I get to conquer the Federation (SW SI X ST)

[AlphaOmega]

For the sith there were 4 sith empires, then you had the eternal empire which did both republic and sith in.

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The Sith Empire of the Old Republic game is the second one to bear that name

Plus before the rakatan you had the 3 republics of the core and then the first republic based out of coruscant, thats when the original works were built.

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What Republics of the Core? Before the Rakatans were the Celestials. Humans and other races were still banging rocks together at that point. Except for Gree which were contemporaries of the Rakatans. Do you have a link for those Republics of the Core you mention?

 

[Concorian]

The Sith Empire of the Old Republic game is the second one to bear that name

What Republics of the Core? Before the Rakatans were the Celestials. Humans and other races were still banging rocks together at that point. Except for Gree which were contemporaries of the Rakatans. Do you have a link for those Republics of the Core you mention?

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The rakatan found humans on coruscant the had already start building what would become the planet wide city and had sent out sleeper ships to form colonies. they had also met the gree who helped build the works area of the planet this happened between 100,00 bby and 30,000bby the formed the first republic on coruscant. the rakatan invaded and attacked them in 30,000bby and started spreading humans all over minus the sleep ships that landed on places like kuat and corellia and alderaan.

It was around 25,200bby that corusant was retaken from the rakatan and technically the first republic was formed from the surronding core worlds.

I know they two names used in the maps and by the empire were the, Tetrahedron and later the Arrowhead. and the first republic style goverments were Corellia, Coruscant, and Duro along with Alaskan. i think alderaan was included but it was a monarchy. I wil try and find the sourcebook i had about it. its been a few years. i do know thought that post 15,000 bby there were only 5 govements organised to be galactic. rakatan remants in the galactic west, the human core(later republic) in the center,, xims empire just north of the hutt empire in the galactic east. and finally the Herglic Trade Empire(it was absorbed to become the outh part of the republic in 13,000) south of the core.

 

[Jaenera Targaryen]

The Sith Empire of the Old Republic game is the second one to bear that name

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Actually, no. It's the same Sith Empire from before the Great Hyperspace War, just forced to relocate its capital. Dromund Kaas actually was a lost colony that Darth Vitiate (secretly) rediscovered before the war.

It's kinda why they call themselves the 'True Sith'. They had a continuity that other so-called Sith Empires of the time, such as Exar Kun's or even Revan's lacked. It's also why they prioritized retaking Korriban at the start of the Great Hyperspace War, symbolic of their unjust exile coming to an end by reclaiming their homeworld.

 

[Jaenera Targaryen]

In New York, the UN Memorial Complex was on fire, rioters rampaging unchecked through its grounds and corridors. The statues of the delegates which had negotiated the end of WWIII had been pulled down, while the stone slab bearing the original United Earth Charter had been defaced. "LIES" it read, marked in red paint across the once-gleaming surface, splattered and pitted from thrown paint and other projectiles.

In Washington D.C., a colossal crowd had gathered in front of the White House, chanting and stamping as UNAS National Guards looked on warily. Stars and Stripes flew across the crowds, along with portraits and other images of the Founding Fathers of the old USA.

In Boston, crowds gathered before the harbor as men dressed like 18th​ Century gentry hauled boxes onto a pier. Cheers and applause broke out as they were opened, before countless Starfleet badges were dumped into the water. Stars and Stripes flew in the breeze, a hush falling across the crowds as several young girls started singing the Star-Spangled Banner, but it wasn't long before the crowds were joining in.

"O say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave, o'er the land of the free, and the home of the brave?"

Philadelphia was more of the same, demonstrators gathered around the Liberty Bell, flying Stars and Stripes, and even tolling smaller bells of their own. "THIS IS AMERICA!" a man shouted as he flew the Stars and Stripes and the Imperial Cogwheel from both hands, all to cheers from the crowd. "NOT THE SOVIET UNION!"

"BETTER DEAD THAN RED!" a woman shouted to even louder cheers.

"I STAND FOR FREEDOM! FOR JUSTICE! NOT COMMUNISM!" another man shouted, to a thunderous roar of approval that literally shook the camera droids.

The protests in Moscow were even more violent. In Red Square, rioters screamed their approval as countless flags, badges, and other symbols of United Earth, the Federation, and Starfleet were thrown before Lenin's Mausoleum. Former Starfleet officers and personnel were forced to parade down the streets in uniform, subjected to a hail of spit, insults, and even rocks and other thrown projectiles.

In Beijing, corpses hung from lampposts, United Earth bureaucrats and Starfleet officers lynched by angry mobs. They'd even stormed the Forbidden City, and placed images of Qin Shi Huang, Emperors Gaozu and Wu of the Great Han, Taizong of the Great Tang, and even the Kangxi Emperor before Tiananmen Square. Anti-Federation and anti-United Earth slogans flew above the crowd, emblazoned in Chinese characters, the use of which had been discouraged by United Earth as encouraging cultural heterogeneity. Next to those slogans, the black cogwheel on white of the Galactic Empire flew in solidarity, the Imperial Stormtroopers guarding key locations regarded with quiet respect by the mobs.

In Tokyo, the Sun Disc and the Rising Sun flew by the thousands as crowds turned out by the tens of thousands to welcome the return of Prince Takahito and Princess Michiru. The last members of the ancient Yamato Dynasty, and who supposedly went down in a storm during their honeymoon at sea back in the 22nd​ Century. Instead, they'd been spirited away by Section 31, and locked away in the cryogenic vaults of Pluto. Now, they had returned to claim the Chrysanthemum Throne, an honor guard of Imperial Stormtroopers and AT-STs escorting them back to the Tokyo Imperial Palace. The prince and princess waved and smiled at the crowds, who cheered and shouted as the rightful king – or Emperor, as it was – returned at last.

"Tenno-heika, banzai!" millions yelled across the cities of Japan. "Tenno-heika, banzai! Tenno-heika-banzai!"

Candles burned on the streets of Delhi and other Indian cities. And not just India, either, but also Pakistan, Bangladesh, and other South Asian countries. Bards sang the tales of ancient heroes, like Rama of Kosala, Seventh Avatar of Vishnu, and prayed in thanks for vindication at long last, the wheel of karma finally crushing the impious Federation and United Earth beneath it. Tens if not hundreds of millions mourned in public for the first time since WWIII, as statues and images of Khan Noonien Singh, greatest of the Augment Rulers of Asia, were paraded in public.

In contrast, effigies of James Tiberius Kirk were raised, casting him as a reincarnation of the Demon Lord Ravana, and burned before the madly-screaming crowds, firelight dancing on the gilded images of Khan, himself cast as the reincarnation of the great King of India. Flowers were laid at his feet, along with offerings of milk, butter, gold, and even live cattle. Volunteers lined up for kilometers on end, tens if not hundreds of thousands of Indians seeking to join the Imperial Army in the fight to bring the Federation down, and in so doing, avenge their long-lost sovereign.

Paris was no different. Angry mobs marched down the Champs-Elysees, while others held vigil before Les Invalides. Images of the ancient French warlord and tyrant, Napoleon Bonaparte, stood along white banners with the blue and gold fleur-de-lis of the ancient Bourbon Dynasty. A blonde woman with long hair tied into a braid that ran down past her waist had scaled the Arc de Triomphe, dressed like a knight of ancient times. Then she'd raised the white banner of the ancient French kingdom, before drawing and brandishing a sword into the air.

"Deus vult!" she shouted, to thunderous roars of approval.

More crowds were gathered before the Elysees Palace, only they shouted encouragement instead of invective. "Protect the rights of the people!" a woman shouted.

"Don't let them use us again!" a man shouted in his turn.

"Down with United Earth and its co-conspirator, the United Federation of Planets!" another man shouted.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"So…Watch Station Vann has been secured." I remarked, glad to be back on the Courageous and away from the chaos consuming the Earth. Granted, I'd helped start that chaos to begin with, but it was a necessary thing, if only to burn away any lingering sentiments for United Earth, and the conspirators behind it.

Section 31…or should I say, the Majestic Twelve…President Truman, you never knew the kind of hell you were unleashing when you formed that group, did you?

"What's the Vulcan reaction?" I asked.

"…logical." Torrhen grunted. "There's been arrests of Section 31 agents across the Vulcan Sector. It's gone surprisingly smoothly…for the most part."

"Oh?"

"Some kind of…telepathic sleeper programming…" Torrhen grumbled. "…sorry, ma'am. But, I'm not really an expert on Force or whatever kind of mechanics work behind this psychic stuff."

"If anything, you'd prefer to avoid just that, don't you, Vice Admiral?" I asked with an amused tone.

"Yes, ma'am."

I laughed. "Well, I don't blame you." I said. "We're soldiers, not Jedi or Inquisitors. We command fleets and armies, point guns at the enemy, and blast them away. We don't read minds or move objects around with them. Still…this is going to be a problem."

"Agreed," Torrhen said with a nod. "The Vulcan security forces are working to unravel the mental indoctrination, but the ISB wants to call in support from the Inquisitorius, just in case."

"…we've got no choice." I conceded after a moment. "I refuse to take any chances. Sara, give the ISB my go-ahead for asking help from the Inquisitorius. Besides, they might come in handy for when we move on Betazed, to say nothing of Bajor."

"Yes, ma'am."

I nodded, and then adjusted the holographic display to focus on Andor. "The fighting on Andor's starting to wind down." Torrhen remarked. "Thank whichever god listened that we didn't have to deploy chemical weapons. I've been through a couple of gas attacks, they never end well."

"True," I admitted. "On all counts. Once again, the Federation's, or rather, Section 31's scheming works in our favor. All those Andorians they imprisoned or assassinated over the centuries to try – and fail – to…'groom' the Andorians out of being a militaristic society and culture have soured the Andorians out of fighting to the death for a Federation that never truly valued them."

"Or was willing to let them die out in a couple of generations," Torrhen rumbled in disgust. "If those reports about Section 31 discreetly sabotaging medical and genetics research aimed at curing a spreading congenital disease among the Andorians is any indication."

Torrhen paused and shook his head. "Speaking freely, admiral," he said in disgust. "They might be our enemies, but I can't help but be sympathetic to them for being slowly being stabbed in the back by their own allies for so long, and to never realize it until it was too late."

I waved his concerns off. "The Andorians are worthy opponents." I said. "They will make for a worthy addition to the Galactic Empire…not to mention will further strengthen our cause. First the Orions, then the Vulcans and Rigellians, then the Terrans, and now the Andorians…only the Tellarites remain unbowed before the Empire among the Federation's founding races."

Then I paused and shrugged. "As for their congenital disease," I said with another dismissive wave. "I'm sure the Arkanians would be willing and able to help…all for a fair and reasonable price, of course."

Torrhen chuckled before giving me a knowing smile and look. "Seeing as you're Valyrian," he said. "You would know all about that, wouldn't you?"

"Naturally." I said with a smirk. Valyria and Arkania had been close long before the Valyrian Freehold had joined the Galactic Republic in the wake of the Great Sith War. But of course: Valyrian aurodium had backed the great Arkanian mega-corporations, just as Arkanian genetic science had allowed us to achieve our physical ideal.

Torrhen laughed again. "If I were a Federation drone," he continued. "I'd be lecturing you to death about the Andorians' extinction being part of nature's plan and we have no right to go against it."

"Yes, how very…Jedi, of them." I sneered. "Just replace 'nature's plan' with 'Will of the Force', and it'd be something you'd hear from those meddlesome traitors."

I paused and scoffed. "No matter." I said. "Just as Lord Vader and the Inquisitors are already wiping every last trace of the Jedi from our home galaxy, so will we wipe every last trace of the Federation and their…backward, ideals from this galaxy. And then we will begin anew, just as His Excellency the Emperor promised, during the Proclamation of the New Order."
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"…we will never surrender!" President Min Zife of the United Federation of Planets finished his speech by practically ripping off Winston Churchill. Unoriginal bastard…I didn't let it show, but I was very annoyed. Something about the…Bolian, just rubbed me the wrong way.

"Someone shut that off." I grouched, and Sara cut the feed. I regarded the rest of the command staff, many officers present only in holographic form. Operations White and Typhoon were still ongoing, after all, at least outside of 'compliant' sectors and those already negotiating with the Empire. In fact, in compliant sectors, work to repair the damaged subspace radio network was already underway…

…as well as the beginning of postwar reconstruction, given the large-scale private involvement in repairing the subspace radio network, by both Orion and Coruscanti corporations. The former had even concluded agreements with the latter with regard to buying patents, permits, and licenses for advanced subspace transceiver arrays and stations, as well as time for technical experts to oversee training programs to bring the Orions up to speed.

All for fair and reasonable prices, of course.

And it wasn't just the subspace radio network. The various minor colonies were already seeing private expansion, starting with mining and other resource prospectors. Already, plans were being laid down for expanded resource extraction industries, while those colonies unsuitable for such but had large areas of undeveloped but fertile land were seeing COMPNOR lobbying for retiring soldiers and officers to be given colonization rights. Whether to reward them for years if not decades of loyal service to the Empire (or the Old Republic, during the Clone Wars and the preceding years of tensions), and as part of the greater Imperialization program laid out in Plan Z.

But that was all still in the future.

The war wasn't over yet.

The Federation had been beaten down, gutted, and was bleeding out, but it still refused to surrender, determined to fight on until there was only a bloody smear on the ground.

If so, then I would grant them their wish.

"Our intelligence points to Tellar Prime readily surrendering once we arrive in force," Agent Wolf of Imperial Intelligence continued. "But the problem is the Tellarites' great colony world of Kharzh'ulla. One of the few truly industrialized worlds in the Federation, if not the only one aside from Orion to match what we'd consider as an industrial world. In short, it has all the resources to support Fleet Admiral Ross and his asymmetric strategy to fight the Empire."

"Then we force him to fight us on our terms." I said. "Not that that's going to be easy. As I recall, Kharzh'ulla's orbital ring is both heavily fortified and the center of its industry."

"That is correct, admiral." Wolf said, causing groans to go up around the conference.

"Sounds like Muunilist all over again." Vice Admiral Orunitia grouched.

"Muunilist was botched by having Jedi in command." I quickly disagreed. "Those fools insisted on infantry assault while neglecting mechanized support, not to mention spread their fleet too thin, causing unnecessary casualties in the orbital battle. Those, and the need to keep collateral damage low thanks to Muunilist's importance to the galactic economy. In contrast, we do not have to operate under such handicaps."

Vice Admiral Hans raised an eyebrow. "You have a plan, I assume, admiral?" he asked.

I smiled. "I do." She said. "It will take time, but it would give us what we need. The destruction of the Starfleet forces assembled at Kharzh'ulla, the planet's main defense, and even a shock and awe strike to force a mass surrender."

There was silence across the conference, and I smiled wider. "Tell me, gentlemen," I began. "In the days before spaceflight, how exactly did our ancestors take fortified cities?"

That caused plenty of raised eyebrows. "They would typically start by using scaling ladders and battering rams," one general offered. "And try to take the place by storm. If that didn't work, they'd try and starve the city into surrender, while using mining – if possible – to collapse its fortifications. And if that still didn't work, they'd use siege engines like catapults to try and break the walls down, along with siege towers to try and overrun the walls."

"Catapults…and how exactly would catapults break walls down?" I asked with a smile.

The general looked confused. "They'd hurl rocks at…admiral!" he gasped in realization, and I burst out laughing. The other admirals and generals looked shocked…

…with the exception of Major-General Darnat Cullan, the highest-ranking member of the Imperial Military Corps of Engineers present, who instead looked thoughtful if not impressed.

"My friends," I began, while sliding a data file into the port and bringing up the data. "Allow me to present to you Operation Catapult, the plan to bring Kharzh'ulla to its knees. And with it, the Federation."
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"What's the word on the other major regional powers?" I said with a sigh, sliding into my chair in my officer after the meeting.

Sara took a quick look at the update she'd just received from the Diplomatic Corps. "Chancellor Martok has withdrawn his forces from the Archanis and Omega Sectors." He said. "In fact, the Klingon Empire is on the brink of civil war, over allegations of the Chancellor being a Federation puppet."

"And is he?" I asked.

"He has long supported the Klingon-Federation Alliance," Sara replied. "And he did succeed the previous Chancellor, Gowron, with Starfleet support."

I chuckled at that. "And so the Klingon Empire is about to tear itself apart." I said. "Wonderful…and we barely had to fight them at all."

"On that note, ma'am," Sara continued. "The houses of the Dahar masters we liberated from Tartarus have opened communications, expressing a willingness to fight alongside us against the Federation separate from the Klingon Empire."

"Is it for revenge?" I asked.

"Ambassador Lee think so, as the Klingon warlords in question have explicitly said as such."

I gave a barking laugh at that. "I'm not against it," I said. "But I'll defer to Ambassador Lee to negotiate the details. Let's not mess this up and leave a long-term problem on our hands."

"Yes, ma'am." Sara said, making a note on her dataslate. "Moving on…the Romulans continue to occupy the Neutral Zone, but they've stopped reinforcing their fleets present, and have even begun withdrawing units. It could be a ploy to put us into a lull, the better to claim more territory from the Federation as it falls when we strike at Tellar, but both Intelligence and the Diplomatic Corps disagree."

"Oh?"

"The Romulan Senate is in a state of outrage." Sara continued. "Apparently, there's a strong sentiment going around that we should be allowed to destroy the Federation without interference. However, the Romulans have also extended preliminary feelers with regard to sending at least observers for any war crime trials after the war."

"Hmm…I'm not against the idea," I began. "But again, I'll let Ambassador Lee negotiate the details."

"Yes, ma'am." Sara said, making another note. "Moving on…the Cardassians under their…um, I'm sorry, I can't pronounce this, so…under their Dictator Garak, have explicitly declared themselves neutral. Then again, according to Intelligence, the Cardassians are still struggling to just start rebuilding from the Dominion War, given the relatively-resource-poor regions of space they control. As for the Breen and the Tholians…all attempts at communication have been ignored, however, long-distance scans and stealth recon have shown no signs of hostile intent on their part thus far. In contrast, the Ferengi have proven…amenable, to talks, with regard to and I quote a profitable relationship with the Empire. As for other powers, such as the Kzinti among others, have also declared themselves neutral, while reserving the right to open future negotiations."

"They're being prudent." I mused. "No matter…once the Federation falls, we can conduct negotiations at our leisure."

"As you say, ma'am." Sara said. "Those are the generals of the diplomatic update, while the details have been uploaded for your perusal."

I nodded, and gestured in acknowledgement as Sara saluted before leaving. Sitting back in my chair, I closed my eyes and relaxed for a few minutes. Then reopening my eyes just before I could fall asleep, I yawned and stretch my limbs before pulling up the details of the diplomatic update on my personal terminal.

No rest for the weary, as usual.

 

[iceknight90]

The sudden surge of historically inspired ultranationalism was a bit overdone, but hugely amusing.

The Empire are going to divide and conquer the entire galaxy at this point.

Smart move.

Of course if Imperial control ever weakens, there's probably going to be an absolute devil of a time as things Balkanise.

 

[Jaenera Targaryen]

The sudden surge of historically inspired ultranationalism was a bit overdone, but hugely amusing.

The Empire are going to divide and conquer the entire galaxy at this point.

Smart move.

Of course if Imperial control ever weakens, there's probably going to be an absolute devil of a time as things Balkanise.

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The letter of the MC's deal with Q anyway was to build/start a 'new order'. It doesn't necessarily have to be the Emperor's New Order. Even if the Empire fails to keep its grip on this region of this galaxy, so long as the Federation and its lie of a utopia falls, then Q will be satisfied.

 

[Concorian]

If can imagine. Trek tech combined with the national urge to build militaries would be terrifying

 

[Jaenera Targaryen]

If can imagine. Trek tech combined with the national urge to build militaries would be terrifying

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Depends, really. Earth doesn't really have much industry to begin with at this point, so militaries will have to wait until reindustrialization has really taken off. Not to mention rebuilding the agricultural sector, at least beyond small farms and orchards for luxury goods like wine and things like that. The war has shown just how...problematic, dependency on replicators for food, medicine, and other necessities can become. Expect a return of colossal, mechanized farms (with lots and lots of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides!) like those in the RL USA, growing field after field of crops like wheat, corn, barley, etc. for tens of kilometers on end.

Anyway, even once reindustrialization and decommunization is done, there will probably be only a few nations - the Great Powers - who can afford to build true militaries. The United North American States (UNAS)*, almost certainly. China, for another. Russia, assuming it hasn't been broken up. Maybe Europe, as a single entity.

*UNAS is basically USA+Canada+Mexico.

 

[fijiman483]

This story is really unique. Would it be possible to get some maps for reference? I'm finding it hard to keep track of the military movements, political situation, and Imperial control over the different regions. Other than that, I'm not sure if you're going off of actual Star Trek lore, but the Federation seems overly grimdark. Sure it's possible but it looks a bit too improbable given the Star Trek setting, not that I'm hating on what you've written, it's just really bloody dark. I hope MC can sculpt the New Territories into a vibrant society, perhaps her own idealized version of the Empire?

Also, the Emperor better reward her well for all this, Grand Moff Targaryen has a nice ring to it. Perhaps Margrave at the very least (given the nature of the new "land" being on the borders)

 

[Jaenera Targaryen]

This story is really unique. Would it be possible to get some maps for reference? I'm finding it hard to keep track of the military movements, political situation, and Imperial control over the different regions. Other than that, I'm not sure if you're going off of actual Star Trek lore, but the Federation seems overly grimdark. Sure it's possible but it looks a bit too improbable given the Star Trek setting, not that I'm hating on what you've written, it's just really bloody dark. I hope MC can sculpt the New Territories into a vibrant society, perhaps her own idealized version of the Empire?

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The grimdarkness isn't really exaggerated, from what Star Trek Discovery has revealed of the setting.

Also, the Emperor better reward her well for all this, Grand Moff Targaryen has a nice ring to it. Perhaps Margrave at the very least (given the nature of the new "land" being on the borders)

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She's already a marquise (by birth), it's just that her father is still alive, so he's the Marquis Dragonstone while she's only the Viscountess Summerhall.

 

[WhiteDragon25]

In New York, the UN Memorial Complex was on fire, rioters rampaging unchecked through its grounds and corridors. The statues of the delegates which had negotiated the end of WWIII had been pulled down, while the stone slab bearing the original United Earth Charter had been defaced. "LIES" it read, marked in red paint across the once-gleaming surface, splattered and pitted from thrown paint and other projectiles.

In Washington D.C., a colossal crowd had gathered in front of the White House, chanting and stamping as UNAS National Guards looked on warily. Stars and Stripes flew across the crowds, along with portraits and other images of the Founding Fathers of the old USA.

In Boston, crowds gathered before the harbor as men dressed like 18th Century gentry hauled boxes onto a pier. Cheers and applause broke out as they were opened, before countless Starfleet badges were dumped into the water. Stars and Stripes flew in the breeze, a hush falling across the crowds as several young girls started singing the Star-Spangled Banner, but it wasn't long before the crowds were joining in.

"O say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave, o'er the land of the free, and the home of the brave?"

Philadelphia was more of the same, demonstrators gathered around the Liberty Bell, flying Stars and Stripes, and even tolling smaller bells of their own. "THIS IS AMERICA!" a man shouted as he flew the Stars and Stripes and the Imperial Cogwheel from both hands, all to cheers from the crowd. "NOT THE SOVIET UNION!"

"BETTER DEAD THAN RED!" a woman shouted to even louder cheers.

"I STAND FOR FREEDOM! FOR JUSTICE! NOT COMMUNISM!" another man shouted, to a thunderous roar of approval that literally shook the camera droids.

The protests in Moscow were even more violent. In Red Square, rioters screamed their approval as countless flags, badges, and other symbols of United Earth, the Federation, and Starfleet were thrown before Lenin's Mausoleum. Former Starfleet officers and personnel were forced to parade down the streets in uniform, subjected to a hail of spit, insults, and even rocks and other thrown projectiles.

In Beijing, corpses hung from lampposts, United Earth bureaucrats and Starfleet officers lynched by angry mobs. They'd even stormed the Forbidden City, and placed images of Qin Shi Huang, Emperors Gaozu and Wu of the Great Han, Taizong of the Great Tang, and even the Kangxi Emperor before Tiananmen Square. Anti-Federation and anti-United Earth slogans flew above the crowd, emblazoned in Chinese characters, the use of which had been discouraged by United Earth as encouraging cultural heterogeneity. Next to those slogans, the black cogwheel on white of the Galactic Empire flew in solidarity, the Imperial Stormtroopers guarding key locations regarded with quiet respect by the mobs.

In Tokyo, the Sun Disc and the Rising Sun flew by the thousands as crowds turned out by the tens of thousands to welcome the return of Prince Takahito and Princess Michiru. The last members of the ancient Yamato Dynasty, and who supposedly went down in a storm during their honeymoon at sea back in the 22nd Century. Instead, they'd been spirited away by Section 31, and locked away in the cryogenic vaults of Pluto. Now, they had returned to claim the Chrysanthemum Throne, an honor guard of Imperial Stormtroopers and AT-STs escorting them back to the Tokyo Imperial Palace. The prince and princess waved and smiled at the crowds, who cheered and shouted as the rightful king – or Emperor, as it was – returned at last.

"Tenno-heika, banzai!" millions yelled across the cities of Japan. "Tenno-heika, banzai! Tenno-heika-banzai!"

Candles burned on the streets of Delhi and other Indian cities. And not just India, either, but also Pakistan, Bangladesh, and other South Asian countries. Bards sang the tales of ancient heroes, like Rama of Kosala, Seventh Avatar of Vishnu, and prayed in thanks for vindication at long last, the wheel of karma finally crushing the impious Federation and United Earth beneath it. Tens if not hundreds of millions mourned in public for the first time since WWIII, as statues and images of Khan Noonien Singh, greatest of the Augment Rulers of Asia, were paraded in public.

In contrast, effigies of James Tiberius Kirk were raised, casting him as a reincarnation of the Demon Lord Ravana, and burned before the madly-screaming crowds, firelight dancing on the gilded images of Khan, himself cast as the reincarnation of the great King of India. Flowers were laid at his feet, along with offerings of milk, butter, gold, and even live cattle. Volunteers lined up for kilometers on end, tens if not hundreds of thousands of Indians seeking to join the Imperial Army in the fight to bring the Federation down, and in so doing, avenge their long-lost sovereign.

Paris was no different. Angry mobs marched down the Champs-Elysees, while others held vigil before Les Invalides. Images of the ancient French warlord and tyrant, Napoleon Bonaparte, stood along white banners with the blue and gold fleur-de-lis of the ancient Bourbon Dynasty. A blonde woman with long hair tied into a braid that ran down past her waist had scaled the Arc de Triomphe, dressed like a knight of ancient times. Then she'd raised the white banner of the ancient French kingdom, before drawing and brandishing a sword into the air.

"Deus vult!" she shouted, to thunderous roars of approval.

More crowds were gathered before the Elysees Palace, only they shouted encouragement instead of invective. "Protect the rights of the people!" a woman shouted.

"Don't let them use us again!" a man shouted in his turn.

"Down with United Earth and its co-conspirator, the United Federation of Planets!" another man shouted.

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Okay, now this this fic has nosedived beyond parody at this point. There's no way there'd be such a sudden and massive revival of centuries-gone ultra-nationalism, especially for archaic and anachronistic monarchial empires - and ones whose histories have been nothing but disastrous and ruinous to human rights, at that! - and the total disownment of all global unity and social progress since the end of World War 3, to the point of venerating fucking Khan Noonien Singh of all people, while burning effigies of James T. Kirk (who had nothing to do with any of the Section 31 allegations!) just speaks of a betrayal of moral character so forced it just has to be the work of mind control...

Oh wait, it is the work of mind control! By the frickin' author. It's only through frickin' Authorial Magic that this is in any way possible, but it is still nonetheless in no way plausible. All that this serves to do within the narrative is to further justify the slide into downright fascist totalitarianism. Don't pretend this is anything else but that.

Jaenera Targaryen, you have officially Jumped the Shark in this fic.

 

[fijiman483]

The grimdarkness isn't really exaggerated, from what Star Trek Discovery has revealed of the setting.



She's already a marquise (by birth), it's just that her father is still alive, so he's the Marquis Dragonstone while she's only the Viscountess Summerhall.

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I haven't seen much of Discovery. Hmmm... still seems overly dark imo

Wasn't her dad a Count? Margrave is a higher rank and more relevant given its specifically for those who hold a military command over border provinces. This is true especially if it's an Empire-wide title of nobility rather than limited to the Valyrian homeworld.

 

[Jaenera Targaryen]

I haven't seen much of Discovery. Hmmm... still seems overly dark imo

Wasn't her dad a Count? Margrave is a higher rank and more relevant given its specifically for those who hold a military command over border provinces. This is true especially if it's an Empire-wide title of nobility rather than limited to the Valyrian homeworld.

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They have multiple titles. Even IRL, it's only the British who limited their nobles to only one title at a time (with the exception of royalty). The MC's father just prefers to use the lower-ranked title because it's the one with their family's name.

 

[fijiman483]

They have multiple titles. Even IRL, it's only the British who limited their nobles to only one title at a time (with the exception of royalty). The MC's father just prefers to use the lower-ranked title because it's the one with their family's name.

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Hmmm well, that begs the question then if the MC will only have her personal rank increased or her whole family elevated in noble status... Maybe a unique title just for her?

 

[Illuviar]

I haven't seen much of Discovery. Hmmm... still seems overly dark imo

Wasn't her dad a Count? Margrave is a higher rank and more relevant given its specifically for those who hold a military command over border provinces. This is true especially if it's an Empire-wide title of nobility rather than limited to the Valyrian homeworld.

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Parts of the Federation being this dark I can buy. It depends on what kind of Star Trek fan you are. In my personal experience, at its core, there are two types of ST fans. One group can rely with and buy the utopian vision that the Federation represents, especially in the early TNG and DS 9. The other group, while generally enjoying the shows, or at least parts of them, simply can't relate with the utopia presented by ST, especially in the TNG. If you are the later group like me, the shit that Secton 31 and sometimes the Federation at large pulls, isn't necessary a mere aberation, what few madmen at the wrong time and place could do and the absolutely worst of the Federation. It's can be seen as the tip of a very large, very dark iceberg. After all, there's that old saying that what's utopia for some people, can be literal hell for others. I can absolutely see people in Section 31 and the Federation at large, doing horrible things with the best of intentions in order to preserve and protect their ideal of utopia. This includes removing those for whom the Federation is turning from a decent place into a banal hell they have no place in.

Okay, now this this fic has nosedived beyond parody at this point. There's no way there'd be such a sudden and massive revival of centuries-gone ultra-nationalism, especially for archaic and anachronistic monarchial empires - and ones whose histories have been nothing but disastrous and ruinous to human rights, at that! - and the total disownment of all global unity and social progress since the end of World War 3, to the point of venerating fucking Khan Noonien Singh of all people, while burning effigies of James T. Kirk (who had nothing to do with any of the Section 31 allegations!) just speaks of a betrayal of moral character so forced it just has to be the work of mind control...

Oh wait, it is the work of mind control! By the frickin' author. It's only through frickin' Authorial Magic that this is in any way possible, but it is still nonetheless in no way plausible. All that this serves to do within the narrative is to further justify the slide into downright fascist totalitarianism. Don't pretend this is anything else but that.

Jaenera Targaryen, you have officially Jumped the Shark in this fic.

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That's indeed on the nose, if for a bit different reason as far as I'm concerned. I can see many people seeing solace, wanting to believe into something after such a betrayal. It's just that, I find it hard to believe that there would be this many people suddenly gleefully proclaiming their belief and support for ideologies that should be dead for centuries.

Now, small vocal groups screaming loud and appearing as having more numbers and influence than they have? Basically small groups of historical cosplayes who used their holosuites for escapism, because the Federation society was bland and boring for them, trying to make their cosplay reality? That I can see. I can aslo see them being the most vocal and interesting for the media parts of huge protests, where people genuinely went to protest against what factions within the Federation in this story did.

It might be different, if there was some foreshadowing in previous updates - like showing a few snippets that many people on Earth for example, found escapism into holoprograms centered on the history before the Eugenic Wars and WWIII, and how the effects of the war basically removed their only way to cope with what would otherwise be a bland, boring existence for them.

Now, like I mentioned in my response above in this post, depending on what kind of Star Trek fan you are, you could see the Federation represented in this story either as a balatant character assassination of what it is supposed to be, and what it is for you, or a kind of vindication. It all depends on if the utopian society, and story sold by ST works for you. If you can emphasise with it? Yes, then your Federation could, and would never do something like we see portrayed in this story.

However, if you enjoy ST despite what you see as some large warning flags, and the utopia presented doesn't work for you, then the situation can be very different. In that case, what for some people are aberations, weak or bad writing, hell, even ideas and themes that don't have place in the Federation, for others those saeme things can be a proof that there is something quite dark lurking below the glitter and promise of the Federation.

That said, the first part of this update, could have been handled much better unless we're supposed to see it as presented by unreliable narrators, and used by the Empire's controlled media to help further shatter Earth's societies to make them easier to control.

As far as withewashing the Empite... I don't see it. Early on, and this is early on, the Empire was practically the Republic with the serial numbers filed off. The same people who ran the Republic, generally ran the Empire, the same people who fought for the Republic to the death in the Clone Wars were the core of the military officers, though there are already open clashes between the generationals, and the majority of officers like Tarkin who would later become the face of the GE and ravage the galaxy in the Imperial Civil War as Warlords, paving the way for the rise of the New Republic. OTL, given time, the Empire would do much worse than this Federation has, and that would drive many of the reasonable Imperial officers into retirement, early graves, or in the hands of the Rebel Alliance.

At best, what I'm seeing so far in this story is that the majority of the Imperial characters are military veterans from a nasty war, who see no issue crushing a rival starfaring nation for the benefit of their own. Moraly speakin, the Imperials aren't paragons of virtue, though many of those who we see, the veterans of the Clone Wars and those cast in their image, are certainly not Tarkin and company. The later would be orders of magnitude more heavy handed and would likely lose the peace by being stupid evil, just like their ilk lost the peace in the GE and contributed to the destruction of the Empire more than the Rebel Alliance ever did beyond destroying the two Death Stars.

The most interesting part of this story for me is the cultural clash between the ST cast and the Imperials. If anything, the Empire fighting a tarnished Federation is an issue in that respect, not because it makes the Empire look better by fighting nasty opponents. It takes from the cultural clash, and in that regard, while I do like the teme of the Federation having a dark underlayer, even as dark as in this story, it would have been better to see the cast of the TNG, DS9, and even Voyager deal with a potential defeat and its reprecussions, when they served a nicer Federation.

In that regard, it would have been more interesting to see the Imperials struggle to bring forth a functioning New Order they strive to live up to, to a Federation that hasn't been as tarnished as this one. There can still be a lot of options for conflict and to play divide and conquer - like playing the utopian dreams of the Core Worlds of the Federation, against the different reality the border colonies and newer members have to live with, because they're on the border, they actually face credible threats, and lack the extensive infrastructure that makes the utopia of the core Federation sectors possible. Further, I could see all the misfits that factions within this Federation imprisoned or outright vanished for good, receiving incentives and suffering peer pressure to move to the colonies, where they could try to build their own utopian dream. This could actually see various colonial worlds preferring a functional New Order brought by the Empire compared to the utopia of the Federation, because for the people there, that utopia never materialized.

 

[Pef]

I would be interested to see what the Federation cooks up as the fighting becomes desperate. Keep in mind they have captured numerous people and ships from the Empire by this point, thus have access to a lot of the Empire tech base, which they can replicate and even improve via replicators, smart computers and the 'unlikely but genial engineer' that they always seem to have in every show.

 

[Jaenera Targaryen]

I would be interested to see what the Federation cooks up as the fighting becomes desperate. Keep in mind they have captured numerous people and ships from the Empire by this point, thus have access to a lot of the Empire tech base, which they can replicate and even improve via replicators, smart computers and the 'unlikely but genial engineer' that they always seem to have in every show.

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They kinda already have, though. You could see this in the Battle of Mars, where they equipped some of their defense stations with baby superlasers, and their bigger ships' deflector dishes doubled as discount turbolasers.

The latter, though, runs into the pitfall - which never gets addressed in-story and which would actually have any serious and competent RL engineering board/oversight committee reprimanding the engineer responsible - of such jury-rigged modifications. There's a reason commercial/military/government craft, vehicles, and vessels operate within strict standards, and tuning your own private vehicle will likely run into all sorts of problems when trying to get insurance. Specifically, this causes the modified machinery to become very unstable, liable to tear itself apart at any time. Back to Starfleet, those modified deflector dishes of theirs run the risk of burning themselves out.

That, and Imperial - Coruscanti - technology might be too power-intensive for them to adapt extensively on such short notice. A single Star Destroyer alone - as Starfleet has noted in the past - has an energy output comparable to a main sequence star (canon to Star Wars Legends). Considering Starfleet vessels in the various TV series always seem to regularly run into energy shortages, I suspect they'll run into even worse issues if they adapt Coruscanti technology too much and too fast.

 

[WhiteDragon25]

Now, small vocal groups screaming loud and appearing as having more numbers and influence than they have? Basically small groups of historical cosplayes who used their holosuites for escapism, because the Federation society was bland and boring for them, trying to make their cosplay reality? That I can see. I can also see them being the most vocal and interesting for the media parts of huge protests, where people genuinely went to protest against what factions within the Federation in this story did.

It might be different, if there was some foreshadowing in previous updates - like showing a few snippets that many people on Earth for example, found escapism into holoprograms centered on the history before the Eugenic Wars and WWIII, and how the effects of the war basically removed their only way to cope with what would otherwise be a bland, boring existence for them.

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Holodeck addicts are in no way plausible candidates for sudden ultranationalist demonstrators. Nerds of this caliber aren't the type to go outside and touch grass, let alone go running around torching effigies of national heroes and dressing up in full medieval knight cosplay in unironic nostalgia for long-dead kingdoms.

If anything, holodeck users would be the most adamant opponents of the Empire, as the Empire would be responsible for destroying the societal infrastructure that makes casual holodeck usage possible, not to mention forcing everybody into minimum-wage jobs working for soulless mega-corporations in slave-labor level working conditions, leaving no time for elaborate recreational pursuits such as the holodeck.

 

[Illuviar]

Holodeck addicts are in no way plausible candidates for sudden ultranationalist demonstrators. Nerds of this caliber aren't the type to go outside and touch grass, let alone go running around torching effigies of national heroes and dressing up in full medieval knight cosplay in unironic nostalgia for long-dead kingdoms.

If anything, holodeck users would be the most adamant opponents of the Empire, as the Empire would be responsible for destroying the societal infrastructure that makes casual holodeck usage possible, not to mention forcing everybody into minimum-wage jobs working for soulless mega-corporations in slave-labor level working conditions, leaving no time for elaborate recreational pursuits such as the holodeck.

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We're obviously envisioning two very different types of holodeck users. I know what type of people you speak of and that's indeed not the type to go out running around in protests, much less being violent ones. You're also spot on that there will be a certain subset of holodeck users who would be the greatest opponents of everything the Empire represents, and it will at least in part overlap with the above.

Ironically, in the Federation of this story, the kind of holonet users I'm envisioning being the ones leading the excesses mentioned in the last update, are the kind of people Section 31 and company would have sooner or later gone after as threats to the harmony of the Federation due to unhealthy fasciations with nationalism, and basically, everything they've been shown to do on camera to make their lives more bearable through experiencing a version of their favorite past on the holodeck.

 

[AlphaOmega]

away from the chaos consuming the Earth

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Remove the red part

not to mention will further strengthen our cause

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Add 'it' after 'mention'

into my chair in my officer after the meeting

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There is a word missing here after 'officer'

given the relatively-resource-poor regions of space they control.

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Remove the red part

 

[Jaenera Targaryen]

Guinan's bar on Mars was busy with customers. That in itself wasn't unusual, what was unusual was the makeup of the crowd these days. Just a month ago, most of her customers would be Starfleet officers, men and women of various species in red, yellow, or blue uniforms. Nowadays, Imperial officers made up most of her clientele, Humans every last one of them, the regular military in olive-grey uniforms, Imperial Stormtroopers in black uniforms, and the ISB in white uniforms. Appearances aside, they also had different tastes compared to her past clientele, Guinan's Orion contacts warning her that the Coruscanti Humans preferred real alcohol over synthehol.

Not that she could have served them anything else, anyway. Starfleet had stripped the replicator feedstocks even before the Battle of Mars, and blown the refineries afterwards. If not for Imperial logistics willing to pick up the slack, Guinan couldn't have served them much or for long. As it was, they'd supplied her with various liquors, in exchange for reduced prices for Imperial officers and enlisted frequenting her bar.

A fair exchange, all things considered, and Guinan wasn't one to judge anyway. That wasn't her role. It never had been. Her role was to listen, to watch and testify to the unfolding of Humanity's history, whether its Terran or Coruscanti branches. Granted, she'd only known the latter existed for barely a month, but it changed nothing.

She would listen, she would watch, and she would bear testimony.

No more and no less.

It simply wasn't her place to shape their history for them.

"Here's five beers for table fifteen." Guinan said, gesturing for one of the waiters, who took the tray and carried it to where five officers – all pilots, from the sound of things – were trading stories between each other over beer and cards.

"…so I got on top of the bastard, and unloaded a pair of torpedoes on his ass." One pilot was boasting with exaggerated hand gestures. "Bam! Just like that! Nine stars on my cockpit window, and ace status on my first battle to boot."

"Nine stars on your first combat mission, huh?" another pilot said. "Not bad, not bad at all, even by Clone Wars standards. And say what you will about their capitals, the Feddies have sturdy attack craft, well-shielded and well-armed, if a bit slow. Good pilots too…taking nine of them down is worth more drinks than taking down nine clankers."

"I'll drink to that."

"Likewise!"

A round of cheers went up from the table as the pilots took their beer mugs and toasted each other before downing their drinks. Guinan made a small smile at such a nostalgic sight, having witnessed such things centuries ago, long before the rise of the Federation, when Earth was still divided into small warring countries.

Then she blinked, and turned to the upper level, where a bald man was staring out over the Martian landscape from a private booth. He was in civilian clothing, unsurprising considering how…unwise, it was, these days to go around in a Starfleet uniform, and not because the Empire was arresting its members, those of them left stranded in the system after the Battle of Mars.

No, it was the civilians who Starfleet was wary of. They felt…betrayed, and abandoned, after Starfleet had retreated from the Sol System after the Battle of Mars, and even tried to destroy everything of value while leaving. And after the Empire had exposed all of the Federation's – United Earth's – secrets for the galaxy to see, the civilians also felt deceived and used.

Starfleet had long been the most visible institution of the Federation, its most prestigious branch.

Now, it was the most hated. The Imperials had already impounded what ships remained, and while they allowed crewmen to come and go during the day so long as they respected curfew, which alone kept mass lynchings from taking place during the riots after Admiral Targaryen's public address. Even then, the mobs might have stormed the grounded Starfleet ships, if not – ironically – for the Imperial Stormtroopers guarding them.

Eventually, the mobs had relented, the people's anger cooling before they returned home, but it was still there. After a number of officers were beaten, raped, and even murdered after going around in uniform, Starfleet had gotten the hint and its members took care to avoid being recognized as such in public.

It was…disturbing, no matter how unsurprising and even natural a reaction it was to all the manipulation and deception that both Starfleet Security and Section 31 had had to do to keep the Federation safe. A sign that despite their claims to the contrary, Humanity – or at least the Terrans, as from what she knew the Coruscanti had never claimed as such – had never truly overcome its nature, and only suppressed it.

And Guinan didn't know how to feel about that.

She knew, though, that a longtime friend of hers would be very broken up over it.

"Kendra," Guinan said, turning to one of her assistants. "Take over for me. I need to attend to an old-time regular of mine."

"Will do." The junior bartender said, already fixing up cocktails for a pair of Imperial officers.

Meanwhile, Guinan was slipping out from behind the bar, through the crowds, and up a nearby staircase to the upper level, making her way to where Picard was sitting with a half-empty bottle of red wine. "Do you mind if I join you?" she asked.

Picard started at Guinan's words, and then quickly relaxed and smiled. "Oh, no." he said. "It's perfectly alright. Please, sit. Help yourself."

Guinan sat down opposite, patiently waiting for Picard to open up on his own. The old man was silent for a long time, though, staring out wistfully over the Martian landscape. As it was, it took about fifteen minutes before he finally spoke up.

"Did you know?" Picard began. "Mars was terraformed during the 22nd​ Century. It was a dream come true, one that went back centuries, to the 19th​ Century if not even earlier. Men and women could finally walk out onto the rust-red sands, and breathe deep of the air of another world."

"I'm aware." Guinan said. "Even though Humanity had colonies on other Earth-like worlds out there, to have another habitable world within the system of your own birth was something else entirely."

"Yes." Picard agreed with a nod. "But…while Humans could walk around without external air sources, the air remained thin. So thin you'd tire within minutes, and you'd blackout if you tried to exert yourself. Cold too…did you know Mars' temperature barely averages one degree above the freezing point of water?"

"…Jean-Luc," Guinan began. "What's the matter?"

"…I was just thinking," Picard said after a moment. "That Mars' terraforming…it's such an apt metaphor for everything we've believed about ourselves. For so long now, we've believed that we've overcome the flaws and frailties of the Human condition, and maturing as a species, were ready to move out into space. Only…we haven't. Not really…it's just a comforting lie, one built on countless corpses and inhumanities…we've become the next Soviet Union…if not the next Third Reich…"

"Jean-Luc…have you been talking to Q?"

Picard glanced at Guinan, and gave a sad smile. "Is it that obvious?" he asked.

Guinan didn't answer, and just gave a knowing smile. Picard looked back out over the Martian sands, before sitting back and thinking to his meeting with the transcendent being days ago.

"Why?" Picard asked. "Why go this far?"

"Because you needed to open your eyes." Q answered. "You could never understand how long I've watched your species. Believe it or not, Picard, your species truly has the potential to become like us. Not just the Continuum, but other transcendental races like the Metrons, the Organians, the Medusans, or even the Celestials of the Coruscantis' past. But not like this. Not like this…would you entrust phenomenal cosmic power to your species, knowing what you now know about your civilization?"

"No, I wouldn't." Picard answered immediately.

"For once we agree." Q said. "But like I said, I've watched your species for a very long time. And I've long since learned that when Humans get comfortable, or find themselves facing something they need but don't want to see much less confront…they'd rather clap hands over their ears, close their eyes, and go 'la, la, la, I can't hear you'. When that time comes, the only way to get them to see, to understand, to actually face and overcome what's staring at them in the face…it's to remove all other choices beyond just that."

"…yes." Picard said with a sigh after a long moment. "I suppose I can't argue with you there. Not after everything I've just seen, and putting my own past actions and beliefs in their new context."

Q gave a sad smile. "You were never stupid, Picard." He said. "Just so very Human."

Picard gave Q a hard look, before licking his lips to moisten them. "Then let me act so very Human once more." He said. "Are you one to judge?"

Q smiled wider. "Good question…" he said. "…but a complete answer would also answer another question beside that. So, ask."

"Is the Empire really any better?" Picard asked. "They're an expansionist, militaristic power, and from what we know of their history, has barely progressed socially in over twenty thousand years. In fact, they might even have regressed recently, with their Republic abandoning its democratic ideals to embrace autocracy by becoming the Empire after the Clone Wars."

Q beamed. "Now, you're asking all the questions." He said. "No and yes. No, the Empire isn't much better, but yet, it…or rather, your Coruscanti cousins, are better. In one way: they don't deny their nature, or rather its darker part. By now, you've seen it yourself, haven't you? They're not all that different from you. But while you suppress the darker side of your being, your true selves, they don't. It's a part of them. It's a part of all of you."

Q paused and tilted his head. "It was, and still is, the same with us." He said. "Little progress, you said, in over twenty thousand years? Picard, what is twenty thousand years in the grand scheme of the cosmos? For fourteen billion years it existed before you, and it might just exist for eternity after you. Even we took billions of years by your reckoning to even get at the start of where we are now. And even now, we struggle with who we once were, and still are. Or have you forgotten Q? Or Q?"

"…you said the trial never ends." Picard said with sudden realization. "It's not just for Humanity, is it? It's the same for you too."

Q spread his hands. "That's the nature of life, Picard." He said. "A constant struggle, against forces beyond its control from without, beyond, and most importantly, from within. And look, it wasn't all bad."

"What do you mean?"

Q clicked his tongue. "Come now, Picard." He said. "Don't be disappointing. Asking isn't the beginning of learning. Before you can even ask a question, you need something else. And you know it. You're a scientist, after all."

"…I don't know."

Q nodded. "You don't know." He said. "Once you admit that, you can begin to learn. The Coruscanti have opened your eyes. Not just you Terrans, but also every other species the upstart Federation had also dragged into the mud. Now, you can truly begin anew."

And beaming reassuringly at Picard, he was gone.

"And…do you believe him?" Guinan asked in disbelief, at the notion that Q could even hold an honest conversation with someone who wasn't a transcendent themselves.

"In light of everything that's happened, yes." Picard said with a sigh. "But, don't misunderstand. I don't believe our ideals were wrong. They weren't. Only the methods our…leaders, used were wrong. And while we're back to step one, well, that only means we'll have to try again, and do better this time."

Despite herself, Guinan smiled. "Some would say you shouldn't try, but simply do or don't." she remarked.

Picard smiled back. "Then I'll say," he responded. "Such black and white reasonings would be why the Federation failed in the first place. In particular, the notion of…utopia, at any cost."

Guinan chuckled. "Utopia?" she echoed. "It almost sounds like you think the world where your ideals can truly bloom is just a dream."

"It is." Picard admitted. "At least for now…like I said, we're back to step one. And I believe before everything else, we need to take a good long look at everything we know and has been revealed about our past, and give it all an equally good and long think. Only then can we learn the lessons we need to learn, and only with those lessons can we truly begin to move forward."

Guinan sighed and smiled sadly. "It's not going to be easy." She warned. "Especially for people like you, who used to be such a…visible, figure of authority in the Federation, or at least Starfleet."

"I never expected it to be." Picard replied. "And it shouldn't be. Otherwise, we wouldn't value what we'd achieve in the end."

Guinan smiled wider. "Well," she said. "I guess that's not a bad way to cope with your world getting turned upside down in the space of barely a month."

Then she paused, and looked back down at the bar. "I'll leave you to your thoughts." She said. "But if you ever need someone to talk to, you know where to find me."

Picard nodded, and then getting up, Guinan left with a reassuring squeeze of Picard's shoulder. Alone again, Picard took his wineglass, and took a sip while looking out over the Martian landscape.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Reality flickered as a quintet of Klingon Birds-of-Prey dropped out of warp within the Sol System. They were immediately tracked by numerous Imperial patrols, followed by demands for identification. The Klingons responded promptly, the Imperial Fleet responding by sending a trio of cruisers to escort them closer into the system.

On the lead Klingon ship, Captain Orath Alvezh silently regarded the Vindicators leading them to where the Imperial Command Fleet was waiting. "Interesting." A voice said, and the captain looked up in surprise at Dahar Master Akiz Mvonnek standing at his shoulder. And he didn't even hear the other Klingon approach.

How terrifying of him, not that Orath would admit it.

"The Imperial ships?" he asked instead.

"Yes." Akiz said. "You can learn a lot about your enemy by looking at the way they hold themselves…or even build their ships. Terrans build fast and light ships, with lots of weapons to hit hard in many different ways. But their weapons aren't weapons, not really. Phasers are just overpowered tools, while their photon torpedoes are probes just loaded with an antimatter warhead. In short, they're men of science playing at war."

"Not all of them." Orath demurred. "The Dominion War proved that much."

"And yet," Akiz countered in his turn. "The Coruscanti trample the Terrans underfoot, do they not?"

"…yes." Orath admitted after a moment. "But the Coruscanti are…different. Not just from the Terrans, or the Vulcans, or indeed, any other Federation race. Different from us or the Romulans, or even the Dominion."

Akiz chuckled. "Indeed," he said, crossing his arms and gesturing at the Imperial cruisers. "I'm told their ships can be slow and ungainly, at least when traveling at sub-light. But their shields and armor are incredible for ships of their size, and they do have proper weapons."

"They do." Orath said with a nod. "Plasma cannons of some kind, very powerful, enough to gut most ships, whether ours or the Terrans with shields down. Ion cannons too, to disable ships for boarding."

Orath paused, and grinned. "I hear their soldiers fight more like the Andorians than either Terrans or Vulcans." He said. "A shame I never had the opportunity to face Coruscanti trying to board my ship. It sounds like it would have made a most interesting encounter."

Akiz laughed uproariously at that, Orath chuckling in the captain's chair. "They're not warriors, though." Akiz eventually said. "Not from what I've seen and heard of them. They're soldiers. Different from us…almost like our mirror images…not that it changes things. They are worthy opponents…for the future. Now, though? They will make for worthy allies…proper allies, with which to spill blood and wash away the stains of dishonor left by the Terrans."

"I do not think the Coruscanti will disappoint." Orath said, and pressing a button, brought up long-distance scans and with them, an image of Earth's Moon. "This…Targaryen, is a dangerous woman."

Akiz smiled. "A woman after our own hearts, then." He said, and shared another laugh with the captain.

It wasn't long after that they approached the Imperial Command Fleet, gathered in orbit over Iapetus, a moon of Saturn, the second gas giant and sixth planet in the Sol System. And at its heart were the colossal Star Destroyers, from the kilometer-long Venators to the even bigger Imperials.

"Impressive." Akiz said approvingly. "The Romulans build big too, but their ships mass less than they appear. The Coruscanti have the mass to match their ships' size."

"Those ships have plenty of empty space as well." Orath pointed out. "They carry a lot of smaller craft, from small one-man fighters and bombers, to small troop transports."

"It matters not." Akiz scoffed. "The Coruscanti at least use what spaces their battleships – or even their cruisers – have well, to carry more means with which to bring the fight to their enemy. All the empty space a Romulan warbird has is just that: empty space. It shouldn't come as a surprise, though."

"Romulans…" Orath sneered. "…treacherous and craven knaves who skulk about with poison and hidden daggers, instead of fighting and killing their foes with honor."

"…and yet even they have more honor than the Terrans' hidden masters." Akiz darkly said. "Contact the Imperial flagship, and ask for permission to board. Contact the rest of our ships as well. It's time we meet this…Admiral Targaryen."

 

[iceknight90]

It's good to see that Picard still remains an idealist despite the destruction of the Federation and the unravelling of all he held dear.

PICARD FOR PRESIDENT OF THE NEW FEDERATION!

I'm still hoping that some Federation idealists manage to flee and try to create a new Federation somewhere in the galaxy, a remnant, an enclave, something to keep their polity alive and waiting for the day where they can strike back against the Imperials. It'd be nice if they remain idealistic, but it'd be darkly humorous if they wind up becoming far different from their initial ideals.

Perhaps they can create the equivalent of the Free Planets Alliance, standing against the Galactic Empire somewhere down the track.

 

[Wild Transient]

It's good to see that Picard still remains an idealist despite the destruction of the Federation and the unravelling of all he held dear.

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This. Say what you want about Picards flaws, he does believe in the ideals of the Federation and tries to live up to said ideals.

 

[Jaenera Targaryen]

It's good to see that Picard still remains an idealist despite the destruction of the Federation and the unravelling of all he held dear.

PICARD FOR PRESIDENT OF THE NEW FEDERATION!

I'm still hoping that some Federation idealists manage to flee and try to create a new Federation somewhere in the galaxy, a remnant, an enclave, something to keep their polity alive and waiting for the day where they can strike back against the Imperials. It'd be nice if they remain idealistic, but it'd be darkly humorous if they wind up becoming far different from their initial ideals.

Perhaps they can create the equivalent of the Free Planets Alliance, standing against the Galactic Empire somewhere down the track.

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Yeah...about that...

This. Say what you want about Picards flaws, he does believe in the ideals of the Federation and tries to live up to said ideals.

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Right down to just looking on and watching as a pre-industrial species gets wiped out by a natural disaster, because NATURE'S PLAN! PRIME DIRECTIVE STRONK!

Well, Worf's brother saved them, but that still ended with the man getting sent to the gulag for doing the right thing.

 

[iceknight90]

Yeah...about that...





Right down to just looking on and watching as a pre-industrial species gets wiped out by a natural disaster, because NATURE'S PLAN! PRIME DIRECTIVE STRONK!

Well, Worf's brother saved them, but that still ended with the man getting sent to the gulag for doing the right thing.

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Well, I didn't say it had to have a happy ending for my proposed New Federation.

Especially, if like the FPA, they wind up becoming a hilarious example of all the worst parts of a Republic and are largely defeated by their own corruption, inertia, and incompetence.

 

[Jaenera Targaryen]

Well, I didn't say it had to have a happy ending for my proposed New Federation.

Especially, if like the FPA, they wind up becoming a hilarious example of all the worst parts of a Republic and are largely defeated by their own corruption, inertia, and incompetence.

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This is fair.

 

[WhiteDragon25]

"Is the Empire really any better?" Picard asked. "They're an expansionist, militaristic power, and from what we know of their history, has barely progressed socially in over twenty thousand years. In fact, they might even have regressed recently, with their Republic abandoning its democratic ideals to embrace autocracy by becoming the Empire after the Clone Wars."

Q beamed. "Now, you're asking all the questions." He said. "No and yes. No, the Empire isn't much better, but yet, it…or rather, your Coruscanti cousins, are better. In one way: they don't deny their nature, or rather its darker part. By now, you've seen it yourself, haven't you? They're not all that different from you. But while you suppress the darker side of your being, your true selves, they don't. It's a part of them. It's a part of all of you."

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Oh, this is a load of bull: The Coruscanti Humans are better because they 'don't deny their darker natures'? Piss off with that crap. Sure, they don't deny it - but they also don't even try to be better. Just look at the entirety of the history of the Core Worlds: it's been nothing but one long continuous dick-measuring contest between each other, whether it'd be Coruscant, Alsakan, Corellia, Alderaan, Chandrilla, Anaxes, Kuat, or any of the others; constant feuding with each other over petty grudges, brutally exploiting their colonies in the Expansion Region and the Outer Rim, strip-mining entire worlds until they're uninhabitable husks, all to fuel their ecumenopolises and their gluttonous overindulgent consumerism, while gentrifying and trampling all over their impoverished lower-classes (both human and alien alike).

Only a stark handful of named characters break the mold of being the usual irredeemable scum that dominate the ruling classes of the Core Worlder Human population, and even then, they are largely irrelevant or negligible to the wider socio-economic system that the entire Star Wars galaxy is trapped in.

Is it better to be inherently good by nature, or to acknowledge one's inner evil, but still strive to overcome it and be good by choice? Well, the Coruscanti Humans don't even bother to try answering that question, and the Empire's answer is to actively embrace evil.

And that's not even touching upon how the Federation's 'evil' as portrayed in this fic is largely entirely fabricated by the author as a strawman!

 

[The Overlord]

Oh, this is a load of bull: The Coruscanti Humans are better because they 'don't deny their darker natures'? Piss off with that crap. Sure, they don't deny it - but they also don't even try to be better. Just look at the entirety of the history of the Core Worlds: it's been nothing but one long continuous dick-measuring contest between each other, whether it'd be Coruscant, Alsakan, Corellia, Alderaan, Chandrilla, Anaxes, Kuat, or any of the others; constant feuding with each other over petty grudges, brutally exploiting their colonies in the Expansion Region and the Outer Rim, strip-mining entire worlds until they're uninhabitable husks, all to fuel their ecumenopolises and their gluttonous overindulgent consumerism, while gentrifying and trampling all over their impoverished lower-classes (both human and alien alike).

Only a stark handful of named characters break the mold of being the usual irredeemable scum that dominate the ruling classes of the Core Worlder Human population, and even then, they are largely irrelevant or negligible to the wider socio-economic system that the entire Star Wars galaxy is trapped in.

Is it better to be inherently good by nature, or to acknowledge one's inner evil, but still strive to overcome it and be good by choice? Well, the Coruscanti Humans don't even bother to try answering that question, and the Empire's answer is to actively embrace evil.

And that's not even touching upon how the Federation's 'evil' as portrayed in this fic is largely entirely fabricated by the author as a strawman!

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Id disagree, the Empire actually DOES try and be better, at least when one looks at things from a societal lens and not a ideological one. For example despite how bad the Empire is towards aliens, there actually a improvement compared to the Republic, or Sith Empire of old. The Empire despite its more speciest nature being far more willing to accept merit and promotion of alien species and thus utilizes them remarkably more especially in specialized units, agents, etc then the Republic did. Frankly speaking the worst thing about the Empire is the Emperor and if the Emperor was not a god damn sith lord that drank WAAAAY too much into his own koolaid the Empire would actually have remarkably potential for rapid growth, change, and reform.

The Empire also has a hell of a lot more comprehensive aid/welfare system for those in need unlike the Federation who have to go to weird places to help their own people sometimes all but abandoning people on the frontier until they are capable of helping themselves more then the federation could anyways with the growth of their colony, industry, and infrastructure. and I could go on and on about differences like that.

 

[ghost01987]

PICARD FOR PRESIDENT OF THE NEW FEDERATION!

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YES THAT WOULD BE AWSOME FOR A SEQUEL

 

[AlreadyGoneAway]

Now that it's caught up from sietch I can read it here on my preferred platform. Keep up the good work!