Chapter 9 - The Alignment BeginsWith the death and final destruction of the bigoted Order Of the Ancient Destroyer, and of the rebellions and usurpers that claimed power while they lived, the United Federation Of Planets was reborn - on paper. In reality, reforging the ties and the trust that once existed in this grand union would take many decades. Each world had people proclaiming the dominance of its race. While those people were at long last gone, their venom was yet able to leave steaming scars in the flesh of paradise.
The Federation President, who had survived the coup on Earth minus his good right arm, spoke to the Transmedia.
"The Federation stands. It stands with a cane, and yet it stands. On our member worlds, Federation personnel work at a horrid, back-breaking pace to deal with the victims of these strangely familiar monsters, the ones that looked like our friends and our families and our neighbors, but wore masks of pure hate. Vital services are restored in full on all but a handful of worlds. While preparing for the coming battle, StarFleet uses its ships to ferry those supplies that are so needed in those places hardest hit. FM87 has been rescinded, and we are once again the United Federation Of Planets. I will take a very few questions, as I have so very much to do. As you might guess, many worlds' leaders want personal reassurance that the evil rulers have been overthrown."
"Mr. President? Is it true that Romulus has been destroyed? Was this the result of a Federation or Klingon super-weapon being tested?"
The dignified red-skinned man with the handlebar moustache furrowed his brow in true pain. Of all the shocks he had received in this apocalyptic week, the hideous final fate of Proud Romulus had been one of the greatest.
"We called them our enemy. But Twelve Billion Romulans died with their planet this week. If we are not both lucky and strong, we may all join them soon. I pray for them, along with all the fallen."
"Sir? Can you confirm for us whether or not what the Order was saying is true? Was Romulus killed by the Ancient Destroyer? If it exists, where is it now? What should we tell our tuners?"
"That dreadful day has come round to us at last. He comes again, as in the past. You want to know what to tell people? Well, here are two things. Tell them that Ghidorah has returned. And tell them the great beast is hunted - by James T. Kirk, and the Enterprise."
No further questions were asked.
But on board the Enterprise, James T. Kirk had questions aplenty for the cosmic entity that chose to occupy his quarters while he prepared his ship for war. Most difficult was the necessity of separating his son, Peter, from his new and pregnant wife Saavik, for preparatory duty. To Jim, she was radiant. Somehow, he never expected to be a grandfather. It was as though someone, somewhere was paying him back for the sorry state of the cosmos.
But that aside, every crewmember worked two and one-half shifts per day, except for Peter and Saavik. They worked four, allowing for the enhanced strength of their now shared mutation. But McCoy had made it clear that Saavik would eventually have to pull back some. This was, after all, the grandchild of not merely one man, but an entire loyal crew. So, while that crew worked close to non-stop, Kirk prepared to press Q for answers.
"Oh, Jim... The End Is Near... And so you face... The Final Curtain... He comes... with three big Heads... I think your lives... are quite uncertain..."
Peter Kirk whispered to his father.
"Uh, Dad? How long has been doing that?"
"Since he arrived twenty-four hours ago. It's an imitation of....."
"I know who it is. I attended the Goodman symposium on Vulcan. Mind if I try something?"
"Son, try anything at all, so long as you get a straight answer out of him... and/or get him to shut up!"
It was strange for Jim and Peter to say words like 'Dad' and 'son'. But Sam Kirk was dead, and they desperately needed each other, needed to feel like the family they had been so long denied. It threw the both of them how the simple admission of Jim's fathering Peter for his sterile brother had brought them even closer. Now, Peter threw Jim off in a different way. By merely gesturing, he was able to turn Q back to his "normal" form. But as an insult, he put him in a very old StarFleet Uniform instead of the current one he had been sporting. Q looked annoyed at this, and Peter glared right back at him. Q chuckled at this.
"Don't glow your eyes at me, young man. It's considered very rude, where I come from."
"So are you."
Q turned to Jim.
"Captain, your son has inherited your complete lack of manners."
Jim nodded.
"Yes. Yes, he has. Now, out with it, Q, and then out with you. We know about Ghidorah, so if that's why you're here, goodbye."
Q feigned an insulted look.
"Now, is that any way to speak to an old chum? Jim, think of the places we've been together, the things we've seen. How can you just ignore all that?"
Jim turned to Peter.
"One time, he took us to what he claimed was the Delta Quadrant. But it was a total void. He got nervous, then brought us back."
Q shrugged.
"Look, I told you, there SHOULD have been someone there - a cybernetic race - anyway, I didn't know tall, dark, and gruesome had horned in first."
"You mean that was the Delta Quadrant? Peter, your enhanced senses..."
Peter's eyes again glowed, and he shook his head slowly.
"It's... true. Captain, outside of the Alpha Quadrant... void for trillions of parsecs. This can't be right. Trillions of kilometers, maybe, but..."
Over the intercom, a voice.
"Captain Kirk! Bridge to Captain Kirk!"
"What is it Uhura?"
"Sir, Commander Chekov aboard the Reliant has received a distress call from Ambassador Spock. Ghidorah is outside of Qo'noS, and has engaged the entire Klingon fleet. No details yet."
"Uhura, where is Spock?"
"He and a Klingon - attorney? - are headed to rendezvous with Reliant. Oh, sir - Pavel... is apparently Captain of the Reliant now. No word on what might have happened to Captain Terrell."
"Thank you, Commander Uhura. Kirk out. Peter, conserve your energies. Go resume your duties with the children. It'll be good practice for you and Saavik."
Peter sighed.
"Boy, being the Captain's son gets you nothing on this ship - and I wouldn't want it any other way."
As he left, Q took note of him.
"Good kid there, Jim. Shows potential. All the necessary qualities for a Cosmic Champion."
"Ghidorah's an energy absorber, Q. Peter can't face him... any more than you apparently can. The Q Continuum is leaving, isn't it? That's what you came to tell me. My God. If even you cosmic toadstools can't stop him, who can?"
"I'll let that one go, James. But, it's true. The Continuum is optioning a bigger playing field. But its all our own fault, of course."
"How so?"
"Ahh, our insipid ancestors. They set us up for this fall. You, me, all of us."
"Again, how, Q? How did your ancestors supposedly set us up?"
Q then said words that cut clear through to the core of the Captain's soul.
"They simply designed Ghidorah too well."
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At what was once a secret Federation Starbase, now only rubble remained. The Maw Of Hell, designed by the enemies of Q's ancestors to slay Ghidorah at any cost, had now awoken in response to the return of the Ancient Destroyer. It had been seemingly dead for nearly two decades, since it was stopped by Will Decker's father Matt and Captain Kirk. But, now, the Doomsday Machine stalked the stars once more. It would face Ghidorah, as it was meant to - even if there was no one left alive to view the final battle. The two races that had crafted these monsters cared nothing for the lives of others, and neither did their creations.
Now, whole systems fell silent as the Doomsday Machine sought its grisly destiny. To battle King Death.