Sonal found himself standing at the bottom of a large staircase. He slowly walked up the steps, and after reaching the 30tth step, he froze in his tracks. He had read the ancient religious texts of Earth. It was as if Sonal was living out the pages of the Book of Revelation. He knew what Palpatine wanted. He wanted to turn Sonal into his puppet of evil as Satan did with the antichrist. However, unlike the antichrist, Sonal still clinged onto hope that goodness would prevail.
"At last, my apprentice, you have accepted your destiny." Palpatine cackled with evil delight as his apprentice knelt before him. "Now RISE...Lord Chaos…"
"My destiny," Sonal stated in his Darth Chaos voice," shall be the same as yours…" Suddenly Sonal spring up and activated his lightsabers and engaged in a fiery duel with Darth Sidious, the most gifted lightsaber user in history. Sidious eassily deflected blow after blow and countered Sonal's strokes with his own defensive strokes."
"Not too bad for a novice," Sidious said miockingly. "Now….for the real thing…." Sidious threw his lightsaber in the air, and it arced towards Sonal. Without looking at the incoming weapon, Sonal parlayed his own weapons and deflected the attack with ease. "How...is that possible?"
"With logic," Sonal stated, "anything is possible." Sonal arced his lifghtsabers in the air, and while Sidious was able to deflect the first one, he could not deflect the one which stabbed into his abdomen. Sidious let out a roar so horrific that it rivaled the strength os a thousand sellats. "I am Vulcan!" He arced the lightsabers, and this time, both struck Sidious in the abdomer. "Same as my Father!" He caused the lightsabers to twist and turn inside Sidious, threatening to cut the Dark Lord in two. "SAME...AS...SAREK!" Lightning bolts erupted between the dual lifghtsabers. "SAME! AS! SURAAAAAAAAK!" The intensity of the lightning bolts grew until Sidious himself was surrounded by stream after strteam of purple lightning. "I...reject ALL the Force!" With those words, the lightining bolts began to suck Sidious into what seemed like a black hole until he was forever consumed.
Suddenly, explosions began to rock the unknown ship. Picard rose to his feet quickly. "TRABSPORTER ROOM! GET A LOCK ON HIS SIGNAL AND BEAM HIM IMMEDIATELY!" Within a matter of minutes, the unknown ship exploded and caused the Enterprise to lose its orbit of Romulus. Picard sat in his chair, worried rthat he lost Sonal. "Trapsporter room…." No reply. "Transporter room, please respond."
Suddenly, the turbolift door opened. "They are unable to reply because they were knocked unconscious, sir." Picard turned to the voice and breathed a sign of relief as he saw Sonal with the dual lightsabers in hand. "Sir, I suggest Vulcan at maximum warp."
"I agree, Son of Suns," Picard stated. "Data, Vulcan at maximum warp."
Upon beaming on Vulcan, Picard, Sonal, and Troi walked to the summit of Mount Vulcan. They were greeted by some familiar faces from their time on Talos IV.
"Hehehe, kept you so long, what did?" Yoda raised up. "Sonal, comquered the Dark Side, you did. And now...forever put to sleep all the Jedi, you must." Sonal looked sad. "Sonal, do this, you must. Forever, will we live, in here." Yoda gently tapped Sonal on his head. "And...in here." Yoda gently tapped his fingers on Sonal's two hearts. "And, forever remember them, will you."
Sonal looked up, and he saw Spock and Saavik standing side by side. And...they looked younger. "My son," Spock said, "do not worry about our katras. Our katras shall roam free until the end of time. Until then, my son, thank you for your sacrifice and your love."
"Oh my son, "Saavik said, "you do not know how much you please me. I shall forever love you, and I shall always remember you."
"It is time." Sonal looked and saw Luke, "Our time is finally coming to an end. As it should have been a long time ago."
"Oh will you just get on with it?" Q said in an annoying tone which caused Anakin to poke him in the ribs. "Hey don't do that! He knows I was kidding!" Q looked at Sonal and smiled.
"You are about to do the thing which even I could not do." Sonal gazed at the spirit of Surak. "If I had been that strong, you would not have had to endure all the anguish from Sidious. I...am sorry."
"Do not apologize, Surak," said Sonal, "because this destiny was pre-ordained upon me." Sonal walked to the edge of the caldera, gazing down at the thick lava which would soo engulf the cursed lightsabers and finally put the past at peace. He turned to look at his deceased parents, and he looked at his mother Saavik. "I love you," Sonal whispered.
"I know," Saavik whispered back. She looked up at her husband.
"Father, live long and prosper." Sonal raised his hand in Vulcan salute.
"I love you, my son," Spock replied with tears in his eyes as he raised his own Vulcan salute. All the spirits gazed at Sonal as he cast the lightsabers in the air, and they remained until the weapons made contact with the molten magma inside Mount Surak. As the spirits vanished, so did the powers of the Jedi and the Sith, along with the last vestiges of the Force, including Troi's empathic abilities.
Picard also felt a presence which felt so alien yet so familiar at the same time. "I think your sacrifice also restored the Borg." Picard felt the familiar tingling of the Borg nanoprobes scattered throughout his body. "So I guess this means we're never truly free from our fear and hatred."
"Fear and hatred are emotions that we must learn to deal with, sir" Sonal said. "Our hatred of the Borg led to all this happening. Perhaps...one day we can reason with the Borg and convince them that assimilation is not the answer."
"And they will…" Sonal and Picard looked at two beings dressed in all white – a man and a woman – walked to their location. They spoke in unision. "You have given the entire galaxy a sense of purpose. As did your father with me. When I wandered through the galaxy searching for the Creator…" Picard and Sonal instinctively knew who the being was. "...youir father gave me a sense of purpose, a sense of belonging. He helped us to merge with the Creator. I retain the image of Decker and Ilia as a symbolic gesture of my eternal gratitude for the one called Kirk. Your elimination of Sidious gave the Borg their own sense of purpose and belonging. They – my children – shall forever be in your debt. And from this day forward, the Borg will no longer seek enlightenment and improvement through assimilation. We shall learn by building bonds between other life forms and seek to redeem ourselves for our own past transgressions against other species." The dual being gave its own Vulcan salute. "Live long and prosper, Son of Suns."
Sonal smiled and returned his own salute. "Peace and long life...V'Ger of Borg." V'Ger disappeared. Sonal walked to Counselor Troi who gazed into the Vulcan sky, the twin suns having just set behind the horizon. "Counselor Troi, you seem very pensive." Troi nodded. "How do you feel without your empathic abilities?"
Troi paused for a second. "I feel so...human."
Picard sat in his ready room dictating his log entry.
"It has been nearly three weeks since Commander Sonal brought balance to the Force. Vulcan High Security finally allowed entrance into the Forbidden Temple. They discovered the ancient writings of the Jedi. One such writing was a prophecy where the 'Son of Suns' would bring balance to the Force. It seems by eliminating the Jedi and the Sith, Sonal did as prophecized." He heard his door chime. "Computer, end log entry and save. Come!" He was pleased to see Sonal walk in with Riker and Troi. "Commander Sonal, I was just aboiut to call for a meeting with you."
"A meeting about what, sir," Sional asked.
"It seems that the Federation has decreed that the quarantine of Talos IV is no longer needed, as the Talosians no longer have their unfathomable mind power."
Sonal smiled. "Sir, they only used their powers to prevent their powers from being taken advantage of by manevolance of the past. Now that the threat of imbalance to the Force is no more..."
"And that is why the Federation has lifted the quarantine of Talos IV and granted them membership in the United Federation of Planets." Picard rose from his seat and gently placed a hand on Sonal's shoulder. "And that is why Starfleet wants you to go to Talos IV and help them rebuild their society."
"Captain," Sonal said, "they need no help in rebuilding their society, for the desolation oif Talos IV was simpply...an illusion. Take a look, sir." Sonal turned on the Captain's display, and before their eyes was no longer a planet of waste. It was a planet of bright lights. "The planet which you knew as Talos IV has been around for millions of years. It was once called Coruscant. It was the center of the Galactic Republic. It was the center of their government. And now...Coruscant has been restored to its old glory."
"So Commander," Picard said, "would you be willing to be the Federation ambassador to Coruscant?"
"I..." Sonal said with a vervous pause, "would like that very much. I would love to continue my father's legacy as ambassador."
The Enterprise traveled to Coruscant, and this time, there was no illusion of a black hole hiding its location. The ship set into a standard orbit, and Picard and Sonal beamed to the planet's surface. Picard was immediately enthralled with the sights of flying cars scattered throughout the sky and closer to the planet's surface. They walked to a tall building adorned with several spires.
"This is where the Talosians held refuge," Picard said. "But what is this building?"
"This building..." a short man said, "is the old Jedi Temple. We used our illusive powers to hide the Jedi Temple from those who seeked to throw the Force into chaos. Now that the Jedi, the Sith, and the Force are no more, there is no need for illusion. We open our society to all people of the galaxy, and we welcome Commander Sonal as Federation ambassador."
Sonal turned to look at Picard. "Sir, I hate goodbyes. I...had to say goodbye to my mother, my father, and..."
"Caitlin," Picard said softly. "Remember Sonal, fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering. Our hatred of the Borg threw the galaxy into chaos. And now..."
"The Borg have accepted us as kindred spirits," Sonal said. "Perhaps it was my destiny to lead the Borg to a sense of enlightenment." Sonal looked at the sky. "Captain, the two beings when V'Ger spoke on Vulcan...who were they?"
"Commander Willard Decker of Earth, and Lieutenant Ilia of Delta IV," Picard said solmenly. "They were starcrossed lovers like Riker and Troi. Decker's devotion to duty tore them apart, but V'Ger brought them together, and together they helped V'Ger find its own sense of purpose."
"I am glad that they are finally at peace with the rest of the galaxy," Sonal said. "When they spoke their words, I felt my hatred of the Borg melt away. As did you." Picard smiled. Facing Picard, Sonal looked and smiled. "Captain Picard, it has been a pleasure serving with you, and I hope that I get to meet with you and the rest of the Federation crew again. Live long and prosper, Captain."
"Ambassador Sonal," Picard said, "may the Force be with you."
After Picard beamed back aboard the Enterprise, Sonal walked to the Jedi Temple and found his way to the large meeting chamber where the Jedi Masters had their meetings millions of years ago. He looked out the large window and watched as the sun set. The night lights of the city planet came on, and he saw sky cars zooming past the Temple in all directions. He pulled an object out of his bag and sat on the chair which was occupied millions of years ago by Jedi Master Yoda.
In his hands was the pyramid which he found in the Forbidden Temple on Vulcan. He felt a power wash through him as he sat in meditation. He was so deep in meditation that he didn't notice the Talosians coming in to check on him.
"Ambassador Sonal," said one Talosian, "are you okay?"
"Never better," he said before using the last vestiges of the Force to will a lone lightsaber in his direction, and within seconds, all the Talosians in the room –save one – were dead. The lone Talosian was seriously wounded, and he crawled for the exit. Sonal stepped on the Talosians's neck, and the Talosian froze in fear.
"But the prophecy! The Son of Suns would bring balance to the Force!"
"I...AM...THE FORCE..." Sonal said with a sinister tone in his voice, and he decapitated the last Talosian. Sonal opened his eyes, and gone were the brown Vulcan eyes. They had been replaced by eyes of fiery orange.
Darth Chaos had returned.
THE END
