As the Minnesota pulls into J'P'Tan dock, Lieutenant Commander Jonathan Matthews leans back in his chair. "Sub-system shutdown is complete. Now running final docking procedures, standby."

Being the helm officer, John's job was to navigate the ship during all flight and docking procedures

"Minnesota this is docking control, your docking request is approved. Standing by for final docking codes."

"Control this is the Minnesota, code is transmitting."

There was a pause and then the control officer hailed them again. "Clearance code approved. Begin docking procedures at platform 1138."

"Thank you control. Minnesota out."

The Minnesota began to turn for the landing zone. The large thrusters began to hum as she picked up speed. Traffic was cleared for their ship, as it was when all Alliance ships landed. The Z-95 headhunter security fighters guided their ship to their landing pad. The ship swung around, and then began to descend.

The ship fired its repulsor-lift engines and softy landed. The humming of the engines slowly became quiet. "This is docking control. You are now authorized to restore the magnetic field."

"Copy that control."

Captain Megan Hubert cleared her throat, and hit a switch on her chair. "This is Captain Hubert to all crew members. We have docked at J'P'Tan station, and are now off duty. All crew members are now granted shore leave until further notice. Hubert Out."

She turned to John, "Mr. Matheews, you must file your report on last nights watch before you leave. See Commander Rytel if you need anything."

"Yes, Ma'am."

"Thank you. You are dismissed."

John exited the turbo lift on deck thirty-four. He turned the corner and headed toward his quarters. He saw others moving in and out of their living quarters, preparing for a long needed shore leave. As he entered his quarters, he noticed that he had several scores of computer messages, the majority of them being advertisements from the various businesses aboard J'P'Tan station. As he filed through them, he found one that advertised the Alliance Pilot Recruitment Board. He had seen this message many times before.

When he was an ensign, he was assigned to the United Federation of Planets starship USS-Enterprise E, under the command of Captain Jean-Luc Picard, now an admiral. During his duty aboard the Enterprise, the ship entered a battle against some rogue Shr'sa pirates. The Enterprise was damaged and he disobeyed the captain's direct orders when he attempted to restore the engines using a T-267 Fire Hawk.

He was court-martialed after the Shr'sa incident. Captain Picard was one of the jurors of the trial, and allowed John to stay in service. He claimed that he had no intention of turning on the ship, only to protect it. That came to a surprise to John, because Picard did not carry those who disobeyed direct orders in high esteem. He found out later that this was he would not be an exception. He was banned from flying any Federation fighter craft, and was reduced in rank two degrees.

A few years later, the Federation joined the Galactic Alliance and John decided to find his place somewhere other than the Federation.

John deleted the message and started gathering some personal items to take to the station with him. Another message appeared on his data pad. It was from his good friend, Captain Benjamin Sika.

He had met Ben aboard the Calamari docks after he left the Enterprise. They had been attacked by the Empire and were stranded in the dock. Ben, a civilian at the time, was docked to deliver supplies. As the station began to lose its structural integrity, Ben had everyone board his ship, the Betazed.

John took a gun turret as Ben flew. They destroyed several Imperial fighters, and saved the American ship USS-Liberty from crashing into the station. Ben was awarded the Klatonian Cross, and John was promoted. Ben and John became fast friends as they spent some time aboard the USS-Rampart together. Ben was granted the rank of Captain, and was serving under Commander Veers. He and John worked together for three years before being reassigned to the Minnesota.

Ben's face appeared on the screen. "Good morning John. Ready to go aboard?"

"I think so. I'm looking forward to some of that imported food from earth."

"Huh?"

"You know. They have that chocolate stuff. I've never had it before. Sounds good."

"I've seen it before, but I've never had it either. I'm really looking forward to real steak. This synthesized stuff just isn't the same."

"Well, let's go then."

The met at the turbo lift and went to deck five. They entered the air lock and began walking toward the station on the docking tube. The station was huge, about twenty-five miles across, and was a major civilian dock run by the Alliance to prevent spying.

The J'P'Tan system was a vital system to the Alliance. The system was not in any normal strategic position, but did provide the most important transportation route in history. The Milkey Way galaxy is about three hundred thousand light-years from the Corscan galaxy. The New Republic, seated at the capital of the Corscan galaxy, Corascant, discovered that the quickest way to commute between their galaxy and that of Earth was through the subspace node at J'P'Tan.

The Galactic Empire, at that time in ruins, became aware of this and began to muster its forces on the other side of the node, cutting off the Republic from the Federation. Once they massed, they stormed back into Corscan, and overtook the New Republic, creating a new, stronger Empire.

The details of the Empire's rebirth are not clear. A man from Earth, known only as Vincent Calrissian, distant cousin of Lando Calrissian, somehow rose to power when the Empire hid in the Milkey Way. Under his guidance, they completely routed the New Republic, creating an era of chaos in Corscan. The Galactic Alliance, formed by the President of the United States of America on Earth, was to combat the Empire's spread into the Milkey Way, and hoped to eventually retake Corscan. The war continued, and J'P'Tan remains one of the last Alliance strongholds in Croscan.

John looked at the station's towers and spires, which reminded him of San Francisco on Earth, where the head of Federation sat. He remembered his years in Starfleet Academy, and how anxious he was to go to war with whoever threatened Earth. Now that Earth was the seat of the Alliance, he wished he never saw war. Nothing seemed to be what it once was.

Suddenly, a brilliant flash lit up in deep space. "Wow," Ben said, "its not everyday you get to see a star go supernova."

John pondered a minute, and then replied. "I don't think that was an exploding star. We wouldn't have been able to see it in real time unless it was close. If it were close, it would have wiped out the station

And then, it did.