Star Trek: Ranma's Story 43 – By DS Wynne

Disclaimer: "Ranma ½", "Sailor Moon", "Star Trek" and other genres belong to their respective owners.

Note: This is multi-epic story with many elements to it.

Special note: While this is a spin-off story to "Sailor Moon ST", you don't have to read that one to enjoy this one.

Part 43

Spring, 2063: Montana, North America.

CREEEEEEEK!

Captain Jean-Luc Picard led an Away Team to the facility that was to launch Earth's first starship. Its creator, thus far, was not found amongst the wreckage of the facility. Now, having moved the blockage that covered the entrance to the underground part of the old missile silo, Picard and company moved inside. It was there that the warp-ship prototype, "the Phoenix", was housed.

"Impressive, Mr. Data," Picard said, as he stood near the bottom of the Phoenix. The vehicle was to be launched using the old Titan missile system. And upon reaching space, the warp nacelles would extend outward, simulating a wingspan. Once done, that is when the vehicle will be launched into deep space.

At least, that's what supposed to happen.

With the bombardment of the facility by the Borg, the launch may not happen. And if the launch does no happen, then the passing Vulcan ship will not detect the Phoenix warp signature. And if "first contact" does not occur, then the Federation as Picard and company knows it will not come to be.

"Indeed, sir," said Lt. Commander Data. "I'm only detecting mild structural damage to the hull."

"Geordie…?"

"It's not a problem, Captain," said Chief Engineer Geordie LaForge. "Using even this era's level of technology, the Phoenix can up and running in a day."

"See to it that your Engineering Team is ready for the retrofitting. And be sure to get Lt. Crusher started on the damage report as soon as he inspects the control room."

"Aye, sir. Geordie to Wesley Crusher..."

"Captain!" yelled Dr. Beverly Crusher, as she went to a throng of people.

Riker and Counselor Troi were the first to reach Crusher's position. Crusher reached down, and tried to help up a young black woman.

"This girl is suffering from radiation sickness," Crusher replies. She then turns to an older Asian woman, who appeared to be in her late thirties. According to Crusher's diagnostics, even though the woman was suffering from radiation poisoning, it was quickly clearing up. That sparked Crusher's curiosity, especially since she had "blue" hair. Riker notices the woman's identification tag.

"Sir!" Riker says.

"What is it, Commander?" Picard asks.

"I believe that this is Dr. Ami Mizuno."

"That's right," Picard says. "She was Dr. Cochrane's mentor at the University of Chicago."

"Wasn't she a medical doctor?" Counselor Troi asks.

"That she was, as well as doctor of a number of disciplines,which is impressive even by OUR standards."

"Captain, I need to get these people up to Sickbay," Crusher says, as she concluded her findings.

"Beverly, you know about the Prime Directive," Picard said.

"And what if these people have important roles in the future? The Borg has already contaminated the timeline."

"Fine," Picard replies, as he stares at Dr. Mizuno. Then he tapped his hidden communications device. "Commander Yar, prepare to receive 'guests'."

"Aye, sir," Yar replied, over the airwaves. She was in charge of assessing the damage of the Enterprise-E with Lt. Hoshiko Sato.

"Tasha, I'm ready to beam aboard with…five people."

"Ready."

"Energize."

BRRRRRRRRRING!

And they were gone.

Meanwhile, aboard the Entrerprise-E, on the bridge…

"Hoshiko, make sure that the crew in Engineering has the new specs," Tasha Yar says, as she handed Hoshiko a data pad. "I need to check on our 'guests'."

"Aye, ma'am," Hoshiko replies.

When she gets to Engineering, she sees some commotion.

"RUN!" said a crewmember, as a pair of Borg was going after him. Just as the man ran to Hoshiko's position…

CHOK!

Hoshiko delivered a solid punch to the nose, knocking him a few feet back. The pair of Borg grabbed the man, and held him up.

"What…why…?" the man began.

Hoshiko simply step to the man, and injects him with Borg nanites, by using her Borg injectors called "tubules" .

"ACK-!"

The man was dropped, as he slowly was becoming…a Borg.

"Resistance…is futile," Hoshiko said, in her "Borg" voice. Her Borg "unimatrix" protocol was activated, as soon as the Borg sphere was destroyed by the Enterprise-E. Since then, she has been helping in shielding what remained of the Borg "crewmembers" slowly take over the ship.

"Indeed," said a seductive voice. "You have done well, Six-of-Nine."

Hoshiko blushed slightly at the comment, ever since she learned the double meaning of her designation. It was true that all the "Borg Adjutants" were designed to fit into the any society; enhancement of one's appearance was merely an avenue in this regard.

"Of, course, Unimatrix One," Hoshiko replies. "We ARE Borg!"

Meanwhile, somewhere outside time and space…

Commander Ranma Saotome was in deep thought. All of his career life, Ranma has had to make tough decisions.

"Well, Mr. Saotome?" asked his female opponent.

Ranma sighed.

Might as well get this over with, Ranma thought to himself.

"Flush, read 'em and weep!" Ranma said.

"Dang!" Counselor Usagi Tsukino said, as she threw down her hand.

"Good play, Commander," said Lt. Commander Worf, as he dropped his hand.

"Well, had me fooled," said Chief O'Brien, as he got up to get another "Guinness". "You want another, Ranma?"

"Yeah," Ranma replied, as he collected his poker chips. The command staff was taking a break from the ship wide diagnostic for some R&R themselves. Just then, the computer chimed in.

"Counselor Tsukino," said the computer.

"Go ahead," said Usagi, as she set up a new hand for another hand of poker.

"Miss Tendo and her companions are attempting to access the historical document that was in play recently."

"What file is that?" asked Ranma.

"Oh, it's about my participation in 'the Clone Wars'," Usagi replied nonchalantly.

"'Clone Wars'?" asked Worf.

"Yeah. I had traveled a lot between 2186 and 2246-"

"Wow," said O'Brien. "I knew that you were OLD, but I didn't know that you were THAT old!"

"Ha, ha. Very funny."

"Go on," Ranma said. His ex-wife rarely talks about stuff that she has done before they had met.

"Anyway, I've logged a lot of travel time to many worlds…and to many time zones and alternate dimensions. In one such case, I ended up staying in a galaxy far, far away, in a distant past. It was there that I picked up a few tricks."

"Like what?" asked O'Brien.

"Like…this," Usagi said, as she threw her deck of cars into the air. The cards separated, and landed in the form of a house of cards.

"Humph, parlor tricks," Worf said.

"Well, those 'parlor tricks' have saved my life, Worf-kun."

Then, she looked up.

"Computer, grant them access to that file, and that file only."

She then stuck out her hand, which resulted in the "house of cards" separating and flying back into her hands, resuming a deck.

"Okay, I'll tell you all about the importance of that particular file, while we play another hand…"

Down in the holodeck…

"Access granted," said the computer.

"Alright!" said Akane.

"Computer, can you create some…movie chairs?" asked Kodachi.

"And some Okonomiyaki!" said Ukyo.

"Shampoo want beef ramen!" said Shampoo.

"Pipe down!" Akane said. "It's about to begin…"

Jedi Knight Usagi Ikuko Tsuus-Tetok piloted Thumper to the molten planet of Mustafar. The irony was that the Jedi had been planning on going to Mustafar anyway, since it was the hideout of the Separatists. However, since Palpatine no longer needed them, he ordered Anakin to finish them off.

It must be noted that when the purging of the Jedi began, Palpatine unlocked the Clone Army's racial memories, thereby causing all of them to turn on their Jedi leaders. However, when High Colonial Cody tried to kill an unconscious Usagi, who was exhausted from her battle with General Grievous on Utapau, some force over-road Cody's directive. Realizing what had just happened, Cody did his best to protect Usagi long enough to contact the only Jedi available: Jedi Master Yoda. From there, Yoda was picked up from Kashyyyk, where he had just ended the battle against the Separatists with his Wookie allies.

And now, it has come to this.

Usagi was not foolish enough to think that dealing with Anakin would be an easy manner. Her...friend...was perhaps the most gifted of all the Jedi, and it was because of this that they had considered him "the Chosen One".

And it was all a lie.

And then she thought of Anakin's mother Shimi, who was living on Tattoine with her new family. A while back, Usagi and Anakin had successfully mounted a rescue mission, when Shimi was taken hostage by the Tusken raiders. As far as Anakin's mother was concerned, Anakin was a hero…as did Padme.

And now, Usagi will have to kill him.

Wiping the tears from her eyes, Usagi ended her meditation. Every trick, every lesson that she has learned will have to put into play. She hoped that she can live with her decision.

"Thumper, take us in."

"Th-Ow," the cabbit yowled sadly.

Upon reaching the landing bay, Usagi ordered thumper to stay hidden until he was needed. She then ran down the main entrance, which was littered with bodies. Even now, she can feel Anakin's power. If what she felt was part of the Darkside of the Force, then truly Anakin a living embodiment of that aspect.

As she ran down one of the visiting centers, Usagi sees R2-D2, and the prone bodies of Captain Typho, Padme's personal escort, C3-P0 and-

"Padme!" Usagi cried, as she runs to check on her friend.

"Huh…" Padme says, as she stirs.

"Good, you're alive," Usagi says. She then checks on Typho.

Typho was NOT so lucky.

Usagi then turn to R2.

"R2, what happened?"

R2 responds with some clicks and whistles.

Usagi rage went hot white. She was angry about Anakin's willingness to fall under the sway of Palpatine.

She was furious upon learning what he did to the Jedi, especially to…the children.

Ans Usagi was furious that he would strike Padme, thereby hurting her and putting their unborn children at risk.

Thumper, Usagi thought telepathically. Help R2 help Padme and C3-P0.

She then took out her henshin rod. While it was true that she didn't need it to transform, it provided a sense of comfort to her.

Plus, it fooled her enemies from time to time.

"Moon…Prism…MAKE UP!"

FWOOSH!

Sailor Moon examines herself. Anakin was a formidable foe, so much so that she will need every bit of power she can muster.

Then Moon raised her left gloved fist into the air.

"ANAKIN!"

"I'm here, Usagi."

Moon turns to see Anakin approaching her, while he was going through the facility, making sure that all of the Separatists were dead. He had sensed her arrival as soon as she got there, and was heading in her direction when Moon came upon the prone bodies of Padme, Typho and C3-P0.

"How can you do this?"

"There was…an accident. Padme didn't understand that what I do, I do for us."

"No, what you did was for yourself. You've haven't changed at all. You're the SAME little boy whom I found years ago on Tattooine. If I had known that you would have done this, I would have never had helped you leave Tattooine, Anakin."

Anakin takes off his cape.

"My name is 'Darth Vader'," Anakin says. "And when you die, Usagi, the Jedi will be no more!"

SNAP! Hzzzzz….

"As long as I live, I'll see to it that the Sith will NEVER win!"

SNAP! Hzzzzz…

"And the name is SAILOR MOON!"

Vader and Moon twirled their respective light sabers; his was red, while hers was purple. As a Jedi, it was known that she was proficient at paired weapons. However, in this particular dual, Moon and Vader were to fight equal ground.

BLAM! BLAM!

Weapons clashed, as sparks the two former friends engaged in mortal combat. Moon, however, had a couple of advantages.

One, she was an experienced hand-to-hand combatant, and two, while under the influence of Count Dooku, the late Sith Lord "Darth Tyrannus", Moon was familiar with the teachings of the Sith.

Moon gave a sword feint, forcing Vader's sword arm into one direction. This opened up his torso to an attack.

Crescent Kick!

POW!

Vader was knocked back, and slammed against the wall.

"Oof!"

Moon pointed her 'saber at her foe.

"Because you saved my life, and because of Padme, I'm asking you to stand down."

"No," Vader said, as he willed some heavy machinery at Moon.

Moon leaped out of the way, but it opened her up to attack.

ZAP!

It looks like Palpatine had time to teach Vader the utilization of the "Force Lightning".

"Ah!"

Moon used her bit of strength to get the lightning to focus on her 'saber. She then pointed her left index finger at Vader-

ZAP!

Both Vader and Moon were caught up in the eye of the storm, as each of them willed the other to fall.

"I…will…defeat…YOU!" Vader cried.

"No…you…WON'T!"

Now, it must be said that Sailor Moon had other tricks up her sleeve. Such as her "Moon Tiara", for example.

Moon took of her tiara, charged it, and flung it.

CHOK!

"Ah!" Vader cried, as he covered his left eye, as he dropped his blue-bladed 'saber. It was bleeding profusely.

Once freed, Moon steps back, pick up a loose piece of metal, a rod, and threw it, like a spear.

Thank the ancient Amazons for those spear lessons.

CHUNCK!

Now Vader's left shoulder was embedded in the wall.

"Ahhhhhh!"

Moon sighed a little, as she picks up Vader's 'saber, stuffs in her belt, turns towards Padme. Thumper had arrived, switched to "Robo-mode", and was gently scooping up Padme, R2 and C3-P0 into his chassis. As Moon walk towards her pet cabbit, Vader was getting himself loose…

Suddenly, Moon's danger senses rang out!

SNAP! Hzzzzz…

BLAM!

At the last second, Moon blocks the blow of Vader's red-bladed saber. However, Vader uses the Force to push her back…and back…and-

CRASH!

Through the room's observation window, and towards a river of lava.

The two fell, until they had fallen on a floating piece of metal, left over from Vader's attempt to purge the Separatists from Mutstafar.

Both Vader and Moon gets up, as the metal moves towards a gorge. They began to fight again, as each one refused to give up space for the other. Just as the metal platform was about to go over the edge, Moon notices of gangplank approaching. With a burst of power she leaps towards it, with Vader hot on her tail.

SPRUNG!

"You won't escape me, Usagi," Vader says, as he slowly approaches Moon.

Moon looks around. She was cornered, but she did not use up her resources. Spying on a support cable, Moon smiled.

"What are you smiling about!" Vader says.

"Nothing," Moon says, as she threw her 'saber at Vader. Vader, in turn, knocked the 'saber out of the way.

"I guess you loose," Vader says, as he steps forward.

Moon smiles.

What she did was a feint, risking that Vader would knock the weapon out of the way, rather than dodging or catching the weapon. Moon guided the weapon, as it continued to rotate and spin like boomerang. It circled back towards the pair…and sliced the support cable.

CHOP!

The sudden collapse of the walk-way caused the two to slip a little.

Vader grabbed hold of a loose cable, while Moon grabbed her own. Moon then caught her weapon, and the fight continued.

"We can't continue to fight like this!" Moon says, as she blocks a blow.

"When you are defeated, I won't have to!" Vader replied.

A tear fell from her eye, as she made an important decision.

She fell, by letting go.

However, as she did so, Moon flipped her body, and used her legs to grab hold of the cable. She then took out her second purple-bladed saber-

SNAP! Hzzzz…

And used her two 'sabers to scissor Vader's legs.

SLICE!

"AHHHHHHH!"

Vader, now leg-less, was gritting his teeth in pain.

Still using her legs to hold herself, Moon rights herself. She was now staring Vader in the eye.

"Vader…Anakin…this is your final chance," Moon says through gritted teeth. Thank her Amazon training again. Xena the Warrior Princess would smile onUsagi's skill.

"NO! I'm the best! No one can beat me!"

Vader was using his free hand to hold himself on the cable, while using his sword hand to fight Moon.

Sighing, Moon blocked one strike with her left, and used the other strike to cut Vader's cable.

SLICE!

"Noooooooooooooo-!"

As Vader's body fell, the heat began to char his body…

However, Moon prevented Vader from falling into the molten lava by willing the Force to knock his body on another platform nearby. Moon then let go, and landed on the same platform. Her hair was frizzled, her clothes were torn, and her body was soaked with sweat. But, in spite of it all, Moon has won her fight against Vader.

"Uhhhhh…" Vader said. His body was horribly charred from the heat.

"You've saved my life once, Anakin. Now, I have saved YOURS."

Moon turns away, and looks back slightly.

"I'll inform you troops of your location. And I will tell everyone that Anakin Skywalker was a Jedi who died at the hands of Darth Vader. I will grant you that much decency…even though you cared only for yourself."

And with that, Moon took off.

As Thumper leaves for Naboo, where Usagi was to rendezvous with Master Yoda and his allies, the situation was getting desperate. Padme was wounded by Anakin's Darkside attack, and was on the verge of loosing her babies and her life. She couldn't allow that to happen. At the same time, as long as Padme was around, her friend's love for Anakin would put herself and the children in danger. Usagi and Yoda may be the last Jedi in existence, and Anakin's children may be the key to the salvation of the galaxy.

"R2, Thumper, C3-P0- I'll need your help," Usagi said.

R2 clicked and whistled his response.

"Th-OW!"

"We will do what we can, Miss Usagi," Threepio says.

"Okay, now, here's what we are going to do…"

Sometime later, Yoda, Bail Organia and Mon Mothma meet Usagi at a secret location on Naboo. When they see her, they are shocked by two sights.

One, they see the body of Padme Amidala encased in some sort of crystal.

And, two, Usagi had a noticeable bulge in her belly.

"Sorry about this," Usagi said, as she unwrapped her clock to reveal her…pregnancy.

"Explain, you must," Yoda smirks.

It turned out that Usagi, using Federation and Juraian science, had transferred Padme's babies to her, while encasing Padme's body in a stasis crystal, something that Thumper could produce. Usagi had told them of her idea for Padme. Even though Bail Organia and Mon Mothma didn't like their friend's fate, they knew what a liability she was, if their would-be rebellion was to have a chance of flourishing. So, they all agreed to Usagi's plan, with Yoda's approval.

Thus, as far as the galaxy was concerned, Senator Padme Amidala of Naboo died of complications of her pregnancy…along with her children. Padme's crystal encasement was placed in a Royal crypt, where it will remain until it is safe to free her from her slumber…even if it will take twenty years to do so.

In the remaining months of Usagi's pregnancy, Yoda continued Usagi's instruction. Yoda taught her everything she needed to know, so that she could be ready to teach competently. He wanted to teach Usagi before returning home to Dagobah, where he will remian in hiding. And on the day before she was to give birth, Yoda gave his blessing.

"Now Jedi MASTER, you are, Usagi Ikuko Tsuus-Tetok," Yoda says, as he and Usagi touched foreheads. They now have a psychic connection with each other. And it will be through Usagi that Yoda will guide her actions, as she begins the process of aiding Mon Mothma and Bail Organia's struggle against Palpatine's reign.

And in a small ceremony, the Queen of Naboo, on her last day as the duly elected Monarch, before she was to wed Bail Organia of Alderaan, dubs Usagi as Lady Usagi Ikuko Tsuus-Tetok of the House of Amidala. It was her right since the Queen of Padme's cousin.

Finally, the day comes, when Usagi gave birth to Padme's twins. It was a difficult delivery, but Usagi did so proudly. Holding the children in her arms, Usagi named them according to Padme's wishes.

"You are Leia," Usagi says to the first born girl, as she starred into the girl's eyes. Then, she turned to the boy. "And you are Luke."

Usagi sighed. She wished that she could have been in this situation under normal conditions, but times are anything BUT normal.

After the children were weaned, Bail and his new wife took Leia to Alderaan, where they would raise her as their own. The droids R2-D2 and C3-P0, who would accompany the new family, would have their memories suppressed until the need arises for them to act upon them.

Meanhwhile, Usagi took Luke to Tattooine. As much as she wanted the twins to stay together, times were desperate. She didn't want EMPEROR Palpatine to catch word that Padme's children were alive. Still, there was one thing to she could do to redeem Anakin.

Tattooine: the Lars Residence.

"Thank you, Usagi," Shimi Lars-Skywalker says, as she accepted the baby boy in her arms. She was getting up in years these days, and barely works as a repairer of water extraction units any more. Beru and Owen Lars, her step-children, run the water extration farm these days, ever since Shimi's husband died a few years ago.

"You're welcome, ma'am," Usagi replied, as she wraps her cloak around her body, as Thumper hops on her left shoulder. "I'm sure Anakin and Padme would have wanted you to raise Luke."

"How…how did Ani die?"

Usagi pauses for a moment.

"He died…like a Jedi."

And with that, Usagi leaves into the desert. Tattooine reminded Usagi of Arrakis, so she knew how to survive. She'll rely on that experience to adjust to her new climes, since she'll need to lay low for a while. But sooner or later, Usagi will get back into the fight. She has contacts to meet, and networks to form. And when either Leia or Luke is ready, Usagi will teach them the way of the Jedi.

After all, they might represent a new…hope for the galaxy.

Stopping for a moment, Usagi takes out Anakin's lightsaber. She examines it.

"In spite of it all, in spite of what you have done, Ani, I made a promise that I will never abandon you," Usagi says to herself. "And one day, some day, I will get you back."

And with that, Usagi puts Anakin's 'saber away, and trudges forward, just as a sand-storm was about to consume her presence.

In the mean time, Usagi will continue to train and grow as a Jedi. Her Lunarian heritage will keep her young and vital, as it has done thus far. There may be more Jedi out there, and she and they need to survive long enough to find a way to defeat the Emperor and his Sith apprentice once and for all.

It's only a question of time.

"End Simulation," said the Defiant computer.

Akane and the girls were silent for a moment, as the holodeck resumed its original yellow grid pattern.

"I can see why Ranma-sama would be fascinated by the Counselor," Kodachi says.

"Maybe I'm wrong about her," said Ukyo.

"Shampoo need to learn skill from her!" said the Amazon.

Akane was silent. She has much to think about.

Later, at Ranma's dinner party…

"Okay, first come, first serve," Ranma said, as he began to serve dinner to his cremates. He had decided to put on a Texas-themed dinner, complete with cowboy hats and barbeque. He felt that after all they have been through, the crew deserves a break. "Get it while it's hot!"

Meanwhile, Akane went up to Usagi, who was serving the side dishes.

"Counselor, do you have a minute?" Akane asked.

"Sure, what's up?"

"Um, I just want to apologize for my behavior. I mean, ever since I learned that you and Ranma had…you know…gotten together, I've been a little nuts."

"Hey, it's okay. I know that you're crazy about the guy. But trust me, we're just friends these days."

"Oh, okay."

Akane looks over the table of food.

"Can…can I help you serve?"

Usagi smiles.

"I would like that."

And thus, a new friendship is born.

Tbc.