Chapter Title: Unbury the Hatchet
Chapter Synapses: In this follow-up to Crossing the Knoll, a strange anomaly brings all of Hyperion's senior staff into the loop on the circumstances surrounding the abandonment of the Destiny.
Written by: Seraph Koji
An Omega class starship streaked through space, followed closely by a series of other, smaller and less powerful, ships. A fleet on its way to rendezvous with another fleet, preparing for another grand battle under the flag of freedom. All these ships were filled with the new blue and silver uniforms of the Zeon Armed Forces. All except Aleena Nechiev of the Omega class warship, the Destiny, who wore the white and gold uniform of a Zeon Marshal. And soon her flet would converge with two others to prevent further Federation incursion into the Neutral Zone.
"Marshal, the Cardassian warship Galthor is hailing, it's Gul Tomolak." Destiny's comm. officer reported.
"On screen." The image on the monitor was replaced by the image of a Cardassian officer, "Tomolak!" Nechiev greeted warmly.
"Marshal, things are not going well for Cardassia. Since the destruction of Terok Nor and the Starfleet occupation of Bajor, the Federation have continued to attack innocent Cardassian freighters and merchants. And as allies, Zeon is staying silent?" Tomolak fumed.
"Gul, let's not forget they violate the Federation-Zeon Neutral Zone to do it." Nechiev smiled, "I'm going to meet up with Marshal Picard and Marshal Janeway, and we will lead a three pronged attack on the Feddie Neutral Zone, and destroy any Starfleet ship we see."
In a place sufficiently distant as to be literally called a universe apart, the Hyperion also sped to Cardassian space. They were rather responding to a distress call in the Minos Korva System. A call that would go unanswered, for en route, the Hyperion found itself side-tracked.
"Full reverse!" Starwind screamed.
"No effect." Ivano called as the large swirling sphere of energy drew closer.
"Bring us about, bearing 472-mark-21…"
Too late. The sphere engulfed them, and seamlessly passed them along, not even scraping the hull.
"Report." Starwind ordered.
"No damage." Collins replied.
Ivano rose an eyebrow, "We haven't moved position, sir, but I think other things have. Reading several Cardassian battlecrusers a short distance off, and several unidentified warp signatures on the way."
"Federation time beacons are non-responsive." Talara reported.
Red Alert sirens blared, "Unidentified warp events, assumed hostile. A lot of them!"
Within seconds the entire amassed Zeon fleet descended on Hyperion, weapons charged. Destiny, Enterprise, and Corona were leading the onslaught.
"Joseph, Talara…" Starwind pointed to Destiny's image on the viewscreen.
Aboard Destiny, Nechiev stared down this lone ship.
"Ma'am, it doesn't match any known Feddie ship, but the hull has Feddie markings and she has the right warp signature."
"Hail them!" Starwind ordered aboard Hyperion, and quickly the menacing fleet was replaced by the image of the Zeon crew.
"Victor?" Nechiev's voice filled with shock.
"Marshal… hi." Starwind smiled innocently, "How ya been?"
Starwind, Collins, Nechiev, Janeway, and Picard all sat in the conference room of the Hyperion, The three Zeon officers wore the white, pale blue, and gold uniforms of Zeon Marshals.
"Since Normandy returned to your universe, countless Federation incursions into the Neutral Zone, specifically to attack our Cardassian allies, have occurred." Nechiev explained.
Collins was confused as all hell. She had gathered Destiny was abandoned in another universe – one Starwind had visited then and they were in now, and that the Federation was a not-so-good force in the galaxy as opposed to Zeon, the good guys. But… oh, it gave her a headache. She just sat, finding confusion preferable to the pain caused by trying to understand.
"Captain, the reason Starfleet accepted our terms was the decimation of their fleet caused by a large-scale energy weapon your people made as a means to the end that was the goal behind 'Project Firestorm'. Without the schematics of that weapon, Starfleet will only honor it's agreement for so long." Picard said.
This is where Collins had to interject. "You want schematics of a Fusion Catalyst?"
"Yes." Janeway nodded.
"We can't. We couldn't." Starwind quickly responde4d. "You are asking us to hand you illegal technology."
"Technology illegal in your universe." Nechiev reasoned, "Not ours."
Starwind shook his head, "Construction of the Catalyst was unethical. To give it to another military organization, one that would use it, is doubly so."
"But Victor-"
"Aleena, we will consider your tactical situation and re-supply generic weapons and your other supplies, but we can't give you the specs for the most immoral, not to mention illegal, weapon ever developed by human hands." Starwind interrupted her, "Starwind to VonBach, I want a tactical analysis on the Zeon-Federation conflict in two hours."
"Victor…"
"Aleena, in good conscience, it's all I can do." Starwind stood up, "Might I recommend, by the way, you pay a visit to Lieutenant Sarah Winters…"
Collins stood up, and shot a clod glare to the Marshals, "You lot are the good guys here, so deal with the Federation in the honorable way – not with weapons of mass destruction. You'd be defending yourselves with petty acts of terrorism and the like. And terrorism isn't the venue for justice."
Her growing temper prompted Starwind's calm but forceful response. "Dorian, calm down." Starwind turned to the Marshals, "This meeting is over." The Marshals quietly filed out. When they were gone, Starwind motioned for Collins to sit, "What the hell was that, Dorian?"
"Captain, these people aren't exactly icons of virtue, this whole universe is petty and selfish, at least judging from your mission reports. Look, I agree, these Zeon people aren't committing genocide yet, but they are terrorists without a cause." Collins replied, "Thanks to you, they won their freedom, but they squander it on seeking war."
"Dorian, war is all Zeon has ever known, all Earth has ever known. And they have no one to show them the way to peace, so they can only stumble toward it on their own."
"And how do we get home?" Collins asked, "Your methods last time are less than repeatable."
Starwind folded his arms, "We figure out how we got here."
Winters stood in the Holodeck, swinging her sword at holographic enemies. Borg, Klingon, Romulan… The door to the holodeck opened and in walked Zeon Marshal Nechiev, who beat the Klingon over the head, "Freeze program." Nechiev smiled, watching the Klingon fall. "Interesting selection."
"The Borg, these cybernetic creeps here, are totally selfless, often making sacrifices for the greater battle strategy, never letting the one outweigh the many. Also, they adapt to phaser fire. The Klingons are bold and honorable warriors with strength and hand-to-hand prowess, and Romulans are secretive and tactical, often watching the fight until the target is weak enough for finishing blows. Less likely to face hand-to-hand, so I disabled energy weapons." Winters replied, matter-of-factly.
Nechiev nodded, "How have you been, Sarah?"
"Computer, remove holographic enemies." Winters ordered, watching the fighters disappear.
"Sarah?" Nechiev paused, "Why did you leave Zeon?"
"Commander Paris." Winters replied, hastily.
"Really, Sarah?"
"Ma'am," Winters began to protest.
"Why?"
Winters sighed, "Asylum was granted. I never imagined I'd see you again." She paused, "Ma'am, I am a solder. I grew up fighting the Federation. I grew up a rebel. But is anyone content being a rebel? Especially once your cause is gone. So I found a new mission, a new adventure… maybe I'm not a rebel anymore, but I wanted to see another universe. A happier version of the reality we were in."
Nechiev nodded, "Did you?"
Winters was silent.
"We have so many new commands opening, so many new ships, and so many dead Commanders…" Nechiev added.
"Are you asking me to rejoin Zeon?" Winters asked.
Nechiev nodded.
"I should really talk to… to people… to help me make this decision… I mean, I have duties now and… and I… umm… I serve on Hyperion and…" Winters stammered, flustered. She was caught a bit off guard.
"Let me know once you have decided." Nechiev turned and made for the exit.
Winters stopped her, "Aleena," she paused, "Kick some Feddie ass for me, okay?"
"So that's a 'no'?" Nechiev asked.
Winters nodded.
"Why?"
"I'm happy…" Winters paused, answering reluctantly, "Where I am."
Picard entered Starwind's Ready Room, "Captain, I apologize for asking you to compromise your ethics for us."
"Apology accepted, Jean-Luc."
"Since you left us Destiny, we have searched for a wy to enter your space, to assist you and open a peaceful dialogue. We attempted to do so here, and instead, you came to us." Picard explained, "For this too, I am sorry."
"You guys made that energy sphere?" Starwind stood, "Can you make another?"
Picard thought a moment.
"I'll offer some prototype defensive technology. New stuff, stuff we haven't even tested yet."
"Alright." Picard and Starwind shook hands.
A few moments later Starwind entered the bridge3, "VonBach, send the Enterprise your Point Defense System schematics. Ivano, Phral, get us ready to go back through that sphere. Get a science team working on technology Enterprise is sending us." He made for a turbolift, "Collins, you have the bridge. Computer, locate Lieutenant Sarah Winters." The lift doors closed.
"Another sphere is forming ahead." Talara reported.
"Ivano, take us in." Collins sat in the Captain's Chair.
Winters watched the Zeon fleet out a window in the Observatorium. Slowly the ship moved away from them, and soon Hyperion became engulfed in light. Moments later, there was nothing of Zeon, just the vastness of space.
"Missing home, Lieutenant?" West asked, approaching.
Winters shook her head, "Realizing that my old home has been replaced by my new home in this universe. And that no matter how I try, I can never go back."
"A realization that stiff deserves an proportional dose of synthahol." Starwind presented a drink, "Enjoy."
West stared at a distant star, "Home is where the heart is, Lieutenant."
"Sarah Winters' personal log, I have seen my old friends for one final time, a good-bye I had once denied them. And my new friends now know who I really am. I once felt my past must remain closely guarded, but now I've had a burden lifted. Now I am free to be who I am and to really settle into my new home."
