Chapter 27
The Metron's Unknown Unknowns
Milky Way - Alpha Quadrant - Metron Home World
A man draped in a glimmering silver toga, one resembling a Roman Senator in Earth's ancient history stood at the center of a ring of similar looking men. A top his head a crown, indicating his rank among the Metron people. This pale skin and soft complexion suggested an age of no more than twenty. This Metron, who in fact is thousands of years old, the same who had spoken to Kirk after his dramatic fight with the Gorn held the rank of Elected Leader. Nothing of significance or interest furnished the large room, whose dome ceiling rose hundreds of feet into the air. Everything was white, with lights illuminating from the walls and floor. The bland room correctly representing Metron society.
Years of isolationist ideology and non-interference had brought a focused and settled temperament, until that is, the Dalek's attack.
"Metron citizens. Members of our planetary community. The heinous attack upon us cannot go unpunished. The savages who did so are undoubtedly the Dalek's, the Borg being nothing more than their puppets."
The ring of similar looking Metrons, all genderless, all biologically engineered, nodded their heads in agreement. Within their once secure solar system, planets once teeming with life now floated with the solar wind as atoms. Never in the Metron's history had they experienced an attack. In fact, never in Metron history had any member of their race been killed.
The following conversation is among the leadership ring; who is speaking is unimportant.
"This tragedy cannot go unpunished."
"We can reform the planets, but the life on it, that will take time to build. Our citizen clone generators were also destroyed, their patterns are forever lost."
"Even their thoughts are lost to us now, we cannot retrieve them from our network."
"We need help in finding the Dalek's. Our efforts up to this point have been unsuccessful. Our probes are searching, but, time is not on our side. Another attack is likely."
"We need to unite the Galaxy. This petty war between the Imperials and smaller races must end."
"Yes."
"We shall end it Immediately."
"Are our defenses back online?"
"Yes, we have reformed the power emitters. But only on our home planet. We cannot predict the next form of attack."
"We are to coordinate with the Melkotians. Their telepathic ability may become useful, especially if we are to capture the Dalek's alive."
"Set defensive barriers to maximum. Set probes to defensive priority."
"The Dalek's are anti-life."
"Once this is complete and the Dalek's are destroyed, we need to address the Imperial ambitions. What has occurred inside the Alpha Quadrant shocks the consciousness of this circle."
"We will fix everything."
Milky Way - Alpha Quadrant - Andoria
Ex-Federation Council Member Ubino watched ships of all sort approach the city of Val-Klaxin. His pale blue skin and large insect antenna the most apparent difference between himself and an average human. High above in his office tower, he counted the hundreds, perhaps thousands of ships coming in from orbit to land and upgrade their systems. The city of Val-Klaxin, once designated a primary production center for Starfleet now served the Andorian people. Ships, weapons, and other machines of war rolled, rattled, and assembled on production lines as far as the eye could see.
Sipping an expensive drink from his cup, Ubino's gold wristband clattered gently against the delicate glass. He took a moment to study it. Made from gold-pressed-latinum, it perfectly matched his necklace and rings he openly displayed. His office tower, once one of many in the government's inventory now belonged solely to him. Power, wealth, control, all came effortlessly. Andorian women once finding him repulsive, flocked to him, his aura of invincibility and staggering wealth insatiable.
Not surprising, his new power brought others to seek their own, to carve something out of the socialist government. Everything was changing.
A small screech from the rearranging desks interrupted his thoughts and he turned to see a laborer placing the final gold-encrusted chair beside his new sleek conference table.
"Is the furniture as you like it sir?"
Ubino almost felt insulted that such a lowly peasant would dare speak to him,
"Be gone."
The laborer, which he had never seen previous, and perhaps never again, bowed. But instead of leaving, he walked over to Ubino and extended his hand.
"As you wish, peace be with you." Ubino's eyes flashed in anger but in the back of his brain, he knew. Slowly offering his own hand, he shook the peasants. Ubino smiled as the worker walked off, not saying a word. A piece of paper had been delivered to him, passed from the palm of the peasant into his.
A small flutter, a trace of nervousness crawled along his spine. Taking a deep breath, he unraveled the tiny note. It read:
[[
-Make your speech
-Ensure to emphasize that Andoria will not retreat, and that you will defeat all invaders
-Leave four bars of gold-pressed-latinum in room 622 in Chacar Building at 19:00 hours behind the blue couch. Do not be late. Do not be early.
-Send forty transports capable of at least warp 6 to coordinate 232 / 32 / 88, inform only Judicial Judge Hilo of this. Ensure their cargo holds are empty, but set transponders to indicate medical supplies for Betazed. Autopilot only, no Andorians aboard. Do not file a flight path.
]]
Ubino crumpled the paper and placed it in a glass of water. He watched slowly as the paper molecules became unglued and after a dozen seconds, nothing remained but a thin layer of floating foam on the surface. Picking up the glass, he gently swayed the water, the last of the paper molecules disappearing completely. Downing the water with a slight gag, he called for his assistant.
"Contact as many journalists as you can. Tell them I am to make a planet-wide broadcast."
Soon after, jeering and cheering crowds filled Ubino's ears as he walked up the steps to the raised podium. Situated in a park overlooking the industrial center of Val-Klaxin, his home city. The city where almost a year ago he was only a mayor. Now I am the most powerful Andorian alive. Ubino's swagger extended to his small entourage of 'yes men' each supremely sure of their bosses potential. Ubino had brought them freedom. Power.
Upon reaching the podium he looked out into the sea of blue-skinned faces, their antennas each twitching and waiting for his words.
"Citizens of Val-Klaxin, citizens of Andoria, hear me!" The broadcast did not just span the globe, but to key worlds within the Federation, some yet unwilling to make the final leap. "As all of you now know, we are no longer part of the Federation, no longer part of the system," more cheers. "We left, together. We voted together. We made a decision, together!" Ubino pointed to a large sign at the entrance to the nearest factory, "... That symbol is one of oppression. You, you there standing near it." Ubino pointed to a cluster of workers standing near the Federation symbol attached to a sign. "Tear it down. Grab it, rip it off!"
Heads spun as if on swivels, and the roaring crowd shouted in exuberance. After a minute, the large sign lay trashed in the park, wrecked, pulled apart.
"Excellent! For too long we were held down. Endlessly building ships for a navy that never protected us, never fought FOR us! That time is over. We. We the Andorian people will build for ourselves, build for OUR needs, OUR people!" Pointing high into the sky, with more ships swooping in and landing far and wide, "Those. Those ships are going to liberate us. We must work hard. We must work diligently, for an enemy approaches. Not long ago, Betazed was attacked by a Dominion fleet. Their people completely annihilated. Imagine. Betazoid, a Federation member longer than almost any other was NOT protected!"
Boos and dirty words hurled forward, no love remained for the Federation. With a steady diet of fake-news, the population needed a savior. In Ubino, they believed they found one.
"We have friends and allies. The Federation made it seem like we were alone, isolated if we left. But we will be ok. The enemy approaches, and we will stand. We. Will. Fight! Andoria forever!" Ubino raised his fist into the air, the crowd's elation, immeasurable.
Ubino's starting and stopping style of speech may or may not have reminded some onlookers of another's, but perhaps one could easily look too deep.
Or not deep enough.
Ubino ended his speech and walked down the steps, shaking hands with other political players. As he crossed the threshold back into his building, he remembered crafting the speech, and just a moment ago addressing the crowd, he felt like his own man. His own boss. Although he had to admit, he had never composed such a great speech, never inspired a crowd to that level before.
Damn I am good.
A mind can believe whatever it is made to believe.
Milky Way - Alpha Quadrant - Federation Space
Nine-hundred and twenty-six Dominion ships of differing classes sped towards Earth. At maximum warp only several weeks remained until they would reach their target. Total and utter planetary bombardment their sole mission. The 'Founders' demanding no survivors.
No Federation fleet could oppose them, their numbers and strength far beyond the remaining Starfleet navy. Any incoming fleet of substantially smaller number would be swatted like an insect, and so they traveled unopposed. Ignoring outer worlds and hundreds of hails for negotiation, the attack force sped onward, impervious to pleas from Starfleet Command.
Nothing could stop them.
Until now.
Ahead of the fleet, energy rippled outward, bursting from the subspace realm and flowing into real space. A ten-kilometer Metron probe of pure white energy emerged.
Instantly, a dampening field of incredible power cascaded over all the Dominion ships and like the Enterprise and Gorn vessel of the past, the entire fleet started to slow down. From behind, top, and below, three more Metron Probes emerged into real space, all projecting their dampening fields.
No one is entirely sure if the Metron's warned the panicking Vorta administrators of their doom, but what came next is indisputable. One by one, and in some cases in clustered groups, the Dominion ships exploded into their component molecules from torrential Metron energy discharges.
The Dominion attack fleet was no more. Wiped from existence without a returning shot fired, their energy fields drained, power systems snuffed out.
All across the Alpha Quadrant, Dominion ships were targeted and destroyed. Shipyards pumping out cruisers and dreadnaughts in Cardassian territory exploded in the same fashion. Hundreds of probes were cropping up all over the quadrant, in rare cases a ground installation or lucky Dominion ship managed to squeeze off a shot before they melted away into atoms.
Thrawn's plan of invasion by proxy ended. The Dominion navy no longer existed, anywhere.
Imperial Galaxy - Unknown Location
Teemar's boot pressed harder against the throat of the struggling Imperial Spy. The fat Romulan's forehead a sweaty mess of fat-creases and dirt.
"Tell us again Melkcom, what is your mission?" Gasps and desperate spasms the only response from the spy laying on his back. Teemar released the pressure a little to allow for an answer.
"I was supposed to try and figure out where the drugs were coming from," gasped Melkcom, a humanoid Imperial spy. His face a bloodied and tortured mess, beaten mercilessly by Teemar's goons.
"Oh," Teemar chuckled, his fat belly jiggling as he looked at his men lining the room. "Oh and, um, who did you tell?"
Shaking his head furiously from side to side, the spy denied any communication between himself and superiors, but Teemar suspected otherwise. He signaled to his right-hand man, a short but sturdy looking Ferrengi. The door hissed open; another humanoid fell into the room, hit in the small of the back with a rifle. Melkcom strained his head to see, his eyes betraying him.
"Ah see, I knew it. This is your superior officer eh? Hehe." Teemar pulled a clear vial from his pocket containing a purple crystal liquid. "This is Thionite, most potent drug in existence, It's what your searching for, and wondering, where can I find the providers… right? Well you found me."
He popped the top off the vial with his thumb, beneath the rubber top were two holes with a small button. Bending down he shoved the vial below the nostril of the spy and pressed down gently on the button. One hole opened, representing half the container, the crystal liquid shot into the Imperial's nose. Teemar lifted his boot grinning ear to ear. Almost immediately, Melkcom spasmed and tensed, his entire body experiencing an overwhelming ecstasy. In the spy's mind, all things were possible, visions always unclear seemed clear, his very dreams having been experienced first hand. It is not possible to accurately write and describe the phenomenal and overwhelming experience that Thionite brings, but let it just be known, there is no equal.
After ten minutes, the spy's spasms stopped and he lay exhausted on the floor, his body covered in sweat. Teemar snickered and stalked over to the other man,
"Don't worry, I'm not going to give you any, your subordinate is mine now you see? For the rest of his life, only one thing will consume his actions. To obtain more Thionite. He'll murder, steal, bribe, spy… anything I want. So where does that leave you? Well… let's see. How many men do you control? How many report to you?"
The spy commander now standing, swayed on his feet, unsure of how to act. Major Jammal Craw and his team had been assigned to infiltrate a drug smuggling ring on the frontier worlds, only to be compromised last night.
"Fourteen," he replied hesitantly.
"Fourteen. I see. How would you like to control two planets worth of people?"
Major Craw arched his head back and laughed,
"I'd never betray the Empire! You think your small band of misfits can take on the galaxy?" Craw laughed again.
Teemar raised a finger and waved it back and forth, like a parent scolding a small child.
"Are you sure?" The door opened and this time, instead of another spy being brought in, a dozen scantily clad women walked into the room, each dazzling their eyes in the direction of the Major. One stopped beside Teemar and planted a soft kiss on his cheek before moving towards the far wall. Major Craw watched the girls carefully, their eyes blurred and glassy, apparently at one point under the influence of the toxic and unbelievably potent Thionite. Teemar winked at the spy commander before continuing.
"I need you to run Tatooine and-"
"Tatooine? The Hutt's control Tatooine."
A small chuckle escaped the Romulans humungous gut.
"Not for long, I need you to control the Hutt's. Then, I need you to manufacture or steal seven hundred class-four hyperdrives. That's your mission. By my estimates you'll need ten or twenty thousand men."
An incredulous look overcame the Major, he was so taken back by the proposal he did not know how to react. On the floor, his subordinate Melkcom stirred to his knees, he held his head with both hands trying to balance himself. Kneeling down beside him, Teemar placed another vial into the trembling palm of the now hopeless drug addict.
"Listen to me Melkcom. You see this vial? You can have as many as you'd like. But. Before you do, I need you to gather one-thousand followers. I don't care what you do to get them, start a business, start a small criminal syndicate. That doesn't matter to me. Once you have a thousand to control, then you will obtain more Thionite. Here," Teemar pointed to a box in the corner, "... that box contains about twenty-seven type six navigation computers, you can sell those to get started and collect Imperial credits. You have four months."
Teemar snatched the vial back as Melkcom struggled to his feet and scampered towards the door; his life forever changed. Kids, wife, family, no longer mattered. Thionite now controlled his actions. But Teemar was not done with him, yet.
"Melkcom," the spy turned his head just as he was about to exit only to see an elephant-sized fist heading towards his face. The fat Romulan had thrown a haymaker, connecting squarely on the jaw of the still dazed Imperial. Despite Teemar's relatively slow speed, the massive bulk of the Romulan delivered devastating kinetic energy. Melkcom's head snapped sideways with a loud crack, his head hitting the wall like a battering ram. Then, to the surprise of Major Craw whose mouth lay agape, Teemar landed a tremendous kick, both in intensity and power into the chest of Melkcom. The impact carried so much force thanks in part to Teemar's weight the spy smashed straight through the door, tearing them off their rollers and crashing to the ground outside. Teemar's goons, women, and Major Craw followed the obese Romulan out the door, watching the entertainment unfold.
Laying on the ground, floundering to regain his composure and balance, was Melkcom. Spitting a glob of blood onto the dusty desert ground, he had a concussion, and perhaps worse. The small shack they had occupied looked like a bomb had gone off within, the doors laying several feet away. As Teemar exited, he pinched the end of his nose and flicked away whatever snot dribbled out. The Romulan lumbered forward, cocky, competent.
"Wha..what?" Melkcom still had no idea what was happening, or why.
"Now now Melkcom, I just wanted you and your Major to know that I control you. And no matter what I do to you… you will always be mine. Forever and ever." The Romulan's size fourteen boot came to a loud stomp a dozen feet away from the dazzed spy.
Melkcom wiped the blood from his mouth, his face contorting in rage, he scampered up and ran towards the colossal Romulan.
"Never!" Swinging with everything he had, for everything he knew he lost, his fist aimed for the bowling ball sized head. Only to never connect.
Teemar caught the fist in mid-air, squeezing it with his catcher's mitt palm. Melkcom pushed with everything he had, his feet digging and slipping in the dirt. But the Romulan was too strong, too big. Teemar grinned cruelly, his white teeth glimmering, his eyes focused. Both men stood face to face, Melkcom's one of rage, his opponent one of amusement and absolute confidence. Melkcom Wagner began to scream as he pushed his fist forward, trying to break the will of the Romulan; but it was not to be. With herculean strength, Teemar smashed Melkcom's fist back at his OWN face. The spy's head snapped back stunned, his nose exploding in blood. A digging and savage hook to the body then brought the Imperial spy to his knees.
"You are nothing to me. You must have more. I just took your life. Everything you cherish. Everything you hold dear!""
Melkcom held his ribs, they were broken, snapped like toothpicks. But he did not want to go down like this, he had to fight. He stood again, throwing another wild fist, only this time Teemar blocked it with his forearm, then drove his elbow like a pile driver into the shorter spy's neck.
Thud!
Melkcom collapsed, barely conscious, in pain, and utterly exhausted. Teemar looked back over his shoulder at Major Craw.
"You'd think a man beaten, smashed into bits would not do this, watch." Reaching into his pocket, he opened the top of another vial of Thionite and squirted some onto the toe of his mud-covered boots. Immediately Melkcom dropped to his stomach and started to feverishly lick it off. After a minute Teemar kicked Malkcom in the face and walked back towards Major Craw and elaborated.
"I could inject you with this stuff, you'd be my slave. But I need your head a bit more clear, a bit more alert. I'll give you access to the drug if you wish to use it for your own control purposes. It's up to you, but the power I now have over Melkcom, you would have over worlds. Power! Power! Power!" Shouted Teemar with a big chuckle. He wiped away some sweat that accumulated during the beating he administered. Major Craw looked over the shoulder of Teemar, he saw his spy spasming on the ground from the Thionite, sand, dirt, and blood covering his mouth. Teemar followed his gaze and continued his one-way conversation. "He can't kill me, do you know why?" Craw did not answer, "... because if he does, he can't get more Thionite, because he does not know how to produce it. See? See how easy it is to control with such a powerful and irresistible drug? It's great for grunts and the like..."
A small beeping alert went off on the beltline of Teemar, he looked down for a moment and pressed a button. The ultra-wave transceiver read,
[[Meeting]]
Obediently, Teemar pressed another button on his belt and waited. With his thought-screen lowered, he waited. Then within his mind he heard the familiar voice, the same that spoke to him during his visit to the Rebels and visited him in the asteroid production facility in the Milky Way.
"There is trouble. We believe an experienced telepath is loose within the Galaxy."
Teemar was not surprised, he figured the thought-screen he had been given was for some useful purpose.
"Is that who killed my contact on Outland Transit Station? She was good, gave me a lot of info from Kuat."
"We have not verified, that assumption is logical. Did you inform her to always keep her thought-screen up?"
"Always… just like me."
"Good. Instruct your contacts on Coruscant to spread into their power facilities. How many are working as of now?"
"I have six teams, and I don't know how many below them, like you said, we spread organically. I'd say… maybe fifty-thousand. Tops."
"Your attack upon the Death Star facility was satisfactory. What is the current production rate of hypermatter?"
"We are having trouble aligning the magnetic fields, but once we get those right, about ten tons a month."
"Very good. I am now hereby ordering you to coordinates 0 by 0 by 0 within the Milky Way Galaxy. Leave immediately."
Teemar thought for a moment before replying,
"That's the galactic center, what am I doing there?"
"Negotiating."
Milky Way - Alpha Quadrant - Federation Space - Enterprise
Captain Kirk, Scotty, McCoy, Cienna, Kimball Kinnison, and Luke sat around the conference table listening to Spock finish his debriefing of all the latest news.
"The Metron's have single-handedly destroyed the Dominion attack force. Reports coming in throughout Federation space, all ships seemingly are gone."
Kirk could not help but smile, he leaned back in his chair almost exhausted. His gamble had worked, despite abandoning early engagements with the Dominion, his quest to find help ultimately paid off.
"That is excellent news. What else Spock?"
"Starfleet has successfully installed hyperspace gravity generators around Earth, no Imperial probes or ships can enter that system without being forced into real space. Thanks to the intact probe droid provided by the Metron's, myself, Cienna and several engineers were able to develop them. Director Sloan, who headed the project for mass production is in critical condition. I do not know if that will ultimately delay their production across all worlds."
Kirk's eyes narrowed, Kinnison suspected Sloan of perhaps working with the Dalek's, but nothing had been proven. With so much time having passed since Kinnison had visited Earth, many things could have changed.
"Yes… we cannot be too sure of him."
"Commander Data's total assessment of all readily available-" Spock was cut off by Bones,
"Good god, just skip to the good parts, would ya?"
Raising an eyebrow and receiving a few chuckles, Spock continued,
"Reports of widespread destabilization efforts are ongoing. I believe, this is Boskone based on Mr. Kinnison's reports."
Kinnison nodded,
"Yes agreed. The Empire had thousands of spies, bounty hunters, and changelings working for them, but, now that I know Boskone is around, I'm not sure how much was the Empire and how much is Boskone. I suppose both."
Cienna's eyes were closed, trying to listen and think at the same time. She offered a theory,
"Could it be Boskone is controlled by the Daleks?"
Kimball shook his head slowly, unsure if it were possible.
"Tough to say, everything screwy started happening after the Dalek Time Destroyer went off. It could be. Sure."
Kirk tapped his forefinger on the table, emphasizing his next point.
"Speaking of the Dalek's, we need a weapon able to destroy them in one fell swoop, Not allowing them to escape and rebuild. It has to be immediate and deadly."
"We need to find the buggers first," noted Bones.
"We'll let the Metron's handle that, their probes can cross the galaxy in a matter of weeks by our estimates. But when the time comes, we'll need something as well. We'll have to throw everything at them at once, all races."
The Captain's plan seemed reasonable to everyone, but a small point still frustrated Kinnison. Boskone.
"You know, it doesn't make a lot of sense for the Dalek's to control Boskone. It seems like a lot of effort just to eventually kill them all. The Ploorians, or… I guess whoever controlled them wanted control, power. That's all it was ever about, power and control. The Dalek's want to kill everything. I don't see how those two ideologies would work together. Something is off. Something doesn't make sense."
Spock nodded in agreement,
"Your analysis is very logical, I agree that we are missing critical information."
Kirk stared at the conference table, his eyes circling a problem in his mind. The weapon would need to be totally secret, totally unprecedented.
"What I say now does not leave this room." Everyone shuffled in their seats, uncertain as what came next. "The weapon must be totally and utterly destructive. And. A complete secret. We know the Dalek is capable of subversion. If Boskone is controlled by them, then any slips, any chances of them discovering what we are building could lead to disaster."
"Captain," started Spock. "We will reach Earth in only a few days. It is logical that the Empire will try and stop us. They must know we have not broadcast the truth of the situation to member worlds. The Rebel fleet has now made it clear they are on our side, I believe they will attack us."
Luke who sat quietly, taking it all in, agreed with this assessment.
"The Empire is bent on control, either with their military or politically. And if the Dominion is now gone…"
Kirk finished the thought for his new friend,
"Then they are left with but one option…"
Kinnison sighed, rubbing his forehead then tapping his fingers on the table.
"They would put themselves in a jam back in their own galaxy if they picked a fight now that the Dominion are gone. The Cardassians by my measure would join our side. And the Klingons…"
"The Klingons… may have done themselves in," said Kirk, reflecting on the report from Picard to the rest of the fleet. "Cienna," his tone now gentler and familiar. "I have an idea regarding a weapon. Years ago we encountered an inter-dimensional traveler named Lazarus. He's trapped now between universes, but, what if we could recreate the portal… and then shut the door while they are half way in."
Spock raised an eyebrow, thinking things over.
"Fascinating. A device to open a portal between universes, but to modify it to collapse the space. Whomever or whatever would be erased from existence."
"Precisely." Kirk's eyes glowed at the thought. He stood suddenly, leaning on the table, looking at each of his staff and friends. "We will need to build this in total secrecy. Total… isolation."
"May I recommend Commander Data be brought aboard this project, his knowledge and intelligence would be a great benefit," requested Spock.
"Aye, I agree," added Scotty.
"Let's get started."
Milky Way - Galactic Center - Dalek Secret Base
The Supreme Dalek moved its eye stock subtly, looking over the fat Romulan from head-to-toe. An encoded message a few hours ago by way of ultra-wave conveyed the need to meet and talk. The Dalek's had been surprised by its use, not believing anyone had discovered such technology in this galaxy.
"Your brain is INFFEERRRIIOOORR, you could not have developed ultra-wave. Who do you work for?"
Teemar blinked away the nervous sweat running down his eyelids and tried to explain again the circumstances as to how he ended up in this situation. The dark and uninviting station crept with strange oddities. Slaves grown to serve a common purpose stalked about, swaying clumsily and performing their duties as designed. Teemar did not like it, he could not wait to leave.
"I told you, I did not develop ultra-wave, it was given to me. I am under orders. I work for the Maquis. I have been-"
If a Dalek could laugh, it may have.
"The MMMMAQUIS? Improbable. Impossible." As fast as the words were spoken, the Dalek accessed all information ever obtained. The Supreme Dalek knew full well that ultra-wave could not, would not, and had never been discovered or otherwise tested by a rogue terrorist organization.
"Listen," Teemar held his hands in front of him, trying to focus the conversation best he could. "This is what I'm telling you, because this is all I know. Get me?"
Normally such insolence would have been handled with a quick blast of the Dalek energy weapon, but the fact that ultra-wave had been used gave them pause.
"Continue."
"As I was saying, you have a big problem. Your attack on the Metron's failed. And if they were not looking for you before, they sure are now. The Dominion just got smashed to pieces. You're next. It won't be long until they find you, we did."
"Hoooow did you find us? How do you know it was us who attacked?"
"I don't know, I didn't find you myself. I just got orders to come here. That is beside the point. You need our protection."
"In exchange for...?"
"We know your building a weapon, and-"
"You SCANNED our Cherno 44 site?" The ability of ultra-wave to act as both a communication medium and spy-beam had not crossed the Dalek's mind. Counter-measures had been taken but not against such a unique and improbable method.
"Listen, I don't know!" Teemar's frustration once a simmer, now started to boil over. "Stop interrupting me. We protect you. You kill the Q. That's it. Ok? I'm here to tell you this. Got it?"
The Supreme Dalek remained quiet, busy considering all available options. It did not know how the Romulan or his superior's knew of the superweapon, but the battle computer and it's brethren discussed the situation within their information-web.
"Your alliance..."
"Yes…?" Teemar swallowed slowly, his hand reaching for his Delameter pistol.
"Is... DEEENIIIEEEED!"
Quick as a whip, Teemar pulled his pistol! And at the exact same moment, the Supreme Dalek fired.
Zap!
Teemar clutched his chest while screaming in pain, but only for an instant. Falling like a large tree, he crumpled forward, dead. His quickdraw one-hundredth of a second too slow.
Turning in the opposite direction the Supreme Dalek floated over to one of its screens, a new object now entered their sensor array.
"U-N-E-X-P-E-C-T-E-D!"
"Incoming request for transport master," sputtered a human slave.
"Acknowledge. Allow."
Behind the Dalek, two transport beams shimmered into existence. Upon materialization the leader of the arriving guests spoke.
"Teemar… was my best operator," the start-stop nature of speech immediately triggering the Dalek's search mechanisms.
"I-M-P-O-S-S-I-B-L-E!"
Quickly the Supreme Dalek spun around, the voiceprint matched perfectly.
Standing twenty feet from the Dalek was mirror-universe-Kirk and mirror-universe-Spock. Each wearing their mirror-universe uniforms, the captain had a scowl on his face. No smile, no smirk. His face a tattered and scarred mess of wounds long healed. A light within the chamber illuminated evil-Kirk's eyes, boring like lasers into the Dalek's eye stock.
"Why don't you try that with someone your own size."
