Disclaimer: "Ranma ½", "Sailor Moon", "Star Trek" and other genres belong to their respective owners.
Note: This is a multi-genre story.
Special note: This story depicts the events featured in "Star Trek: Nemesis". Also, in future chapters will cover the "DS9" and "Voyager" sagas in greater detail (though this chapter will drop "hints" as to what has happened since the previous chapter).
Part 51
2380 CE: Starfleet Academy, Presidio (Earth).
"…And you may kiss the bride!" said Captain Jean-Luc Picard, as he closed his ceremony book.
After many years of knowing each other, both as friends and lovers, Commander William T. Riker and Counselor Deanna Troi finally wed. Riker turns to his new wife, lifts her veil, and-
SMOOCH!
"YEAH!" said the assembled crew of the Enterprise-E and guests.
Commander Ranma Saotome (Conn) and Captain Usagi Tsukino (SciSpec) smiled, as they held hands. Ranma had served as "the father of the bride", by walking his goddaughter down the aisle, and gave Troi away. Commander Tasha Yar was her bridesmaid, while Commander Data was Riker's "best man". Accept for the principled players, everyone was dressed in Starfleet dressed whites.
Usagi turned to her ex-husband.
"I'm proud of you, Ranchan," Usagi says, as she squeezed Ranma's hand.
"Thanks, Usako," Ranma replied. "I…I just want someone to be happy for a change."
The last few years have been trying.
Thanks to the Dominion War, Ranma has seen more atrocities committed than he has ever cared to witness. In one case, he had to hold off a siege in order to allow wounded Starfleet Marines the chance to escape, as wave after wave of Jem'Hadar shock troops continuously poured into the area, all because their Vorta master felt like it.
And then there was the "Cult of the Pagh Wraiths", founded by a possessed Ukyo Kuonji, who were systematically undermining the Federation and the Bajoran governments though a legacy of fear and strife. That debacle almost ended badly for all parties concerned.
With the conclusion of the war, and the ascension of Captain Sisko to the Temple of the Prophets, Ranma's future was uncertain. As of now, Usagi is the acting commanding officer of the Federation Station Deep Space Nine, until an officer is permanently assigned to take Sisko's place. Word has it that Ranma will become the new station commander, something that he was not particularly looking forward to, since he wanted to take a leave of absence in order to care for Ukyo.
For now, Ranma can enjoy a quiet moment for a change by filling in for Troi's deceased father, by playing the role of the father of the bride. And since both Ranma and Usagi are off the station, Colonial Kira Nyres of Bajor, the Bajoran liaison to the Federation, will be "minding the store".
A short time later…
During the wedding reception, Ranma was given the honor of having the first dance with his goddaughter Deanna.
"You look beautiful, De," Ranma said, as he danced.
"Careful, uncle," Deanna smiled. "You don't want Will to get…jealous. And besides…I'll look even more so, during the second wedding on Betazed."
Ranma groaned. Betazed weddings typically required that all attendees be without clothes. According to tradition, being without clothes is a sign of being true and open. So Ranma, Usagi and the rest of the friends and family members will be…naked.
"Great," Ranma groaned. "I bet your mother is just WAITING to see me in the buff!"
Troi giggled.
Meanwhile, Usagi was dancing with Riker on the dance floor.
"Well, congratulations on your new command, Will," Usagi says. "The U.S.S. Excelsior is a good ship with a fine tradition to its name."
"Thanks," Riker says. "So…how things going on with you and Ranma?"
"It's been weird," Usagi replies. "Starfleet wants me to be the new Federation Ambassador to the Dominion, so there is a lot of negotiations going on before that posting becomes official. That's why my command at DS9 is not permanent."
"I'm sure that it'll work out."
Meanwhile, Yar was having a conversation with Worf about his future as the Federation ambassador to the Klingon Empire, when something came over her…
Haruka…help!Yar turns to see aquamarine-haired woman, dressed in an aquamarine Sailor fuku. Her face was shadowed somehow.
Haruka-mama...save us!
Next to the aquamarine-haired woman was a raven-haired younger woman, also in a Sailor fuku. Her face, too, was obscured by shadows
Compelled, Yar runs up to the women, only to be blocked by a bald man in a leather outfit, the style of which gave the man a regal appearance.
"No," said the man, as he wags his right index finger. He then backed handed Yar.
Haruka…HARUKA-!
"Tasha? TASHA?"
Yar woke up from her daze. Standing over her was Dr. Beverly Crusher and Counselor Deanna Troi. While Crusher took Yar's readings, Troi was messagingYar's templesas part of her patented empathic message.
"…"
"Here," Ranma said, as he helped his old student to a chair. He then turns to the others. "Alright, people, shows over."
"What happened, Tasha?" Deanna asked, as she sat down, while the rest of the guests, save for Picard, Ranma, Dr. Crusher, Usagi, Data and Deanna; Riker, Worf and Geordie LaForge were checking to see if there was something abnormal going on vis-à-vis their instrumentation. "I sensed something from you."
"I'm fine, I guess," Yar says. "I…I received a vision."
"Have you recieved these 'visions' before?" Crusher asked.
"No, this was the first time...and they were really strange."
"Oh?" Picard says, as Riker gives him a message from Starfleet HQ.
"Yes, sir. There were two womenin trouble…they werecalling me by the name of my previous incarnation."
Usagi's eyes squinted.
"Tasha, what did these people looked like?" Usagi asked, as Crusher gave Tasha a sedative.
"I'm not sure, Usagi. The vision was vague."
"And this situation had to have come at an inopportune time," Picard says, as he stands up, and sits down the pad he was reading. "Starfleet had just informed me of a situation that has occurred on Romulus…and the Enterprise-E has been ordered go there."
Ranma rubbed the back of his head. Usagi looks at her ex-husband, and then turns to Picard.
"Captain, with permission, I would like for Ranma and I to accompany you on your mission," Usagi says. "I am an experienced diplomat, and was present when the Treaty of Algeron was signed. And I am still a top-rated science officer. Besides, I want to see if…Spock is alright."
Picard looks at Usagi for a moment.
"And you can always you an experienced helm officer," Ranma ventured. "We're not scheduled to return to DS9 for another two weeks."
Picard rubs his chin.
"Alright, I accept your help. Welcome back."
Meanwhile, on Mars…
A lone spacecraft, a craft shaped like a smooth almond, and appeared to have a reflective, silvery tint, travels to a little known section of the Martian landscape. Even though human presence has been on Mars for the past few hundred years, much of it is still uncharted (sometimes on purpose, like when a patch of "Xenomorph" DNA was discovered that tended to mutate other creatures, humans included, into a predatory "species"). The occupant of the craft did not have to worry about the course of her path, since the destination was clear.
The craft stops, and hovers silently. A section of the craft opens up, in a seamless motion, and a blue robed figure steps out. Once the figure has moved away a bit, the hole of the craft closes. The figure looks towards a lone cave in the distance, and moves forward towards it, and enters the cave.
After a while, the tunnel opens up to what appeared to be a lush valley, with a spring lake and stream, and flowers and endless fields. It existed in a part of "reality" known as "the penumbra", adimensional planethat serves as a"scrap-book" of paradigms of yore. Earth itselfhad many such realms, and some sites, like Tokyo, Japan, can actually have multiple layers of paradigms that can existin the material world. Crystal Tokyo (Queen Hoshi's enchanted kingdom), Neo-Tokyo (the world of cutting-edge of science and technology) and Old Tokyo (neo-feudalism vis-a-vis the pre-Meiji Restoration) coexisting was a prime example of this phenomenon. So it's not uncommon to seethe occasional samurai, knight andcyber-copworking together on a project or two to protect thismosaic of a city.
Within this hidden valley, right in the center, was a castle of European design. The cloaked-figure then floated across the stream, and stood at the entrance of the castle. The figure then raised a hand, which activates the lowering of the castle drawbridge and gate. Satisfied, the figure proceeds to enter the castle…
In the center of the throne room was a slab of white marble. And lying prone on this slab of marble was-
"Queen Rei," said the figure, as the blue-robed figure lowered HER hood. Indeed, Queen Rei of Mars, formerly consort to the first monarch of Crystal Tokyo, would have been touched by the visit of Princess Ami, a Jedi Mistress who is also known as "Sailor Mercury".
And she doesn't look a day over twenty.
Since the ascension of "The One-Who-Will-Be", a man formerly known as Federation Ambassador John Sheridan of Earth, Ami has been a member of Minbar society as a resident philosopher and member of the Anla-Shok (i.e. "The Rangers"). She was once a member of Starfleet, having served with Usagi and Ranma under the command of Captain Christopher Pike aboard the first Enterprise. The Shadow Wars forced Ami to leave Starfleet out of disgust for the Federation's inability to do the right thing by remaining neutral while lesser interstellar territories were at the mercy of the Shadows. In fact, Ami had all but abandoned Earth for a life of peace and tranquility on Minbar.
And know the Senshi of Mercury has returned.
Ami touched the alabaster skin of the "Senshi of Mars". Rei Hino, formerly of Earth, had choose "purification" as a form of stasis (called "torpor"), after her husband Mamoru Chiba, King Endymion of Crystal Tokyo had died during a system-wide attack by the Gamalons in 2099 CE. Thus, as time rolled on, Queen Rei slept in the home of her ancestral lands. It was only when Queen Hoshi of Crystal Tokyo had directed Ami to those lands that she was able to find her old friend.
"Poor Rei," Ami says. "To purposely lock yourself away like a porcelain doll…"
"You know that she choose this for her own good," said a voice.
Ami turns to a familiar sight.
"How long have you've been here, Setsuna?" Ami asked.
"I've been around since early this morning, Princess," the dark, green-haired "Senshi of Pluto says, as she sets down her "Time Key" into position, so that it can harmlessly float a few inches in the air. "Rei would have never been able to adapt to this…future as well as you and the others."
"I know," Ami says. "Even back during the days of the Silver Millennium, Rei tended to not take change very well."
Setsuna nodded.
"While your own thirst for knowledge and enlightenment continues to drive you."
"True, true. Are Makoto and the others ready to reform 'the Inners'?"
"They are ready.
"Even Queen Hoshi?"
"Even her, since she is the present 'Senshi of the Earth'. In fact, Princess Neo-Serenity will be part of this."
Ami raised an eyebrow.
"If Renee is awakening from HER slumber, why is Usagi not being informed of this?"
"Because future events must be allowed to unfold as is…if 'the Outers' are to return. When that happens, the Sailor Scouts will be reborn."
Tbc.