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All characters appearing in Star Trek, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek Deep Space Nine and Star Trek Voyager are copyright Paramount Pictures. All characters appearing in the Star Wars saga are copyright Lucas Arts and the Walt Disney Cooperation. No infringement of these copyrights is intended, and is not authorized by the copyright holder.

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Star Trek/Star Wars – Galaxy at War: Part Twenty-Seven The Drumbeat of Doom Part II

by

Celgress

"As you vilify, everything single move that I make and try to bind me in your insanity. You'll come to know that you never control for the unset. Go find another lapdog, fucker."

Vilify (2013) Device

Star Trek Dimension - July 2375 C.E.

USS Enterprise-E somewhere in the Beta Quadrant

Warning klaxons blared as red light bathed the corridors of the starship. A few hours earlier the Enterprise-E had come to the aid of a stricken Vulcan shuttle craft. Moments before the shuttle suffered a catastrophic warp core breach the crew of the Enterprise-E beamed over three Vulcans two light-skinned males and one dark-skinned female. What no one knew or suspected at the time was that these Vulcan tourists who had seemingly stumbled into the war zone, in reality, belonged to the Adepts of T'Pel: a secretive league of expert assassins whose ancestors fled Vulcan centuries before after rejecting the ways of the legendary reformer Surak. These three Adepts were also members of the Orion Syndicate and were tasked with freeing General Grievous from Starfleet custody, which they accomplished with startling quickness and precision by uploading a complex, aggressive computer virus to the computer core of the Enterprise-E by way of a replicator terminal. They then slew the security detail protecting the cell block and along with Grievous made their way to the nearest transporter room.

"Override the security lockout." The female Vulcan said to one of the two males after the trio easily dispatched the Starfleet personnel in the transporter room. More impressive yet they used only hand to hand combat to do so.

"At once," The male Vulcan in question said while he got to work on the transporter terminal. "Done, we have transporter control." He said a moment later.

The female, the other male, and Grievous got on the transporter pads. "Beam us to the prearranged coordinates." The female Vulcan said knowing an Orion Syndicate stealth ship was waiting for them not far away from where the Enterprise-E stand helpless. Luckily for these Starfleet fools the virus she and her fellow Adepts had uploaded would self-destruct in another hour leaving behind no ill effects.

"Not so fast," Molly said as she entered the transporter room with Alexander. Both Jedi Padawans held their ignited lightsabers. "You three aren't going anywhere with our prisoner." Upon seeing the Jedi Grievous growled like an animal his eyes burning with barely restrained rage in spite of the fact he only had one of his four hands and lacked a weapon of any kind he stilled wanted to make the Jedi pay for capturing him.

"Get the General to safety. I'll handle these children." The female Vulcan said to the two males noticing Grievous was ready to pounce.

The male Vulcan who operated the transporter controls nodded. He inputted a series of commands and jumped onto a transporter pad. Although Molly reached out with the Force she succeeded in shorting out the transporter a split second too late. The two male Vulcans along with Grievous vanished in a familiar blue shimmer of energy. Molly scowled at this development.

"Tsk, tsk," The female Vulcan said wagging her right index admonishingly at Molly. "I thought Jedi were supposed to keep their emotions under tight control." She then added further mocking Molly. "I sense much anger in you young one."

With a shout, Molly lunged at the female Vulcan with her lightsaber. The female Vulcan sidestepped the sloppy attempted attack. She took two parts of a collapsible electro staff from concealed pockets. She snapped them together and extended her weapon to its full 1.5-meter length. The bulbs on each end of the electro staff crackled with orange energy.

"I've been wanting to test myself against a Force user in combat ever since your kind first appeared in this galaxy. Now I get to fight two at once. It must be my lucky day. I hope you don't disappoint." The female Vulcan said.

"We'll try to meet your expectations," Molly said.

"Please do," The female Vulcan said with a grin.

Over the next two minutes, the female Vulcan led an eager Molly and a reluctant Alexander in a dance of twirling light around the transporter room. Just when it appeared the pair might have an advantage the female Vulcan decided she had enough. She somersaulted away from the Jedi then activated a hidden personal transporter beacon in the cuff of her left sleeve.

"While it has been a pleasure, duty calls." The female Vulcan said. "Tell your superiors young ones you were bested by Uvik a level four Adept of T'Pel," Uvik said before was spirited away by a transporter beam of yellow hue.

"What did we miss? Nothing exciting I hope." Quinlan Vos said. He, Aayla Secura and full Starfleet Security detail barraged into the room a second after Uvik's departure.

"They escaped with General Grievous. We failed to stop them masters." Alexander dutifully reported. Quinlan Vos swore in Huttese.

Captain's Office, sometime later

Captain Jean-Luc Picard said patiently while via subspace communication Admiral Tujiro Nakamura berated Picard and those under his command for losing such a high value prisoner. Recently promoted from his position as commanding officer of Star Base 219 Admiral Nakamura was responsible for overseeing the defense of Federation holdings in the Beta Quadrant. This was no easy task given the recent Tholian offensive. The Invasion, or as it was being called in many circles the rape, of Risa by the Sith Imperium in conjuncture with the Tholians had only further complicated an already messy situation for Nakamura.

"I want security measures on the Enterprise increased immediately." Admiral Nakamura fumed. "From now on no one gets on or off our Starfleet Flagship without appropriate clearance. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes Admiral," Picard said.

"Have a draft report on this incident forwarded to me by 09:00 tomorrow." Admiral Nakamura ordered. "I also want a dossier compiled on these Adepts of T'Pel and forwarded to me and to the Office of Starfleet Security for review within the week."

"Yes, Admiral," Picard said.

"As for your next mission Captain Picard." Admiral Nakamura said. "The Enterprise will proceed to the Barzan System and rendezvous with Voyager. We have a refugee situation developing there which could benefit from your diplomatic skills."

"Understood Admiral," Picard said. "We'll be underway as soon as this conversation ends."

"Make it so, Admiral Nakamura out." Admiral Nakamura said his image then blinked away.

Picard got up from his seat and adjusted his uniform. He hated how the shirts had a habit of riding up over time. One would think Starfleet Command would have remedied the situation long ago, oh well.

As Picard made his way to the bridge he could not help but ponder Admiral Nakamura's parting words. What sort of refugee crisis could be developing in the Barzan System of all places? Would either the Sith Imperium or their Tholian allies attack such an important system while most of the Beta Quadrant remained in enemy hands? Technically the Barzans were neutral, granted there was the Barzan Wormhole to consider. However, due to its chronic instability, it was of little strategic importance, unlike the Bajoran Wormhole. Picard sensed something was amiss, the question was what?

Childhood Home of Sela in the Capital City of Romulus Beta Quadrant, night

Taking care of the guards her father employed was a simple matter. Even without her enhanced Force abilities she likely could have knocked them out given her previous life as a Tal Shiar linked military officer. When they laid at her feet she briefly toyed with the idea of ending their lives but decided against it. They had been kind to her in years past. With ease, Sela made her way to the bedchamber of her father retired Romulan General Volskiar.

"Who's there?" The elderly silver-haired Romulan said grabbing the disruptor pistol he kept by his bedside. "Answer me or I'll shoot."

"It's me father, Sela," Sela said emerging from the shadows. She stepped towards the bed tossing back her black hood to reveal her pale face framed by her long golden locks.

"Sela," Volskiar said getting out of bed he put down the disruptor on his nightstand. He was clad in an ornate Romulan sleeping gown befitting of his high social status. He took a long hard look at his daughter then sneered. "You look ridiculous, adorn in those silly robes and sporting that messy Un-Romulan haircut. Who do you think you are some Vulcan pseudo-mystic?"

Sela frowned before she replied. "I'm a Dark Lady of the Sith. One of the most naturally gifted with the Force the Order has ever had. " She said mirroring the words Tyranus had told her on more than one occasion. "Worlds tremble at my feet."

"Do they now." Volskiar with more than a note of skepticism evident in his voice.

"One day I'll rule this galaxy. You'll see." Sela snapped.

"Always the dreamer," Volskiar said with a chuckle. "A disgrace like you will never rule anything for long. All I've given you and this is how you repay me by leaving the Romulan Military to join some half baked extra-galatic cult." He indicated Sela's robes with a sweep of his hands. "You come in her playing dress up and spurting superstitious nonsense. Your precious Sith order has more in common with Vulcan fools who practice misguided semi-religious rights than Romulan analytical thinking. Am I supposed to be impressed? I assure you I am not. I thought I raised you better than this."

"How can you be so cruel, father? I did this so you'd be proud of me, as I've done everything." Sela said. "You'll see under my leadership Romulus will become the greatest power in this galaxy and beyond. Isn't that what you've always wanted a secure Romulus answerable to no one? Our people masters of the universe."

"Shut your filthy mouth!" Volskiar shouted. He quickly closed the distance between them and slapped Sela across her face. "I won't have a mongrel drag my people through the mud by involving us with the disgraceful practices of the Sith or Jedi, even if that mongrel is my own," Volskiar raged. "You're just like your worthless mother Sela. My biggest regret is that I spared your life. I should have had you executed along with her. I would have saved myself years of disappointment."

Sela stood there stunned. While her father had always pushed her hard this display of vehemence was something new. No, wait that was not right. Repressed memories began to flood her mind: every insult he ever threw her way about "not being a true Romulan", every accomplishment he ignored, everytime he hit her and called her "weak" when she cried as a child, how he constantly insulted the memory of her mother, how he gave her a beating whenever she expressed sadness her mother was gone until she came to believe his lies about the poor woman, the mother who loved her unconditionally, the mother who she betrayed for him.

"Don't ever mention my mother again," Sela warned her voice low her expression dark. The stinging of her cheek forgotten.

"How dare you give me an order! I'm your father! You'll treat me with the respect I deserve!" Volskiar said.

"Which is none," Sela said.

"How are you!" Volskiar repeated. "I am the head of this family!"

This time Sela laughed. "We were never a family. I was your slave and mother your concubine. Mother was only with you out of fear. I see that now. There was never any love between you or between us. We were things, possession that signified your power. You're nothing but a kidnapper, a child abuser, and a rapist. For nearly my entire life I could not understand why mother hated you. But I do in this moment. I see the truth of you father. I see rotten soul. How could I have been so blind?"

"Your mother was a virtueless whore who begged me to make her mine the moment we met! You're not too old for me to beat respect into you Sela," Volskiar said.

Volskiar made ready to strike Sela a second time but found himself paralyzed. His outstretched hand hoovered inches from her face. A low rumbling that soon became a deafening roar was heard. The entire building began to shake. Sparks of electricity pinged off the walls of the room as Sela's eyes turned a poison yellow. Her pupils surrounded by narrow rings of fiery orange-red. Cracks rapidly spread throughout the structure. With a massive boom that rattled nearby buildings, the house came door around Sela and Volskiar. It was torn asunder by the titanic energy Sela had unleashed in her anger.

Clouds of thick dust swirled around Volskiar who found his body below his shoulders pinned beneath a pile of heavy rubble. He coughed and tasted blood. Out of the gloom glided a robed figure it was Sela. Her yellow eyes beheld her trapped, injured father with nothing except pure hatred.

"H-H-Help, m-me, S-S-Sela," Volskiar managed weakly. His mouth was stained green with blood.

"That name no longer holds any meaning for me. It is the name of a slave. I am Darth Imera (I-Mir-Ah). Dark Lady of the Sith." Imera said coldly as she thought of what her mother endured at the hands of this monster. Her skin crawled as she remembered the late Klingon Duras who fancied her. How terrible being his plaything would have been. No doubt her mother had felt the same way about her "father". "And you are dead my former tormentor." With a flick of her right wrist, Volskiar's neck snapped back ending his life. Sela's mind drifted back a month before when during an unexpected visit to her battleground in the Beta Quadrant, which occurred not long after the bombing of Cait, her master at her urging conferred the title Darth upon her.

"The Force is strong with you my apprentice. I sense a powerful and cunning Dark Lady of the Sith you will one day become. Henceforth you shall be known as Darth, Imera. The two natured one." Tyranus said. He then passed his crimson blade across both of Sela's shoulders as she knelt before him on the bridge of the flagship of her battleground in front of her loyal soldiers. "Arise Lady Imera."

"Thank you, my master." The newly named Imera said getting to her feet. "I promise I shall bring only greater glory to our Order and the Imperium."

"Indeed," Tyranus said simply.

Imera knew she must soon leave the scene of the occurrence and if she were wise the capital city entirely. No doubt the authorities would arrive investigating such a disaster as it would be a top priority, especially during wartime. To linger would be to court disaster. Besides, there was nothing left here for her. With a twirl of her robes she departed.

The Outskirts of the Capital City, less than an hour later

Imera reached her Sith stealth shuttle without incident. She had made good time returning far quicker from the city that it had taken her to go there. Although she would have preferred to meet with Shinzon and his Reman backers before leaving Romulus that was no longer an option. She would have to instead contact him once she was safely out of the system. She was about to get inside her shuttle when she sensed an unfriendly presence nearby. She heard the familiar snap-hiss of an igniting lightsaber an instant before the wielder would have literally stabbed her in the back.

While Jen'Dhasi was more than competent with her Force abilities and would have been a worthy challenge for most Jedi Knights she was simply not on Imera's level. In addition to her very strong Force powers, Sela had been trained by the Tal Shiar on how to defend herself long before she became a Sith which only served to aid her in quickly picking up the different lightsaber style. Her personal style being a mix of Form II Makashi and Form IV Ataru with elements of the Shien variant of Form V. As a result of these factors, the young Sith acolyte clone never stood a chance.

Imera smoothly piqued away from Jen'Dhasi's incoming horizontal slash. She activated her own lightsaber as she did so. Imera countered with a devastatingly powerful yet quick upward diagonal swing of her blade that nicked the saber arm of the other Sith. Jen'Dhasi cried out in pain dropping her lightsaber which Imera caught with the Force and levitated into her free head. She pointed both blades at Jen'Dhasi's chest. The tips of which were so close they signed oles in the dark gray tunic of the young female Cardassian-Human Hybrid.

"Yield or die," Imera said.

Jen'Dhasi looked at the twin blades at her chest then at Imera then back to the blades then finally Imera again. "I yield," She said bowing her head. "My life is yours."

"Why did you attack me?" Imera demanded.

"Lord Tyranus wanted you punished because you did not personally retrieve General Grievous as he commanded. In return for slaying you, he promised I would be his new apprentice." Jen'Dhasi answered.

Imera could not help but feel sorry for the other young hybrid. Their mutual master had pitted Jen'Dhasi against Imera knowing that Jen'Dhasi stood no chance. Furthermore, Imera sensed Jen'Dhasi could prove useful if allowed to continue her studies thus becoming a more proficient Sith acolyte. Imera also saw some of herself in the young woman before her. Both were of two worlds desperately trying to reconcile their dual natures. Both desperately tried to please a father figure who cared little about their wellbeing. What a waste of a valuable resource Imera thought more disgust with her "master" than ever.

Imera reached a decision. "If I let you live you shall be my personal servant answerable to none save me. Do you agree to my terms, or would you rather perish here?" Imera said.

"I am yours to command, my mistress," Jen'Dhasi said her gaze meeting that of Imera. "But what of Lord Tyranus? He will surely kill me for my failure."

"I'll handle Lord Tyranus," Imera said. "Your only concern from this point forward is doing my bidding." Imera deactivated the lightsabers. She passed Jen'Dhasi's weapon back to Jen'Dhasi who gladly accept it. "It goes without saying you must never tell another of our arrangement, without my expressed permission." Jen'Dhasi nodded. "Come, my handmaiden." Imera beckoned liking very much the term she had chosen for her first servant. "We have much to do." Jen'Dhasi dutifully followed Imera into her shuttle.

Runabout USS Volga entering the Ficus Sector Alpha Quadrant, one week later

"Thank you so much, Kira," Jadzia Dax said to her friend Kira Nerys for the millionth time since their journey began nearly a week ago. The pair were seated in the cockpit of the Runabout.

"Please stop thanking me Jadzia," Kira said. "I already told you I needed some time away from the station and Bajor to clear my head." Kira checked the navigational readouts. "No offense, but I wish Worf had left an itinerary. Of course, if he had we wouldn't need to be out here. Do you really think Kor might have dragged him as far away from the Station as the Ficus Sector?"

"I admit it is a long shot, but Morn thought they mentioned Betazed," Jadzia said. The sole resident Lurian of Deep Space Nine Morn was a notorious gossip who frequently eavesdropped on any conversation that took place at Quark's Bar. "I wish the Defiant wasn't away assisting with border defense near Chin'toka."

"So do I," Kira said.

The USS Volga suddenly began violently rocking. "We've stumbled into some sort of intense gravimetrical disturbed that isn't listed on any of the star charts," Jadzia reported checking her instruments.

"I'll try to compensate." Kira said.

Space

Hundreds no thousands of Sith Imperium ships of various types appeared seemingly out of nowhere. In truth they had exited a previously unmapped hyperspace corridor that connected the a portion of Ficus Sector near Betazed to an area deep inside Cardassian territory. Although Alliance Intelligence had been aware of the large fleet massing there for some time because of the distance of the Cardassian held sector from the border no one paid the development much mind. Even after the "Rape of Risa" nobody in Alliance Intelligence circles connected the dots that another possible sneak attack could be in the offing so soon. A blunder for which they Alliance would soon pay dearly.

Runabout USS Volga

"There is only one reason the Imperium would move such a large part of its navy into the Ficus Sector like this." Jadzia said gravely.

"Do you think they're planning on launching an attack against the Clone Trooper Production Facilities on Mariposa?" Kira asked

"I'm certain of it." Jadzia answered. "We must warn Starfleet."

"Way ahead of you I'm already,,, dammit!" Kira said hammering a sequence of buttons in quick succession without any effect.

"What is it?" Jadzia asked.

"They're jamming our transmissions and they've caught us in a tractor beam." Kira said.

"Can we break free?" Jafzia said her face full of dread.

"The beam is multiphasic. I'm sorry there is nothing I can do." Kira said pounding the control console with her fists in frustration.

Soon the Roundabout rocked again as it docked with one of the battleships; a heavily modified Subjugator-class heavy cruiser equipped with triple the typical number of weapons and emitting a purple Dominion style energy signature. Sparks flew from the rear cabin as the airlock door was cut into. Getting to their feet the two women prepared themselves for the coming onslaught. The rear docking port collapsed inward under the weight of a platoon of BX Commando Droids lead by six Jem'Hadar. Kira and Jadzia fought well dispatching almost half the platoon along with two of the Jem'Hadar with their phasers before they were stunned and taken away.

To Be Continued

Author's Note One -

The Adepts of T'Pel do indeed exist and are featured in several Star Trek novels.

Author's Note Two -

The name of Sela's first along with his personality is taken from several Star Trek novels in which the details are mentioned.