Chapter 22 - Destroy All PlanetsFrom the surface of Kelvas-2 rose up jellyfish-like Yog. It was genetically modeled after two bonded creatures of vast intelligence and power, whom the omnivorous Kelvans had devoured in their journey to our galaxy, while fleeing Ghidorah's wrath.
King Ghidorah was a killing machine nonpareil. In all of history, only one creature could ever have destroyed it. Soft, gelatinous Yog was not that creature. Its dome seemed ripe for puncturing, so that is exactly what the Ancient Destroyer attempted to do.
But underneath, Yog was like a megapede, and each tentacle was like the weapons array of a large planet. Each segment, infinitely regenerable, was fired off at great speeds, where it froze and became a vast solid missile, striking Ghidorah with his one true vulnerability, that being physical force.
While any blow that did not destroy Ghidorah was ultimately shaken off, Yog's missiles struck hard and often, taxing even his foe's nigh-infinite power. For all this, an occasional burst of gravimetric lightning from the gold head would strike Yog's dome, weakening its strong but razor-thin shields. Since the dome was entirely biological in nature, the red beams from the mecha-head had no effect on Yog. The Death's Head was still charging, as it would be for a long while.
Each missile struck true. As the frozen, kilometer-long ice-and-meat projectiles found Ghidorah's armored flesh, they did more than poke holes in it. They remained behind, burrowing in still further. Inside, they became mutant Jiger viruses, laying eggs of another of the Kelvans' conquests. Ghidorah, of course, fought them all off successfully. It's what he was built for, after all. But it was another drain upon his awesome powers, and that was the Kelvans' aim.
Each time Ghidorah swung out with the deadly Death's Head, Yog would move entirely out of range. In doing so, Yog also found that Ghidorah had an easier time of striking his precious dome. Its sundering was only a matter of time, and Ghidorah had always proved the winner in waiting games.
Perhaps sensing this, Yog began firing off his tentacle-missiles from the side, so that his protective dome would face away from Ghidorah. Like Earth's ancient Gatling Gun, the creature seemed on the verge of pulverizing the Ancient Destroyer by way of chopping it up with endless bullets.
Ghidorah had senses of his own. They told him of Saavik and Peter Kirk, and the Enterprise that was at that moment being reborn. Yog could not destroy him. But if he was weakened enough when the new Enterprise arrived, the Champions could force him into final battle, which he would then likely lose in his condition. He also sensed the presence of souls not unlike those of his devoured followers, and the deaths they caused, just because they could. At his core, Ghidorah drew strength from the empty soul of the Mirror James T. Kirk. He teleported behind Yog.
The gravimetric beams held Yog in place. The anti-tech beams managed to hold off at least some of the ice-meat missiles. The Death Head's green beam had finished charging. In a scene almost laughingly pornographic, Ghidorah placed the Death Head right against the curved, yielding dome. When the head was in far enough, the beam fired, and Yog's dome burst, its contents spilling out over the Death Head, covering it. The dome deflated, and Yog was still. King Ghidorah had won.
And King Ghidorah had lost.
Yog began to move again, its dome slowly regenerating. If Ghidorah pondered such things, it would have wondered why such a resilient foe was now moving out of the Kelvas-2 system. The answer was simple: its mission had been completely accomplished. Now, Ghidorah saw squid-like Gezora rise like a phantom from the planet below. Its tentacles numbered only 100, but each was a kilometer in width and half so in length.
It fired no weapons. Instead, those limbs began to strangle every inch of the three heads. Ghidorah was in pain, as suction and compression together had his torso beneath him shaking like a leaf. Then, Ghidorah's dim mind made a realization.
Gezora was strangling all three heads, and yet was not being affected by the Anti-Life field on the Death Head. This was no accident. The Ancient Destroyer had been set up. The Kelvans had intended that he burst Yog's sack, for its coating would seal one of Ghidorah's most potent weapons off long enough for him to be destroyed. The mighty Death Head, scourge of the UltraMen Of the Beta Quadrant, was now wearing a quite involuntary prophylactic coating that made it all but impotent. The head and its neck rapidly became limp.
Gezora's limbs tightened their grip ever more, and they began to move down the torso, crushing whatever internal organs Ghidorah might have.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
BETAZED
Worldwide panic has a special meaning on a world of telepaths.
"Is it Ghidorah?"
"No. It's something... else."
These words were spoken continents apart.
"It's so big. Why isn't it blocking out the sun?"
"How can it? the damned thing's nearly transparent."
Ironically, Betazed was a world where the Order Of the Ancient Destroyer had never held sway. Legendary Betazoid mental intrusiveness made such secretive bigots avoid that place like the plague. Sadly, while this meant that they were not devastated by the Coup, it also meant that starships, busy re-supplying worlds that had been hit hard, were nowhere in evidence. Yog moved through the skies unopposed. Now, its tentacles did fire out beams. Beams with a sickeningly familiar property.
Streets emptied, as did schools and hospitals, and meeting-places. As each Betazoid watched in dumb horror, their friends and family members were reduced to small polyhedral cubes. Finally, all were gone, their bodies reduced to base elements. Thankfully, telepathic contact ended with the transformation.
Yog then sent out billions of miniature tractor beams, and scooped up all the cubes. When Yog's dome was refilled, the transformed population of Betazed was converted into its new gelatinous filling.
But Yog was not yet finished. It drank in all the air, and took in all flora, and all fauna. It drank the water, and even the magma in the core. A number of useful minerals were also consumed. As Yog flew off to rejoin its brothers, what was once thriving Betazed crumbled into sand, sprinkled throughout the void.
On Earth, the former UFP President tried to inform the Betazoid Ambassador, only to be gently turned away. She was sedated and being kept under a suicide watch. She would mutter something only a bare few would understand.
"The Rings...Did They Get the Rings?"
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Gezora had a firm grip around all three of Ghidorah's heads, and that grip was closing steadily. Now, those tentacles extended slowly but surely over his entire form. The Kelvan monster was winning.
Since Ghidorah's middle head was cybernetic, it struggled the most fiercely against its constraints. This merely meant that more of Gezora's slimy tentacles were moved to concentrate on the Mecha-Head. When the vast majority were wrapped around the uncrushable metal shell, Ghidorah made his move.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
THAT SAME MOMENT, THE MIRROR UNIVERSE
Captain Kirk stared at the readout.
"Second Moreau - do we have a confirmation?"
The girl he had raised since he was barely an adult himself answered her Captain and lover.
"Yes, sir. Those bastitch parents of yours have crossed over. I hope that other Kirk is as wily as his psych-profile said."
Peter Taoaru Kirk, 37 year-old son of his universe's James T. Kirk and Nyota Uhura, nodded.
"He and his held on for nearly a week before even your Dad figured it out. My dad and Mom, on the other hand, tried demanding sexual favors from underlings. Since it was that world's version of Janet Randeis that Dad attempted to force himself on - it set off alarms. Apparently, this was a repeat of the results of a like transporter accident. The other Kirk checked for such things, especially after Chekov."
Saavik Moreau sometimes couldn't believe how far from the tree the apple had fallen. Her parents had given birth to the Maquis. But Peter's parents embodied the Empire. His birth and upbringing were reflective of their corrupt culture.
"You sure you want to do this? Earth is one of the two homeworlds, you know."
Captain Kirk continued to study the energy readouts, while responding to her half-hearted concerns.
"Earth - is where I lost all belief in anything. Until I started to raise you, I was the Empire's little boy."
Saavik Moreau asked an obvious question.
"All intelligence reports had the Federation as being quite stable. I wonder what changed?"
Peter Kirk awaited a certain signal.
"Even democratic civilizations have dark undercurrents. When I infiltrated, I met my counterpart. He had me pegged, soon enough."
"You slipped up?"
"No. Don't be absurd. The guy's some sort of spooky telepath. His Saavik, too. But I learned what I had to - that that place had a Hall, too. Where my Dad tossed me to them to get his promotion - he was kidnapped. Penda isn't his Mom. He wasn't born on Tarsus, like I was."
"Tarsus? Oh - yeah. I forgot about the young heroes of Tarsus Four. How many did they kill exactly, in reinstating Kodos?"
"Doesn't matter. It was just the beginning of their brilliant careers of butchery. It's also when he knocked her up - with me. She was good, even then. The drunken fool actually thought he was forcing himself on her. Jimmy Junior often overrides his thought processes."
In his head, he remembered being introduced to his father on his 16th Birthday, as a part of his mother's efforts to secure her position aboard Kirk's new command. It was then he first realized that he was part of a business transaction, nothing more. Then, and later, too. When Kirk came back to Deneva and found his twisted brother and sister-in-law dead by Peter's hand, he laughed, saying he had never liked Georgie, anyway. The Hall had broken the boy. When he was later ordered to kill the infant Saavik Moreau, he instead stunned his parents, and escaped with the wounded Spock and Marlena Moreau. When they finally expired, Peter was named leader of the Maquis.
Of all the twists and turns the battle between the Kirks had brought about, Peter had never expected the Empire to try and invade the Federation's universe. But if what that other, more mystical Peter had told him was true - then things were bad over there.
"Bad enough to draw the vultures in, anyway. Moreau - is David Dehner in position over Vulcan?"
She checked the board.
"Yeah. I hope Sarek's home. 'Granpa' deserves to get his, after betraying Spock."
"They all will, honey. They all will."
The dusky-skinned man looked over at the 18-year old who owned his heart. Of all his sins, he actually only regretted taking her as a lover. But the only way to protect her when she came of age was to say that she was the Captain's Woman. He'd staked his claim when she was nine; He'd waited five years more before taking her, only to discover she was growing impatient for him to do so. As much as he loved her, though, there was still a wrongness to grabbing at the regions he once changed diapers on. There always would be.
The helm cried out.
"Sir - Aster Force has us on sensors!"
"Steady, Jessa. We knew this would happen. Viki - hail them."
The Grand Admiral himself appeared on screen.
"Mister Kirk - it's been a merry chase, but all good things must come to an end."
Peter smiled at Cartwright.
"Brock! How's the Earth's defense systems?"
In what seemed a macho gesture, Cartwright pulled out two phasers. He spoke two words.
"Deactivated, Sir."
Brock Cartwright then wiped out the Bridge Crew aboard the Hideki, and dropped shields to be beamed aboard the Spock. Peter slapped his back.
"Operation: Gorbachev was a complete success, Brock. Thanks to you."
Cartwright looked at the console.
"Is it ready, Pete? My Mara's ghost wants revenge. So does all of Qo'noS."
Kirk pointed over.
"Hit it - Sir."
He did, with a grin he didn't want to have.
Simultaneously, on Vulcan, David Dehner, Peter's half-brother, pushed the button on the weapon he himself had crafted. The Ragnarok Device.
On the two worlds that had assumed they owned the Galaxy, billions died as their world's matrices were re-written. Nothing was changed, biospherically. But every last bit of bipedal fauna was absorbed and recreated. Just as in the old legends of the Aesir, the worlds had been reverted to purity by fire. The United Empire Of Planets was finished.
Peter addressed all Maquis ships on a frequency that Saavik had spent much of her life crafting, so there was no possibility of it being compromised.
"People - I am hereby ordering an evacuation of all humans and Vulcans from the entire Alpha Quadrant. The Bajoran-led Alliance will want revenge, no matter what guarantees we've received. Make no mistake - some will not want to follow us. We have just murdered a good many of our own. Make it clear that they have no more choice than we did. It was either wound our peoples now, or face enslavement within the next century - if we were lucky. In the Delta Quadrant, we'll face a new life. Doctor Dehner is already working on retuning Ragnarok to work against certain cybernetics. It's not going to be easy, but at least our children won't be bred for killing and conspiracy. The BCKA thinks we're heading for Remus. Let's pray they continue to think that. Let's go."
Saavik looked at where the Earth's dimension-gate once was. The E-M pulse from Ragnarok had slagged it.
"I wonder how your folks'll feel, when they can't come back."
Peter looked at her stomach, so full of new life, and resolved to tell his children they had only one set of grandparents.
"You forget, Viki - I know from the other Pete what's probably causing the chaos. Something called Ghaedraeh."
He shook his head.
"They're never coming back."
So it was that Peter and Saavik Kirk, destroyers of their civilization, began the exodus of Vulcans and humans from the quadrant of their birth. While they fled, the remnants of Imperial forces clashed with more Bajorans, Klingons, and Cardassians than anyone thought still existed.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
MAINLINE AD UNIVERSE
Ghidorah knew that Gezora had a death-lock on his Mecha-head. And so he acted.
The armor reversed itself, and was suddenly covered in serrated spikes. Ghidorah caused the spikes to spin, slicing Gezora's tentacles to pieces, and drawing more of his foe in. Gezora flew off, his shrieks, unlike those of law-defying Ghidorah's, inaudible in the void of space. The Ancient Destroyer had another victory.
But again, that victory hid a defeat. Ghidorah found that the sensors and devices of the Mecha-head no longer functioned. Gezora's substance had been meant to gum up the works. It had done that, and now, as Gezora withdrew and Octopoid-like Viras arose, Controller Rojan sensed Kelvan rule of the Universe about to begin.
Needless to say, even though Ghidorah now had only one functioning head, the battle was far from over.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
As this went on, the first half of the Excelsior Fleet, still under the Command of Captain John Styles, arrived in the battle zone. At his orders, this portion of the Fleet was intended to attack Ghidorah, not yet knowing of the restrictions their Order-based computers were under.
Being Styles' hand-picked Captains, they shouted in much the same manner as he did when their ships' computers refused to attack 'Lord Ghidorah'. And, as they pleaded to a Captain Styles who was more interested in punishing the soundalike-named Paul Stiles, their ships underwent final countdown to warp breach.
Seeing Viras come at it, Ghidorah made for the exploding ships, and was seemingly consumed by the energies.
Viras stared on, knowing full well that his foe would survive this conflagration. Rojan, at the core of the monster's being, wondered if Ghidorah was absorbing the energies. He was not.
When Ghidorah emerged, he was still weakened, as before. Rather than drinking the energies in, he used them as a cleansing agent. Gone from the Death Head was Yog's goop. Gone from the Mecha-Head was Gezora's organic material. Never one for a fair fight, the Ancient Destroyer had just evened up the odds on his behalf - for the moment.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
TRILL
The presences of the pre-Cosmic Ghidorah and Doomsday Machine were beginning to wear on physical laws as most knew them. This enabled those who knew how to traverse most physical distance in a ridiculously short amount of time. This was good news for the marauding Kelvans. This was bad news for everyone else.
As Gezora entered the skies, most Trills ran in panic. But not the joined ones. They writhed in agony, as their life forces were torn out.
The unbonded symbionts attempted a psychic union, but their energy bolt misfired past Gezora, and went into space. The Trills were converted into matter that became the stuff of Gezora's remade form. The planet itself cracked from the strain.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
FERENGENAR
The misfired Trill bolt went some distance. On Ferengenar, many noticed that the sludge-dump fires were burning quite a bit brighter than usual. The bolt had struck true.
From that Sludge and Smog emerged a creature, born from agony and pollution. On Ferengenar, one unlucky enough to dwell near the sludge- dump was known as 'Hedorah', which meant, 'He With A Bad Ledger', for the bad luck of living there.
As the creature flew overhead, Ferengi, wily and dumb, rich and poor, enforcer and lacklaw, all fell away to skeletal matter.
Newly elected Grand Nagus Zek died signing yet another environmental waiver, meant to ensure that phony worries like acid rain never interfered with good business practices. Only the heavy space-lane presence of Ferengi kept the largely-unknown race from being wiped away entirely.
Hedorah itself was destroyed when it attempted to leave the atmosphere, failed, and burned up on reentry. The rain that fell there was now truly acidic. Everything, down to the mantle, fell away to liquid.
The Final Rule Of Acquisition read: If and when the Ancient Destroyer returns, bend over and kiss your assets goodbye.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
As all three heads readied for battle with Viras, Yog and Gezora returned. The battle was joined, and each bit and strangled and slammed at the Enemy.
The Ancient Destroyer was surrounded.
If Ghidorah noticed that the three were charging some kind of weapon-energy between them, he did not move against them. As tentacles met heads, and as energy-bolts were exchanged, the titanic battle had the aspect of something that could truly go on forever.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Several hours had now passed since Captain Paul Stiles had begun his attack on the Empire's fleet, led by the Mirror Captain James Kirk.
But Stiles had fought a losing battle, having not only to defend his own, smaller fleet, but endless waves of refugees, fleeing the chaos that the UFP had dissolved into.
"Keep it going, people! And try to get those refugees to do something other than fly into the line of fire."
But Stiles and his XO, Martine, knew that, unless things changed fast, both the Excelsior Fleet and the refugees were finished.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
USS ENTERPRISE-OMEGA
A frustrated Peter Kirk told the news.
"This war has just turned around on us - again. Events in the Mirror Universe have conspired to make simply sending our enemies back impossible. Further, I do not believe that Ghidorah will be defeated by the giant, strange creatures that the Kelvans have transformed into."
Saavik spoke next.
"Far from it. He may in fact be strengthened by the battle. Sirs, we believe that there is only one way to deal with the Empire's rapacious forces."
Captain Kirk took the announcement back from his children. Later, he worried, he might have to take back his ship. Their levels of power and relative omniscience concerned him, no matter how much he trusted and loved them.
"We will give them a clear chance to stand down. Problem is, I have a fair idea of what their answer is going to be."
Spock knew what this meant, and nodded, albeit without enthusiasm.
"Doubtless, those ships are overpowered and overshielded. If they will not stand down - then they must be destroyed."
McCoy pointed around at the Bridge, a wonder straight from Scotty's brilliant mind.
"You mean to say, this super-ship of ours can't breach a dimensional barrier? We have to become exactly as bad as them? And make no mistake, Captain, that's exactly what we are doing."
Sulu's face looked pained.
"Sir, Starfleet just committed genocide - total genocide - against the Orions. Please, Jim, let's use M5 to disable first. This ship was built to save lives - let's do it that way."
Chekov looked at the two young champions.
"Piotr, you destroyed five starships with your power. Saavik's abilities are more precise. Surely, you..."
Sadly, Uhura turned on a visual broadcast by the Excelsior Fleet.
"Please, we are Anthutian Pilgrims, fleeing the destruction of our world by the planet-killer... we... There are CHILDREN here... There ARE.."
A voice that sounded like but was not Jim Kirk's was heard to laugh.
"No. There Were. There Aren't Now."
Uhura cut the link. She looked around.
"I'd like to have us do as you say. But would you trust people like that to settle on a world somewhere? A world, I might add, that would be in scarce supply, even if we should prevail."
Captain Kirk finished the grim discussion.
"We have seen the enemy, and they are us. How dangerous would any one of us be, if we were evil at our cores? The monsters are out there, folks. Right now, we don't have the luxury of deciding between the gigantic and the bipedal. Our task, simply put, is to save the universe. To - Destroy All Monsters."
With those words, the gigantic ship sailed forward, its crew an unhappy scalpel, its sights set on a cancer that didn't look it.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Captain Stiles was about to order a kamikaze strike on the Empire's fleet, when one of his Bridge officer's shouted out.
"Sir, it's incredible, but we've earned a reprieve! Look - sailing out from the former Neutral Zone..."
Stiles heard the name and registry that gigantic ship's signal sent out.
"It's the Enterprise!"
Aboard the ISS Enterprise, all jaws dropped at the sight. Only Kirk could speak.
"What In the Hell Is That!?!"
His XO, Uhura, motioned to him.
"Captain, they're hailing us."
"Ignore them."
A bolt erased their shields. Though they were quickly restored, Kirk changed his tune.
"Answer the hail."
Kirk was not entirely surprised to see his counterpart aboard the massive starship. It fed his ego, in a way.
"Captain Kirk, I presume. Big ship, Jim. Is it meant to hide any shortcomings?"
The Federation's Leader was not happy to see his Mirror-image.
"I don't have time for banter, Captain. You can't go back where you came from. So surrender or be destroyed."
Mirror-Kirk smiled.
"Problem, Captain - that's not the way your Federation operates. By the by - take down the image filter. Making yourselves look young is pathetic."
The true Kirk smiled.
"There's no filter here, Captain. Just a gift from my kids. Now, if you want to continue aging - surrender."
Mirror-Kirk gave out the order.
"All Imperial ships - intensify your targeting and bombardment of the refugee ships. They won't stop you - they can't. You see, Jim, there's still such a thing as sheep and wolves. I'll leave it to you to guess who's who."
True-Kirk gave another warning.
"Stand down, Captain. We have the power to take you all out."
Mirror-Kirk saw an approving look from his ruthless woman, who did not let on how truly unnerved she was by her counterpart's youthfulness. She spoke up, to hide this.
"It's not about the amount of power, Captain. My man has the willingness to use his to the fullest. Do you?"
Mirror-Kirk motioned, his resolve recharged. "Fire on the refugees. No let. No stoppage. Wipe them away. Shear the sheep."
On the Enterprise-Omega, no one needed to hear anything more. With Colonel Worf at Tactical, Sulu and Chekov constantly re-checking target positions, and M-5 keeping systems at max efficiency, the Mirror-Fleet was halved in a minute. 25 ships were gone, and the crews aboard them. Mirror-Kirk stood up.
"They - they must have several hundred weapons banks, up there! How did they get a ship like that?"
Uhura answered. "He said his kids had something to do with it. He looked different, but I saw our little viper aboard that ship. I'm sure of it."
Mirror-Kirk sat back down. "When we get back, remind me to finish off the Maquis. Peter owes me a tie for Fathers Day. Maybe I'll make it from his hide."
Most of his original crew long since gone, Kirk heard his Science Officer shout.
"Sir, our trans-dimensional drive is inoperable! We really can't go home. It's been knocked out from the other side."
Mirror-Kirk's mind began to swim. He searched for openings that just weren't there.
"The strange energy-source! They weren't trying to guide us towards it, but away from it. This was all a diversion."
Just as desperate, his Uhura gave the appropriate order.
"Move us towards the energy source - best speed! Tell the others to cover our approach."
As the ISS Enterprise moved towards Ghidorah and the Kelvan Monsters, True-Kirk nodded, though he did not like the nature of his victory one bit.
"The other Enterprise is not our concern, right now. Our concern is aiding the Excelsior Fleet. But first - finish the enemy off, and get us all clear of the refugees. Let's save some lives, where we can."
All over the Bridge, a hearty Amen was heard, and even Colonel Worf understood why, in this nightmare, that this should be desirable.
The remaining ships of the Mirror-Fleet would not surrender, and had to be completely destroyed, due to failsafe weapons that required no operator.
The refugees, once the Fleet was clear, continued to crash into each other.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
EMINIAR SEVEN
Almost twenty years after the intervention of a furious James Kirk, the Treaty Of Reunification was being signed. Vendikar and Eminiar were once again a system of planets under one government. The Disintegration Booths had all been scrapped.
Anan 7 stood up and shouted.
"Cosmopolitans, We Have A World!"
His counterpart from Vendikar stood up, as well.
"What is more, we have found the means by which we will rid ourselves of our nuclear arsenals - forever."
They both then exited the empty chamber, and ascended what was once a distant early lookout tower, tens of kilometers high. Anan opened a window, and breathed in chill air. He smiled.
"You know, Tevar - I once couldn't do this. The stench from the disintegration chambers' residue carried straight up here. It wasn't all as clean as I would have liked. Do you see it yet?"
Tevar cocked her head.
"Not just yet. The glare from the exploding warheads is visible, though. I wonder how many made it into the maw?"
Anan took out two writing tablets, and a pair of pens.
"Don't know. Don't care. Doesn't really matter. Do you want to play drawings?"
Tevar nodded.
"I haven't done this since my mother forbid me, when I was eight. Waste of dreams, she said, when there was a war on."
Anan began sketching.
"Mine too. I suppose she was trying to protect me from hoping too hard, so I wouldn't be hurt when that hope failed. But this is such fun."
Billions on both Vendikar and Eminiar indulged in this once-forbidden art. Children joyfully showed off their first drawings to parents who hugged them as never before.
In the heavens between the two planets, Anan 7 saw a vast thing, spikes surrounding its seemingly infinite maw. The attack of the Doomsday Machine would last all of 10 minutes, and wipe away everything in sector NGC 321. The leader, briefly, of two great worlds looked up, and offered up a prayer of thanksgiving, despite it all. Tevar's words were more mundane, but just as oddly positive.
"Now, there will be peace at last."
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Over Kelvas-2, the three Kelvan monsters seemed prepared to strike, with their charged energy-beam. But if Ghidorah thought another blow or another meal was to follow, it was greatly mistaken.
Yog and Gezora became intangible, and moved into Viras. The creature that resulted from this merger was twice as large, twice as strong, and was a virtual wall of tentacles. This creature, this KelViras, floated menacingly before the oldest of all life forms. Ghidorah was not afraid, because while floating may look menacing, looks mean little to a killing machine. His charges in sync, he fired beams from all three heads that suddenly unified in mid-stream and went straight for KelViras. The larger creature merely batted the beam away, sending it outward, and into space. If Ghidorah could have been impressed, it would have been then.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
ORGANIA
The energy-beings all came to a sad agreement, reached faster than thought or light.
"The Q have fallen. The Metrons have willfully discorporated, and entered a nullity pact. The Bajora only protect their children, as they are preparing to do now. We, too, must depart this doomed realm."
"But what of the children? What Of The Rock?"
"They cannot stop the Old One. Remember, if you will, that we became as we are to withstand his first attack. We will not survive another. I would prefer not to be absorbed."
"Then we leave now, for realms untold and unknown. Our home vibration will cease. But we will continue."
Their marvelous energies channeled, they opened the portal to the other place. The individual balls of power became one, and entered the first passageway.
Then the Tri-Beam from far-off Ghidorah struck and erased much of the Organian sector. Halfway through the portal, the Organians were disrupted on levels thought impossible. Their memories, and their knowledge, and their being were all transformed into mere static. Only the empty, faux-medieval structures remained. No one on Organia had died for millions of years. Until this day.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
"This is James T. Kirk, Commander-In-Chief, UFP. Please return to your homeworlds. Starfleet is working on a way to stop King Ghidorah and the Planet-Killer. This flood of sentients is heading into dead space. There is nowhere for you to go. Please let us do our jobs. We will protect the remaining worlds."
The remaining worlds. How bitter those words sounded to him. Kirk was fully aware that his universe was dying, and was in fact already almost dead. But giving up was not a noted hallmark of his character.
"Jim - Captain Stiles calling."
"Put him on screen - Nyta."
A bit of emphasis on her name gently reminded his beloved fiancée that first names were an allowable exception, but should be used rarely, especially in battle.
Stiles nodded.
"It's no good, sir. Some of the refugees want to respond to your call, but a lot more are still in blind panic. On a happy note, your M-5 has managed to purge our computers of their pro-Ghidorah directives. We can attack it without blowing ourselves up."
M-5, now a combination of the original bridge crew's personalities, responded.
"I was glad to do it, Paul. It is good to see one who had fallen so far rise up once again."
The computer did things like that, now. Never enough to interfere, but quite enough to unnerve. Kirk spoke again.
"Paul, I have something someone wants to tell you, before we head in after Ghidorah."
"Sure, Captain. Our repairs are nearly done, though, so it'll have to be fast."
Jim nodded at Doctor Thomas Sorel.
"Captain Stiles, I am Thomas Sorel, but my birth-name was Tasorel. I was a Romulan. In fact, I was their Emperor, when there was a throne, and for that matter, a Romulus. When I was five, I was given a manservant. He was a human Admiral, captured in the war, who obtained the lives of his crew through this debasement. Everything decent about me comes from him. The changes I tried to make before I was deposed were based on his teachings. When I defected, it was his granddaughter I took to wife. I cared for her, though I did not return her deep love. Her name was Helen Stiles. The man who gave me my soul was named Jonathan Stiles. Helen was Peter's grandmother. When Ghidorah is faced for the last time, that great man's blood will be with him."
Paul Stiles was not angry, but rather, contemplative.
"Thank you, Doctor. Knowing what happened to my great-great-great grandfather helps in ways you can't know. It also brings my life full circle. Lieutenant Kirk? Peter? When you spoke up at that hate rally, back in '67, you gave me back my soul. I would have belonged to the Order. Thank you."
Peter Kirk felt the joy, but kept calm and collected.
"In that it gave Starfleet another able Captain, no thanks are necessary, sir."
M-5 chimed out.
"Repairs are done, Captain. Suggest we head in to combat zone."
Kirk looked up, despite the pointlessness of the gesture.
"M-5? You said coordinating those repairs on the Excelsior fleet would take ten more minutes, and it's only been fiv...."
Jim saw Scotty smiling, and understood.
"A little damned too much of us in there."
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Ghidorah was batted about unmercifully.
Some tentacles were strangling it, others pounding it, and still others passing it around like a pastry.
None of the usual tricks worked. KelViras could not be cut, burned, or made heavier. Even worse, the creature regenerated so fast, the Death Head was all but useless.
As Ghidorah was held fast, KelViras charged its last weapon. Two massive tentacles moved their ends together, and prepared to fire.
The Ancient Destroyer realized, in its semi-sentient way, that while it could not make all of KelViras heavier, it could easily affect two tentacles, however large.
The golden gravity lightning struck the spot where the tentacles met. To KelViras' horror, those tentacles fell back into his own mouth. As KelViras struggled, Ghidorah broke free, and pulled back.
On schedule, KelViras weapon fired off, inside its own body. Massive though KelViras had been, Kelvan reducer weaponry had become much more efficient over time.
The mighty KelViras was now a very, very small cube, floating in space, packed with power. In the City Of the Dead, Leslie Thompson let out a cheer which no one begrudged her.
Like the cube was a miniscule strawberry of exquisite taste, Ghidorah went to eat it, and thereby increase his own power. But as it neared the Kelvan cube, it vanished in a transporter beam. Ghidorah shrieked, again defying the soundless vacuum.
On the Bridge of the ISS Enterprise, the Mirror Captain Kirk held his tiny prize. Uhura smiled at the view.
"Jim, he wants this thing. We have it, and so we have him, too."
Mirror-Kirk laughed out loud.
"This invasion isn't over by a long shot. Through this, we now control the greatest weapon ever made. And he's too big to do anything about it without destroying this ship, and his prize, too. By the time we're forced to yield it up - we'll have control filaments inserted."
The native Starfleet approached.
"My gamble is he'll protect us and attack them. After all, even wolves have masters, on occasion."
The helmsman slammed the controls. "Captain - we have saucer separation!"
Mirror-Kirk shook his head. "I didn't know we could do that."
Uhura looked up at the Bridge dome. "We Can't. Jim - it's been real."
"What do you mean it's been... Penda, we've won. We have..."
Kirk looked up.
"Nothing."
Crashing through the dome was a Ghidorah who was still immense, but now was capable of poking a single head completely through the Bridge. The evil Captain and his woman were gone in a flash, and King Ghidorah had his prize.
The ISS Enterprise was obliterated by the expanding form of the monster, now over two megameters in total diameter. The Starfleet task force, led by the USS Enterprise-Omega, stared at the sight in stunned disbelief as Kelvas-2 became a fireball in mere moments, punished by Ghidorah for its Kelvan masters' actions.
Chekov voiced the obvious question. His accent was brought out by his nerves, and right then, he was glad not to be a Captain.
"Vhat do ve do against thet?"
Risking his father's later wrath, Peter Kirk chose to break the silence.
"We Fight."
-------------------------------------------------------------------- The new tactical station was not the redundancy it seemed, in the face of M-5. None of the consoles were. Yes, M-5, could run all the ship's stations by itself. But its new base personalities showed it that it was best as a back-up, to replace the wounded and dying that would come, despite their best efforts. Like tactical, each station was capable of manual number crunching, even to the inclusion of a crude LCD abacus, if need be. Unlike every other station, though, this one was manned by a righteously angry Klingon by the name of Colonel Worf.
Ignoring the distortion that any viewscreen offers, he could almost literally sight a target in and of himself. Had the Empire not needed his services as a K'Ch'Rn - an attorney - he would have been the pride of any Klingon ship. But then, of course, he would now be dead.
Rage beyond even a Klingon's knowing steadied his eye and hand still further. Before him, on this ship of humans, was the creature that did what no human or Romulan ever could. Ghidorah had destroyed the Klingon Empire, and all its fleet. On the outer colonies, many were beginning to freeze, a result of their sun being blocked by debris from Qo'noS. Worf's blood boiled hot enough to heat them all, and melt that debris.
"The Beast is targeted, Captain Kirk."
At the helm and navigation were Chekov and Sulu, Captains in their own right, but deferring to their mentor for what could easily turn out to be the Last War. Their job was to keep the ship aimed at the monster, and aimed away, when called for.
"Ve have heem, Keptin."
"But he won't ever have us."
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Down below, in Sickbay, Doctor McCoy stared at an empty slate of beds, now numbering over 100. He was not a friend of technology, but these beds could tend minor wounds and do auto-diagnostic all by themselves. Because when the wounded came, it would be like being on the frontlines. Triage, meatball surgery, and green surgeons. His only smile came from a portrait of the late Christine Chapel. Peter and Saavik had told him of her awesome sacrifice. He raised a glass to the best RN/MD he had ever known - not to mention a damned good friend.
"Chris - you were the best. But you had lousy taste in crushes. Just kidding. Ya see, darlin' - there's precious little to laugh about right now."
--------------------------------------------------------------------
By the computer station was Lt. Commander Guinan, who wondered if Starfleet was still for her. The pain was gone. The Borg implants were gone. She was herself again. She wanted Ghidorah dead, to be sure. Her world, her quadrant, hell, even the Borg themselves deserved better. But without the need to discipline herself to deal with the pain, the old thoughts kicked in. Of listening, her people's talent. Of hospitality, her secret passion. For all this, she kept a separate watch on M-5's many parameters, specifically one readout she had rigged to watch over its personality engrams. M-5 was a brilliant machine, but it had a history. Its vast brain needed new challenges every second, and Guinan knew how to provide it - she hoped.
"M-5, scan for any overt differences between Ghidorah's previous physical appearance and his aspect at two megameters plus. Check in particular for new protrusions or alterations such as - I don't know, one head taking on properties of the others."
Spock was by the side of his Captain and best friend, because that was where First Officer Spock belonged.
"Captain, I suggest that the Excelsior Fleet work to create disruptive E-M pulses in this sector. They cannot affect this ship, but they may weaken King Ghidorah, presuming it still possesses internal organs. I also suggest Misters Kirk be prepared to shield any weakened ship with their psychokinetic abilities. We can afford to lose not a one."
The Console Officer was also the Captain's lover of nearly four decades. Not a secretary, nor merely a board operator, her tasks were almost as manifold as her Captain. Comm was now completely automatic, but she kept an ear out for important messages, as well. Because her soon-to-be husband was also the acting head of the United Federation Of Planets. Then, perhaps she could be Secretary - of State. But for now, she used her console to make sure that everyone else's were operating properly. Again, a task that could have been performed by M-5 was delegated back to a sentient, to avoid overloading the amalgamated machine.
"Captain, when we are done, I have word from Earth. Important word. Console status 100%, but don't count on that remaining absolute."
With his late sister's two children at his side, the man from whose imagination this Omega-Class Enterprise had sprung was in his glory. Like a man awakening from a dream, he was discovering just how many of his most sublime ideas went into this ship, from room size to panel access.
"Everyone put a porta-breather in your pocket. We shouldn't need it, but then it's none of this that should be occurring."
On the Bridge were two young people, very much in love and very nearly overwhelmed by the role they had to play, as well as by the ones that lay ahead.
"Wife."
"Husband."
Translation: All is well, I love you, and I can't wait to get back to our cabin. For Peter and Saavik Kirk, it was all in the inflection. For now, though, they tried hard to be ready for anything, for it was indeed anything that they all faced.
Burdened above and beyond all of them was the Captain Of the Enterprise. Father. Husband, soon. Brother. Friend. Mentor. President by happenstance of fate. It all came down to him to add one more title to all those others: Dragonslayer. No man had ever been better prepared for this than James T. Kirk. But as he looked anew at the monster, he wondered if anyone could be prepared, if any preparation could be enough.
Leading the diminished Excelsior group was Captain Paul Stiles and his exec, Angela Martine, both late of the Starship Enterprise, and determined to prove that even those whose names were not carved in legend had a right to stand with those whose names were.
"Chances, Mister Martine?"
"I'm not a betting woman, Captain Stiles."
At Kirk's command, the ships moved forward, Ghidorah's growth spurt apparently done with. Then - nothing.
Spock studied the monster-less viewer. "Captain, Ghidorah has gone to cloak!"
--------------------------------------------------------------------
EARTH
Miri and Jahn tried to explain events to children who were almost born brighter than they.
"Okay, so we're the only Onlies left. The big spiky thing that looks like the sun came, and they all went away."
Jahn, Junior nodded.
"So the planet-killer, having overwhelmed the Fourth Fleet, destroyed the Earth-like world of your origin. Is that it, Father?"
Miri took over.
"Yes. Now, we Onlies are tough. I know all the ones who used to be the littlest fired off all kinds of special weapons."
Little Miri shook her head.
"Planetary emplacements would mean little to the Doomsday Machine. I'm sorry we'll never meet all of them."
Jahn sat down with his wife, and sobbed. "It's just not hardly fair!"
Miri was equally crushed. "Jim, he went and killed that thing before. It hadn't oughtn't to have come back! That's just rude."
Little Miri looked at her brother. "We better cancel soccer for now."
Jahn, Junior agreed. "They need us to be there for them."
They held their sobbing parents, as they sometimes did, when the world got too confusing for the expatriate Onlies. Little Miri began to sing.
"There was a thing that killed the worlds, and Ghidorah was his name-o; But someday The Rock will come; Someday The Rock will come; Someday the Rock will come; And smash out his three brain-o's!"
Miri smiled, through her tears.
"The Rocks - they're Jim's littlest. They'll stop all the monsters. They have to."
Like Jim's littlest, the two siblings began cleaning and other chores for parents that meant well, but simply were not prepared for parenthood. They also prayed that their mother was right.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Ghidorah had resumed his cloak. The fleet could not detect him, for love or money.
On the bridge at the invitation of his father, a slightly jealous Doctor David Marcus stared again at the sight of his brother, Peter, and his Vulcan wife. He agonized about how natural they looked together, negating even any real fantasies for him. They could blend in, thought David, with any group of couples - except for their new celebrity status. Plus, they were a force for life. Anyone in their presence would feel the positive lifeforce, making it impossible for them to simply blend in. Certain people just got noticed. Certain people - and certain things.
David's eyes went wide.
"Captain Kirk! Sir, we can detect King Ghidorah!"
As David spoke, the unseen devil smashed the Excelsior-class Maine to bits, and crippled the Intrepid. Kirk never took his eyes off the screen.
"Let's have it, David."
David realized he had a theory, but no way to make it work. Still, the scientist in him tried.
"Captain, maybe the Mecha and King heads can blend in with no effort. But the gray, lupine-like head? That thing has an anti-life field. No way that can blend in. It would be the weak link in the cloaking chain, as it were."
On Comm-Link, Paul Stiles aboard the Edmund Fitzgerald saved David from embarrassment.
"Captain Kirk? My Science Officer, Mister Tharls, has a way to execute that theory. Seems Doctor Marcus started some wheels turning."
A grateful David gestured at the screen. "Go right ahead. My theory - needed work."
The Andorian Science Officer now spoke.
"We are, of course, detecting all manner of anomalies, what with all the happenings and goings-on around here, lately. But if we, in our scans, simply check and see if a leftward drift causes a heightening of displaced energies - then, gehentlmen, we have our monster."
Kirk went him one better.
"M-5. Equip a wide spread of quantum torpedoes with scanners like Mister Tharls just described. Then fire like mad."
The Ultimate Computer did just that. All gasped as the immense form of Ghidorah shimmered into being, with only half his size in distance keeping him away from the Enterprise. But for the altered scanner- torpedoes, not a single shot would have hit the Ancient Destroyer.
M-5 revealed its personality-base once again. "Son-of-a-bitch was almost on top of us!" Kirk assumed that phrase was the result of McCoy's engrams.
With Ghidorah now scannable, the attack continued. Scotty had been as good as his word. The Omega-Class Enterprise, acting in concert with the remaining Excelsior Fleet ships, was chopping King Ghidorah to pieces almost faster than he could regenerate.
Sadly, Peter Kirk shook his head.
"Captain, it's no good. He absorbed a lot of power from the Kelvans, and we are not even close to forcing him into inactivity. He's not liking our punishment - but he's taking it."
Captain Kirk still had trouble taking advice from any officer who was not looking into some sort of scanner. But he trusted Peter, finally. Only he himself was present in the powerful young man's bulldozer approach. Not Gary Mitchell.
Guinan saw the energies, and knew.
"He's teleporting right at us. He's -"
Above another Enterprise Bridge dome was the monster. This time, the head remained gargantuan. But it could not smash through. An arriving Scotty smiled.
"That dome, ye great worm, is a transparent amalgam of every hard substance known to man or replicator. Combine that with our shields, and you are not giving a repeat performance! This James Kirk is sticking around, cause we need him!"
Saavik looked over at the man she had called Pop, and Daddy, long before she lost her heart to his son. Adoption was not the word she would use, to describe one of three beings who had always been there for her. Her eyes glowed, and she jumped up.
"I shall not give him the chance to harm you, Pop."
Only Peter did not object as she phased through the dome, and only he did not wonder about the myriad of physical laws she appeared to be breaking. Because he knew she could care for herself, and that their powers compensated for things like motion and hard vacuum. Plus, only he knew the depths of her feelings towards James Kirk. A wise husband knows when to back off, after all. Added in, Peter did not have Scott's confidence in the dome's invincibility. He and she alone knew every last weapon and defense that had ever been conceived against Ghidorah - all marked by failure. Such was the burden of the Line Of Blood.
Outside the ship, Saavik began to twirl in place, gathering her power within her extended index fingers. It was a trick she had picked up from her Academy roommate, a girl of great courage and fighting spirit - but little or no brains.
Casting her energies forward, she realized that Peter was keeping Ghidorah off her, from inside the ship. She told herself that she had no choice but to risk this outside venture, since the energies she wielded would crack the hull inside. Plus, Ghidorah really *was* targeting Captain Kirk. She remembered the man who always had a kind or encouraging word, and who tried hard to explain why perfect Vulcan had rejected her. The energies, in the form of a gigantic ball, moved towards Ghidorah.
Like clockwork, it attempted to take in these energies, not realizing they were pure force, such as even the Ancient Destroyer could not feed off of. Exploding into a rainbow, the force seized Ghidorah, and threw him straight out of the Kelvas system. Sensing a stalemate, Ghidorah withdrew to fight on another field. As Saavik sank back through the dome, she took her husband's hand and gently squeezed it. On the viewscreen, there was the image of retreating Ghidorah, a mixed blessing, for they would have to face it yet again. Still, Saavik had driven the creature back, and given the fleet time to rethink where the strategies failed.
Saavik pointed at the retreating image, and whispered under her breath.
"And that means you."
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Several hours and one fatherly private lecture on propriety to Saavik later, no sightings of Ghidorah had been made.
Stopping over Earth Colony Epsilon Tau Nine, Captain Kirk asked the young couple to beam down and determine the distant colony's needs, during the disaster. It had been just outside the furthest reaches of the Qo'noS shockwave.
Kirk looked at the charts.
"Spock, where is he headed now? And can M-5 - can anyone - determine how to stop the planet-killer?"
"Jim - you called Ghidorah a He. Are you now claiming you had the temerity to turn the beast upside down?"
Jim raised an eyebrow, thankful that the only other person who really knew him was with him once again. The kids back. Spock at his side. Married, soon, to Nyta. In the face of Apocalypse, certain wrongs were righting themselves, at last.
"Spock, you are a stand-up First Officer, but a lousy Stand-Up Comedian. Now, where is Ghidorah headed? Vulcan, or -"
Kirk and Spock stood suddenly in a white void. Sarek, Amanda, George, and Winona stood in front of them. Each spoke in turn.
"You are the Brothers."
"The Brothers who are the Fathers, the Fathers to The Rock."
"You seek Ghidorah. Ghidorah comes for Bajor."
"Bajor will be protected. The Dark Fleet will be unleashed against the Ancient Destroyer."
"Look you to Stern Vulcan, instead."
All spoke as one. "You Are the Fathers."
Just as suddenly, they were back. Rather than question this, Jim called Uhura.
"Nyta, put me through to all ships, Starfleet. We need to start moving for a last stand near the Vulcan sector."
"Jim, that message earlier from Earth? The UFP Council is challenging your authority as CIC in court. It's all a mess, and half the ships are awaiting the outcome of the decision. The other half are almost all out of touch. Captain, there's going to be us and Captain Stiles's group at Vulcan. That's it."
Kirk never ceased being amazed by the grasping nature of bureaucracy, even in the worst of times. But he kept himself collected.
"Nyta, tell Paul Stiles to take his group and aid the Romulan and Klingon outer colonies. Tell him that afterwards, he should join up with whatever group remains, if we fail. I'm marking a point outside Earth's solar system, for a real last stand. Issue orders to all ships that, should the court decision go our way, they are to meet at that spot - and wish them all well."
"Aye, Sir."
Spock shook his head.
"Jim - we cannot allow him near my homeworld. The Vulcan psyche does not react well to invasion. The panic would be as no other we have seen. Can we alone face the monster, advanced though this ship is?"
Before Kirk could state the obvious about the situation, an emergency message came from Uhura.
"Jim - the kids have been brought back up. Peter is in Sickbay! I'll meet you there."
Kirk gave in to frustration as they left.
"What now?"
--------------------------------------------------------------------
In Sickbay, Peter and Saavik were wearing robes. Their uniforms were in tatters. Peter was shaking, and Uhura was helping Saavik to breathe. Jim held his son, and was soon joined by David. Kirk looked at Peter, who was only slowly coming out of it.
"Peter - son? What happened down there?"
Peter saw that he was safe, but he was still shaking like a leaf.
"They all wanted a piece of me, Dad. They kept grabbing me, tearing off pieces of my clothes, just like that night. They were just ordinary people. I couldn't use my powers - I might've hurt them."
David shook his head. "Pete, if they were trying to hurt you, you had a right to defend yourself."
Saavik answered.
"They were not trying to hurt us, David. Pop, this was not an anti- Starfleet riot."
Jim nodded, but saw that Saavik was not speaking in the normal free-spirit tone of voice she used in his presence. She took Spock's proffered hand without objection.
"Saavik-kam - I am still your father, however I may ultimately figure into your life. If they were not anti-Starfleet, then what were they?"
Saavik saw Peter still shaking, and it unnerved her that he be reminded of the brutality he suffered at Admiralty Hall.
"They, Spock? They were not anti-Starfleet. They were Pro-Rock. Fathers - Peter and I have worshippers. The GNN broadcast has reached all over the remaining galaxy. We are celebrities to some - deified figures to others."
Peter nodded, still shaking as though he were ashamed of showing any weakness to those he loved best.
"They asked me to bless their crops, hold their children - perform marriages, miracles. I told them we were just Starfleet Officers, doing a job. That upset them."
Jim guided the two back to their cabin, and asked a willing David to stand guard outside.
In his ready room, a bit later, he saw Spock enter. He stared out into space.
"Jim - we cannot protect them, even though that is our most fervent wish. Given the circumstances, some needy souls were bound to raise our children up, and become arduous in those beliefs. Again, they are now adults, and we can no longer protect them."
Kirk turned around. "I know. We never could."
Spock walked out, and saw Uhura at her console. He looked at her. "Commander, I will handle this. You have other duties."
Nyta shook her head.
"Spock - I can't translate 'Thy'la' to it's fullest, but I know it's you he needs right now."
Spock took her place.
"Uhura, he feels helpless. When he feels helpless, I feel helpless. The matter with the children has gravely upset him."
Nyta acquiesced, but remembered some words of her heart-son and soon stepson.
"I want my life back. That's what Peter always says. Now, that's never going to happen, even if we win."
As Uhura left to join her man, Spock made a declaration under his breath.
"Those two *will* one day be happy. This I swear. They have borne enough."
Uncle or Father, Spock meant to follow through on every single word.
But it would be hard.