Alliance.

Star Trek: The Lost Stars
Chapter Four, Part Two.

Stardate 92020.31 (January 8th, 2415.  9:57pm)
Location:  New Kelva, Tesseract Prime.  Andromeda Galaxy.

Astrometrics.
Circling the central console, Riana kept her gaze firmly locked on her digital duplicate, a duplicate that was copying her movements, a decidedly non friendly smile on her face.
Riana risked glanced at the main doors, which were still locked.  "Who...what are you?" she demanded.
Holo-Riana feigned a look of despair, her hands clasped together above her 'heart'.  "To be forgotten by your parent, how you wound me Mother!"
"I'm not your Mother, I'm not your anything."
"Oh, but you are.  Admittedly you weren't exactly yourself at the time, but you did create me!"
"Why would I do that?"
Dissolving into motes of golden dust, Holo-Riana reformIng with her right finger pointed at Riana's head.  "Because you were told to do so!"
With a gasp of shock, Riana jerked backwards. "By who?  This Infinite that everyones talking about?"
"Who else!"  Holo-Riana folded her arms.  "They made you one of their agents, part of the advance guard.  Your objective was to sabotage this mission, to ensure it's failure!"  The hologram dissolved once more, but her voice continued speaking, echoing around the chamber. "But in case you were discovered you created me, literally pouring your consciousness into a true artificial intelligence."
"And then I....died!"
The central console activated, and Holo-Riana's ghostly visage shimmered into being above it.  "Yes, but just before that happened you sent the activation code, and I coalesced from the fragments you had carefully hidden around the Endeavour's systems."  
The Endeavour appeared next to Riana, slowly rotating on its axis.  Several sections glowed amber.  "What have you done?" she demanded.
"Only what you meant to do, for you see, Mother, I am you, and I am also The Infinite."
"But you were, like me,  discovered!"
The face smiled, but as before there was no humour in it.  "A small miscalculation I admit, but they think that I'm cornered, cut off from the rest of the ship"  The hologram of the Endeavour started to flash red.  "Quite the opposite really, I'm everywhere, and there's nothing they can do about it!"
A banging started on the doors, and both Riana's looked towards them.
"It appears," said the program, "that they've discovered where you are!"
As it was distracted, Riana moved to the wall and carefully prised open a panel, revealing an interface port.  Rubbing her fingers she knew what must be done.
"What are you doing?"  The program coalesced back into the holo version of its creator. 
"Anything I can to stop you!"
"You'll fail, and they'll be in your head again, in control!"
Concentrating, Riana willed her fingers into small Kelvan like tentacles.  "We'll see about that!"
She plunged the tentacles into the port.

Energy surged through Riana, igniting every nerve cluster and making her scream with agony.  At the edge of her awareness she saw the doors to the corridor burst open and several security officers, led by Munro, rush in.  She didn't see what they did next as images flooded her mind, accompanied by a kalidascope of emotions that threatened drown her.  Memories flooded back, untainted and crystal clear, of what she had done, of what the 'other' had planned to do, and she screamed again, this time at the violation that had taken place.
Hello Mother!
The others voice rolled around her brain, and Riana felt it push against her, seeking to take control.  Using the pain, she pushed back, not willing to become a puppet again.
Come now, there's no point resisting.  Just let me in and the pain will stop!
Ignoring her 'daughter', Riana concentrated, and 'saw' the damage that had been done.  She withdrew from the port and staggered.
It's too late, there's nothing you can do!  The voice was sounding desperate.
Good.
Opening her eyes, Riana focused on what her other self had been doing to the ship, and pushed past Munro and his team, reaching the main console.  Jabbing the controls, she rapidly located the data worms and hidden programs, and as she felt hands grasp her and start to pull her away, she sent the command to erase them all.  
A cold pressure on her neck, a soft hiss, and in moments reality began to fall away.  As it did Riana 'heard' the other clamouring again to come to the fore, but Riana forced her back and shut her away behind locked doors.  Then sleep claimed her.

Three Hours Later.
Standing at the head of the conference table, Admiral Munro stood straight, bearing the gaze of the four aliens that made up the rooms other occupants.  The incident with Riana was fresh in his mind, but he refused to let his concern show.  All the reports had revealed that she hadn't done any damage, in fact she had done the opposite, deleting dangerous programs and files placed by her doppelganger, who was also now deleted.
Flicking his eyes to the gathering of ships that hung in the void, all dominated by the gargantuan Beldonian world ship, he shuddered internally at the thought of what those programs could have done.
Smiling, he nodded to each of his guests.  "So, shall we begin!  We have a lot to discuss!"
Tarn, his tentacles shivering, inclined his head.  "Indeed!"
Proxis scratched his chin with one hand, the other three held loosely at his side.  "I am sceptical about this 'alliance' that you are proposing.  The Coalition has been doing fine without the Kelvan's, who ran and hid once things turned against them!"
Bish, the squat, round Veermok representative, nodded in agreement, her multi-layered suit rustling.  "I see no need to involve the Kelvan's," she sneered with contempt.  "The Infinite have left us alone for the most part.  Why draw their full attention to us?"
Shaking her head, Ser'Talisa leaned on the table.  "The Infinite plan to consume the stars.  Their attention will fall on us soon, and have we forgotten about the Voorpak?"  She indicated Munro.  "If it hadn't been for the Federation ships, I abd ny crew would be dead, or worse!"
"The Voorpak are a nuisance, nothing more."  Bish, pointed at Tarn.  "The Kelvan's are the real threat!"
Tarn's eyes seemed to flare.  "What are you talking about?"
"Your Empire claimed Dominion over us, wether we wanted it or not!  Once The Infinite are gone you'll just go back to your old ways!"
The Kelvan bristled, two tentacles moving towards a small black box on his belt.  
Munro, seeing where this was going, slammed his palms on the table, startling the others.  "THAT IS ENOUGH!" he bellowed.  His gaze bored into each of them, and they all seemed to shrink, even Tarn.
"The Infinite feed on stars, so it is stupidity to think you'll be left alone.  They will eventually come all of you, and when they're finished they'll move on to the next galaxy, and leave this one cold and dead!"  Munro took a step back from the table, ignoring the throbbing in his hahds. "So you don't like each other, so what!  The Coalition may think itself strong, but with the Kelvan's and their Planet Killers, you could do real damage to The Infinite!"
Tarn raised a tentacle.  '"And what do the Kelvan's get out of this?"
"Oh, that's simple," replied Munro.  "You get allies, which you sorely need!"
The room fell silent as everyone considered Munro's words.  Bish kept looking back and forth between Tarn and Munro, her gaze uncertain, but Tarn and Proxis looked convinced, swayed by his words.  Ser'Talisa was already on board, convinced by Munro's earlier actions. 
"Very well, Admiral," said Proxis, "the Veermok will join this alliance!"
Ser'Talisa nodded.  "As will the Guarlarans!"  
"The Kelvan's will stand by your side too," said Tarn, bowing slightly.
All eyes turned to Bish, who shifted uncomfortably.  After a moment she sighed and nodded.  "Very well, the Beldonian's will stand with you!"
Letting a smile form, Munro nodded gratefully to each of them.  "Together we now have a true hope of success, thank you!"
At that moment the alert sirens started blaring, and everyone in the room jumped.  Xon's voice filled the air.  "Admiral Munro to the bridge!"
Munro tapped his badge.  "What's happening Commander?"
"Sensors are detecting a build up of tachyons less that ten kilometres from our position!"
The members of the new Alliance looked at each other.  Ser'Talisa spoke up.  "Perhaps we should get back to our ships!"
Munro nodded, moving to the doors.  "Commander, beam our guests directly back to their ships!"
"Yes sir."
As the transporter enveloped the others, Ser'Talisa winked at Munro.  Nodding back, Munro exited the conference room.

Entering the repaired and refurbished bridge, Munro was hit by the full noise of the alert sirens.  Making his way to the command area, he was greeted by Xon who had stood from the centre seat.  Munro considered sitting, but decided to stay standing.  Looking at Paris he made a cutting gesture, a moment later the sirens stopped.
"Report?" 
"The tachyon surge is increasing!" answered Fel.  "A temporal rift is forming!"
"On screen!"
The view of the gathered Beldonian, Veermok, and Kelvan ships shimmered, and was replaced by a swirling mass of energy.  It resembled a vortex, and every few seconds a pulse would emanate outwards from the centre.  
Xon blinked in recognition, and turned to Munro.  "Doesn't that look like the rift that..."
"...the Icarus-class Endeavour emerged from two years ago!" finished Munro.  
At that exact moment the vortex blazed with light, and transformed into a huge rift, both sides rippling and undulating.  On either side the stars could be seen, but on the inside there was complete darkness.
Munro's eyes widened.  "Okay, that's new!"  He looked at Xon.  "Seen anything like that before!"
Xon's reply was interrupted by an Ensign approaching from the rear of the bridge.  "Excuse me Admiral," said the crewman, his brow creased with concern, "but I need to speak to you, urgently!"
Munro spared the Ensign a glance.  "Not now, Daniels, return to your station."
"But Admiral..."
Munro turned and looked at Ensign Daniels, staring him straight in the eyes.  "Return to your station, Ensign, or leave the bridge!"
Opening his mouth, Daniels looked like he was going to say something else, but his jaw shut and, with a worried glance at the rift, returned to his station. 
As Munro turned back to face the viewscreen, both Paris's and Fel's consoles started emitting warning chirps.  Paris was the first to speak.
"Sir, there is a ship emerging!"
Xon raised an eyebrow.  "What type of ship?"
Paris checked her readings, ahd looked up from her console in surprise.  "Federation!"
At his station, Daniels carefully rolled up his right sleeve, and tapped twice on the wristband that had been concealed.  Making sure no one was watching him, he raised it level with his mouth, and quietly spoke into it, his voice a concerned whisper.
"Daniels to Control....she's arrived!"

To be continued...


Art by Jetfreak.