CHAPTER 2: The Weapon

Captains Archer and Kirk walked onto the bridge of the NX-01 from the turbolift, finding themselves face to face with Daniels, a federation operative from the thirty-first century. Daniels nodded towards the two men, "Captains, as I have been telling your crew, I received Captain Archers message and looked into the concern that you said that Captain Spock had brought up." Daniels paced for a bit and then stopped in front of the captains, "Needless to say, I don't think I have to explain why I'm here. We found something. Something big."

Archer, feeling his anxiety spiking, responded, "Well, what did you find? We haven't been able to project where they may strike or if it was at all possible for them to send enough resources back in time to actually put a dent in human history."

Data, who was at the con, turned in his chair to face the three men, "Captains, while the simulations that Captain Spock and could have been useful, we have failed to pinpoint an exact location in time where this hypothetical attack on our history may take place. However, that doesn't mean that our simulations are at all accurate. While I have no doubt in the capabilities of myself and Captain Spock, we couldn't have possibly accounted for what is happening in the past, well, a past."

Kirk squinted, "A past? Elaborate Mr. Data."

Daniels shook his head, "I believe that I can do that, Captain." Daniels pressed a few invisible buttons on his wrist and the entire room changed. The crew appeared to no longer be at their stations, but in the center of a massive digital library with images and information as far as they eye could see. Obi-Wan Kenobi, who was on the other side of the bridge when Daniels activated his device started to browse and look upon the information that he was seeing, deep in contemplation. While this technically was not the Jedi's fight, it would not be the Jedi way to not assist allies in their hour of need, and he, for once, thought that the council and Mace Windu, who happened to be aboard this ship, didn't have to find out that the four Jedi on board were likely joining the fight. While Obi-Wan was a traditional Jedi at heart, he did take a few of his old master Qui-Gon's… quirks. The thought of Qui-Gon made Obi-Wan smile a little, until he noticed something on the screen and pointed towards it, "Everyone, it appears that this Earth that he is speaking of isn't your Earth. It's an alternate dimension."

The crew, stunned, gathered around the Jedi Master to take a look at the information and images that he was viewing on the holographic screen that Daniels had projected across the entire bridge. Sure enough, within the next few minutes, everyone had come to the same conclusion. Commandeer Worf, who was stationed at tactical, turned from the information and stared intently at Daniels, "Since the Captains trust you, I will as well. But, I have to ask, why is it any of our concern if this alternate Earths past is changed? As heartless as it may sound, we have other issues that we must worry about right now. Namely, this war that we find ourselves in."

Daniels walked over to the crew, who were all practically hunched over one another in order to take a look at the information that Obi-Wan had pointed out moments earlier and put his hand on the holographic screen, widening the images and releasing more data. "Because this alternate reality that they are in somehow has access to every Earth in the multiverse. We still don't understand how or why this is, but our top scientists are working as hard as they can to figure this mystery out, and to figure out a way to close off these almost infinite connections to other parallel universes. Because of this connection, however, they may be able to weaponize this Earth."

Lieutenant Reed, who was situated uncomfortably in the middle of the huddle, slowly moved over to the screen and clicked a few buttons that he felt looked familiar to him, releasing even more information and an image of what looked like a massive cannon. Reed stopped pressing the buttons and pointed to the picture, "This, this is what they'll use to destroy our Earth in the past isn't it? They knew they'd alert us if they went to the past in our reality, so they found away around this. Look at the modulation of the capacitor and the frequency of the particle beam that it could theoretically fire, at first glance it looks like it's to be used to travel through time and space, but the equation is slightly different. This may mean that they intend to use this to aim at this Earths core, and alter it so it doesn't harm this Earth, but ours. But how? Surely our Earths would be in different parts of space since this is an alternate universe? Shouldn't that make their weapon harmless to our Earth?"

Daniels nodded, "That's what we thought as first as well, very astute Lieutenant. But that's the odd thing. Look at the data on the side of the blue prints of this weapon. This Earth, although from a parallel universe with many differences, also has, somehow, many similarities to ours. Its orbit is the same, the orbit of its star in the milky way is the same, and although names of certain countries and states are different in their version of the United States, the leaders and the law enforcement agencies are all the same as ours when it comes to the individuals who run the country and these organizations, as far as we can tell. We have the ability to send this ship to this alternate past, but only this ship. But we must do so quickly, the attack there has already begun. In order to use this weapon they'll have to secure a parts of this earth and limit resistance in order to build it, which we estimate will take about two months, maybe less. Daniels pressed the screen again and a close up of the weapons interior showed. "With a well-placed blast with explosives, this device should be easily destroyed. The only issue is that once it blows, it will take out approximately three point two square kilometers, so the charges would have to be detonated manually, with perhaps two or more people setting off the detonation." Dainels paused again and turned to face the crew, "There is a massive force of what we can tell to be trade federation droids and Imperial stormtroopers as well as their spacecraft, it will be hard for you to navigate this alone, but you will have to. How they were able to bring such a force through time and space into another reality we still don't know. But, I have come with a cloaking device to help you on your journey and encourage you to fill this ship with as many supplies and allies as humanly possible before I send your ship back in time and to this parallel universe. You have three hours to get as many people who can be of assistance on this ship as possible."

Obi-Wan, speaking for the first time in a while, turned to face Daniels, "I know just who to call."

Alternate Earth, 1899:

Arthur Morgan, Agent Milton, and Abigail Marston ran through the woods, looking for Milton's men. Arthur knew that these men were likely located here to assault the Van Der Linde gangs hideout, but that didn't matter anymore. The assault would no longer happen. Just an hour ago, the three were running through the alleyways of Van Horn, avoiding the numerous skeletal creatures and men in white armor as often as they could in the hopes of reaching the mass of Pinkertons in the forest nearby to ride to the gangs camp to regroup, send messengers to other towns and cities across the United States, alert the military force near the Indian reservation, and perhaps perform a counterattack in the hopes of retaking Van Horn from these mysterious and deadly invaders. Arthur heard a sound in the distance and crouched behind a bush, signaling to Abigail and Milton to halt and crouch next to him. Abigail, who had not spoken a word during the entire ordeal finally decided to speak in a hushed tone, "Arthur, what is it? What is going on? Who were those men? What the hell is the empire?"

Milton answered for him, "He doesn't know, neither do I. Morgan, why did we stop?"

Arthur looked towards the two and coughed a little, doing his best to cough as quietly as possible, with little success. "I heard something move. Sounded like one of them skeleton bastards we had the pleasure of meeting in Van Horn." Arthur pulled his Springfield off his back and looked through the scope, seeing nothing but brush and trees nearby. "I don't see anything. I wish I could call my damn horse to make it easier, but them damn skeletons may hear us if they're close. I reckon that using our horses is no longer an option, we have to go by foot. These sons a bitches must be combing the forest by now, Van Horn fought for all of five seconds before your men that were there with you were killed or captured." Suddenly, they heard a branch break and Arthur quickly lifted his Springfield again, combing the area, eventually resting on a group of about twenty Pinkertons that looked scared out of their minds hiding behind a small grove of trees and bushes. "Some of your men, looks to be about twenty of em, best you go out and get them up to speed, they'll shoot me and Abigail if we went out first."

Milton shook his head in agreement and spoke loud enough for the agents to hear him while trying to stay as quiet as possible to avoid his voice from carrying further, "Men, it's me, Milton. I have Morgan and the woman with me, don't fire. We need the help of their gang and every other human we run into if we are to have any hope to escape this mess!" The men in question jumped at his voice and raised their guns, but quickly lowered them at the sight of their commanding officer. "Where are your horses?"

One man, a shorter fellow that Arthur recognized from the shootout in Van Horn before everything went to hell, spoke up as they walked towards the men, "They ran off sir, or they got shot by those weird creatures in Van Horn. We were lucky to get out alive. The men that were supposed to be here are gone, they must have either been spooked and ran off or were captured or killed."

Arthur grimaced, "Like I thought, horses will be useless right now. Milton, we have to head towards the camp. You obviously know where it is or you wouldn't have stationed these men here, we need to move, and move fast."

Milton shook his head and sighed, slouching his shoulders in defeat, "Agreed, this is a nightmare. Without our horses it'll take us far longer to get to your camp, but so be it. Men, Morgan, and you, woman, we need to move now. Morgan, think you can talk down Dutch so we can actually have a discussion about what's going on without a shootout?"

Arthur shrugged, "Sure, I'm just not sure he won't shoot me first when seein you fellers behind me."

Milton nodded, "Then it's best that we stay hidden until you're able to convince him that things are as dire as they are. If he doesn't believe you about the things that we saw, well, I wouldn't blame him. We saw some shit today."

Arthur sighed and coughed some more blood up and spit it out on the ground to his right, "Ain't that the god damn truth. Everyone, stay behind me and Milton, we'll keep point!" As Arthur and Milton began to walk in the direction of their camp Arthur handed Milton the Lancaster Repeater still on his back and a hundred rounds of explosive ammo, Milton wordlessly took the Repeater and nodded in appreciation as he began to load the weapon while Arthur kept his Springfield at the ready in case they were ambushed. They were only a few miles from camp now, if they kept pace, they should, hopefully, reach camp within the next few hours.

Two hours later…

Arthur walked into camp in a hurry, Milton, his men, and Abigail were behind him hiding about a fifty or so yards away from the camp so Arthur could, hopefully, convince Dutch and the rest of what was left of the gang that they needed to put their differences with the Pinkertons aside or everyone, not just the gang, was in grave danger. Arthur walked out of the bushes at a brisk pace and saw everyone that was left packing up camp. The first to notice Arthur's return was Micah, who was next to Sadie, "Oh, black lung you're back, hooray."

Arthur spit on the ground, "We don't have time for your bullshit Micah. Dutch, we have to have a talk! I saw things, things you won't believe. Sadie, I'm so glad to see you, what happened? I thought you were behind us and then you up and disappeared, we had no choice but to run."

Sadie approached Arthur and touched his shoulder, "I know Arthur, it's okay. No one could have expected that. That was… Well, I don't know what that was."

Dutch walked towards the three from the entrance of his tent, "Sadie told us about what supposedly happened, and obviously skeletons and men in shiny white armor with guns that fire light is nonsense, one or both of you is concocting a lie to betray me! And a terrible one at that. I thought you two were smart enough to come up with a better lie." Dutch aimed his revolver at Sadie and Arthur, anger shining in his eyes.

Arthur coughed into his hand and grunted, "No Dutch, it's the truth. I had to escape with the help of Milton, it was the only way. Those things, they killed everyone. And not just Miltons men, but innocent men and women who were just mindin their own god damn business."

Before Micah could say his backhanded jibe, a voice yelled out from the brush, "It's not a god damn lie. You left me, Dutch! You left me! If you hadn't you would of saw those things he was talkin about, they're everywhere. And they're comin here too!" John Marston came limping out of the brush, with Abigail and Agent Milton behind them. Dutch, wide eyed, aimed his gun at the three and prepared to fire before Milton raised his hands and threw the Lancaster repeater that Arthur had let him borrow to the floor.

Milton, walking slowly towards Dutch with his hands in the air spoke softly, but with an underlying urgency, "Dutch, we have our differences and I have been after you for a while, but we need to drop that for now. Perhaps even forever. Those things, what we saw… it ain't a lie. They killed everyone, not just my men. I don't have a clue what they are or where they're from, but it's a nightmare down in Van Horn, and perhaps they're attacking elsewhere as well, we don't know. All I know is everyone that is human needs to side with anyone else who is human. Don't matter what their occupation used to be, we need to fight, united. If we don't we'll all surely die."

Micah scoffed, "Why in the hell should we believe you Milton? You've been tryin to kill us all since day one. Dutch, I saw we kill em all and call it a day. It's obvious, black lung, John, Sadie, and John's little…" Before Micah could finish they heard a strange sound and gun shots being fired off in the distance, with many of Milton's men running into the camp screaming that they were coming. Dutch and Micah lowered their guns and looked into the brush behind the cowering mass of twenty Pinkertons to see men in white armor and the skeletal creatures that Arthur and Sadie spoke of and realized that somehow, it was all true. Micah ran behind a crate and yelled, "Everyone find cover and get ready, Milton wasn't lyin!" Arthur and the rest of the gang and the Pinkertons hide behind anything they could find and began firing into the treeline, some bullets, like Arthurs explosive bullets causing damage, while others bounced harmlessly off of the armor of the men and the figures of the cone-headed skeletons. Raining red light beams on them, one flew through a crate and straight through Micah's head, killing him instantly.

"Micah!" Dutch screamed in agony, Dutch ran over to Micah only to be shot in the chest himself, instantly dying from the bolt of light.

"God dammit!" Arthur yelled as he, John, and Milton fired at the oncoming horde. Suddenly, the firing stopped. Arthur, peaking out of the side of the wagon they were behind saw one of the skeleton creatures with some kind of yellow paint on it walk forward, it stopped and then spoke in a nasally voice, "Listen up, you are surrounded! Surrender now and we will spare you!" Before Arthur or anyone could throw in the towel, which Arthur was seriously considering doing, the droid suddenly looked up, "Hey! Who are you? Get down from there!"

Arthur, Sadie, John, and Milton all looked up into a nearby tree to to see a young man who looked to be in his mid to early twenties standing on a tree branch with a small and cunning smile on his lips. The man wore a strange combination of black robes and was holding what looked like a small silver cylindrical object in his hands. After a few moments, the man finally spoke, his cockiness showing through his speech, "Oh, hey there, just an old friend of the droid army paying a visit. You might want to turn around." To Arthurs surprise, the strange skeleton creature stupidly turned around and in what seemed like less than a second, was cut down by the man who jumped down from the tree and used an azure blue light blade to cut it in half. After doing so, the man reached his hand forward and the men in strange armor and their skeleton looking counterparts went flying into the trees nearest to them. The man, turning around to the surprised men and women spoke with urgency, "There's no time to explain, I'm Anakin Skywalker and I have reinforcements coming. Just know, we're on your side. Get up if you can, let's push this trash out of here."