Chapter 32: Loose Ends
Reviewers:
Oblivionknight7: The Mimbari might not have shields, but their stealth system could prove a powerful weapon.
Marine Brother Shran: Thank you. Thank you, brother marine. I actually hadn't considered the Andromeda galaxy. The Alliance could show up and help in the fight against the Magog and the Abyss. May the Emperor's light shine upon you as well.
Sean: Thanks! The Vorlons will be targeted by the alliance. The home world for telepaths sounds like a good idea, and maybe the Imperium could send some of their psykers to join the Psi-core if they join the Alliance.
Silvanas: I usually do a chapter for both stories at the same time. I'm sorry if you don't like my other story. If the other galaxies did get wormholes though, they'd probably just start fighting. Try the Galactic Empire meeting the Covenant, or the Goa'uld meeting the Commonwealth. They'd just be easier targets for the Alliance. But what about the Andromeda galaxy. There could be three galaxies uniting against the Alliance. Does that sound good enough?
BGTom: Sorry, but it's been decided. The Alliance will enter the B5 universe during B5's secession from the Earth Alliance. Sorry, but I hope you'll still like it.
Jaime: I'll correct that as soon as I can. Thanks for pointing it out.
SPECIAL GUY: Halo may come in in future chapters. You'll just have to wait and see.
Lennox: Thanks. As Qui-Gon said in Phantom Menace: There's always a bigger fish. Good point. That's what I'll make this chapter about. You always manage to find the plot holes I have. Thanks for helping me and this story.
Grayangle: I believe that is the longest review I have ever received. I read Black Library too, and I believe there are enough loyalists in the Imperium to make sure the Emperor's changes are slow and careful enough to pacify at least some of the doubters. The Inquisition will be largely left intact, as well as the Navigator Houses. Not every Imperial vessel will be equipped with warp drive.
Maith: Thanks, but you're wrong. If the Emperor was as strong as Q, he could have repaired the damage Horus did to him, and he could have brought Horus back to the light with a snap of his fingers. No, the Q have been around since the beginning of time and have had a very long time to evolve their powers. The Emperor is very powerful, but now at Q's level. I assure you, the threats that are coming up will take a long time to defeat.
The Emperor had been spending most of his time in the weeks since the trial revising the Imperium. He had replaced the High Lords with men who were actually competent and cared for more than their pocket money. The Inquisition had been a challenge. However, his authority was unquestionable to those who were still completely loyal to their Emperor. There had been several attempts to prove that he was not the Emperor, but the Primarchs had stopped them. For now, he was occupying most of the troublemaking inquisitors with a massive search for any chaos gods who might have survived his attack. The Farseer Silvanas had said that one or two of them may have escaped and gone into hiding until their powers could regenerate. Rebuilding the Imperium back to what it once was would be a long and difficult task, but he was prepared. Even if it took a millennium, the Imperium would be great again. Right now though, he was heading to a meeting with the leaders of the Tau Empire. He hoped to convince them to join the alliance.
"Emperor, we are approaching the rendezvous point," the captain of his new flagship informed him. His new flagship was the flagship of the Imperium. If was fifty kilometers long and fifteen wide at the engines. It was shaped like an arrowhead. It was the first Shining Light class war vessel. It mounted seven layers of reinforced void shields and armor over fifteen meters thick. It mounted over five thousands weapons, many of them Federation phasers, Klingon Disruptors and torpedo launchers. It could travel at warp, transwarp, or true warp speed and had a cloaking device, though that system hadn't been tested yet. It carried over two thousand strike craft and the Emperor's old flagship. It would serve as a second attack vessel or escape ship should the unthinkable happen and the New Hope was actually destroyed.
"Are you detecting any Tau vessels?" The Emperor asked.
"Confirmed. Three ships, all cruiser class. They are signaling us."
"Open a channel," the Emperor replied. The view screen changed to show the face of a Tau Ethereal.
"Greeting Imperial vessel. You may address me as Ethereal. I do not believe your species is used to names as long as mine."
"Indeed," the Emperor replied. "I would request your presence on board my vessel as soon as possible so we may begin our negotiation."
"I an anxious to begin as well. I will come on board in one of your hours," he said, breaking the transmission.
The Imperium had, on advice from Fleet Admiral Picard, begun opening negotiations with the Tau government. Since the union with the Federation, many of the Imperium's more primitive beliefs had been dispelled. Including the Mechanicus's belief that any technology not from the Imperium was heretical. They had been shown that just because a device was not of human origin did not make it blasphemous. There were still many doubters, but their numbers were slowly diminishing.
The alliance was showing the Imperium that, since the age of the Heresy, it had slowly been stagnating. There had been almost no new technology invented. Its territory had been shrinking due to the Tyranid invasions and constant attacks that stretched the Imperial armed forces to their limits. Now, with the help of the Alliance, the Imperium was coming back. The greatest gathering of Chaos had been destroyed, along with at least two of the Chaos Gods. He had hundreds of Inquisitors out searching the galaxy for any trace of the ones who might have survived.
An hour later, the Tau Ethereal had arrived in the Emperor's conference room. He made a greeting in Tau and took a seat across from the Emperor.
"Greeting Ethereal," the Emperor said. "Would you care for anything to eat or drink?"
"No thank you. I am fine. I must say our government was surprised to receive your message. We did not think your empire was interested in peace."
"We have gone through changes recently."
"I see, and what would you desire from us in exchange for peace?"
"The technical readouts of your weapons and battle suits. Permission to establish bases on your worlds and the ability to call on your military forces to reinforce our own forces if an enemy attempts to invade your space."
"I believe the human phrase for my response is: that is a tall order to fill."
"You certainly have a grasp of our language."
"Indeed. However, I must ask. What would we stand to gain from this alliance?" The Ethereal asked.
"Many things," the Emperor replied. "The protection of the Imperial military for one. You must realize that, despite your advanced technology, any of the great empires in this galaxy could wear your defenses down in a war of attrition. Second, we are prepared to allow the Tau to establish colonies on any worlds we deem sufficiently safe from xeno fanatics. Overall, the Tau would be able to settle many more worlds and be protected from any enemy attacks against your people." The Ethereal looked impressed, though only the most dedicated observation could detect any change in his expression.
"You have given me a good deal to think about. I will return to my world and discuss your ideas with the others. You will hear from us soon Emperor," the Ethereal said, and made to leave.
"Safe travels," the Emperor said in farewell."
"To you as well," the Ethereal said, and was gone.
The Emperor relaxed in his private quarters. With peace with the Tau imminent, only the Orks would pose any serious military threat. The Alliance had developed a virus that would virtuously guarantee the annialation of the Tyranids. They had developed a virus that targeted the gene common to all Tyranid organisms, the gene that allowed hive mind communication. Once infected, the Tyranids would suffer massive strokes and similar bodily damage due to their bodies attempting to communicate with the hive mind at the same time their cells were fighting each other. The virus had already been tested on several splinter fleets and had experiences a total success rate. With the threat of the Tyranids nearly gone, the Imperium would be able to concentrate more on reorganization and rebuilding.
Massive efforts were already underway to clean up the many hive worlds across the Imperium. People would be resettled and the overall level of technology across the entire Imperium was steadily rising. Replicator and transporter technology was still being zealously guarded by the Mechanicus, but holodecks and other such technology was being released and was proving to be of great value in the entertainment and recreation industries. Once the Imperium was stable, the Emperor planned to move large amounts of the Imperial forces to the new galaxies that would soon be reached. For in the Federation galaxy, analysis of the Dragon's ship had yielded the secrets of dimensional gateway technology. Already, three wormholes were being opened. Where they would lead, no one knew. But one thing was sure; the new galaxies would soon feel the presence of the Imperial Alliance.
In orbit of Earth, a massive array was powering up. The Gateway Station, as it had been named, used a special folding process to open dimensional gates to other places. Three dished were even now opening wormholes. Advance fleets of fifteen ships each were standing by to enter the wormholes and scout the areas of their arrival. No one knew what they would find, but they all hoped they would find races willing to see all the Alliance had to offer. So as the fleets entered the swirling tunnels, everyone held their breath, hoping for the best.
How was that? In the next chapter, one of the new galaxies will be revealed. Which one? You'll just have to read and find out. Also, I'm considering having one of the wormholes collapse. Does that sound like a good idea? Having one Imperial advance group try to survive alone? A good place for a hero I think. Send me your ideas about the other new galaxies and I'll consider them. See ya later and don't forget to review!
ENTILZA