PROLOGUE

 ''We do not forgive... or forget!''

Gowron

Chancellor of the Klingon Empire

from 2367 to 2375

PROLOGUE

The very edge of space seemed to shimmer as if some galactic rainbow

was curving itself around all the immensity of the Milky Way spiral.

So far out in the vastness of galactic space was that long iridescent strip

of energy that you could barely see the few nearest stars at the rim of

the galaxy. It was a vast void bordering the immense abyss between the

galaxy and the rest of the universe that only this Great Galactic Barrier

separated from the dim lights of the oldest, mostly dead stars at the edge

of the unexplored section of the Alpha Quadrant.

Only one ship had ever made it this far, albeit no less than thrice: 

once after long months with a never disclosed travel technology;

once again after an engineering sabotage caused an unprecedented

acceleration beyond the ship's normal limits; and, once more, this time

under highly advanced alien technology and control.

The Constitution class starship USS Enterprise, most famous starship in

History, alone ever crossed all of those eight thousand light years to reach

the Great Galactic Barrier.

Until now.

Suddenly, there was a ripple in the darkness, a brutal flash of light sending

tendrils of whitish energies towards the very edge of space, even beyond

the galactic arm. The spidery lights curved to form a funnel of swirling

lights that opened up to spew out the sleek, scorch-marked silhouette of a

space vessel.

As soon as the orca-looking starship exited the white-lighted, webby

quantum tunnel, the powerful energy passage immediately collapsed in

its wake, leaving only cold darkness to swallow it. No sooner was the vessel

fully back into normal space that the entire underside of the flattened hull

opened. Tons of deuterium and antimatter were ejected from vented tanks

while two long columns of glowing metal and pulsing energies shot out from

under and over its rear section.

Carried by its own faster than light momentum a moment still, the starship

nevertheless was caught by the edge of the cataclysmic explosion that

resulted in the sudden contact between free floating matter and antimatter

outside of a magnetic containment field. The blasted pair of ejected warp

cores floating in their midst added their own terrible power to the mix.

Despite the thousands of kilometers already separating them, the titanic

shockwave struck the helpless vessel like a tidal wave and threw it even

farther, towards the shimmering border shearing the infinite darkness,

where raging energies swirled angrily with iridescent colors and crackles of

ferocious discharges.

Hurled further away from the dimmed lights of the last few, far away stars,

to the very distant edge of the galaxy, without fuel, a warp core, auxilliary

crafts, lifepods or even a way to find where it was, the crippled starship

tumbled slowly like a dying whale on the dark waves of outer space.

Cold and darkness drowned the only mind left on board, the very soul of the

derelict starship, its last long howl of impotent rage and despair unheard in

the silent, lifeless void.

But it's arrival had not been left unseen.

" Confirmed;by power signature and hull construction materials, it is a

Starfleet vessel. But the tactical data is... impressive, far beyond anything

we have on record about any Starfleet design, even one this large. It seems

to be adrift... minimal reserve power output, minimal life support, no lifesigns...

all lifepods jettisoned. So are the deuterium and antimatter tanks and power

cores. The main cargo bay door seems to have been blown away. There is also

minimal damage on one deck section, starboard side. "

" I do not recognize the configuration..." said another voice, as gravely and

rough as the first but with much more authority in it. " Find us a docking port

nearest it's command section. "

" Located... but there is a Starfleet shuttlecraft, class VIII, already docked at

the bridge's access port. " now said the first rough voice. " Seems fully

operational... but there is no lifesigns aboard either. Transponder code reads;

Shuttle Arrow VIII, USS Artemis NCC-64121/8. "

" Artemis... " said another voice, farther behind; " data files list it as an

Ambassador class heavy cruiser destroyed during the Cardassian wars. But

data recorded is inconsistent with data received; at the time of that ship's

destruction, the class VIII shuttle was not yet deployed by Starfleet. "

There was hesitancy in that last voice. But there was none in the more

authoritative one among them.

" Clear the way. We dock and claim this prize. "

There was no further word as a powerful white beam struck the docked

shuttle and cut it off the docking port it was fixed on. As the small, boxy

spacecraft tumbled away from the much more massive starship, a second

pair of beams struck it squarely, reducing it to fiery dust.

There was no further word exchanged as they took the place of the

destroyed shuttle at the docking port access to the top deck of the derelict.

There was not a second wasted as their own airlock, barely cycled,

opened to see half a dozen stocky silhouettes pour into the circular

chamber beyond.

The bridge had the distinctive basic configuration of a typical Federation

command deck, but with an advanced look that was unmistakable in the

layout and consoles, most apparently on standby mode. before the

darkened large viewing screen, there was a forward multitask station for

helm and ship operations, at the foot of the dais where rested the command

chair, deeply recessed at the back of the whole room to allow the captain

full view of all the stations encircling the oval bridge.

And on that command chair, a body was resting.

It was a Human corpse, male. It wore a one piece coverall that looked more

like a technician's apparel than any of the known Starfleet uniforms worn by

ship commanders. Under the dim lighting, the body was dessicated, hair

discolored to a white hue, eyes sunken and blackened, the skin greyed,

mummified by long exposure to the cold vaccuum of space... despite life

support being active; indeed, a faint smell of rotting flesh was permeating 

the whole sinister-looking place.

There was some faint humidity coming from most surfaces and a few other

bodies also merely starting to decompose at their stations under the reddish

hue of the emergency lighting. All wore the same apparel as the one

sprawled in the command chair, with a badge on their shoulder that read:

Starfleet Corps of Engineers, Utopia Planitia, Sol IV

"Boarding Team 4 reporting. "

The voice, crackling over their communicators, sounded hard-edged in this

cold, dim, tomb-like silence.

" Report," was the terse answer of the one with the authoritative voice.

" We have secured Engineering. Both warp cores have been ejected with a

Starfleet command code input fifteen minutes ago. "

" Check again, Team 4. There is no one aboard. No one alive that is. "

" Not so sure; we have glimpsed movements from some upper, darker

sections. "

" Team 5 reporting; we have secured the battle bridge; consoles here

have been activated and programmed ten minutes ago with several activation

sequences of propulsion and evacuation protocols. And we heard noises

from adjoining corridors... but no presence identified. "

" Team 2 reporting; computer core fully active. We found a Starfleet-issued

phaser rifle lying on the floor, of a very advanced design, still fully charged...

And that computer... I have never seen anything even remotely like this..."

For a moment, there was silence over their comm channels.

Then another crackle.

" Team 3 reporting; we are on the asrometrics deck, all navigational

systems have just been recently destroyed . We are in pursuit of...

target lost. "

" Team 6 reporting; sounds confirmed in weapons control section.

Spreading out to locate... "

There was a louder crackle on the channel...

And then...

Silence.

" Team 6! Confirm hostiles in your area! All teams, engage and confirm! "

finally barked the lead voice.

But not even a burst of static came over the communicator. Instead,

another, softer yet strong voice was heard.

 " Tell me; why are you here? "

The low, strangely accented and ominious voice came not from the

comm channel. It came from right beside them, on the dead bridge.

" And tell me... where can I find Lieutenant-Commander N'Eligahn...

Commander O'Conner... and... Captain Kheren..."

The voice came from the tall, powerfully built form that rose slowly

from the corpse lying in the captain's chair.