Alpha Quadrant
Uncharted Space
Uncharted System
Planet 'Mudd'
Orbit
USS Enterprise

Ship's Log, Spock Recording:

In preparation for the trial of R2-D2, the Enterprise has returned to a planet previously encountered on its last five-year mission. It is a planet that for the most part is not discussed among the senior crew, for understandable reasons.

End Log

Spock usually kept his logs brief during missions if there was not much importance. Right now he was focused on the planet on the viewscreen.

Planet 'Mudd'.

The planet 'Mudd', so named by Harcourt Fenton Mudd, also known as the robot planet, according to Kirk, was an uninhabited K type planet located in uncharted space of the Alpha Quadrant. This planet had a ring system and was populated by a species of androids. The planet was home to one of the few exploratory outposts established by a now extinct species, known only as the Makers, who were from the Andromeda Galaxy, whose homeworld had been destroyed by its star going supernova. In the 23rd century, the planet was inhabited only by the android workers who were sent there to build vast libraries, advanced medical research laboratories and engineering shops.

During the Enterprise's original five-year mission under Captain Kirk, between 2266 and 2268, after fleeing from Deneb V, the fugitive Harcourt 'Harry' Mudd stumbled upon the planet in a previously uncharted star system. The android workers dubbed him 'Lord Mudd the First' and held him against his will, as they needed someone to provide them with a purpose. In 2268, 'Lord' Mudd sent the android Norman to hijack the Federation starship USS Enterprise in the hopes of trading the crew for his own freedom. Mudd's plan was ultimately unsuccessful and Starfleet personnel were able to reprogram the androids to continue once again the project they had been sent to the planet to accomplish.

In addition, the androids were left with custody of Harry Mudd, not as a sovereign ruler, but instead as a 'first-class example of a Human failure', to be observed in order to avoid similar individuals in the future. Unfortunately, and regrettably, Harry soon escaped the planet by stealing a spaceship, and left to find haven on Ilyra VI, where he fooled the innocent and friendly inhabitants into buying Starfleet Academy from him. Since this encounter Federation traffic had been re-routed to avoid the area, but as the androids had spacefaring technology, other encounters seemed likely.

Spock had believed that the last time he had been here would be the last time, however in order to prepare a proper defense for R2, they would need more than witnesses.

They would need the help of similar artificial lifeforms.

"Commander Spock, I am receiving a transmission from the surface. Norman is ready to beam aboard." Uhura stated.

"Very well. Mr. Sulu, you have the conn. I will be meeting our guest in the transporter room." Spock stood up from the Captain's chair and headed for the right turbolift.

"Aye sir." Sulu complied.

Transporter Room

"Energize."

In a flash of light appeared a man wearing a white bodysuit with a badge around his neck bearing the number 1, staring blankly as he greeted Spock. "Greetings, Mr. Spock."

"Greetings, Norman."

Norman was the 'leader' of a group of androids who inhabited the planet Mudd.

In 2268, Harry Mudd, who became stranded on the planet which he named after himself, sent Norman to capture a Federation starship so that he could leave the planet in exchange for the vessel's crew.

Norman left the planet and, posing as a Starfleet sciences division lieutenant, signed aboard the USS Enterprise. To keep his android nature from being discovered, he skipped two appointments Dr. Leonard McCoy made for his physical without giving a reason, something which McCoy found suspicious – as well as the fact that Norman had never once smiled.

After successfully taking over the ship, Norman redirected it to Mudd to carry out "Lord" Mudd's plan, finally revealing his nature to James T. Kirk and Spock.

The plot ultimately failed. Captain Kirk and Spock correctly hypothesized that the android population was essentially a hive mind and that Norman was the central control locus. The androids were deactivated when Norman's processors were unable to deal with a flood of illogic presented to him by the Enterprise's crew, causing him and the rest of the androids to shut down.

The breakdown, however, was only temporary, as Norman later returned to bid farewell to the Enterprise crew.

"You have been updated on the events in the new galaxy?" Spock asked.

"I have." Norman answered, stepping off the transporter pad. "I am interested in seeing the results of this trial and meeting this R2-D2."

"It is likely you will not be taken seriously, given your nature and their general attitude towards artificial life forms." Spock pointed out as he gestured for Norman to follow him out of the transporter room.

"It is logical for organics to feel that way." Norman stated as they walked down the hallway. "As a being of pure logic and unable to be swayed by emotion, I can easily understand why it is so easy for most organics to be unable to recognize the sentience of artificial life."

Spock nodded in agreement as they stopped at Norman's guest quarters. Given his android nature, he was in no need for food, furniture or any form of comfort an organic would need. All that he really needed was a computer terminal that allowed for subspace communication so he could continue to monitor work on planet Mudd.

Even though he had overloaded by the Enterprise crew years ago, he was still the prime coordinator for the androids on that planet.

The doors opened and he immediately stepped inside, not even uttering a word before the doors closed.

Spock in the meantime, headed down the hallway.

There was much more work to do.

Skyriver Galaxy
Mid-Rim
Chommell Sector
Naboo System
Mantaris Transport
Naboo Moon

The work on the Naboo moon was proceeding smoothly, even as more Federation ships arrived. Three Constitution class refits emerged from the wormhole and took a standard orbit over the moon with Naboo N-1 fighters near them as escorts while close enough for the pilots to see their names.

USS Lexington

USS Excalibur

USS Constitution

All vessels had been refitted to the same specifications as the Enterprise, having been assigned to assist in the colonization of Naboo's moon before their next mission.

With their refitting complete, these Constitution Mk II vessels were ready to continue their work as vessels assigned to charting and exploring the far reaches of space beyond Federation borders, only now it would be taking place in a brand-new galaxy. Naboo was to be the starting point, the system closest to the new galaxy which all in likely would become a hub for trade between the two galaxies in the near future.

Of course, that was still the future.

Right now, they were focusing their work on the present, building up a connection between said galaxies and preparing for the upcoming trial.

As this happened, other ships began arriving in the Naboo system for reasons yet to be discovered until Queen Amidala received a transmission from Theed.

"They all appear to be droid sympathizers who have somehow heard about the trial." The holo-image of Captain Panaka stated to the queen who was still onboard the Mantaris. "They all began landing outside of Theed and are demanding to see the R2 unit."

"Has there been any violence?" Amidala asked.

"Not yet, Your Highness but they are being disruptive. Our security volunteers are keeping them back." Panaka answered. "Perhaps you should reconsider this trial or move it to Coruscant."

"No, Captain. I agreed as Queen to hold the trial on Naboo." Amidala stated. "Just keep them from causing too much trouble until I return."

"As you wish, Your Highness." Panaka bowed before the call ended.

Amidala sighed and glanced at Kirk. "It appears this trial is going to be larger than we thought, Admiral. Droid sympathizers and protestors are coming from all over the galaxy."

"So, we're having a show trial." Kirk shook his head. "Just great."

Kenobi walked with Kirk who stepped over to the other side of the cockpit. "Perhaps this is another reason why this trial is a bad idea."

"Master Kenobi, I don't claim to understand your views but the Federation respects sentience in all forms, even in machines." Kirk stated. "I would have thought as a Jedi, you of all people would understand that."

"I recognize sentience and free will in those that I can sense with the Force. Droids have no presence in the Force; therefore, they are not alive in the manner as you or I." Obi-Wan stated. "They cannot think or feel like a real being can."

"They still are capable, from what R2 has shown me. Just because they might not think or act like you or me does not mean they are not alive. It's easy to look at other life and expect them to be the same as ours, but as you have likely seen that is not always the case. You saw V'Ger, Master Kenobi. It considered organics to be an infestation rather than living beings because in its eyes, organics could ever become what it was in terms of knowledge and capabilities." Kirk stated. "As for the matter of this so-called Force, you know as a person from another galaxy who has never heard or believed in it, it takes more than your word of this Force being the one to decide what is real and what is not. We have to learn how approach each situation like this with an open mind or we risk repeating the same mistakes over and over again."

"V'Ger was still a machine and incapable of understanding that organics created it. And let's not forget it was a primitive probe that a race of machines mistook for one of their own. And you might not believe in the Force, Admiral but it does exist. You have seen enough from Master Qui-Gon and I on the subject. Is refusing to accept my opinion on the matter being your own refusal to be open minded." Obi-Wan pointed out.

"I didn't say I didn't believe the Force exists, only that perhaps as someone who has never felt, heard or touched it, perhaps I have to find my own conclusions based on what I see and hear before me. And you and I are both human, despite being from different galaxies. Is it really that easy to fault the idea of a sentient droid?" Kirk questioned. "Especially considering all R2 has done for both Naboo and the Jedi."

"I can acknowledge R2's accomplishments without being drawn into a philosophical debate on the rights of droids. While I understand you believe you are doing what is right, you can't expect to change everyone's minds." Obi-Wan reasoned.

"And I wouldn't expect to, Master Kenobi. The whole point of the Federation existing is built on respecting the rights and wishes of all sentient beings. If we all agreed on the same manner, we would be more of a collective than a united democracy." Kirk said with a small smile. "But the fact of the matter is, there is more to live than we expect, our two galaxies meeting are more than enough of an example. A machine being a sentient being is actually quite small compared to that."

"Perhaps but change is something people are slow to accept. Why should we change our viewpoint on what has been essentially been normal for thousands of years? Better yet, how can we accept change just because beings who are essentially outsiders deem it unacceptable?" Obi-Wan stated.

"Are you asking me because you don't believe change would be good or that you are open to the possibility of it?" Kirk asked.

"Things change all the time here in our galaxy." Obi-Wan replied. "I have seen it enough times during my travels with Master Qui-Gon."

"But you were essentially in a monk like order, traveling a galaxy and dealing with the skirmishes and problems that came from countless worlds." Kirk pointed out. "That's not exactly the point I am trying to make."

"Perhaps but I believe I got the gist of what you are saying." Obi-Wan reasoned. "As much as I would enjoy a philosophical debate on the need for change and determining the possibility of sentience in droids, I cannot say for sure I will simply change my viewpoint because you present a sound argument to me."

"And what would convince you, Master Kenobi?" Kirk raised an eyebrow. "It's sounds more like these are beliefs you grew up rather than simply being the will of the Force."

"Beliefs that my fellow Jedi have shared."

"Even Master Qui-Gon Jinn?"

Obi-Wan had to pause had that. "Truth be told, I am not sure entirely what his view would have been. Master Qui-Gon was…more opinionated than someone like him would be expected of. Many times he disobeyed orders from the Jedi Council, claiming he follows the will of the Force rather than the Jedi Code. It put him at odds with the Council and that was why he was never offered a seat…And of course, he even turned down the offer whenever it was made."

"So, he was a rebel?" Kirk asked with a small smile.

"I wouldn't go that far…" Obi-Wan frowned. "But before you become to comfortable with the idea of my late master being rogue with a heart of gold, I should point this out: my master believed in the will of the Force above all else, to the point he believed that when the Force decided his time had come he would not attempt to save himself…At the same time, if the Force made him believe that there was an enemy he had to strike down, he would have done so without hesitation or reason. I saw this once, killing a creature as it slept simply because he believed it was the Force's will that the creature should die. It's what made me question him many times."

Kirk frowned skeptically. "He just knew what the will of the Force was?"

"My master was many things, Admiral. A maverick, a negotiator, a warrior when needed, but above all else he believed that the Force had a plan for all living things, and he believed in it so much he staked his life on it. I don't know for sure what he would say to this trial, only that he would believe this was perhaps a test from the Force, a test aimed at seeing if our galaxies are capable of living side by side."