4
"Get to the Falcon!" Commander Riker shouted ahead to Data and Solo.
Riker was struggling to help Counselor Troi up after having fallen on her way out of the runabout. The away team had just completed their docking maneuvers, landing in the Enterprise's main shuttle bay. Data and Solo were running ahead, trying to make it to Captain Solo's ship as quickly as possible. Only the Millennium Falcon, now had the necessary power to accomplish what they had planned. But the two men turned back around the runabout, after hearing Troi stumble. Riker was shouting at them to continue ahead. He knew the planet below was running out of time, and there were too many lives at stake.
"We don't have time! Go!" Riker shouted again.
Reluctantly, both men followed the commander's wishes, but only after Lt. Worf also emerged from the freshly docked runabout, and began helping Riker with Troi. Data and Solo turned, and began running at full speed across the length of the dark and abandoned shuttle bay, to a cargo door at the others side. In Data's arms, was the device he'd so carefully disconnected from the runabout. He hoped that he could integrate it into the Millennium Falcon's systems in time.
The bay was a disaster. Signs of the recent battle were everywhere, bulkheads were strewn about the floor, exposed wiring shot out sparks of high voltage. The air was filled with noxious smoke from not having been recycled. Riker, now with the aid of Lt. Worf, helped Deanna to her feet, each man hooking an arm over their shoulder. Troi reeled in agony from the movement, but not from any physical injury, Riker knew. Her struggle was in her mind, and her attempts to connect with Paul. But despite the pain he caused her, Riker pushed forward. They needed to get to the bridge. The needed to inform the captain of their plan. And since the ships coms systems were down, they would have to do it in person.
Troi cried out again, forcing them to slow, but they not stop. Deanna was crying in pain, tears flowing down her cheeks. She nearly dragged them to a full stop. At this pace, Riker knew they weren't going to make it in time. He motioned to Worf, and the two gently placed her to the floor, leaning her back against a short wall of stacked hexagonal cargo containers, in the middle of the bay. Oddly enough, they appeared to be the only things in the bay still standing.
"Deanna!" Will said. "Deanna? Can you hear me?" But Troi did not answer. He held her by the shoulders, firmly. "Counselor Deanna Troi! Can you hear me." Still, nothing. Riker looked frustratingly to Worf. "You're going to have to go one without us." He said to the lieutenant.
"Commander!" Worf began his protest, but stopped himself, when he saw the resolution in Riker's eyes. He would not win this fight. He instead, looked down to the Counselor, Showing his own obvious and unhidden concern for the woman. "Will she be all right?"
"I wish I knew." Riker answered in truth. And he really didn't know. Despite having spent many years together, Riker had to admit his ignorance with many aspects of Troi's training, and her Bene Gesserit ways. The witches were forever a mystery to him. Riker looked back up to Worf. "We don't have time for this. Millions of lives are at stake." He said. "Get to the bridge. We have to find a way to Paul. He has the spice. He's the only one that even stands a chance, at stopping that thing."
"And if we can't get through to him?"
As soon as he said it, Worf realized that his words were meaningless. They had to try. Worf frowned, and nodded to the Commander. He gave one final glaze to Counselor Troi, before himself bolting towards the cargo door, and making his way to the bridge. Riker gently laid Troi on her back, trying to make her as comfortable as possible. He didn't want to move her any more than he had too, as he knew that would disturb her attempts at making a connection with Paul. He Knelt on one knee besides her, and carefully placed her hand in his. He looked down to her.
"Deanna." He said softly. "Deanna, I'm here. I'm not going anywhere… Imzadi."
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On the main bridge of the Enterprise, Picard looked to the viewscreen in utter amazement. It was a sight that surely no one had ever seen before. On the screen, the Romulan warbirds were in a vicious fight to the death with three Star Destroyers. And they were fighting right alongside the fourth! A rebelling Imperial ship! The two sides, Romulan and defecting destroyer, appeared to be working together in the fight, cooperating either by pure necessity, or by designed communication. With one, Picard did not know, not with the Enterprise's ship to ship communications malfunctioning.
And their coms where not the only system offline. Thrusters were down. Their shields were gone. The Impulse engines had been shut down since the pulse they had used to knock out the attacking waves of TIE Fighters, and they no longer had the power to restart them. Picard wasn't even sure what the status of their life support systems were, as their internal sensors were also malfunctioning. The Captain had high hopes that LeForge, now that he was making his way back to main engineering, would be able to affect some fast repairs to his ship, but he had now way of knowing if he had even made it back.
Geordie had successfully managed to stabilize the Millennium Falcon's primary power generator, but the leads that fed the Enterprise were completely fused. The Falcon could no longer provide power to Picard's weary ship. They were, by all accounts, a derelict, completely helpless should one of the attacking Imperial vessels break off their attack from the fight, and head their direction.
Picard sat at the edge of his command chair, and watched the battle with baited breath. There was nothing he could do. There were no commands to give. No battle tactics to review or approve. No damage reports to scrutinize. He was helpless. As worthless as a Ferengi at a business ethnics lecture. But yet, he couldn't look away, as though his undivided attention alone, would somehow determine the outcome of the battle.
He watched, seeing the three Imperial ships forming themselves into a line, with just the right amount of distance between them to force the Romulans and defecting destroyer to spread out their offensive. It was a gallant effort, but Picard knew, ultimately, a futile one. He didn't need sensors to see that the Imperial ships were fighting with reserve power only. He'd suspected as much, with their own reserves as depleted as they were. The destroyers were going to lose. But they were still deadly.
Picard inched further forward, nearly perching himself at the edge of his seat. The Romulan ships were focused mainly on the two destroyers at one end of the line, with the defecting Imperial ship exchanging fire with the destroyer at the other end. The two mammoth Star Destroyers threw everything they had at each other, each trying to pound the other into submission. But the defector had one advantage. It had held back its fighters from attacking the Enterprise, and those fighters were now swarming around its opponent, beating down what little remained of her shields. It was only a matter of time now. Picard turned his attention to the Romulan side of the engagement, at the other end of the line.
The Romulan's were clearly winning. All four warbirds where focusing their fire on the Star Destroyer furthest down the line. Suddenly, in a brilliant flash, the destroyer went up in a huge fireball of sparks and flame. The billowing cloud of ignited debris spread out, then dissipated into nothingness, leaving almost no trace that the destroyer had ever existed at all. Picard was stunned. He couldn't believe that he'd just witnessed the end of one of the Empire's most powerful vessels. But there were still two more, and each of which was more than capable of destroying his own helpless ship.
He looked back to the other side of the screen, to the battle between the two destroyers. As expected, the hostile Imperial ship's shields were failing, but did not relent in its attack. In one massive exchange, the imperial ship threw everything it had at the defector. The friendly Star Destroyer took a nasty hit to its keel, at a large depression where, if Picard's memory served, was the ships main docking bay. The defecting ship pushed back however, and her fighters redoubled their efforts on the attack. Soon the Imperial ship was reduced to little more than a smoldering pile, flames shooting out into the cold dead of space at seemingly every opening. The fighters, and the defecting destroyer, began to pull back, as the hostile Imperial ship's reactor began to go critical. Like the first, it too went up in a glorious explosion. Sparks showered the immediate area. Clouds of the ships internal atmosphere spilled out, set aflame by the explosion.
Picard let a smile grow on his face at the sight. But the smile vanished in an instant. The captain bolted out of his seat! The two explosions, and the resulting distraction they caused, had opened a hole in the Romulan line, a gap big enough for the destroyer in the center to slip through. And there was only one way for the Imperial ship to go.
Straight towards the Enterprise!
Picard walked slowly to the center of the bridge, never taking his eyes off the approaching ship.
"Ensign," he whispered. "status of the shields?"
"Nothing, sir. Our shields are gone…"
The Captain's face went cold and dead. But still, he did not turn away…
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Blocking another powerful thrust from Vader's lightsaber, Luke recovered and returned with a strike of his own. It too, was deflected with ease, just like each parry before.
Through the Nemesis' main shuttle bay, father and son fought, trading blows from their deadly weapons as they crossed directly in front of the compartments main entry porthole. A scene of battle raged outside, as Luke's ship exchanged weapons fire with the closest of Vader's destroyers. They were all rebels now!
Vader lunged at his son, but Luke deflected the attack, slapping his father's blade harmlessly to the side. Each time the two weapons made contact, the room lit up with a brilliant flash of released energy. The air crackled and hummed with the focused might of their swords. Vader lifted his saber for another advance on his young apprentice, but Luke was faster. He beat his father to the punch, leaping towards Vader, aiming directly towards his master's heart. He almost hit it too, but just before his blade touched Vader's black armor, the Sith lord was able to bring down his saber, blocking his son's blade, just in time.
By all accounts, the two were equally matched, with neither having a significant advantage in skill or strength. And for what felt like the first time in his life, Luke was just as determined as his father. He would not relent. But nor would Vader.
Luke lunged again, putting all of his energy into the strike, expecting to hit either Vader's blade, or Vader himself. But the dark Lord of the Sith had different plans. He placed his laser sword to his side, and held out his hand. Vader let loose a focused wall of energy towards his son. The power collided into Luke's young body, and sent him flying across the compartment, slamming into Vader's docked shuttle. Luke slid down the craft, landing with a hard thud on the glossy black floor of the bay, between the ships rear landing struts. Luke was disoriented at first, but recovered quickly and scrambled to his feet. He looked around for his lightsaber, but the weapon was nowhere to be found! He darted around, desperately searching for his Lightsaber, but ultimately, he came up empty. Luke's eyes dashed up to his father!
Vader's silhouette stood in stark contrast to the plain gun-metal wall of the shuttle bay, the blazing beam of his blood-red blade, casting out an evil glow. Vader slowly approached Luke, who was now defenseless.
"It is pointless to resist, my son." Vader hissed. But Luke only responded with a look of pure defiance.
Luke readied himself for the final attack. He would not go down without a fight. But Vader never got the chance. Before he was able to strike out at his son, the ship was rocked with a heavy with a blast somewhere to port. Everything in the compartment was thrown starboard, including Luke. Vader steadied himself against a small railing a few paces away, and when the concussion wave passed, he looked up. Luke was gone! Just then, the internal lighting in the compartment failed. Darkness encroached upon the bay as the ship switched to its dim emergency back-up lighting. Vader paused, took in a heavy breath from his respirator, before seeking out his son in the darkness.
Vader could still sense his son's presence. Luke was still near. He would not be able to hide forever. He called out to him as he searched. "The Rebels are weak." He said as he bent over a pile of fallen cargo containers, finding nothing. "As are their Federation friends." Vader ducked under the shuttle, but Luke remained silent…and uncaught. "Surly you must see the futility of your choices, my son. The lack of reason in your judgment." He taunted. Still Luke said nothing.
Eventually, Vader made his way under a raised catwalk near the rear of the shuttle bay. The ominous red glow of his lightsaber cut through the shadows, casting the support beams of the elevated walkway, in a hot crimson hue. As he passed each beam, he turned his head from side to side. Luke was running out of places he could hide.
"You have felt it…haven't you?" Vader said to the shadows. "Your sister. She has taken the spice! She has become strong." Vader felt a spike of emotions from his son at the mentioning of Leia. He pushed forward. "You were right to keep her from me. To take your place at my side, and spare her." Vader crept forward, slowly. "Even now, I can feel her strength growing. She has indeed become powerful. In time, she will learn to control it." Vader bent over a support beam. "If you will not be turned…then perhaps, she. will…"
"Never!" Luke screamed as he exited an unseen shadow, his emerald saber already drawn. He dove for Vader, unleashing all of his hate. All of his pent up anger. All of his rage! It flowed through him like water. He lunged forward with all his power, sparing nothing, flailing his saber from side to side and forcing Vader out from under the catwalk, into the opening of the bay. Luke continued his assault, never relenting, never backing down. Strike after strike, blow after blow. At each collision between blades, Luke pulled back, and swung around for another attack. Vader was in full retreat, moving his own blade in a blur of motion, just to fend off Luke's advance. He was giving up ground too fast, and soon, the pair found themselves in front of the main entry porthole at the front of the bay once more. In the background, Luke could hear the heavy laser blasts and screams of Tie Fighter engines from the battle raging outside. But nothing could distract him now. He slammed his saber down onto Vader's. In a relentless assault, Luke wailed his blade from side to side, allowing no opening for Vader to counter. Backing up, Vader fell to his knees. He brought his saber up across his body, protecting himself against his son. Luke beat down on his father's lightsaber with his own; over, and over, and over.
He had become wrath. Rage incarnate!
After the last hit, Luke reversed his blade and swung under Vader's. He thrust his weapon up, slicing through his father's mechanical hand, and sending Vader's weapon flying across the room. In a daze of anger, Luke stood over his beaten father. Luke inhaled gulps of air. Sweat gushed out of every pore from the effort. But he had won! He could strike Vader down whenever he wished, and rid the universe of his father's treachery forever. No one could stop him. Not the Emperor. Not the Senate. Not the Federation, or the Rebel Alliance! No one! Finally, he could fulfill his own destiny. In that movement, he could have done anything…
But then, from a distant corner of his mind, came the voices…
Once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny…
Luke looked down at his father, helpless and weak. Luke's anger vanished in a flash. It left him so fast, it was almost painful. Revelation filled his soul. He didn't need to kill Vader, he'd already beaten him. He'd already destroyed him. With his thoughts rid of the hate, the fear, and the rage, Luke gained a clarity only available to his unclouded mind. Understanding flooded through him like a torrent of truth. It was then, that he knew. The Jedi had never left. They had always been there.
Luke sheathed his saber, and discarded his weapon in a symbolic gesture that said…I will not fight you, father. Standing strong over Vader's defeated body, Luke relaxed his own. His confusion was gone. He knew what he was now…
The Jedi, had returned…
In peace, Luke reached a hand out to his father. Vader looked up, surprised and confused by the gesture. He did not reach out at first, but did consider it. But before he even had the chance, the ship took another, much more massive, hit to its underside. The shuttle bay exploded in a huge fireball, sending Vader and Luke flying in opposite directions.
In midflight, Luke lost his orientation. His body slammed hard onto the metal railing of the catwalk, all the way at the back of the compartment. The impact left his head spinning wildly. His ears rung from the explosion. Everything hurt. Still, he somehow managed to find a way up, if only to his knees.
"Beep…beep..beep.. .beep…boop!" R2 toned as he rolled up next to Luke.
Luke rubbed the pain from his head as he looked up, pleasantly surprised to see that his droid friend had survived. He placed his hand on R2's domed top, and pulled himself to his feet. Once there, he grabbed the handrail of the catwalk and gazed out onto the rest of the shuttle bay. He was shocked at what he found. There was no shuttle bay! The blast had carved out a mighty section of the ship, and left the entire front section of the bay opened to space! An emergency forcefield had been erected around the opening, no doubt activated just in time to keep Luke from being blown out, along with just about everything else in the compartment.
Father! Luke thought to himself as he looked about. But it only took a short, cursory glance to know that Vader was no longer there. His father, along with his shuttle, was gone! Luke took a breath, not knowing if he had survived. But something within him told Luke, that he had not seen the last of Darth Vader!
A flash of light lit up the carved out opening. Luke Looked up, seeing the opposing destroyer go up in a magnificent display of light and fire. He had to hold his hand up to shield his face from the radiance of the explosion. When it was over, Luke let his hand down. He looked over the short handrail, to the exact spot where Vader had been only moments before. He took a breath, and shook off a near overwhelming desire to see his father again. Not Darth Vader, Dark Lord of the Sith, but Anakin Skywalker, his true father. A man he had never met.
"My lord!" Came the excited voice of Captain Piett over the coms. "Master Skywalker! Are you their sir!"
"Go ahead, Captain." Luke responded in haste.
"Very good to hear your voice, my lord." Piett said. "We feared the worse. Are you…alone, sir?" Piet asked.
Luke once again looked out to where Vader had been. He wasn't sure how to answer. He settled on. "Yes, Captain. I am alone." It was all he was willing to say on the matter. "What ship was that?" Luke asked, changing the subject.
"The Devastator, my lord." Piet answered. "Lord Vader's ship." Captain Piet continued before Luke had a chance to say anything. "My Lord, we could use your help on the bridge?"
"I'm on my way." He said as he began making his way out of what remained of the shuttle bay. Luke moved quickly, not wanting to be inside, should the forcefield collapse. He'd nearly come to the exit when Piet's voice came back over the coms.
"My lord. The last remaining ship has broken through the line! It's the Titan sir! They're headed directly for the Federation vessel!" Piet reported hurriedly. "The Romulans are in pursuit." He said. "Shall we aid them?"
Luke stopped dead in his tracks. He thought of his sister, but also for the lives of the crew of the Titan. He found himself hesitant in giving the order to end them. It was not their choice to follow orders. Still, Luke had no other option.
"Destroy them, Captain." Luke growled. "Protect the Federation vessel." He said. "Protect…her." Luke finished just above a whisper, knowing that Piet could not have heard the last part. Luke quickened his pace towards the bridge.
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"Sir, the final hostile has been eliminated." Ensign Jae said from tactical.
Picard turned, and nodded. He couldn't believe what had just happened. The last attacking Imperial ship had been bearing down on the defenseless Enterprise. Their destruction seemed unavoidable. But just before the Enterprise fell into the approaching ship's weapons range, all four Romulan warbirds, along with the defecting Star Destroyer, pounced on the Imperial vessel, unleashing a hailstorm of fire that dissected the final destroyer in to two clean halves. Their reactor exploded moments later.
"Captain, our shields are coming back on line!" Jae said in near disbelief. "Very low power." She looked down at her console. "2 percent…3…4." She looked up. "Holding at four percent, sir."
Picard inhaled a quick breath of air into his lungs, and nodded.
"Captain." Ops said. Picard turned to Ensign Rager, sitting at the ops Console. "I'm getting intermittent power spikes throughout the ship. Some minor systems are coming back on line." She said as he tapped commands into her terminal. "Life support. Environmental controls. Shields. Even turbo lifts." Rager looked up to the Captain, who was now standing directly over her. "And Communications, Captain!"
Picard smiled. "Geordie!" He said as he turned back around, giving the Princess, who was still sitting in the seat next to his, a look of satisfaction. He walked to the center of the bridge, and addressed Ensign Jae. "Hail them."
"Aye, sir." Jae said confused. "Who sir?"
"Both." Picard said as he looked directly towards the main viewer. Jae swiftly went about sending out an all ships hail. Picard heard the confirmation tone, signaling that one of the ships was returning their hail. The Captain looked sternly to the screen. Somehow, he knew who it was that was going to answer. He hid a distasteful smirk, when Tomalak's face snapped on the screen.
"We are in your debt, Commander Tomalak." Picard began the conversation diplomatically.
"Please, Captain Picard." Tomalak sneered. "Think nothing of it. Consider it an act of, Romulan…charity." He smiled down at Picard. Picard only nodded and smiled in return, not wanting to lose the progress they'd made with pointless posturing.
"Captain." Ensign Jae said. "I have the Imperial ship on the line."
"Conference the Imperial ship in, Ensign." Picard said.
A view of the interior of what was clearly the Star Destroyer's command deck came up on the left side of the screen. Tomalak's image remained on the right. The destroyer's bridge appeared empty, at least, at first. No officer, or commander was framed in the screen. Picard squinted, as if doing so would somehow force someone to appear. Prophetically, a young man with brow length sandy-blonde hair came on the screen. He was wearing all black, and had an air of power about him that Picard could easily detect. But it was when the young man looked up, when Picard saw his eyes, that he fully understood. There, he saw the deep blue-in-blue gems of a full Sith-Master. Picard addressed the Sith, in proper.
"May I convey our gratitude, Lord, Lord…"
"Luke!" Leia shouted as she bolted off her chair and made her way to the very center of the bridge. Almost knocking the captain over on her way to the viewscreen. Leia's eyes, every bit the deep blue shade of her brother's, shown with wonder at seeing Luke for the first time in years.
"Leia." Luke returned the smile. "It's good to see you too…sister."
Tomalak looked confused and frustrated on his end of the screen. He interjected into the conversation. "Sister?" He said exasperatingly. "Excuse me, Captain, but what exactly is going on here?"
"Quite right, commander!" Picard said, as though the Romulan's words had resurrected the core problem. The captain walked up behind Princess Leia. "Excuse me, your highness." He said, gently persuading her to the side so he might have the spotlight. Once there, he addressed both commanders at the same time. "I'm sure you're both aware of the energy buildup within the core of the massive station below." Picard said.
"It's rather hard to miss, Captain Picard." Tomalak said sardonically. "We believe it to be a weapon of some kind."
"Aimed at the planet." Picard clarified.
"Have you a way to destroy the station, Captain Picard?" Luke asked from his side of the viewscreen.
"Destroy it!" Tomalak said incredulously. "Have you seen the size of that thing! It would take thousand ships, with more firepower than…" Tomalak stopped midsentence. "It can't be done!"
"We can't just sit here and do nothing, while millions of innocent lives are sacrificed." Luke replied to Tomalak's lack of enthusiasm at their chances. Though he could sense that the Romulan really did wish to help, he just couldn't fathom a way in which he could. "There must be a way. A weakness of some kind." Luke finished.
Just then, the turbo lift doors at the back of the bridge hissed open. Every head on the bridge turned to see who was inside. Picard let out an unhindered grin of pure joy and amazement, as Lt. Worf stepped out. Worf looked at the Captain, and nodded. In that one gesture, without a single word uttered, Picard could see that Worf held the answer to their problem. He wanted to know everything that had happened down on the station, and how they might stop it. But the details would have to wait. He twisted back to the main viewer.
"Are you finished helping us Tomalak?" Picard asked.
Tomalak gave the captain a maddening look, and rolled his eyes. "Will the Romulans ever be finished helping you humans?" He said, sarcastic and spiteful, at the same time.
Picard returned the insult, with a smile.
"I certainly hope not, Commander." He said.
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"They are not worthy of life." Duncan said as Paul stood frozen in fear, and stunned in horror.
It was still so odd for Paul, hearing the familiar sound of his friend and mentor's voice, but knowing that whatever it was that made up the real Duncan, had been dead for centuries. He hated that it had to be Duncan, the man he'd looked up to, admired, perhaps even hoped to surpass someday. He was the closest thing he had left to a father in the world he knew. Life had cheated him out of his own, and now, had taken another from him.
Memories of his family came flooding back to Paul for the first time since awakening in the Enterprise's sick bay. Thoughts of his father, his mother, and his little sister Alia, projected themselves into his mind's eye. Even his crusty old grandfather, Vladimir, came to him. He missed them all…
But it was not in the way that other people missed their loved ones, Paul suspected. Even in life, he had always felt apart from them, from everyone. He was a foreigner to such thoughts, an objective observer to life, not an active participant. He always hated that part of himself, his inability to connect, to feel; to take sides, and form comradery with others. He was not the one to plead the case for the sake of others. He was the judge, uncaring, unbiased. Alone. He was the outsider.
And now this outsider wanted answers.
"Why am I here?" Paul shouted the question that most burned in his mind. But Duncan did not answer. The machine that was once his friend only looked at him, as though confused. "Why me?" He shouted again, this time more forcefully. Still, Duncan said nothing. Paul took a step forward, away from the small cylinder that extruded from the larger core. "What am I doing here!?"
Paul's words echoed violently throughout the opened cavity of the vast, city-sized, power core. His words bounced off the distant walls until they vanished into nothingness. He and Duncan just stared at each other, in silence. Paul didn't bother to say anything further. There was nothing else for him to say. He looked pathetically at Duncan, begging the thing for an answer.
Duncan took a small step forward, away from the other Borg. He looked inquisitively towards Paul. "You are here to help us." Duncan said.
Paul looked up in a look just shy of wonderment. "Help you how?" Paul said.
Duncan paused…
"To help us kill them." It said.
"You are here to help us kill them…All!"