Epilogue Supplements
Naboo
Distant Island
Lieutenant Gavin Sykes was a member the Royal Naboo Security Forces during the Trade Federation's invasion of the planet. He, alongside his commanding officer, Captain Kael, organized a resistance group against the Federation's battle droid army. Allying themselves with the influential smuggler Borvo the Hutt, Sykes and his comrades performed daring raids on the enemy territory, liberating a number of Naboo citizens from Federation mining camps. Borvo, however, betrayed the resistance, killing Kael and enslaving the Naboo people.
Sykes avenged his fallen superior, liberating the Naboo and forcing Borvo to retreat to Nal Hutta. After Kael's death, Sykes briefly assumed a leadership position in his resistance cell and performed a successful raid on the Federation Camp Four, freeing its prisoners. Sykes later played a crucial role in Queen Padmé Amidala's effort to retake the planet. He participated in the diversionary assault on the occupied capital city of Theed and later joined the space battle over Naboo as a member of Bravo Squadron.
Sykes continued to serve the Royal Naboo Security Force and after the invasion of their home planet, the forces of Naboo kept on their guard and watched the actions of the Trade Federation. Despite having been driven out, the Trade Federation had built several bases during the occupation and one of them was a research facility with its own control system to operate the droids there as the Nemoidians continued their research while attempting to escape in secret.
After acquiring intelligence on the facility, a contingent of the Royal Naboo Security Forces led by Lieutenant Gavyn Sykes raided and seized the facility. After the Naboo commandos captured the facility, they learned that the Trade Federation had launched reinforcements in the form of a C-9979 landing craft and droid starfighters to destroy the base. Lieutenant Gavyn Sykes, the sole Naboo pilot, engaged the initial Federation forces while flying his N-1 starfighter.
"I have enemy fighters on my scope." Sykes reported from his fighter.
Even though the Trade Federation had been driven away, a droid army had been left on standby to protect the base or destroy to keep its secrets from falling into the wrong hands.
"Trade Federation forces dead ahead. Protect the settlement." A commando ordered Sykes.
Straight ahead Sykes could see in the distance were ten STAPs, six AATs, and one MTT. The STAPs moved around with three trying to sneak around back of the installation while the AATs plodded directly for the base and open fire, and the MTT will get close, and then drop its payload of about 25 battle droids...
All the while, Droid Starfighters were whining overhead.
Keeping cool, Sykes stayed at the base and took out the first wave of Starfighters, then moved to attack the seven STAPs that were coming directly for him. After taking out a few of the STAPs, concentrate on the AATs, thinning their ranks. The Multi-Troop Transport was destroyed before it could disgorge its complement of B1 battle droids. Once all or most of the ground forces were neutralized, Sykes turned to deal with the fighters present.
There were quite a few of them. After about two minutes, the Republic Cruiser finally showed up. It sat on the base for about thirty seconds, and then took off for the hills with Sykes defending it all the while.
Xxx
Theed
Captain Panaka looked over the report from the commandos and seeing what they had uncovered. "Good work, Lieutenant Sykes. The commandos' uncovered evidence of new advanced battle droid technology. We must monitor this new development vigilantly..."
It was unlikely the Trade Federation was done with them despite their blossoming relationship with the United Federation of Planets and Panaka was going to make sure Naboo was ready for them.
Xxx
Coruscant
Palpatine looked over the report sent to him by Panaka. "Excellent work, Captain. I assume the Queen has been informed."
"Yes, Chancellor." The holographic image of Panaka nodded. "She has expressed a deep concern over this matter. She believes the Trade Federation's franchise must be revoked immediately following Viceroy Gunray's trial."
"We are working as best as we can. The Trade Federation has already been ordered to disband its droid armies but it has launched a formal complaint against the United Federation from the other galaxy." Palpatine said calmly.
"The Queen has already launched a protest to their complaint, my lord. They are just trying to cover their humiliation. Perhaps this new battle droid technology is them trying to prevent such a loss ever again." Panaka informed.
"Yes, I know." Palpatine nodded. "You must trust the courts to do their job."
"Yes, Supreme Chancellor." Panaka nodded before the transmission ended.
Palpatine closed the log and put down the pad device as he stood up and walked to the window, allowing him to observe the sun setting in the distance, casting a beautiful glow on the endless city that was the capital of the Republic. Truly unexpected that such an event would happen in his time during the war that would lead to the completion of the Grand Plan that had been at work for the last thousand years started by Darth Bane. A single discovery that presented a wild card just as the plan was coming into the first stage in which with a single stroke he would exact a thousand years of revenge against the Jedi and the Republic for the defeat and near destruction of the Sith at the time of the Old Republic.
He had been prepared for the possibility of a few unexpected problems but nothing that would slow his plan in the long term. He had influenced thousands upon thousands of beings in both the Republic and the Separatists and he was slowly directing them all to a single end that he and his predecessors had been working for.
And yet a single discovery presented a possible threat that not even he could have considered.
An entire galaxy with no Sith or Jedi, not seemingly influenced by the Force that he barely knew anything about with almost no known way to counter them. He had been as shocked as the Jedi as when he tried to feel these beings through the Force he found he could not read their minds as they were naturally able to block any attempt to probe them. How such a thing was possible was beyond him and not even Master Yoda or the Jedi Council were able to make sense of it. The Milky Way Galaxy had figuratively speaking poked the hornet's nest and he didn't know whether to be thankful or annoyed but so as long as they were causing distractions he had more room and time to work with what he had.
Now that he had handled things on the Naboo end it was time to check in on his Neimodian…friends. The Trade Federation was still useful to him, even after its humiliating defeat at Naboo at the hands of the Enterprise. Even if the commandos had gotten away with the plans for a new form of advanced battle droids it mattered very little.
Except of course for the astromech droid R2-D2.
Naboo was clamoring for Federation membership while still wanting to keep a seat in the Senate and the Queen had submitted to him a full report of what happened in the other galaxy.
Including how the droid R2 had been upgraded to level of advanced sophistication beyond anything ever thought for a droid.
The Trade Federation would give the illusion it is disbanding its droid armies but in secret will be expanding them while eliminating the weaknesses that were obviously and embarrassingly exposed at Naboo. They would need to remove the dependency of a command signal for their battle droids but retain a shutdown signal which would be easy. The Trade Federation along with their business partners had felt humiliated over how easily their droids had been disabled by just a mere musical just as Panaka had said. Though the Starfleeters had seemingly worked out a way to overload the central control computer on the Neimodian ships R2 has assisted them and he had shown a shocking ability to manipulate matter and energy around him as he made his repairs.
That made him an invaluable target.
But he needed a way to reach the droid.
There was the matter of Starfleeters working to create a permanent form of passage into their galaxy. Naboo and several other planets had expressed interest from membership to trade with them.
Perhaps the remedy to the matter was simplicity itself.
Xxx
Milky Way
Earth
Orbit
The Enterprise was resting in drydock as the latest modifications were made to it. Following the briefing at Starfleet Command, it was decided that the Enterprise would be the test bed for the new hyperdrive. Admiral Kirk had decided to go by shuttle again, just to inspect his ship and look over the repairs and upgrades.
"The new atmosphere shields are working perfectly, Captain." Sulu said, acting as the shuttle pilot, bring it into the shuttle bay.
In addition to the hyperdrive, well it was not actually hyperdrive since they didn't even have to install one they had an atmospheric shield installed in the shuttle bay. This was just one of technological differences between their galaxies that they had gained from an exchange. The shuttle landed in the hangar, seeing the welcome crew already standing in attention as it landed. Atmospheric shielding was a great addition and it was just one of many possible trades between the two galaxies.
Kirk stepped out of the shuttle, seeing Spock was already present. "Permission to come aboard."
"Granted." Spock answered. "You'll be pleased to know the atmospheric shield is preforming at optimal efficiency."
"Well I can see since we are still standing here." Kirk said with a joking smile. "And our new engine?"
"The modifications to the deflector dish are complete. Navigation has plotted a course." Spock replied as they walked down the shuttle bay, passing the lines of officers that stood at attention. "All will be ready when you are on the bridge."
"I am looking forward to it." Kirk said as he walked into the turbolift.
Spock turned to the officers. "Company, dismissed."
Xxx
Enterprise
Bridge
Kirk was satisfied to see everyone at their posts when he stepped onto the bridge, followed by Spock. "Status."
"Navigation and Helm ready, Captain." Sulu reported. "All moorings cleared and holding station."
"Dock master has given us the clear, sir." Uhura reported.
Kirk tapped the intercom on his chair. "Scotty?"
"Aye sir."
"We ready down there?"
"Ready and waiting, sir."
The hyperdrive was tied into the ship's deflector shield system so it could open a pathway right into hyperspace while the impulse engines having their limiters shut down.
As for their destination…
"Coordinates locked in, Captain." Sulu reported. "Ready to initiate hyperspace jump to the Sagittarius Arm."
That was right, they were making a jump to a system in another spiral arm. The Sol System and the majority of the Federation existed in the Orion Arm.
Twenty five thousand light years.
Long range scans and probes allowed them to plot out a course that would take years by warp but now that they had a hyperdrive it was possible they could cut the trip down.
"Well, let's see what she's got." Kirk said, sitting in his chair. "Take us out, Mr. Sulu"
With the order given, the Enterprise slowly left its dry dock and cleared the station and the Earth.
"We are clear sir." Sulu reported. "Hyperdrive system online."
Kirk leaned forward, staring at the screen. "Initiate hyperspace jump."
The instant he gave the order the hyperdrive was online and the Enterprise entered a multi-colored tunnel, energy and light surging around it like a rainbow.
The beginning of a new chapter for the crew of the Enterprise.