Worlds Without End, Part XXXVI

Main Unity Worlds Without End

Colonel Bast stepped past the Emperor's Guards with slight hesitation. He knew that he had been summoned, and yet still feared they might kill him by mistake, or even intentionally for that matter. They made him nervous; anyone fanatical always did.

Bast had been in charge of analyzing all Milky Way technology and finding ways to incorporate it into the Imperial military. He had accomplished quite a bit actually. It had been he who had deciphered the polarized helium design they'd taken from the Borg. He had found ways to use the existing Federation comm systems to send undetected holographic transmissions. Of considerable note was his accomplishments with the transporter. Bast had been one of the few who hadn't seen the transporter as an abomination -along with the Emperor, given his pet project with the technology. With the exception of moving cargo, no one used the device except Bast. Not on his own person, of course; he didn't like the thought of being disintegrated any more than anyone else. But he'd seen the device's potential use in dealing with another problem that had been placed before him.

The Emperor's plan had required them to capture several Cardassian vessels. Normally this would be child's play, but with the ion cannon being ineffective, another solution had to be found, and unfortunately it fell to Bast. But Bast knew how to find solutions to difficult problems, and after some extensive modifications he put together a weapon simple in its conception but horrifying in its execution. The Empire ambushed a group of Cardassian warships and bombarded them with low-powered shots until a single shield vector failed... and then the entire ship's crew was beamed off into space. He had been promoted to full colonel because of that.

Still, there was so much to do, Bast wondered if he would ever truly be finished. One project would leave his desk and another urgent one would take its place. Borg, Federation, Romulan, Klingon, and other examples of technology that it was his job to adapt and improve upon. But now he'd been give tasks by the Emperor himself, which was always dangerous. The Emperor didn't like delays or failures or setbacks, and when you dealt with alien technology, those things are unavoidable.

"You've finished studying the Borg data?" the Emperor asked. The Emperor was not one you disappointed, and Bast knew it. He had been one of the only survivors of the first Death Star, and saw several others thoroughly disciplined for the failure. He had been spared, presumably for his foresight in that matter. Still, he felt as if he worked with a blade dangled over his head by a thread.

"Yes, your highness," he replied. "The modifications will take approximately two days."

"See to it," the Emperor replied. "Perhaps your efforts will be unnecessary, but we must be prepared. What is it?" The last remark wasn't directed to him, but rather, to a shape that had emerged from the darkness.

"My master," she said with a bow, "Lord Vader's shuttle has arrived."

"Good," he said. "Have Picard brought to me at once."

"Yes master," she said. "What of his companion? The Borg woman?"

"She is of no importance, except as a tool to use against Picard. The report shows he'll be concerned for her well-being..."

"Yes master." She bowed again and departed.

"Colonel," the Emperor said. "The other project... the transporter. How is that proceeding?"

Bast tried to contain its nervousness. "We've made some breakthroughs, your highness, but I am uncertain if this will prove feasible. The prototype will require extensive examination before we can even test it."

"As soon as you've completed the Borg project, I want this to be your top priority," the Emperor said. "Do you understand? I want no further delays."

Bast nodded. "Yes, your highness," he said with a nod, and left, grateful he was doing so on his own feet.

Despite hyperspace, the flight on board the shuttle had been a terribly long one for Picard. Seven was a visible wreck; she insisted that Data had betrayed her, and Picard found it hard to argue logically. But he knew Data... the Empire must have found out through some bug, it was the only possible explanation. But Seven was convinced, and with one person she'd confided in dead and another she believed had betrayed her friendship, she was having trouble coping with her human emotions. But she was resisting her Borg instincts, and in a way Picard was relieved to see that.

The shuttle dropped out of hyperspace, and the Death Star loomed before him. Its very presence caused Picard to shiver despite himself. This is it, Picard thought, the destroyer of worlds, the end to all I've ever thought of as home. It was a monstrosity that cut to his very soul in a way even the Borg couldn't, because it was so peaceful, almost beautiful in an engineering sense. But it was a Siren, and he knew what it was capable of; beneath that solid structure beat an artificial heart of such power and magnitude that Picard couldn't imagine anything that could withstand its blows. Some natural scenes may convince one there is a god; the Death Star convinces you there is a devil.

As they had approached, the sheer size amazed him. It seemed to keep growing forever and ever, so that its seemingly smooth surface distorted into a collection of towers, spires, and weapons. Oh, yes, there were weapons. Picard counted several large ones as they neared the docking port, and he had little doubt that the station bristled with them. He wondered whether Data and Riker would be able to finish the project without him and Seven. Seeing this terror with his own eyes only reinforced on him the importance of their task of finding a way to destroy it. It had been done before he knew; he just hoped that history would repeat itself.

The shuttle docked, and Picard and Seven were forcefully led out. Seven was taken one way -presumably to the cells- while Picard was led deep into the halls and corridors of the beast. He was finally placed into a lift; when the doors opened, Picard was grabbed by two red clad guards, who pulled him out and almost knocked him to the ground. The stormtroopers remained where they were, and the doors closed. Picard was brought forward, and he saw a large throne, its back currently to him. He was left in the center of the room by the guards, and listened as their echoing footsteps broke the silence.

"Jean-Luc Picard," a voice with ragged edges said. "Captain of the Enterprise. I've been expecting you."

"You could have just asked me to come," Picard said. "We are allies are we not?"

The chair rotated and Picard saw a small, aged man sitting in it, almost ridiculously dwarfed by it. Still the man held his head up high and spoke with a sense of authority and power. "Do you really think you can hide anything from me, Picard? I know that you've been in contact with Captain Price and her defectors for some time now, and that you're planning to betray us."

How much does he know? Picard wondered. If he knew about their plans he might destroy the Enterprise. Of course, if he did know he would have done so already. But, he may simply believe the Death Star is too powerful to be destroyed. Pride is, after all, a fatal flaw, and Picard had seen it snatch defeat from the jaws of victory on more than one occasion. Either way, he had a duty to keep that information to himself. "Whatever my actions," he said, "I and I alone should answer for them. The lieutenant was merely with me at my capture. Let her go free... please."

"She is not your concern at the moment," the man replied. "I am."

"You," Picard said, shaking his head. "You must be the Emperor. You have that aura of self-importance about you."

"If you believe the barbs of someone as small and unimportant as you actually mattered," the Emperor replied, "you are even more deluded than I had thought. And to think Admiral Thrawn had such high regard for you. Pity, you're such a disappointment."

"I'll take that as a compliment," Picard replied. "Now, why have you brought me here? Surely someone as important-" he applied mock emphasis to the word, "-shouldn't waste their time on me unless there was a good reason."

The Emperor's eyes narrowed. "Be very careful Picard. I know far more than you realize, especially about what is to come."

"Really?" Picard replied with sarcasm.

"Your ship, along with several other ships in the Federation, are planning to join the Romulans and their rebellious allies. You will then launch an attack against this station in an attempt to destroy it. It will fail, and your only hope will be destroyed. Your ship, and its crew, will be annihilated. So long, Mr. Laforge, Mr. Travis, Counselor Troi.... oh, but it's too late for that one, isn't it."

Picard's anger burned. "You killed her!" he said, his rage evident.

The Emperor chuckled. "Why would I bother?" he asked. "She's hardly a Federation asset worthy of my attention." He studied Picard for a moment. "But I do know who did."

"Who then?" Picard demanded despite himself. He probably couldn't trust the Emperor, but sometimes a lie can reveal a bit of truth.

"One thing at a time," the Emperor said with a smile. "I have an offer for you. One of great importance."

"I am not interested in what you have to offer."

"The Rebels are refitting their allies' ships with superior Imperial equipment," the Emperor continued, ignoring the remark. "It will draw out this war into a long and brutal conflict with millions dead on both sides. Tell me where their base is." He paused. "In return, I'll release you, and your friend. And I'll reveal the identity of the murderer of Counselor Troi." He leaned forward and steepled his hands. "Think about it, Picard. You'll be able to warn them, to spare your ship and the other Federation vessels that will follow your lead into the maw of death. All of this, for the name of the system. A rather small price to pay, to save you and your friends."

"You expect me to believe this?" Picard replied. "You've provided me with no proof of any of this, just vague references to what you think will happen. Well, believe it or not, you are not infallible, no matter what your propagandists say."

The Emperor smiled slightly. "What's your greatest secret, Picard? What is the single most important fact you need to remain hidden?" He pushed a button on his throne, and sound began to echo through the chamber. Picard recognized the voice - it was his own.

"'Look, let's make no mistake. What you're told now will be the greatest secret you'll ever be asked to keep. You can never discuss it outside these walls, ever, and if anyone discovered what you were doing, it'd likely mean the end of your careers. Are you ready to commit to that?'"

"How did you..." Picard began, and trailed off. The Emperor was right; he knew exactly what was going on.

"'The Death Star is a very, very powerful weapon," his voice said. "The previous one was destroyed simply by using its own reactor against it. While that flaw has been corrected, we're hopeful that some other means of initiating some kind of catastrophic failure could be found.'" The Emperor shook his head.

"Do you really think you can keep such a secret from me Picard? Everything that is happening, everything that has happened, has happened according to my design. Your Federation is hopelessly dependent on my fleet, your allies, the Klingons, my loyal followers. Your saviors: the Cardassians, the Romulans, even the Rebellion, have no chance. We are here, Picard. Your galaxy is mine. You have fallen as easily before me as the Borg. And you have no hope..." He grinned; it was dark and unpleasant. "Your Borg friend is correct; Data has betrayed you, and this is only the beginning. He will lead your forces into a trap, and they won't suspect a thing until it's too late. They will be destroyed, including the Enterprise and all your friends." Picard wasn't sure what to say. He had no reason to trust the Emperor, but with Seven's accusation, and the recording, and their capture... it was hard to deny it. "But it's not over yet, Picard. I'm giving you a chance," he said, his voice softening. "You can still save yourself and your friends."

Picard hung his head. He did know it, he knew it all. Maybe Q was right, maybe there was no hope for them. They had been taken in, and their refusal to follow their creeds had allowed all this to happen, and there seemed no escape - not this time. "It's time to accept it, Picard," the Emperor continued, his voice filled with regret. "You've put up a good fight, but the time has come to accept the loss. Save yourself, save your friends, save your Federation." He paused, his voice dropping slightly. "I know about your dream," he said. "Your vision of the destruction of the Earth. It is very powerful, so I understand your reluctance." He leaned forward. "I give you my personal assurance that the Earth will never be destroyed if you cooperate."

Picard's will had been drained, yet still he tried to resist. "You deceived us before, why should I trust you now?"

"Those were the words of petty bureaucrats," the Emperor replied. "I'm giving you my word of honor, your Earth will be spared. You're human, Picard, like us. Earth will reap all the benefits of the New Order, a new golden age of exploration will begin, and the blessings will be like nothing you've ever dreamed. But to gain it all, you must give up the past, Picard. The old way is the path to death, and resisting it will only cause more needless desolation." He stood up and stepped down from his throne. "It's time to accept the inevitable. Why not join in victory instead of dying in defeat? Spare yourself and your friends needless suffering. For yourself, for the Enterprise... it's time to surrender."

Picard's downcast eyes suddenly jerked up, and he looked off as a distant memory surged. "The colors must never be struck," he whispered.

The Emperor was confused by the sudden interruption. "What?"

Picard's eyes returned to the Emperor. He spoke, his words still barely above a whisper. "We may lose the battle, maybe even the war itself. But if we do, we will do it fighting for our convictions. We took an oath, all of Starfleet, to defend what we believed was the truth, and to hold to the basic principles of humanity. We swore that we would never forget that our purpose was to seek out new life, not conquer it. We may die, the Federation may fall, and you may even destroy Earth, but as long as these ideals are remembered then my world will never end - and it will be beyond even your power to destroy it." Picard held his head high and when he spoke, it rang out across the room. "I will tell you nothing, and nothing you will ever say or do will change that. The Enterprise will never - ever - surrender."

The Emperor stared unblinking at Picard, the weight clearly evident. Finally, he spoke, his voice a low rumble throughout the dark room as all pretences were dropped.

"So be it..... Picard."

Go To Part XXXVII
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