Heart of Steel: Prolog. "Build a fire a thousands miles away to light my long Way home... I ride a comet.... My trail is long to stay.. Silence is a heavy stone. I fight the world and take all they can give.. There are times my heart hangs low. Born to walk against the wind! Born to hear my name! No matter where I stand I'm alone! Stand and fight! Live by your heart! Always one more try! I'm not afraid to die! Stand and fight! Say what you feel! Born with a heart of steel! Burn the bridge behind you!! Leave no retreat!! There's only one way home! Those who laugh and crowd the path and cut each other's throats.. Will fall like melting snow!! They'll watch us rise with fire in our eyes! They'll bow their heads! Their hearts will hang low! Then we'll laugh and they will kneel, and know this heart of steel was too hard to break! Too hard to mold! Stand and fight! Say what you feel! Born with a heart of steel! Born with a heart of steel! Stand and fight! Say what you feel! Born with a heart of steel! Live by your heart! Always one more try, I'm not afraid to die! Stand and fight! Say what you feel... Born with a heart of steel!!" - "Heart of Steel" by the band ManOwaR, off the album "Kings of Metal." Notes: This story is, unlike many others on this newsgroup.. Dark, introspective, ect. There will be less combat than character growth, most likely, though the violence at times will be quite graphic and brutal. Various things here may offend members of several Earth religions, but.. I've never minded offending people. This is set around the time of Darksabre.. Actually, immedietly before it. Inner Rim Territories, Deep Space. They were waiting. The 5.8km long Scrambler class Electronic Warfare Cruiser Overload, flanked by the 2.2km long Allegiance class Light Cruiser Thunderstrike. Supporting them were two each VSD-IIs, Strike Cruisers, and Carrack Cruisers. To either side of the formation, the shapes of two 1.6km long Dominator class Interdictor Destroyers, all their fighters and support ships drifting in formation around them. Grav wells were up and locked on to a course. Shortly, their target would arrive. Line Captain Velkaria Illushtin sat in her quarters, and sobbed. The lights were out, and loud, burningly dark music played through speakers, washing her pain and magnifying it. The pain was like a tonic on days like this. She embraced it, and tourtured herself all the more for her failures. The guilt of what she had done became the guilt of her one greatest failure. Tourture, tourture, endless tourture. The smallest ray of hope still existed, but it was distant, and moving towards it only made it dimmer. She was alone, and she was evil. She knew both these things, and she accepted them. To do otherwise would be pointless. Long ago having abandoned a standard uniform, she was now dressed in a black leather jumpsuit, with boots and gloves matching it, her dark, royal blue hair from expensive gene- modification treatments flowing down her back like the waves of the sea. Though she was getting older, she'd kept herself fit, and the slim woman who finally stood, going to wash her face, was still a thing of beauty. After she'd finished composing herself, the woman known as "The BDZ Bitch" to the Rebel Alliance and later the New Republic, killer of over a dozen planets, exitted her quarters and headed to the bridge of the Thunderstrike. The Executor class Command Ship Warspite with an escort flotilla of six Enforcer class Picket ships raced through Hyperspace towards their destination, His Most Merciless Majesty, The Warlord Karjel Neran, standing on the bridge and generally staring at his crewers with the most intimidating stare he could manage. Karjel had been the chief engineer of the Warspite in the fleet of another warlord until a damaged Rebel Cruiser.. He still thought of them as rebels, had slammed into the conning tower, immolating the entire command staff and the old warlord. He took over, repaired the Warspite, and had begun a brutal reign of terror through the Inner Rim, where few other Imperial Warlords had lasted. Unfourtunately, his crewers were incompetent in the extreme, and he was only able to win battles by brute force. One of them suddenly turned to him, letting out a strangled yell of alarm. "M'lord, an unknown Grav well has be..." His voice trailed off as he was thrown bodily through the crewpit, the Warspite being yanked out of hyperspace, Karjel knocked onto his back by the sudden, un-prepared for force. Vice Admiral Jonas Heiber stood on the bridge of the Overload and watched with pride as the ships were yanked from hyperspace. He turned to his crewers, and gave the orders. "Jamming to full power! All Ion cannons and warhead launchers fire at will. Target.. Warspite!" The green crew of the Executor class Command ship never had a chance against the ambush and the hardened veterans of the task force that opposed them. Hundreds of Mag-Pulse torpedoes were fired from the launchers of the fighters and the capships, as every Ion cannon that could bear thundered, the scrambling bolts striking the unshielded Warspite, as heavy jamming made their emergency coordination worse. All over the ship, system after system failed, all weapons down, hangar bay launching mechanisms shot, shields non- functional, all sensors down, limited to emergency manuvering thrusters only. They'd crippled an Executor in four seconds. Two salvoes. Jonas was grinning like a madman down, and then the first green plasma bolt flare against the shields. The Enforcer class picket ships had reacted. "Drop all jamming, and patch me through, voice only!" The jamming from the systems of the Overload trailed off, and Jonas began his speech. "Loyal servants of the Empire, I'm offering you a chance to join in a venture to restore peace and order to the universe. Rise up against Neran! Crewers of the Enforcers, and their captains, join us and cease firing, for the good of all the Empire! Our support ships will be boarding the Warspite and seizing her conning tower, but nothing else. We offer you a chance to join us with no recriminations." As he finished, Jonas waited. The officer incharge of the communications section soon made his report. "Four Enforcers have signalled their intent to join us.. No response from the other two." Suddenly, Jonas' eye caught movement, and he watched in stunned terror as one of the Enforcers accelerated to ram. "All batteries, target that ship and open fire!" Velkaria had not seen the other Enforcer move, but one was trying to break past her and flee. "All batteries, commence fire against weak points in their shields and prepare the Ion cannons for firing.. Roll us for best firing position, helm." A voice interrupted her, a hint of worry in it. "Captain.. Another Enforcer is on a ramming course for the Overload." Emerald eyes froze at those words, and she turned to look.. Just in time to see the 600 meter long frigate, it's shields down, badly damaged from the Overload's cannons, slam into the Overload's shields. The ship was not meant for sustained combat.. The shields held until the Enforcer exploded, but a wave of debris and plasma instantly destroyed the conning tower of the Overload. Velkaria paled. One of her few remaining close friends was dead. Slowly, she was paying her penance. The sting in her soul of hatred welled up, as her own batteries pummeled the other Enforcer, the shields of which were beginning to fail from sustained fire by the Thunderstrike. Her voice was lifeless as she spoke. "Maintain fire until that vessel is rubble. Destroy any escape pods." Her first officer was all to used to those sudden orders born of black, depressed rage. He knew not to challenge them. "By your order, Captain." He turned, and gave the instructions to the battery crews, as Velkaria lifelessly watched the assault transports approach the conning tower of the Warspite and dock. It appeared she was in command now, curse the fates for it. Curse herself for it.. She didn't want this. More hell, now.. And the hope seemed dimmer. She closed her eyes, and barely held in the scream of bitter rage at this universe that had ripped everything she cared about away from her, in a series of endless, firey events of death.. And loss. Unknown Regions, system with Blue-White Supergiant, Nine days later. When the task force arrived, Velkaria had the commanders of the four Enforcers on the holonet from her new command.. The Warspite. The Overload she had renamed the Vice Admiral Jonas Heibert, the least she could do. Before them all, a whirling vortex was visible, guarded by 8 Golan-II platforms, and six Carrack class cruisers... She'd turned away from the sight of the Jonas' missing conning tower. It was to be repaired as soon as possible.. Which was good. It ripped her up inside to look at it. Another failure. She managed a faint smile for them. "Gentlemen.. I present to you.. The gateway to another galaxy. The instrument of the Empire's salvation. A Galaxy that we will seize in the name of the Empire, and then, it will be the home for our retribution. Prepare your ships for passage immedietly." Heart of Steel: Chapter One. When I was living this lie, fear was my game! People would worship and fall, drop to their knees! So bring me the blood and red wine for the one to succeed me, For he is a man and a god, and he will die too!! Tell me why I had to be a Powerslave!? I don't wanna die, I'm a God, why can't I live on? When the Life Giver dies, all around is laid waste, And in my last hour I'm a slave to the power of death!! - Lyrics Excerpts from the song "Powerslave" by the band Iron Maiden, off the album "Powerslave." Notes: This story is set around shortly after the Borg defeat during the second attack on Earth, and before the Maquis were obliterated by the Dominion. Anything that happened after that didn't happen for all intents and purposes in this story. Wormhole, Unknown Regions. The Warspite held course through the colours of the wormhole, the other two heavy warships, and the twelve lesser vessels, in formation, as they took a shortcut across time and space.. And.. Moments later.. They arrived. Before them was an impressive sight indeed. Fourteen Golan-I platforms encircled a huge shipyard.. Still under construction, and five manufacturing stations. Beyond them, a second flotilla of six Carrack Cruisers patrolled, and, just inside the perimeter, four ISDs awaited. Backlighting the scene was a green star, rather close, all things considered. She observed, as best she could, the reactions of the four men in the quarter-sized holograms, the Enforcer frigate commanders. Their reactions, as expected, were of underwhelmed surprise. One simply did not conquer a galaxy with thirty one ships. Before they could voice their hesitations, she spoke. "I do not mean to suggest that we simply attack whomever we meet. This will be a delicate process indeed. We have a shipyard, and manufacturing.. But we need crews for those ships. The Vice Admiral already explained this plan to us, and now I offer to you.. The perfect world for our needs. It's called Ekos. It's ruled by a so-called 'Nazi Party', which is stunningly similiar to our own system, but their technology is far more primitive. They were going to engage a genocidal war against a neighbouring planet around a century ago, but another race, likely to be our major target, prevented that from occuring. They currently have a bustling interplanetary society but no supralight drive. We have the perfect recruiting grounds.. It is a matter of securing it. However.. Before we reach that point, I need to make a fleet-wide announcement.." One of the captains spoke up then. "About what, Line Captain Illushtin." She offered a slight smirk. "The obvious." Turning.. "Bring up holo-connections to all the ships on this side of the wormhole." The order was given, and she watched, as the other holos came on, reported in. When they were all there.. She began. It was a rarely used clause of military protocol, but necessary, she felt. "Based on regulation 9435-8, section ten, sub-section nine, paragraph three..." A faint grin that time. "Due to the death of our commanding flag officer, and the fact that we are indefenitely cut off from a higher military or civilian authority, I, as the highest ranking officer alive within this command, promote myself two steps in rank to that of acting Rear Admiral, for the duration of our time out of contact with a higher authority of the Empire. Do you, as atleast four captains of operational combat warships, confirm this self-promotion until such contact is again made?" One after another, they all gave their consent. There was no dissent.. Though some might have felt themselves better qualified... None tried to stop her. After all, she was the one on the bridge of an Executor, and they weren't. "Very well, Captains of the Imperial Navy... I expect you all aboard the Warspite in fifteen minutes. We have our first aquisition to plan." Ekosian System. The Tri-winged shuttle approached the ground, two folding back as it came in for the landing, the leaders of the Ekosian government awaiting it's arrival. They remembered what the meddling had taken from them, and given them, and these were the first visitors from the stars in over a century.. Their massive city ship down positioned to blot out part of the sun, casting odd shadows, though the fuhrer didn't really understand what possessed them to orbit their supership there. He only hoped it wasn't intimidation. The offer to discuss membership in a government like their own, striving for order, but on a galactic scale, with all the benefits to his people it offered.. Well, it was almost to good to be true. It's two escort fighters streaked overhead, and the ramp lowered on the shuttle, the honour guard of S.S. coming to attention smartly. The woman that walked down the ramp of the shuttle was anything but what he'd expected. Leather jumpsuit with matching cape and gloves, the heavy boots added to it all black, rather grim, really. The other officers were dressed in spartan but rather familiar uniforms, and the guards wore full white body armour. The woman strode over to him, and offered a slight bow. He smiled, and spoke. "As the Fuhrer of the Ekosian system, I welcome you to our capital." She looked up, and smiled, but it was hollow, and in her dark green eyes he saw only pain. Though it was an impulse to feel sorry for her, he realized that would make it worse. Whatever had happened to this Imperial commander, it was far to deep for him to even pretend to know.. "Fuhrer Kalron, I thank you for inviting the Galactic Empire to your world. I am Rear Admiral Velkaria Illushtin, commander of the Executor class Commandship Warspite. We're carrying the necessary data displays to explain our government and needs to you. Needless to say, the opprotunities of joining a galactic government.. Indeed, the possibilities of intergalactic trade, will be very worthwhile in the long run. But let us speak of government in a better place." Kalron chuckled, and nodded once. "If I may, I would offer you a tour of the capital. It was planned before construction, and I'm most certain you'll find it a comfortably orderly city." Velkaria laughed lightly. "Pleasant, more like it. I was raised on Alsakan.. The entire world is one chaotic city." Kalron had to keep his mouth from dropping open. "The entire planet?" She nodded once. "Yes.. Though I rather wish it wasn't. Please, lead the way. I'll tell you about what it is like to live on a city-planet as we tour." Ten Days later, Deep Space. The integration was proceding smoothly, though that was really no surprise, thought Velkaria silently. They'd been lucky to find the Ekosian system reasonably close to the wormhole, and the govermental integration had been even easier; the Ekosian system was the only government in their new Empire. There was some talk, that she supported, of forming an Imperial Senate among the planets they would retake. Nobody really wanted another Emperor back on another throne sometime in the future. Still, she'd needed to get away.. To spend time alone.. Or nearly alone. The small crew of her private Y-Head corvette had been picked to understand her needs of privacy... And to stay quiet. She needed the silence. But.. Velkaria also rather enjoyed exploration. Though this region had been mapped enough for limited hyperdrive exploration by a recent spate of probe droids, there was still alot of areas with various interesting anomalies and the like to chart. "Velkaria," said the navigator softly. "We're coming up on the hyperspace exit point to investigate that anomalous nebula." She smiled and nodded once. Talryn was a civilian, but the best navigator she'd ever met, so she'd put him incharge of Astrogation for the Warspite in this galaxy without a formal rank, and with the Warspite in the Ekosian system, she'd taken him along on this excursion. He was also a friend.. And the closest thing to a confidant she had left. "Alright, Talryn... I'm ready. Shifting to redlighting." She activated the controls that turned the lights red; she'd found it helped her eyes adjust to the blackness of deep space, far from any star. The alarm warning that it was time to exit hyperspace went off, and she pulled back on the levers, a few other crewers moving to bridge positions. Her private Y-head Corvette, named the Lyrashi, leapt from hyperspace into realspace on the edge of the Badlands... And straight into a battle. Gul Metrid of the Keldon-I Annilator studying the screen with smirking pride and arrogance. Accompanied by the USS Luna, a Nebula class vessel with a weapons pod, it's two carried Peregrines and two runabouts, and two of the Cardassians' Hidaki class Patrol ships, they'd first destroyed a Maquis base in an outcropping of the badlands, the Maquis there taken prisoner onboard the Luna, and then they'd surprised a group, led by an old D-12 class Bird of prey, six Raiders, and two Antares class Transports, one carrying twelve runabouts, the other twelve peregrines, when it was returning to the base. It was a major Maquis force, and they were hitting it hard. Both the transports, eight runabouts, six peregrines, and two raiders were gone, though they'd lost both the Hidakis, and the Federation's runabouts and peregrines. Though their shields were weakened, the outcome was inevitable, especially with the Maquis pulling their punches on the Luna. Suddenly, with a flash of light, an odd looking ship, about 115 meters long, streaked at relativistic velocities, rapidly slowing, straight into the combat area. "Where'd that thing come from!?" Gul Metrid demanded. "Unknown, sir, but surely it must have decloaked just as it dropped from warp!" was the response from one of the Glins. "A cloaking device, and neither Romulan nor Cardassian.. It must be Maquis. Target it with the full batteries and fire!" The weapons officer brought the primary phaser to bear, locking on. "At once, sir! Firing now!" "Who the hell are they!? We don't have the design for the smaller of those two frigates in our probe data, but the other is a Federation ship.. And who are those attackers!?" Velkaria glanced to Talryn as he cried out. "Relax... Shields up, weapons to full power, people.. Just incase." Then, just as the shields were brought up, the ship rocked from a heavy phaser burst, and then a second. "Shields at ninety percent, Admiral!" She sent the highly manuverable light corvette through a series of evasive manuvers, cursing. "Talryn, send a distress signal to the nearest Enforcer! Go to maximum recharge and target the lighter frigate... All turbolasers. Use the Protons to exploit shield failures!" She slewed the Lyrashi about, angling to accelerate towards the starboard/ventral/fore area of the unknown frigate as a few more beams sizzled past the Y-head Corvette, missing. The gunners of the four twin turbolasers locked on, and fired, followed seconds later by one of the crewers on the small but wide bridge letting off a volley of two advanced proton torpedoes. The eight lances of green fired raced in and slammed hard against the bubble shield of the Cardassian Keldon, which, already weakened by the Maquis' fire, temporarily collapsed in that area... Allowing the two Adv. Protons to race in before the shields came back up, and slam into the bottom surface of the Keldon's starboard "forward wing" on the club shaped ship. The outer proton torpedo slammed through the section containing the Warp drive, destroying it and leaving a large hull in the wing where the seven hundred and fifty kiloton shaped-charge warhead, while the inner warhead struck at the base of the wing, the area the blast affect simply ceasing to exist, and sending the Keldon tumbling away, plasma venting from the damage , the areas where the blast had lanced through now two gaping holes, and the USS Luna having to make emergency manuvers to avoid the still out of control Keldon. "We're stabilized, Gul! Warp drive destroyed; However, no major damage to other ship's systems, and our shields are back online. We can still fight!" Gul Metrid snorted; The Glin was probably exageratting their capabilities after that blow. "Gul, the Luna wishes to know why we were fired on the new Maquis ship." One of the other officers spoke with disdain. Gul Metrid nearly groaned. Federation pacifists. The Klingon invasion had been bad enough, forcing the Cardassians to deal with the suddenly resurgent Maquis by getting help from the Federation.. Now this. "Tell them because it fired on us, it's obviously a Maquis ship! They can deal with the other Maquis, we'll finish off that vessel!" He turned towards the helmsman. "Pursuit course.. Gunner, fire whenever you even think you can hit them, all weaponry." The Keldon class ship rolled back around on a pursuit course after the fleeing vessel... And then shuddered, hard, as the two twin turbolasers that could fire aft hit it's forward shields. "Shields double front!" snapped the Gul. Seconds later, the weapons batteries of the ship fired, the heavy phaser and lighter phasers firing as fast as they could, the vessel spitting torpedoes at the fleeing unknown. Meanwhile, capitalizing on the Keldon abruptly leaving the fight, the Maquis swarmed the Luna and began to attack, in hopes of bringing the shields down and bringing over survivors of their base. "Incoming torpedoes!" Velkaria worked on virtual instinct now. "Aft turbolasers, flak bursts!" she cried into the intercom, and a second later they fired, intercepting and destroying the incoming torps launched by the Keldon, then switching back to standard shots in time to get in one more volley before having to fire another flak burst against a second spate of torpedoes. "Aft shields collapsing," came the grim report from the engineer of the small vessel. "That's it," Velkaria muttered. She abruptly swung the Lyrashi about in a 180 degree spin, and brought the engines up to maximum. "Proton torpedoes.. All guns, Fire!" Gul Metrid looked on, stunned, as eight turbolaser bolts and two advanced proton torpedoes slammed into the shields, overloading them and taking them down for the count. "Return Fire!" he bellowed. The Keldon's next volley brought the Lyrashi's shields down. The Corvette didn't give the Keldon the chance to fire another, racing over it and firing. Two turbolaser bolts blew apart the bridge, killing Gul Metrid and his bridge crew instantly, while the Corvette, rolling, sent another six into the upper hull of the Keldon, blasting apart armour and bulkheads, two Proton torpedoes lancing down to blow off the aft tip of the vessel, and racing beyond it, the aft turbolasers swinging around to fire two parting volleys into the Keldon, leaving the ship drifting and a battered hulk, it's surviving engineering crew desperately trying to stabilize containment. Jonathan Black, leader of this band of the Maquis, knew he was taking heavy losses.. But the Luna's shields were near collapse, and they were loaded with prisoners that had been on the Maquis base, as evidence by the fact that they were carrying a "Colonization" module on the modular section of the Nebula. He still had four peregrines, four Raiders, and two runabouts left in addition to his battered old D-12, but the shields of the ships were all pretty much down. Still, they'd be dead now if it wasn't for that mystery ship that had shredded the Cardassian Keldon... And was heading back this way. He turned to one of the other Maquis on the bridge. "Hail them... We need their help. And have the others pull back with us." The battered remains of the Maquis' tiny task force pulled back towards the unknown ship closing with the Luna, the hulk of the drifting Keldon now barely visible. "The forces attacking the Federation Frigate have hailed us, Admiral." A brief moment of consideration.. "Put it on the speakers." After a brief crackle of static, it came through. "This is Jonathan Black.. Of the Maquis liberation army. We thank you for your assistance, unknown ship, but we have many compatriots imprisoned aboard the Federation vessel.. I don't have time to tell you the horrors of Federation mind-wiping camps.. But I beg you for your assistance. We have little to offer, but we'd give you what we can for this." She leaned back, inhaling sharply. Wonderful.. They'd inadvertantly helped the local version of the Rebel Alliance. The problem was that the government they were rebelling against was a serious potential enemy of the Galactic Empire.. And despite the fact that such a group would possibly not work well at all in the Empire.. She needed allies. The decision was made. "Maquis commander, this is Velkaria Illushtin of Corvette Lyrashi. Follow us. We've called for backup.... You'll receive the help you ask for." "Roger that, Captain Illushtin.. We are following your lead!" Jonathan was so happy he was almost crying, his bridge crew cheering as they accelerating to follow the odd Corvette, which had abuprtly turned around, back towards the Keldon hulk... But the Luna was in hot pursuit at sublight. Whatever the help was, it better hurry. They were getting pretty close to the hulk of the Keldon now, which was still drifting.. Jonathan hoped all the Cardy bastards were dead. Suddenly, there was a flicker of psuedomotion, like the time the Lyrashi had arrived.. And a dagger shaped warship 600 meters long deaccelerated rapidly from out of nowhere ahead of them. As the Lyrashi and the remaining Maquis ships raced for safety behind it, it opened fire with a full forward salvo against the incoming USS Luna. The deck of the bridge rocked like it never had before, and a console exploded, killing the ensign manning the second engineering station behind the main part of the bridge, as Captain Lockerman looked on in stunned surprised, and cursed the Cardassians a second time for firing on the unknown ship. Unknown had just called in her big brother. "Return fire with everything we've got.. Evasive manuvers!" The big Nebula rolled to the side and fired back, the point-defence cannons of the Enforcer blasting apart it's torpedoes before they hit, and the phasers expending against the shields, while Captain Lockerman cursed the lack of a weapons pod on his ship.. And a second salvo slammed hard against the shields. "Shields badly weaked, Captain! No damage to the enemy vessel, and their shields are depleted but holding..!" Lockerman didn't have a choice. "Prepare to go.." Another salvo slammed into the Luna, spinning the ship over heel and throwing the Helmsman violently against a bulkhead, while the Ops officer's console exploded, wounding him. Captain Lockerman staggered forward to the helm as the tactical officer bravely returned fire, and announced damage. "Shields collapsing, Captain!" Another salvo slammed home just as he reached the console, sending Lockerman flying across the bridge as the tactical officer screamed out again.. "All shields collapsed, Hull breaches on decks ten through thirteen.. Casulty reports coming in!" Velkaria was in contact with the captain of the Enforcer that had arrived to assist now. "Captain, Ion cannons only for the next salvo. There's some people onboard we want to rescue. Fire at will." The Enforcer's next salvo was of the streaks of Ion cannon shots that hit home against the Luna, causing consoles to explode everywhere, and, worse yet, destabilize the reactor core. Lockerman heard the grim news over his combadge, the last surviving member of the bridge crew, and considered his options. He could order them to abandon ship, hence leaving thousands of Maquis prisoners to die. He couldn't live with that on his conscience. "Eject the core and anti-matter containment pods. Then access communications from the engineering stations and signal our surrender, Lieutenant Commander." He grimly awaited contact with the enemy. Two Assault Shuttles were launched from the Enforcer, each carrying 40 Stormtroopers.. While the Maquis beamed aboard the Luna. Captain Lockerman had rather been expecting them, and put his hands on his head when the first boarding party arrived on the blackened bridge, even as the Warp Core and Anti-matter charges detonated far below the ship, at a safe distance.. And the crews of the Lyrashi and the Enforcer class vessel were stunned by the lifeforms moving from the Maquis ships to the Luna. "What just happened, Maquis Commander?" Came Velkaria's questioning words. "Ah.. Captain Illushtin.. A matter transportation device. We could sell you one." Velkaria wrinkled her nose in disgust, but answered politely. "Possibly a version for cargo use. And It's actually Rear Admiral.. In the Galactic Empire." There was a minute of silence from the other end. "Rear Admiral.. In the... Galactic Empire?" She chuckled softly. "That's correct, Maquis Commander. We're intergalactic explorers. The Ekosian government has joined the Empire, and that's our current nearby base. If you wish, you could beam aboard, and we could discuss a possible alliance between our peoples." There was another moment of quiet.. "Accepted, Admiral Illushtin. I'll beam over to your Corvette immedietly." She turned, leaving her seat, standing.. and waited. A second later, she watched the transport effect with sick fascination that someone would consent to go through that.. And then extended a gloved hand to Jonathan Black. He shook it in a firm grip. "Welcome to the Lyrashi, Mister Black.. Please.. Allow me to show you to the ship's lounge. We can discuss things in comfort there.. Over a glass of Corellian Ale, mayhaps?" He grinned. "I'd like to try something from another galaxy.. it isn't synthehol, is it?" She looked back to him. "Synthehol?" His face lit up at the questioning tone in her voice, and he immedietly followed her down a corridor, deeper into the shape. Any species that hadn't discovered the disgusting farce of alcohol known as synthehol had to be on their side, after all.. Thinking that, he really couldn't control a slight chuckle. They'd talked for hours.. Velkaria listening quietly to the haunting tale of the Maquis.. Before standing, and delivering her own while she paced, of a galaxy embroiled in war... The evil Alliance to restore the Republic, and it's attempt to the Destroy the Death Star, a mobile fleet supply superstation and defensive base, when it went to subdue Alderaan, when the prototype Planetary Defence Superlaser of Alderaan overloaded it's reactors and destroyed the planet instead of the Imperial station, killing trillions.. Later, of the Rebels' exploitation of the exhaust port weakness when they went to crush their base in revenge.. Finally, the Emperor's gallant death fighting the traitor Vader and the Rebel fleet, barely destroying the Rebel Death Star modified to carry a superlaser that could destroy a planet. All lies, Velkaria knew in her mind, but harmless ones. She really did intend to do good by these people.. It was the only thing she could do.. To remember all that was lost, all that she held dear. Finally, he'd offered to let them meet with the true leaders of the entire Maquis.. At a neutral point.. And she'd offered to go there aboard her flagship, which she had sent for.. The Warspite. Now, they stood at a window.. And watched, and waited. With a flicker of Psuedomotion, a 17.6km long black dagger appeared, slowing down before them, and the captured warships below the small fleet. Jonathan gasped and went pale with surprise, as she smiled, and laughed softly. "Look upon my ship, ye mighty, and dispair, for I shall smite your ships with it like they were but paper toys, and the galaxy shall tremble at my feet. That was a quote by Xim the Despot. The first man to exmploy the concept of the 'Supership' With his Eibon Scimitar class. Come... I'll offer you a rather brief tour of the Warspite.. Very brief, considering it's size." He could only nod, as she keyed an intercom. "Dock us with the Warspite, and order them to haul aboard the Federation starship and that Keldon hulk. I will have orders for a new destination for the Warspite to be given to them as soon as we are onboard, along with several messages that must be sent. Admiral Illushtin out." She turned back to him. "Let's go.. The sooner this alliance is arranged, the better for the both of us... May the Cardassians and the Federation be wary indeed. Her grin was rather dark, as they approached the Warspite, Jonathan still watching the ship in awe.