Naruto: Infinity Divide

Exploring Eremar

Blanket Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Star Trek

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Welcome to the Tkon Empire Arc. I've had this idea for some time, but it never really gelled till now. Enjoy!

Port = Left

Starboard = Right

[ ] Signifies a foreign language

Last time:

Stardate 2274.191, Earth, Spacedock, NCC-1728 U.S.S. Gettysburg

The Gettysburg docked flawlessly in the Spacedock over Earth. The Ambassadors disembarked and Captain Sarutobi and his crew were glad to be rid of their high maintenance guests. Asuma was bound and determined to get a Chief Science Officer while they were in the Spacedock as the situation with Lieutenant Wanda Hardy had come to a head and the Captain wanted her off his ship yesterday.

Mabui was less than thrilled with Lieutenant Hardy herself and was already drafting the transfer orders for Wanda at Asuma's instructions. 'Insubordination, disruptive behavior, unseemly actions for an officer of a Lieutenant's stature…' "I hate to give such a negative fitness report, but Wanda Hardy is a liability on the Bridge. Captain Sarutobi should have put Naruto in charge from the outset…"

…

Chapter 38

Stardate 2274.196, Planet Earth, Spacedock, U.S.S. Gettysburg

After a bit of maneuvering with Starfleet personnel Captain Sarutobi was finally happy with his choice of a Chief Science Officer; Lieutenant Commander Lyakat. Lyakat was a Saurian*① of some repute in the scientific community for his outstanding work in archeology; specifically the little known extinct Tkon Empire*②. Asuma knew it was a tradeoff though. The U.S.S. Gettysburg and her crew would be going on several archeological digs because Doctor Lyakat was originally slated to go on a science ship to continue his work…

…Not that Lyakat was complaining. He'd been on several small, cramped, undersupplied science vessels and the idea of travelling on a large and well equipped cruiser held several advantages as far as the ruddy-skinned Saurian was concerned. He was walking from the Spacedock through the airlock to board the Gettysburg and had convinced Captain Sarutobi to give Lieutenant Wanda Hardy a second chance. Commander Lyakat had worked with her before and felt while she wasn't the best at command; she was competent in the support position. Asuma agreed that if Commander Lyakat could change her workplace bully attitude in the next few weeks that she could stay aboard.

Asuma ushered his new Chief Science Officer Aboard and said, "Welcome aboard the U.S.S. Gettysburg Lieutenant Commander Lyakat. I hope that your tour of duty aboard proves to be a productive and enjoyable one."

Commander Lyakat replied, "I'm looking forward to it Captain." He pulled his goggles from his brow and snapped them over his yellow eyes. "My; this ship is well lit. I'll have to adjust my personal quarters to a lower light."

"Will it be a problem, Commander?" asked Captain Sarutobi.

Lyakat waved it off. "Not at all Captain. That's why I have my goggles on hand. Being from a nocturnal people has its good and bad points. If the lighting fails, you know who to call." added the Saurian in good humor.

Asuma chuckled. "I'll bear that in mind."

…

Later on the day of his arrival Lieutenant Commander Lyakat called the science staff together in the ship's labs and noticed among all the blue shirts was the gold shirted Naruto. 'What's someone from command doing here?' he wondered. After introducing himself he asked everyone else to do the same and to name their specialties. Lieutenant Hardy was thrilled to see her old superior as he was easygoing and approachable.

"I'm Lieutenant Wanda Hardy from Alpha Centauri and my Master's Degrees are in Botany and Xenobiology." said the brown haired woman proudly. 'Thank god Commander Lyakat is here. Here is kind and understanding unlike Commander Kumo. She's intimidating and intolerant.'

Commander Lyakat motioned to Naruto next. The blonde said, "I am Lieutenant Naruto M'Fau of Vulcan. My Doctoral Degrees are in Genetics and Astrodynamics." He then added, "I double as a watch officer in command and engineering as needed."

'Ah, that explains the gold shirt.' thought Lyakat. 'Wait a minute…' "Lieutenant Naruto, were you a student of Doctor Devlok of the Vulcan Science Academy?"

Naruto nodded. "Yes Commander, I was one of Doctor Devlok's graduate students."

"I consulted with Doctor Devlok on many occasions." said Lyakat. "I'm pleased to have another archeologist aboard." 'This is excellent! Doctor Devlok raved about this young man being a prized student of his.'

Maya Ayasugi soon introduced herself as well as the rest of the science staff. Seeing he had several members of the much-vaunted Think Tank on his team had the Saurian scientist almost giddy with excitement…

…

Stardate 2274.198, Earth, Section 31 Headquarters

Tower was standing in front of the Section 31 Commander whose name he did not know. Tower said, "Commander, the Think Tank is aboard the U.S.S. Gettysburg which is bound for Taurus Reach. Wouldn't it be in our best interests to remove such promising candidates from such a hazardous mission? There is a high probability they will come into conflict with the Tholians or the Klingons."

The Commander stroked his chin in the low light and said, "It will be an interesting test for our brightest stars don't you think?"

Tower recognized an order when he heard one. "Should we put one of our own aboard the Gettysburg Commander?"

"It is already taken care of Tower." said the Commander.

"Understood." acknowledged Tower.

…

Stardate 2274.200, U.S.S. Gettysburg, Staff Meeting Room

"Personal log of Captain Asuma Sarutobi, Stardate 2274.200: The Gettysburg has left Earth orbit and things are going well. We were originally scheduled for a deep space exploration tour but with Lieutenant Commander Lyakat aboard we've been slated to go to Taurus Reach*③ which is a dangerous area to say the least. Apparently, Starfleet meant to send him out there years ago but due to the multiple conflicts in the area his expedition was cancelled. Now it is up to the U.S.S. Gettysburg to do the job. I just hope the crew doesn't mutiny on me…"

Captain Sarutobi addressed his staff once they were settled in the Meeting Room. "We're going to Taurus Reach to conduct archeological studies. As you all are well aware it's a bit of a hotspot so we will be avoiding contact with other vessels if at all possible."

Mabui's green eyes widened. "Vanguard Station*④ was destroyed by the Tholians there less than six years ago Captain. Calling Taurus Reach a hotspot is a galactic level understatement."

Asuma smiled weakly. 'Leave it to Mabui to spell it out for everyone else.' "I'm sure everyone in this room is aware of that Commander Kumo but we're going there on an archeological survey. The Tholians and the Klingons have pulled out of the area as much as we have. The Federation is no longer building Starbases or promoting aggressive colonization there as we once were. After Vanguard Station fell, I think everyone had enough of Taurus Reach for a while."

Samui asked, "Sir, when entering a hostile zone; Starfleet regulations call for silent running. Even though this isn't an espionage mission wouldn't it be best to adhere to those protocols?"

"Silent running won't be necessary Lieutenant Schrodinger." said Asuma. "Should we run into a hostile vessel we will withdraw. Starfleet's orders are to avoid battles if possible. Remember this is still open territory though. We have as much right as anyone to be there."

Sassaav asked, "Assuming the Klingons and Tholians actually agree that it's open territory and don't attack us on sight then what exactly are we looking for? Cruising into potentially hostile territory is reckless unless what we are looking for is damned important. The research that was done there before has all but been blacked out of the Federation records."

"The previous research done at Vanguard Station was destroyed along with the Starbase and will not be continued." said Asuma. "Our efforts are in an entirely different area. On that note I'll turn things over to Lieutenant Commander Lyakat who will explain our mission there."

The Saurian Officer stood up and said, "In short we are going to explore the Eremar System. Eremar is a pulsar star system located in the Taurus Reach, estimated to be two hundred million years old. The Federation stellar cartography databases list it as FGC PSR 0108+143, but it was named Eremar by the Vulcans who had charted the area with automated survey probes centuries prior. Eremar is situated in the center of what was the Tkon Empire. It was believed to have been the Tkon's core system which, when the star was detonated, crippled the entire empire. We are hoping to find remnants of the Tkon Empire's technology and culture there."

Rafi raised her hand and said, "Forgive my ignorance sir but I've never even heard of the Tkon Empire."

"That's because they went extinct 600,000 years ago." said Lyakat. "Very few archeologists have heard of the Tkon Empire so don't feel bad about it." 'The only person aboard this ship who might have heard of the Tkon Empire is Naruto M'Fau and that's only because he was Doctor Devlok's student. Shame he's on the bridge instead of at this briefing.'

Doctor Shizune Kato asked, "What is it specifically we are looking for in the Eremar System Commander Lyakat?"

Lyakat shrugged. "Anything would be of scientific interest to be honest. The Tkon were so scientifically advanced that they could move entire planets and solar systems. The Eremar System is hopefully the first step in a long journey we have to learn about the Tkon. There were literally trillions of beings in the Tkon Empire before it basically vanished overnight."

…

Stardate 2274.202, Klingon Starbase 9, Imperial Klingon Vessel Dawnslayer

The D7C command cruiser IKV Dawnslayer was docked at Klingon Starbase 9 in preparation for a mission from the higher ups. Recently promoted Lieutenant Kiba Warrigul*⑤ wasn't privy to where they were going and didn't dare question his Mother Tsume as she looked like she was already spoiling for a fight for some reason. He sighed and went to his quarters as his shift was over. Getting out his data pad he decided to record an entry…

"Personal Log of Lieutenant Kiba Warrigal, Stardate 2274.202: It seems that something big is brewing but as a Junior Officer I do not know what it is. The Dawnslayer has been rotating between the Kzinti and Federation Borders. The results of the recent Fourth Klingon-Kzinti War ended with inconclusive results, but an undeclared war of border skirmishes continues to this day. When the high command authorizes an invasion by the Deep Space Fleet cannot come a day too soon. We had those cowardly furballs on the run until the armistice was declared. It is infuriating."

"At any rate the Dawnslayer is equipping long range drones with full reloads for some reason. Given the expense of those drones I believe we are headed towards a combat assignment. The question is where…?"

…

The Dawnslayer left dock at Starbase 9 two days later. It wasn't until they were underway that Tsume gave Kiba a course heading as he was at the helm. Tsume ordered, "Helm; lay in a course for Base Station 18. Warp Factor three."

As Kiba punched in the coordinates and acknowledged his orders but the thoughts running through his mind were, 'What in Gre'thor are we travelling to the Tholian border for?!'

…

Stardate 2274.208, U.S.S. Gettysburg, Naruto and T'Lyra's quarters

Naruto was reading up on the Tkon Empire from his notes that he took back at the Vulcan Science Academy under Doctor Devlok. There wasn't a lot there, but Naruto felt any knowledge he could glean on the subject could be useful later.

'Introduction: Beyond some information regarding planets in the Empire and an understanding of their script and some of their history, little is known about the Tkon by the Federation.'

'Territory: It is believed that the Tkon Empire once crossed the boundary of the Alpha and Beta Quadrants where it occupied a large section of the Taurus Reach where it was centered around the Eremar System. Their territory extended into the area claimed currently by the Klingon Empire though did not extend into the space occupied by the Tholians. It also reached into areas of the United Federation of Planets. Known Colonies of the Tkon were the planets Wsor and Rzom.'

'Government: The Empire was based on the Tkon home world where its heart was within the capitol of Ozari-thul. Its supreme leader took on the title of Empress and its symbol was that of the Endless Flame.'

'Religion: Little is known but Ozari was a deity that was worshiped in ancient history. Ozari was part of the religious beliefs of the ancient Tkon civilization long before they became spacefarers.'

'History: Historical eras for this civilization were described as Ages measured by the Tkon using galactic motionary startime charts. The latter ages of the Tkon Empire were Bastu, Cimi, Xora and Makto. During the Age of Xora the Empire put its resources towards the 'Great Endeavor' where the entirety of the empire poured its vast knowledge and resources to save their home world. It was during the Age of Makto when the central star of their home system destabilized and went supernova; thus ending the Empire.'

'Destruction: In the aftermath, rumors persisted that survivors of the empire still existed but had scattered to the world's that were once under their rule. To the other races, the Tkon became a legend that was passed down through later generations.'

…

The blonde finished going through his notes and turned off his tablet. He also read what the ship's computer had and found very little. The blonde hybrid sighed. 'We are nearing Taurus Reach. There just isn't much to go on here. Loading their script into a universal translator would be a wise move. I know Doctor Devlok is still in a coma so Commander Lyakat is the expert on the Tkon now. I will have to converse with him when he has the time.'

…

Naruto stopped in at Lieutenant Commander Lyakat's Office to exchange notes with the Chief Science Officer about the Tkon Empire. Lyakat was immensely pleased by this move. The Saurian said, "I'm glad to see you already have some knowledge about the Tkon. I already have a universal translator program to decipher their script. You are welcome to make a copy of course. The Tkon Empire was Doctor Devlok's 'pet subject' as you probably know. I was hoping that you picked up on it a bit in his lectures." Lyakat motioned to his desk. "Please take a seat if you have the time."

The blonde nodded and sat down. "Doctor Devlok had many theories but by his own admission few cold hard facts." said Naruto. "I was reading my notes from his lectures, and it seems that pouring all of their resources into their capital at Eremar ultimately led to their downfall. This would indicate to me that they were centralized to a degree that is hard to comprehend."

"It is difficult to conceive Lieutenant." said the Saurian in agreement. "It's also difficult to understand why they didn't simply move their home world to a new location instead of having a supernova wipe them out. Of course, there are many factors we don't know about so I'm certain that our point of view is immensely simplified." Lyakat smiled and asked, "What do you think the odds are that we'll find anything in the Eremar System?"

"It is impossible to calculate." said Naruto. "To use a human idiom the chances are slim to none."

The Chief Science Officer laughed. "I agree wholeheartedly. Nevertheless, even the smallest chance of finding out more about these people is a worthwhile endeavor. When the supernova occurred the planets in the system may have been blown into dust or charred to cinders. But the only way to find out is to go there…"

…

Stardate 2274.210, Klingon Base Station 18, IKV Dawnslayer

The IKV Dawnslayer under the command of Commodore Tsume Warrigul was temporarily assigned to the famous Tholian Border Harassment Fleet*⑥ so the Dawnslayer's sistership IKV Direslayer under Commodore Kiroth could go to Klingon Starbase 9 for a phaser refit. Originally Commodore Kiroth was to retain command but the threat of Tsume gutting him for the insult to her rank made Kiroth decide to go with his command ship for the next few weeks…

As they entered the area Lieutenant Kiba saw three heavy cruisers and four frigates (one was a scout ship) on screen. They were all docked at Base Station 18. This was the core of the Harassment Fleet. He turned to his Mother Tsume and she said, "Contact the base station Lieutenant."

"Aye Commodore." said Kiba. "This is the IKV Dawnslayer base station 18; respond."

"This is Base Station 18. Welcome Dawnslayer. We salute your arrival and salute Commodore Tsume also. Welcome to the Harassment Fleet."

'I have a feeling that this little trip is going to be eventful.' thought Kiba.

….

Stardate 2274.215, Federation Border, NCC-1728 U.S.S. Gettysburg

Captain Sarutobi was sitting in his command chair on the bridge when he heard Samui say, "Now leaving Federation Space. We are entering the Taurus Reach."

Asuma felt a combination of excitement and trepidation and thought, 'Well, here we are.' "What is our estimated time to the Eremar System Lieutenant Schrodinger?"

"At our current heading and speed of warp factor three we will arrive at the Eremar System in four days sir." answered Samui.

Asuma turned to the sciences station where Commander Lyakat was looking into his sensor readout and asked, "Any ships in the area Commander Lyakat?"

"Only Federation ones behind us sir. There is nothing ahead of us even at maximum sensor range." answered the Saurian scientist.

"Let's hope it stays that way." said Asuma. "Steady as she goes Ensign Rafi."

"Aye, sir." acknowledged the young Trill woman.

….

Naruto was dozing in his quarters with T'Lyra curled up into his side in bed. The blonde hybrid was always amazed at how comfortable he was with her there. Truthfully, he'd been concerned for their safety in the Taurus Reach but there were no signs of danger or anything happening. He thought back to dinner that evening when he was over at Shizuka's quarters eating with his two mates…

"Things like this happen often." explained Shizuka. "We go into a danger zone, and everyone is on needles and pins…then nothing important happens and we all end up tired and bored to tears."

"It does seem prudent to be on alert though." said T'Lyra. "If we were caught off guard it could be disastrous."

The black-haired beauty nodded. "I agree that we have to be alert. I'm just saying not to expect anything huge to happen. What do you think, Naruto? You've been awfully quiet this evening."

"I'm more concerned with what we might find than potential enemies at this point." said the blonde.

"What do you mean?" asked T'Lyra. "Isn't this just an archeological research mission?"

Naruto explained, "The Tkon were a race of immense power and advanced technology. They could even move planets and stars. As much as I want to find out and learn about them, I worry that others would use this sort of research to construct weapons of untold power. Technology is a two-edged sword. It is difficult to not be concerned."

"You worry too much Naruto." said Shizuka. "Just concentrate on having dinner with your two lovely brides to be…"

…

Stardate 2274.217, Klingon Base Station 18

Tsume wanted to tear her hair out. Commodore Kiroth had left enough paperwork behind to account for a fleet four times the size of the Harassment Fleet. "Damn that bastard Kiroth. When he gets back, I'm going to hack him to pieces and feed his guts to the targs!"

Her yeoman was a younger male by the name of Korris. He heard Commodore Tsume ranting and raving through the door and feared for his life. Korris gulped and thought, 'I must perform my duty. It is a good day to die.'

Knocking on the door to Tsume's office he heard her yell, "What do you want?"

'Yep, definitely going to die.' he thought. "Yeoman Korris reporting Commodore."

"Enter." growled Tsume. Korris came in and saw the office was a bit of a mess. It looked like someone had gone wild with a paper shredder. Tsume's eyebrow twitched and she asked, "What is it Korris?"

Korris jumped to attention and said, "One of our long-range satellite's sensors have detected a cruiser sized vessel at maximum range. Judging by its course the ship came out of Federation Territory."

The Commodore suddenly smiled evilly enough to make her subordinate tremble. "Tell me more yeoman…"

…

Stardate 2274.219, Taurus Reach, U.S.S. Gettysburg

In the ship's staff room Asuma was addressing his bridge crew. "The Eremar System is just a few hours away. At this point we've located two terrestrial worlds and a gas giant orbiting the pulsar so there are possibilities. Commander Lyakat?"

Lyakat stood and said, "Thank you Captain." He activated a hologram of the system. "Of the two terrestrial worlds in this system the inner one is the more likely candidate to have been the Class M World that was the Tkon capitol world which had the city of Ozari-thul upon it."

Samui asked, "What was the name of the Capitol world itself?"

The Saurian scientist answered, "It may have been called Ozari-thul as well. The records are unclear about whether the Capitol was a city or the planet itself. According to the writings Ozari-thul was a construct as opposed to the planet itself, but we have to make room for error. It always struck me as being odd that other worlds are mentioned by name but not the Capitol."

…

The U.S.S. Gettysburg cruised into the Eremar system at a slow pace to avoid asteroid damage. The entire system seemed to be filled with asteroids and dust dating back thousands of millennia. The pulsar provided very little light, and the Gettysburg seemed to be plodding its way through the darkness. "Now entering the orbital path of the first planet." said Rafi. "Our estimated time of arrival to Eremar I is thirty one minutes."

Shizuka said, "No damage to shields Captain. I recommend we maintain shield reinforcement in all this dust regardless."

"Make it so Chief Nadeshiko." replied Asuma. "Any signs of other vessels on the long-range sensors?"

"Negative sir." replied the security Chief.

Mabui looked at the planet they were crawling towards on screen. She asked, "Commander Lyakat; are there any signs of activity from Planet Eremar I?"

Lyakat looked up from his scanner readout and said, "Eremar I is a cold, lifeless rock with no signs of power or life at this range. Until we are in orbit, I'm afraid all of this dust will prevent us from seeing much. There are some interesting surface features on the planet's surface from the supernova, however. The planet appears to be tidally locked towards the pulsar with the less damaged side facing what used to be the star."

"The less damaged side is facing the pulsar?" asked Shizuka.

The Saurian scientist explained, "After kilometers of the surface were blown away on the more damaged side in the supernova the planet slowly came to a halt and the heavier, less damaged side became tidally locked, so it was always facing the gravitational pull of the pulsar. It's all physics chief."

"Reminds me of why I'm not a physicist." Shizuka groused.

"Regardless, it doesn't make immediate sense at first glance." said Lyakat. "I would be surprised if Eremar II didn't have the same effect only less pronounced."

….

Taurus Reach, IKV Abomination

The D6 heavy cruiser IKV Abomination was dispatched from Klingon Base Station 18 to deal with the Federation Cruiser that was creeping around in Taurus Reach. Commodore Tsume wanted to deal with the issue personally but was duty bound to 'get the thrice damned paperwork in order' so she sent Captain Burot and the Abomination to do the job. His young first officer Konmel was thrilled to have such an honor as hunting the Federation, but Burot was more interested in finding out exactly what the Federation was up to. The cruiser (type unknown) had slipped into a no named, lifeless pulsar system for some odd reason and had travelled a long, long way to do so.

The relay satellite had been sending information to the Abomination and they were still three days away from the Federation ship. 'Just what are the Feds searching for…?' wondered Captain Burot. 'That system is uninhabitable as far as we know. Maybe there's something worth mining out there? I suppose we'll know soon enough…'

Burot's musings were interrupted by his first officer Konmel. "What do you suppose the Flatheads are up to sir?! They'll be like insects against us!"

The Captain smacked his subordinate to the floor and said, "Quiet Konmel! We need to figure out what they are doing out here, not attacking them like a rabid targ!" 'How the hell did this idiot become an officer? Oh yeah; his Father is a Planetary Governor. His idiocy is going to get him killed on the battlefield…'

Konmel bounced back up from his position on the floor and asked, "So what do you think of Commodore Tsume's daughter Hana? Eh? Eh?! She's a fine piece of work! I think she'd make a fine wife for me!"

Captain Burot barely resisted the urge to roll his eyes and said, "By all means try to court her then Konmel. Read her some love poetry!" 'What was I saying? His idiocy is going to get him killed off the battlefield as well…'

Sometimes it was tough being a responsible Captain in the Klingon Navy…

…

Eremar System, Eremar I orbit, U.S.S. Gettysburg

Lieutenant Commander Lyakat looked at the scanners and sighed. "The supernova reduced this world to a shattered core. The massive fissures on the surface show just how close this planet came to coming apart completely and turning into nothing but asteroids. If there was ever life on this planet any signs of it have been completely obliterated."

Commander Kumo said, "I didn't expect to find much here but the devastation here is awe striking."

"I agree." said Asuma. "How big do you estimate this planet was before the supernova Lyakat?"

The Saurian said, "With the crust completely blown away to the mantle I'd estimate about 30% of the planet was blown away on the damaged side. It looks like about 15% was removed on the less damaged side."

"Sounds more like peeling an onion than a planetary disaster." said Shizuka.

"Actually, that's not a bad analogy Chief Nadeshiko." said Lyakat. The less damaged side's surface probably peeled away after the initial hit destroyed the facing side."

Captain Sarutobi said, "Well, it's still an interesting phenomenon. Once we map the surface, we'll head to Eremar II…"

…

Hours later the U.S.S Gettysburg was in orbit of Eremar II. Captain Sarutobi was scrutinizing the readings on the screen. "What exactly are we looking at Commander Lyakat?" he asked puzzled. "The less damaged side appears to have vague geometric shapes here and there."

The Saurian scientist's bulging yellow eyes were full of awe. "They appear to be the ruins of a massive city…built just beneath the surface in a geofront.*⑦ A regular satellite with no deep surface sensors would never detect it sir."

"I have to say I'm impressed." said Mabui. "I was expecting nothing but dust."

"As was I to be quite honest." admitted Lyakat. "This is simply breathtaking."

"How much surface was blown away I wonder?" said Samui.

"I'd say only a kilometer or so was removed from the surface on the less damaged side of Eremar II. There might be remnants on the more damaged side as well, but I doubt it." said the Saurian.

"Even if that's the case this is a stupendous find." said Asuma. "It looks like we have some serious work to do after all…"

'I wonder if this is actually Ozari-thul…' pondered Lyakat in wonder.

…

POSTSCRIPT:

*① The Saurians are a reptilian species from the planet Sauria (Psi Serpentis IV), and members of the United Federation of Planets since the mid-23rd century. They are best known for Saurian brandy, one of the most popular and infamous alcoholic drinks in known space. Saurian brandy was even exported to Romulan territory. Because other races were always so eager to come to them for trade, the Saurians, whose civilization predates humanity, never had to advance very far into space. Since becoming members of the Federation many have joined Starfleet. Saurians have skin of red, brown, or green, and large bulging eyes. The Saurians are a nocturnal race, giving them a weakness to bright light, forcing them to wear goggles over their eyes when in areas illuminated above a low level.

*② The Tkon Empire, also known as the Empire of the Endless Flame, was a massive empire that existed over 600,000 years ago. The Empire had a population of trillions and was highly advanced technologically. The Tkon had the ability to move entire stars, using planets as outposts for defense. The Empire ended when the central star of their home system destabilized and went supernova.

*③ The Taurus Reach is a region of space in the general direction of the constellation Taurus as seen from Earth adjacent to the territory of the United Federation of Planets, the Klingon Empire (who refer to the region as the Gonmog Sector), and the Tholian Assembly (who call it the Shedai Sector). This is considered a strategically important sector of space by all three powers.

*④ Vanguard Station was the name given to Starfleet Starbase 47. It was constructed by the Starfleet Corps of Engineers between 2263 and 2265 in the Taurus Reach. It was destroyed in 2268 after self-destructing in the face of a Tholian assault. (By 2270, the designation of "Starbase 47" had been transferred to another facility near the Romulan Neutral Zone).

*⑤ You didn't think I'd forgotten about Kiba did you?

*⑥ The Tholians took over an area claimed but unoccupied by the Klingon Empire resulting in extremely bad blood between the two. The Klingon Empire considered this a stain on their honor but due to other hostile borders (Kzintis, Hydrans and potentially the Federation) they couldn't spare the ships and manpower to crush the Tholians like they wanted to. However, the Klingons had a small fleet always stationed there to cause as much trouble as possible. This was the Tholian Border Harassment Fleet or simply Harassment Fleet. It was commanded by a Commodore rather than a full Admiral as it was smaller in size and importance.

*⑦ A geofront is a large, excavated subterranean space typically used for urban expansion.

Well, the Tkon Empire Arc is off to a good start. This chapter was a bit of a data dump, but it was necessary to set things up. Next chapter we'll be exploring Eremar II up close and personal. What secrets lie below the surface? See you next time. Blue out. 9/30/23