USS Enterprise
Thrawn's Personal Log:
In the time I have spent in this new galaxy, I have keenly observed the inner workings of Starfleet and how its people act. It functions closely to how a military would act but in addition to training how to be an officer, there is also the addition of science and negotiating divisions and studies at the academy. Several of which I would recommend to the Chiss Defense Force if for the purpose of expanding our training if I was still part the Defense Force. I took several extra classes at the Academy to gain a further insight into how these Starfleeters act and for the most part I am impressed.
They approach exploration with a sense of curiosity for the unknown that is tempered with a military sense of duty and obligation to the protection to one's ship, crew and people. I even admit to have had a moment of relaxation in speaking with the caretaker of the academy's gardens.
It seems that instead of using more advanced methods, they prefer what they call 'tried and true' methods but have a wise and intelligent view on the Academy. I found myself enjoying speaking with the gardener and even helping him in his endeavors, finding the conversations I had with him stimulating. I was fortunate to have the chance to be part of the training crew under Captain Spock of the Federation flagship Enterprise. Having spent enough time at the Academy, I read up on the Enterprise and it's history under Commodore Robert April, Captain Christopher Pike and now Admiral James T. Kirk.
To say the ship's history was impressive would be an understatement. It is clear that Admiral Kirk is a tactically sound and rational man, though his slight pause with the Reliant gives me concern, this is likely that his time as an admiral in the Academy has unfortunately caused his skills to atrophy. Fortunately, he has humility and this near disastrous outcome will help him regain what was lost. In addition to that, I see that Admiral Kirk's strength is tempered by Mr. Spock's sense of logic and intelligence which he regularly turns to for guidance.
Given my own encounters with Spock, I cannot blame him. Though Mr. Spock does not seek war, his intelligence is almost completely unmatched. His knowledge and wisdom is great enough that I gladly see him as a mind to test against in games of intellect. Our own match in 3-D chess ending in a draw is a sign.
Even among my own people, I could not find someone to match my tactical thinking and here, I see Spock as one among many people who seek knowledge, but not for defeating one's enemy but of a genuine curiosity for the universe. I cannot recall feeling any kind of respect or admiration for anyone like I have for Spock and should I gain the opportunity to command my own ship, I would hope to have an officer as intelligent as him by my side. Though for now, there is the current situation regarding the human named Khan.
It was through my studies of the Enterprise's five-year mission under Admiral Kirk, originally Captain Kirk that he first encountered Khan, originally Khan Noonien Singh, a human granted with enhanced strength and intelligence from Earth twentieth century genetic engineering. A popular saying about these Augments came from that era that was later quoted by the captain of the NX Enterprise, Jonathan Archer: 'Superior ability breeds superior ambition.' The original person behind that phrase was one of the original creators of the Augments that led to the Eugenics Wars on Earth who was later killed by his own creation.
Quite ironic and this is not limited to the Augments alone.
It is natural when one feels superior to everyone him, that he then begins considering ways to elevate himself above his peers. It reaches a point when ordinary rules of morality and laws, no longer mean anything in the eyes of a so-called superior. All that matters is the power they crave having the strength to attain and keep it. This may lead to achieving that power, but the end result leads to all the so-called inferiors uniting and bringing the superior down.
For in the end what use is power when one tries to hold all of it, only to lose it in the very end?
The Enterprise hung motionless in space, scars of battle showing. Down in Engineering, the crew were wearing respirators amid the motionless ball of gas, work frantically at a dozen jobs, trying to put things aright, splicing wires, etc.
"Hit your blowers!"
A turbo whined and a great wind of suction pulled the gas towards appropriate vents. The Crew Chief watched, then yanked off his respirator, wiping his brow.
Sickbay
Kirk entered the Sickbay, seeing many wounded crew members. It could have been worse but it was still very bad. Kirk into the operating theatre, where McCoy was working over Preston. Scotty stood by, his lips trembling.
Preston opens his eyes, seeing Scotty and Kirk. "Is the word given?"
"The word is given: warp speed." Kirk said softly.
Prestin almost smiled. "Aye..."
He let out a final gasp as McCoy softly caught him and lied him back down. McCoy then draped a tarp over his body.
Scotty looked across the body and then at Kirk. "Why?"
Kirk didn't look at him, his eyes fixed on Preston. "He wants to kill me for passing sentence on him 14 years ago and he doesn't care who stands between him and his vengeance."
Scotty sniffed. "He stayed at his post…When the trainees ran, he stayed."
"Admiral, this is Spock." Spock's voice chimed in.
Kirk walked over to the wall intercom. "Yes, Mr. Spock."
"Engineering reports that main power is restored." Spock reported. "We can proceed at impulse power."
"Best speed to Regula 1." Kirk said and switched the intercom off.
"I'm sorry, Scotty." McCoy said softly to the still grieving engineer.
"With an effort, Scotty got to his feet. "Thanks. I know you tried, Doctor..."
Scotty gave his shoulder a squeeze and limp off as the sound of impulse power taking effect could be heard.
"Are you all right?" Kirk asked, looking at McCoy who shrugged unhappily, looking at Preston.
"Doctors lose patients sometimes. Damn. I'm still in the dark. You think he knows about Genesis?" McCoy questioned. "Given we saw Reliant moving away from Regula 1, you think…"
"At the moment that question takes a back seat to preventing him from laying his hands on it. You said it yourself; we're talking about a bang that would re-arrange the universe..." Kirk stated.
"There may still be time... you gave as good as you got." McCoy reasoned.
Kirk looked him in the eye. "I almost got beat. We're only alive because I knew something about these ships that he didn't and because someone showed initiative."
He turned and left as McCoy watched, looking again at Preston.
Beta Quadrant
Mutara Sector
Regula System
Orbit
Regula, the dead planet beyond.
Kirk was more focused on the space lab the Enterprise was approaching. There was still evidence of battle damage on the bridge, some repaired, some not. The bridge is filled with tension, all hands at station.
"Approaching Regula and Space Lab Regula I." Sulu announced.
"Try again." Kirk said to Uhura who nodded.
"Space Station Regular I, this is Starship Enterprise. Come in, please..."
Space Station Regula 1
As before, Uhura's image appeared on the viewscreen, imploring a response.
"I say again. Space Station Regular. This is Starship Enterprise. Please respond. Please respond."
There was no response.
Then suddenly…
A sound, eerie and frightening could be heard but nothing was seen.
USS Enterprise
Bridge
"... No response, sir." Uhura stated.
Kirk turned to Spock. "Sensors, Captain?"
"Scanners and sensors still inoperative. There's no way to tell what's inside the station." Spock replied.
"And no way of knowing if Reliant is still in the area..." Kirk muttered.
"Affirmative, Admiral."
"Blind as a Tiberian Bat." Kirk muttered, looking at the viewscreen. "What do you make of the planetoid beyond?"
"Regula is class "D'. It consists of various unremarkable ores. Essentially, a great rock in space." Spock answered.
"And Reliant could be hiding behind that rock." Kirk msued.
"A distinct possibility." Spock agreed.
Kirk tapped the intercom on the arm of his chair. "Engine room... Scotty, do we have enough power for the transporters?"
"Aye, we do, sir."
"I'm going down to the station." Kirk turned and headed for the turbolift but McCoy stopped him.
"Khan could be down there!" The doctor protested.
"He's BEEN there and hasn't found what he wants." Kirk gestured to the viewscreen. "Can you spare someone? There may be people hurt."
McCoy crossed his arms. "Yeah, I can spare me..."
Saavik stood up. "Begging the Admiral's pardon: General Order 15: 'No flag officer shall beam into a hazardous area without armed escort.'"
"There is no such regulation." Kirk stated.
Saavik's gaze faltered.
"All right, join the party." Kirk shrugged.
"Admiral." Kirk turned to see Thrawn standing up from his station. "If it's all the same to you, I would like to join as well. Armed escort implies more than one."
Kirk raised an eyebrow but nodded. "Very well. Mr. Spock, the ship is yours."
"Aye sir."
"Establish a parking orbit around the station and send me a complete damage report when you've talked with Mr. Scott." Kirk instructed, heading for the doors with McCoy, Saavik and Thrawn but stopped when Spock called out to him.
"Jim." They looked at him. "Be careful."
McCoy looked dryly at Spock. "We will."
Spock raised an eyebrow as Kirk, Bones, Thrawn and Saavik head for the turbo doors.
Space Station Regula 1
The silence was ominous. The entire station was empty, except for the hums and crackles of abandoned equipment. With a familiar sound, McCoy, Kirk, Thrawn and Saavik materlized. All had phasers, communicators and tricorders. For a moment they looked around, seeing emptiness.
Like being in a haunted house.
"Hello...! Anybody here?" Kirk called out and a weird echo reverberated his cries.
Saavik raised her tricorder. "Indeterminate life signs."
"Phasers on stun. Move out." Kirk instructed and they separated, each beginning to search.
Saavik moved to the electronic and data area, examining the consoles, the equipment, then settled for the data bank. She started keying sequences with the computer.
Thrawn chose to check the transporter room, looking through the logs of when the transporter was last used. The console was warm, indicating that it had been used very recently.
McCoy showed signs of fear as he walked through the deserted place, like a scuba diver exploring a cave. There was a sudden noise and McCoy reacted with brave apprehension. Rounding a corner, he stared down…A rat scuttling right in front of him. McCoy sighed with relief and moved forward, thinking he was safe.
Suddenly, something fell right in his face: an upside down human arm.
McCoy looked up with a look of horror, seeing a bloody face. "…Jim!"
Kirk and Thrawn helped Bones cut down the last of the five bodies from where they were hanged, upside down. Having recovered his composure, McCoy examined the corpses. They he did not know them, there was Madison, March, among others.
One was clearly the cook.
"They even killed the galley chief." Kirk muttered, stunned by the brutality.
"This one looks like a Steward. They're not warm, but rigor hasn't set in. This didn't happen all that long ago, Jim." McCoy stated.
Kirk looked around, despairingly. "Carol..."
"Admiral, before any conclusions should be made, please know that I checked the transporter logs." Thrawn stated. "They indicate that the transporter was used, possibly before this happened. It would account for why there's only five bodies. They either did not have the time to escape, or they intentionally stayed to give time for the others to escape."
While Saavik was working with the console something puzzled her. She frowned, but a new sound distracted her. She looked up and moved off.
A moan was heard.
All four now converged on the area. As they near it, Saavik's tricorder hummed furiously. Kirk knelt down in front of a cargo container, the beeping sound from the lock annoying him enough that he punched it, making Saavik jump a bit. The container slip open and the limp bodies of Chekov and Terrell fell out.
"Oh my god!" Kirk muttered.
"Admiral Kirk, Enterprise. Come in, please. Come in please." Uhura spoke on the viewscreen, continue to call sporadically.
Chekov emitted a live, reassuring moan.
"That's Clark Terrell, Jim, I've served with him." Bones passed his medical tricorder over Chekov. "Brain disturbance. Appears to be drug induced."
He reaches into his kit and shot Chekov before moving off to Terrell. Uhura's voice continued to be heard in the background.
"Saavik, for God's sake, tell her we're all right." Kirk said to Saavik, to caught up to answer himself.
USS Enterprise
Bridge
"I say again. This is Enterprise. Please acknowledge signal. Please-"
Saavik's face appeared on her screen. "Commander Uhura, this is Lt. Saavik. We're all right. Please stand by. Out."
"Aye, aye." Uhura said in a baffled voice.
Space Lab Regula 1
Central Lab
Chekov opened his eyes and stared into Kirk's. "Oh, God, Admiral...!"
He wept like a child, and Kirk held him.
Meanwhile, Terrell opened his eyes and stared at McCoy. "It's Dr. McCoy, Captain. Do you remember me?"
"McCoy? Yes. Oh, yes."
Chekov broke the embrace in high relief and anxiety. "Oh, sir. It was Khan! We found him on Ceti Alpha V."
"Easy, Pavel... Tell me what you can..." Kirk said calmly.
"No life signs but he was there. Captured us. He-he put creatures in our bodies. To control our minds."
McCoy looked over Chekov. "It's all right, you're safe..."
"... Made us say - lies... Do... things... But we beat him... The Captain and me…He thought he controlled us, but he didn't ... The Captain was strong." Chekov broke into tears.
Kirk looked at Terrell, who was more composed. "Captain. Where is Dr. Marcus? Where are the Genesis materials?"
"He couldn't find them. Some of the scientists were still here, but everything else, even the data banks were empty." Terrel answered.
"That's true, Admiral. All the memory cells have been emptied." Saavik confirmed.
Kirk pondered. "Erased..."
"He tortured those people." Terrel went on. "But none of them would tell him anything. He went wild, strung them up and slit their throats. He wanted to tear the place apart, but he was late: he had to get back to Reliant in time to blow you to bits."
"He came damn close..." Kirk admitted.
"He left us." Chekov said with irony in his voice. "We were no longer of use."
"Where is the Reliant's crew? Dead?" Saavik asked.
"Marooned on Ceti Alpha V. He's completely mad, Admiral." Terrel said to Kirk. "He blames you for the death of his wife..."
"I know what he blames me for." Kirk said before thinking. "The escape pods are all in place. Lieutenant Thrawn, you said something about the transporter room.
Transporter Room
Kirk, wearing his spectacles, studied the transporter consoles. "Did he make it down here?"
Chekov and Terrell looked at each other; seeming a bit stronger.
"It was not my impression. He spent most of his time trying to wring the information out of the people." Chekov answered.
Saavik approached Kirk. "Anything?"
Kirk looked at her over the rims of the glasses. "Somebody left the unit on. If everyone else was dead, it implies that no one remained to turn it off."
"Those people back there bought escape time for Genesis with their lives." McCoy stated somberly.
Saavik studied the console. "This is not logical. These coordinates are well within Regula, a plantoid we know to be lifeless and airless."
The wheels were turning in Kirk's head. "If Stage Two was completed, it was underground, she said it was going to be underground."
"Stage Two of what?" Saavik asked.
Kirk pulled out his communicator. "Kirk to Enterprise."
"Spock here, Admiral."
"Mr. Spock, damage report."
"Admiral, if we go by the book, like Lieutenant Saavik, hours could seem like days." Spock spoke slowly.
Thrawn raised an eyebrow, but he remained silent as Kirk answered. "I read you, Captain. Let's have it."
"The situation is grave, Admiral. We have lost and won't have main power for six days at least. Auxiliary power has temporarily failed, but maybe we can restore that in two days. By the book, Admiral."
Kirk frowns. "Meaning you can't even beam us back?"
"Not at present."
Kirk looked at Saavik, Thrawn and McCoy, deciding on what to do here and now. "Captain Spock, if you do not hear from us within one hour your orders are to restore what power you can, take the Enterprise to the nearest Star Base and alert Starfleet command when you are out of jamming range."
"Sir, we won't leave you behind...!" Uhura protested.
"Uhura, if you don't hear from us, there won't be anybody behind. Kirk out." Kirk closed his communicator and turned to Terrell and Chekov. "Well, gentleman you can remain here, or..."
"If it's all the same, Admiral, we'd like to share the risk." Terrel answered.
Thrawn remained silent as he looked over Terrel and Chekov, making a mental note to keep a close eye on them. It was risky taking them along but given what he had just heard, it would even be more risky to just leave them up here without someone to supervise them.
Kirk hesitated but relented, stepping onto a transporter pad. "Very well. Let's go."
"Go?" McCoy walked up to Kirk. "Where are we going?"
Kirk pointed to the console. "Where they went. Saavik."
Saavik worked on the console, rolling in electronic coding as the others joined Kirk.
"Suppose they went nowhere." McCoy commented.
"Then this will be your big chance to get away from it all." Kirk simply said.
"Ready." Saavik pressed a button, joins them on the pads.
Slowly they vanished into flashes of light as the transporter activated.
Skyriver Galaxy
Thule
Sith City
Dooku looked over the designs of several ships with promise, even if it was only to improve the CIS fleet against the Republic during the war and possibly against the United Federation of Planets if or when they would be involved. The Free Dac Volunteers Engineeing Corps that had designed and produced the Recusant class light destroyers, the Providence class carrier/destroyers, and the larger and more powerful Subjugator class heavy cruisers had access to the designs of Mon Calamari class ships when they joined the Separatist Alliance and were working on ways to improve their ship designs and create new class of ships to field against ships of the Milky Way factions. Plans involving improved weapons, better shielding with more armor, and more power by upgrading the reactors or adding smaller reactors for extra power were made to give the CIS fleet a better chance for possible combat with the Milky Way factions or even something else that might appear. General Grievous had looked over the recordings of the Federation flagship Enterprise to analyze it and by general, most Federation ships for weaknesses.
It was a lot of assuming on his part but Grievous was an accomplished strategist and nearly a flawless tactician.
As he looked over the recordings, he stated that while the Enterprise was much faster than a ship its size its shape could also be used against it, especially around the engines, specifically the 'neck' section connecting the saucer to the engines and the nacelles. By scoring a direct hit on the nacelles the Federation ship would be crippled or possibly disabled. The General advised rather bluntly they needed to arm their ships to the teeth, giving them not only the ability to fight at a three hundred sixty-degree angle but also third dimensionally as Milky Way ships were fast, the smaller ones perhaps as fast as fighters with enough fire power to defend themselves. So Dooku ordered the Separatist fleet to receive an upgrade in power and defense, retrofitting all ship classes to be more effective against enemies from both galaxies.
The neighboring factions, the Klingon and Romulan Empires both employed cloaking devices on their ships, nearly all of them so Dooku ordered the science divisions begin researching new ways of improving the cloaking technology in this galaxy, but it would likely take years to produce a working prototype, let alone finding a way to account for the amount of power the cloaking device would use. Luckily, he had commanders who had experience with cloaked ships so he wasn't worried yet.
A transmission interrupted his musings and he immediately answered, knowing who it was.
"My master." Dooku immediately bowed to the cloaked image of Darth Sidious.
"Lord Tyrannus, I understand that the new embassy on Raxus is complete." Sidious stated.
"Yes, Master. The people were extremely welcoming to our new guests. I was reviewing the latest intelligence just as you called." Dooku answered.
"Good. I have some news to share. It seems due to Senator Amidala's actions on Geonosis, the Federation has postponed Naboo's membership into the Federation." Sidious stated with a smile.
"Is that so?" Dooku raised an eyebrow.
"Yes. Given that by joining the Federation, Naboo would be honor bound to respect the Federation's law of non-interference in non-Federation member worlds and governments. Since she went to Geonosis and committed espionage there, the Council was hesitant to accept Naboo's initiation." Sidious explained.
"You mentioned before that Senator Amidala was young and naïve." Dooku commented with a smile.
"Yes, I did. It is fortunate that your bounty hunters failed to kill her, or she would have been a martyr, and the Federation would have a foot hold in our galaxy. Ironically, her actions were the best we could hope for." Sidious chuckled. "I allowed Naboo to work for attempting membership mostly because we had over a decade to look for ways to stall or stop it outright but in the end, its own Senator did our work for us."
"There is still the matter of other worlds such as Pantora, Corellia, Rodia and Alderaan who themselves have considered for membership in the last decade." Dooku stated. "All member worlds of the Republic who wish to become members while keeping their Senators representatives in the Senate. I'm afraid not all of them are like Senator Amidala."
"No but we have time. The war will slow preparations and the Federation is cautious about becoming involved." Sidious stated. "We must keep them at arm's length until we are ready."
"I understand and I will see to it, no worlds part of the Confederacy will seek membership." Dooku nodded.
"Good. In the meantime, we must continue focusing on eliminating the Jedi." Sidious continued. "And then we can turn our eyes to the Milky Way Galaxy."