Dominion." Sidious stated, smirking at the look of small surprise on Dooku's face.

"Do you believe they know you secret identity?"

"No. The Changeling was merely planning to replace me, change the Republic into a new branch of the Dominion and then make war on the Milky Way. Fortunately his plan failed and the bodies of the Jem'Hadar are being stored in my secret research facility. However the fact is that they infiltrated my security quite easily." Sidious answered. "We will have to begin checking to see if anyone else in the Republic Confederacy have been replaced."

"I understand, Master. I shall discreetly began checking for signs of infiltration. I believe my acolytes will have the best chance of finding any infiltrators, Undine or Changeling."

"Of course now there is the matter of the Borg which is still a current threat. The information provided by the Jedi states the Borg have established a base in the Maw. A place that will be difficult to the reach, perhaps which is why the Borg chose the Maw has their staging grounds."

"We can still reach them, Master. The Borg are not the only ones who know of the secret safe route through the Maw."

"Yes but for now the Borg are irrelevant. It is the other factions that are a more current threat." Sidious actually smirked. "We truly live in interesting times."

"What is your plan, Master?"

"The Federation and the Klingons have ended their conflict in favor of preparing for war against the Iconians and now they have been forging relations in our galaxy. We must do the same, my apprentice. The Jedi Master Luminara and Skywalker's apprentice are already in the Milky Way with a handful of Republic Senators. Have you found senators to represent the Confederacy?" Sidious asked.

"Yes, Master. The candidates are perfectly capable of representing the Confederacy and will not in any way compromise the plan."

"Good. They'll get a perfect…layout of the land." Sidious said. "The more we understand the more we will be prepared. However we still need to learn more about other parts of the galaxy, specifically the Delta and Gamma Quadrants. The Dominion controls most of the Gamma Quadrant and the Borg are among the larger powers in the Delta Quadrant."

"That will not be easy, Master. Hyperdrives are impossible to use in the Milky Way and Alliance has only just begun exploring the Delta Quadrant, following the data provided by the seven year journey of the starship Voyager."

"Perhaps there is another portal…" Sidious absently commented.

"Master?"

"We still don't know how the Borg found their way into our galaxy. We are aware of the portals that were created by the Dividians near Naboo and the portal leading to the Azure Nebula. The Borg appeared out of nowhere, meaning they possibly know a way back to the Milky Way. That is what we must discover."

"But how, Master?"

"I am making plans to propose a…Alliance with the Milky Way faction, at least against threats like the Borg and the Undine. If we give them more reign in this galaxy they will no doubt find out more about the Borg, especially since Starfleet's first duty…Is to the truth." Sidious said with a small grin. "Their curiosity could be used to our advantage. And their Prime Directive will still prohibit them from becoming involved in any political or military affairs."

"Foolish of them but they will be of use to us." Dooku replied.

"Yes and we will continue with our plans to weaken the Jedi. Is the next operation ready?"

"Yes, my Master. The operation is already underway." Dooku bowed.

"Good." Sidious grinned.

Everything was still going according to plan.

Milky Way
Alpha Quadrant
Earth
San Francisco
Starfleet Academy

Though Earth Spacedock 1 had suffered tremendous damage from the Undine attack Starfleet was already at work on repairing it as well as removing wreckage from the attack before it could cause damage to Earth. The few times Earth had been attacked was devastating to both the planet and morale even though Earth and the Federation endured. The first time Earth had been attacked was before the Federation was formed by the Xindi who had built a planet killing weapon, directed by the Sphere Builders that failed thanks to the efforts of Jonathan Archer. The second time had been when the Borg sent another cube six years after the battle of Wolf 359 which was narrowly prevented by Captain Picard and the Enterprise-E by destroying the cube and stopping the Borg's attempt to alter history.

The third time was during the Dominion War when the Breen launched a surprise attack on Earth, causing mass destruction before they retreated. And now the Undine had attacked Earth, destroying several starships and damaging the space station that had been in orbit of Earth for nearly two centuries. Fortunately the Undine had been repelled, having only attacked Earth as a diversion so they could wipe out the Klingon homeworld with a planet killer. That attack failed thanks to the brave efforts of the three main factions of the Alpha and Beta Quadrants and ended the war between the Klingons and the Federation in wake of their bravery and understanding of the greater threat.

The Iconians revealed themselves and it was only a matter of time before they arrived and when they did there would be a war far worse than the conflicts with the Klingons and the Undine.

But despite the threat they represented they were not the current problem at the moment. There was the matter of the Skyriver galaxy which was accessible by the portal in space shared by the Federation, Klingon Empire, and the Romulan Republic which was still in the middle of an intergalactic war that the Milky Way wished to remain neutral in. For the moment all evidence suggested that the Clone Wars as what it was called was being waged far from the portal and their method of FTL did not work in the Milky Way, easing the fears of many that believed it was only a matter of time before the war came to their galaxy. That was part of the reason the Republic officials were here along with working on a way to protect their own galaxy from the Undine and possibly the Iconians.

Jedi Master Luminara had come with Padawan Ahsoka Tano had come to Earth as well, seeing the planet that was to the Federation what Coruscant was to the Republic. At the very moment Ahsoka was touring the Starfleet Academy, watching the numerous cadets in the courtyard. At the very least the place was calm and peaceful which was a rare sight for her given how long the war had been going on in her home galaxy. Earth was similar to Naboo in many ways but had more cities and more oceans.

The city she was in while visiting Starfleet Academy was big and it had long and impressive looking bridge that could easily spotted while looking out at the ocean. Originally they had settled down in Paris but when asked to see the Starfleet Academy which was stationed in San Francisco Ahsoka's requests was surprisingly granted with very little hassle. She had the option of traveling by shuttle or transporter and Ahsoka preferred the shuttle, just to get a better look at things from the air. Luminara had decided to accompany her, if for the sake of keeping Ahsoka company and the chance to better understand the people of this new galaxy.

It was also just as peaceful as Naboo despite the last few years of conflict. Ahsoka did not doubt that the Separatists would love to take Earth for themselves, not just for Federation's technology but its resources. Still Earth was about several hundred light years away from the portal and with hyperdrives useless in the Milky Way it would be impossible for the Separatists to launch an invasion of the Federation or its allies, especially given how an alliance of the two quadrants would be a nightmare to the Separatists if they entered the war.

Right now she was here because…

Actually she didn't have a reason. She only felt she had to be here for some reason.

"Excuse me?"

Slightly startled Ahsoka turned around, facing the man who spoke. It was a man, dressed in a Starfleet uniform but it was different from the ones she had seen before. He was bald with a small goatee, dark skin, but his eyes held considerable wisdom and intelligence.

There was something else though.

This man's presence seemed to shine bright in the Force, not like a Jedi or regular Force sensitive but his presence was different than anyone she had ever met.

"Forgive me, I saw you just standing here and was wondering if you were waiting for anyone." The man said and Ahsoka heard the honesty in his voice.

"I…I think so." Ahsoka said with a small smile. "It's…It's not easy to explain but I sense I'm supposed to be here for something."

"Oh?" The man tilted his head. "So you're not here to smell the flowers?" He gestured to the garden. "The gardener, I know his grandfather who worked here when I was a cadet and he was a very wise and kind man. His grandchild decided to take over and has done a merry job of looking after the place and it's done all by hand. No advanced technology."

"Oh no, not that." Ahsoka shook her head but admitted the flowers looked beautiful. "I'm here…Actually I have no idea what I'm waiting for. I came here, feeling something and…" Ahsoka shook her head. "Forget it. It's probably nothing."

"I wouldn't be so sure. It's not a good idea to reject your instincts." The man remarked amusedly.

Ahsoka raised an eyebrow. "And how would you know, Mr…"

"Benjamin Sisko. And I'm not Force sensitive, but I know a few things. For starters…" Sisko suddenly disappeared and reappeared behind Ahsoka who spun to face him and saw that the academy disappeared, now becoming a tropical island in the middle of an ocean. "I know a few calming locations to have a nice chat."

Ahsoka stepped back but still sensed no hostility from the man. The Force suddenly felt like it was shining around her now, like the swirling blue light of a hyperspace tunnel but at the same time it was cradling her protectively like a lost infant reunited with its parent. "Who are you?"

"I told you, I am Benjamin Sisko. I served in Starfleet before I became the Emissary to the Prophets of Bajor." Sisko answered calmly.

"The Prophets?" Ahsoka questioned.

"Beings who live outside of linear time inside a wormhole near the planet Bajor." Sisko explained.

"I remember hearing something about a wormhole. Bajor, isn't it one of the planets in the Federation?" Ahsoka asked.

"It is and it played an important role in the Dominion War. The Prophets, they are not easy to describe but they are seen by the Bajorans as benevolent Gods who have shaped much of their culture and founded their faith. They live outside of normal time and can only communicate by possessing someone's body to communicator or…Through their Emissary." Sisko explained softly. "The Prophets, normally do not interact with beings outside of the wormhole unless there is a matter of great importance concerning Bajor which is why I am here now, speaking with you."

"I don't understand. We're on Earth…At least we were on Earth. Why would these Prophets be interested in me?" Ahsoka asked, looking at the island.

"Just because there are no Jedi or Sith in the Milky Way does not mean the Force does not exist here. I am sure you can still feel the Force." Sisko stated and continued when Ahsoka nodded. "Well to simply put the Force in this universe works along the lines of what the Prophets refer to as chaotic evolution. There are no Jedi and no Sith to divide it into Light and Dark sides and more difficult to grasp because chaotic evolution can be divided into many more than two divisions. The Prophets see the Force as, to put it simply, the matrix of reality."

"Matrix of reality?" Ahsoka asked.

"Basically it is the raw psychic energy of the universe or perhaps the multi-verse that goes by many names. Being like the Prophets can tap into this matrix that is basically part of their power. When the portals leading to your galaxy were created the Prophets sensed it and they asked me to ensure that Bajor is not affected, specifically by the Sith or the Jedi." Sisko answered.

"What do you mean?" Ahsoka tilted her head. "It sounds like these Prophets don't trust the Jedi."

"That is because they don't. Don't take it personally, Ahsoka but the Prophets had me look into this galaxy because they sensed the boarders between our galaxies breaking down. Before I became their Emissary the Prophets had no understanding of linear time and could only interact through the orbs in the temples on Bajor. However even though they did not understand time they were capable of sending objects through time so as long as it was in the wormhole." Sisko said, pacing slightly and gestured to the island. "This place exists inside the wormhole but it is modeled in a way your mind can comprehend. As the Emissary and a human I have learned how to look into the past, present, and future and see infinite possibilities of what can, could, and will happen. It was not easy as I had to learn by myself and through that the Prophets have relied on me to ensure the perfect possible for Bajor. However though Bajor is one planet what happens to the Milky Way can also effect Bajor and its people, including the conflicts in your galaxy."

"Is this about the Clone Wars?" Ahsoka asked.

"Yes and no. It is not just the Clone Wars, it is also the matter of the power behind the war." Sisko answered.

"Huh?"

"The Prophets know of the Jedi and Sith and have seen in the many possible futures that the conflict between them will expand beyond your galaxy. They believe that Bajor will be in danger of being destroyed by either side." Sisko stated, stopping in front of Ahsoka.

"We wouldn't do that." Ahsoka said sincerely.

"I know you wouldn't which is why the Prophets are interested in you." Sisko smiled. "They believe you will play a pivotal role in the coming days."

"Me? Why me?" Ahsoka asked, surprised that these Prophets would believe in her.

Sisko smiled as the landscape changed into a more familiar place. "Do you remember this place?"

Ahsoka did indeed. "This is Mortis!"

She could see the Citadel in the distance where the Father lived with his children, the Son who represented the Dark Side and the Daughter who represented the Light Side.

"Why are we here?" Ahsoka looked at Sisko.

"Do you remember what happened here? Do you remember what happened…To the Daughter?" Sisko asked carefully.

Ahsoka closed her eyes for a second. "The Daughter…Anakin said she gave her life to save me."

"Yes by transferring her life force into you and in doing so has given you a unique connection to your Force. The Prophets sensed your life force the first time you entered our universe because they could sense a dormant power in you, power that may have been transferred into you when the Daughter transferred her life force into you." Sisko continued as the landscape changed back to the tropical island. "The Prophets believe with your help Bajor and possibly the entire Milky Way will be protected from the Sith."

"Why not ask my master? He's the Chosen One. I'm sure the Prophets know of him." Ahsoka pointed out.

Sisko shook his head. "They do but they do not believe he is capable at the moment. At the moment the Prophets believe you can help us stop a war so great it would consume both galaxies. That is why we're here now. What would you say if I offered to show you how the Prophets and I have learned on how to interact with the Force?"

Ahsoka raised an eyebrow. "You're offering to train me?"

"More like give you an insight on how the Force works in the Milky Way and let you decide if you want to learn more. I'm the Emissary but I'm not going to force you here against your will to show how things work here or take over your life and tell you what to do. It's up to you." Sisko replied with a chuckle. "Though I should warn you, I'm not the only one who has noticed your presence here and suddenly pop into your life. If you decide to say yes just say my name and I'll hear it and if you see someone calling himself Q…Punch him in the face."

Ahsoka was about to ask another question but Sisko and the island she was on vanished, leaving her back at the Starfleet Academy as if nothing had happened.

'I'm not sure what my master would say if I told him this.' Ahsoka silently thought.

"Ahsoka."

Blinking Ahsoka spotted Luminara walking towards her. "Master Luminara."

"Are you all right? I thought I lost you for a moment." Luminara stated.

"Oh, I'm fine." Ahsoka smiled to assure that everything was all right. "I was just…Well, taking in the nice view around here."

She wasn't sure if Luminara bought but the Jedi Master did not question her further. Ahsoka made a mental note to look up Benjamin Sisko while she was on Earth. Clearly there was a lot more to the Milky Way than the Jedi Council had thought.