V [Destiny SI/Multicross]

[Tabi]

Part 1/3

Captain's Personal Log, Stardate [REDACTED]. Despite issues with the warp drive, Chief Engineer Torres informs me that with the transwarp coils taken from the defunct Borg Cube, our journey back to the Alpha Quadrant has been cut by another thirty thousand light years. However, the Borg continue to remain active in the Quadrant. Entire formations of hundreds of Cubes were detected gathering near strongholds and then disappearing.

Seven-Of-Nine informs me that the Borg are engaging what she calls 'Protocol Zeta Zero', a purely theoretical war-time state engaged only when potential achievement of 'Perfection' can be conceivably obtained immediately. Borg becoming perfect has one of two outcomes; they become perfect and decide to leave everyone else alone or they become perfect and decide to assimilate everyone else to ensure everyone is perfect. Under no good conscience can I allow Borg supremacy to be achieved.

The Borg appear to disregard any and all lifeforms in favor of concentrating all forces to assimilate 'perfection'. If they haven't managed to assimilate it yet, either this source is capable of defending itself against the Borg or the Borg are still amassing forces in order to overwhelm it.

If we can get to this source before the Borg do, we may well deny them their perfection... and hopefully find a way home.

-

"I'm telling you, the guy is a shady character!" Complained Quark. The security chief gazed at him, bemused. The ferengi quickly amended, "Shadier than me, really! I'm telling you, he's creepy and sells weapons for crying out loud!"

"Weapons?" That got Odo's attention now. "And just how do you know that?"

Quark raised his hands, as if to protest his innocence. "All I did was ask to see his inventory! And the merchandise he's got... Could give the Klingon's a run fer their money, I tell you!"

The changeling stared at the him for a moment before turning his head slowly, eying the shadowy figure standing in a secluded corner of the promenade. A pair of Klingons approach the figure, who greets them. They speak and the figure leads them into it's shop.

"Not just weapons, though," Quark continues, his voice falling to a whisper. He looks around for eavesdroppers, a sign that was interesting in of itself. He lowers his head slightly as the ferengi decided no one was listening in on them. "Tech. The guy's full of tech I've never seen before. I don't know how he managed to get that much stuff on the station, but some of it is literally impossible."

"Surely you're exaggerating," Odo retorted.

Again, Quark looked around and Odo followed the ferengi's eyes. A pair of finneans lurked nearby, hands thrust into their pockets as they conversed in low tones. The ferengi turned his body slightly as he pulled out several cubes from an inner pocket. The cube were blue and they glowed white with an inner light. Odo could not help but feel entranced.

"Programmable matter," Quark explained in a whisper. "Got them after I sold some merchandise. Didn't believe it, of course. But then he turned a bunch of them into pure latinum. Tested the stuff myself. Now, don't misunderstand me, chief. I like latinum like any hotblooded ferengi, but guys like him are bad for business on this station."

"Shadier than an honest Orion pirate, having more guns on hand than a Klingon armory, and with more wild unbelievable technology than a Starfleet Engineering Brigade." Quark glanced at the inconspicuous little store with renewed vigilance. Odo once again followed his gaze and saw the two Klingons from before. Both warriors were sporting brand new gauntlets and chest armor of antiquated design, but if Quark's claims were true, then they were far more than they appeared.

"I'll look into it." But Odo didn't promise anything. He glanced towards the little shop in the promenade. The hooded figure lingers at the entrance and, almost as if it sensed his gaze, eyed him with a single baleful red eye.

 

[Tabi]

Part 2/3

"And what happened after that?" Benjiman Sisko looked up from his paperwork, genuinely interested in the Security Chief's answer. The man looked vaguely uncomfortable as he replied.

"Apparently Vur had multiple permits allowing it to sell personal weapons, armaments, and defensive equipment to the Bajoran Militia. Additionally, there are permits that I am quite sure were not issues yesterday for selling body armor and defensive equipment to the regular denizens on this station."

"Certainly irregular," Sisko noted that the Constable's expression of uncomfort hadn't faded. "Speak your mind Odo. What's bothering you?"

"Of all places to sell weapons to the Bajoran government, Vur chooses to do it on Deep Space Nine, commander," says Odo carefully. He crosses his arms and gives Benjamin a significant stare. "Moreover, he is selling extremely unusual... materials."

That got his attention. "Explain."

"That's the problem," bites out the Constable. "It only takes materials equivalent to whatever currency it is using and changes it out to that currency. Something it calls glimmer. Some kind of programmable matter."

"Programmable matter?" This time Sisko couldn't help but scoff. "That's the stuff of science fiction Odo..."

"Hardly, if what O'Brien has to say about the stuff." The Constable sighed and glared at the floor as though it had done him a great offense. "The only reason there isn't a report in front of you is probably because the good Engineer is too busy studying the items I bought from Vur."

"Like?"

"A Faron Cell, something Vur claims to have picked up somewhere in the Delta Quadrant. Slap it into anything that needs a capacitor and it'll hold charge without degradation effectively forever. As far as O'Brien can tell, he was not lying," Odo recalls. "Vials of a clear substance...calls it Infusion of Light, claims it to be a nootropic energy with no side effects. I sent one to Doctor Bashir to determine if the claims were true. Little tanks of cytoconstructors that are programmed to 'grow' metal to a certain point for harvest..."

Odo trailed off as he noticed Sisko's stare of complete disbelief.

"Commander Sisko, Vur represents an unknown source of exotic technology that no one has ever seen before. Assuming, of course they are indeed what it claims it's wares to be," murmurs Odo, staring down into Sisko's eyes. "That it is selling to Bajor is one thing, but I feel the need to inform you that this technology could be a danger to this station, not directly in of itself, but for what attention it may bring."

Sisko composed himself and nodded. "... Noted, Constable."

"I'll return to my duties, then, Commander." Odo gave him a nod and turned away.

"You keep calling Vur 'it', why?"

Odo turned back slightly. "Vur apparently subscribes to no gender specification as it has none. If that is all?"

Benjamin nodded and watched the changeling leave. He waited for several seconds as the door sealed itself. Then he spoke, "You heard all that, then?"

"Yes, I did. Troubling stuff, really," said a man, stepping out of the corner of the office. He wore a Starfleet uniform like Sisko's own, it was in dark green and harkened back to the days of the Old Federation. Commander Ducane wore a somber expression as he approached Sisko. "This Vur is a likely lead for my mission here. It is more than likely that it is a part of the source of the temporal interference detected in the timestream. With your permission, Commander Sisko, I want to insert several agents into your ranks to keep an eye on this merchant."

"Permission granted." Benjamin didn't look happy at all, but he was grateful for any help with this matter. Time travel was complicated already, having it happen before his very eyes didn't agree with him in any way.

There was a chirp on his combadge. Sisko sighed.

"That'd be High Command," noted Ducane with a hint of derision.

Sisko looked down at the badge on his chest with no small hint of trepidation. "My life is about to get incredibly complicated, isn't it."

"I'm afraid so." There was pity in the Temporal Commander's eyes as he phased out of existence.

With sheer strength of will, Sisko slapped the commbadge. "This is Sisko."

"Commander," came Odo's gruff voice. "We have a problem."

 

[Tabi]

Part 1/5

With the combined resources of two spacefaring nations under the pact of an mutually beneficial Union, the Raloi and Yanme'e explorers quickly spread their sights beyond their respective star systems. Using technology discovered from the outermost layers of the Spires that protected their homes and colonies, the faithful spread across the stars. The first true multi-species exploration ship was a massive craft, a colony ship unto itself. Resembling a roughly hewn log of wood, the ship housed several hives of Yanme'e and up to two tribes of Raloi.

Space was admittedly cramp, but it was self sustaining and functional for long journeys of a projected century. Stasis pods, developed from the passive time dilating technology found within the 'roots' of their protective Spires, held thousands of colonists in suspense. What would be years for the crew would be but a single second or two for them.

In the center of the craft, supported by a lattice-work of metal and stone grown from faith and prayer, was a small spire; to be planted on their new world and to serve as a center of their collective worship.

This ship would reach it's destination some fifty-eight light years away, a temperate world theorized to be good conditions for both species to settle. If it wasn't, the Yanme'e could make do with the colony ship.

Many such ships would carry colonists to worlds across the star cluster, where new garden worlds would become a new part of their ever expanding dominion.

Within three centuries, a respectable portion of their local star cluster became homes to far flung hives and sky-cities. Of those colonies, several dozens would become fully fledged trade hubs that supplied other nearby star systems with new colony ships and materials.

One of these colony ships would come across an artificial signal, repeating for untold millennia. It was eventually translated as a warning for ships that 'the line was broken' and that the 'flood will consume all in its path'.

That faint signal came from a little ice ball orbiting a simple red dwarf, where they found the first evidence of a long dead civilization. A Forerunner outpost, a little more than a small base partially covered in snow and ice. Though there existed Sentinels and other similar defenses, it was not those automatons that were of note to the leaders high up within the Alliance, but the mummified horrors that lay within.

Though the exact nature of what remains were found inside the facility, it was enough to spark the revival of militarization within the Union.

The technologies housed there were of great import to them as a result. The Yanme'e, who reserve engineered it, incorporated them into their vessels.

Of note were the weapons technology that allowed both species to upgrade from simple chemical slugthrowers and missiles to something a little more powerful; particle weapons.

With access to newer weapons and power generation, the fledgling empire began to expand far beyond their local cluster.

With the advent of the Forerunner's existence, however, it became clear to both species the death of a mighty galaxy wide civilization did not bode well for them.

Especially so when they found what they believed were what these mysterious Forerunner spoke of.

 

[Vyrexuviel]

DUN DUN DUNNNN. ^^

I'm really looking forward to more of these now!

 

[Darik29]

It continues. Glorious.

Especially would like to see the Vex experiment reach conclusion in the DC and/or Marvel universe.

Vex now arguing about wether Faith should be permitted to exist, or be used by them.

This gonna be fun, yo.

 

[NakedFury]

more!!

I feel like a parched man waiting for Tabi to supply me more V-destiny-SI-multicross liquid but HE keeps giving me less than needed to keep myself sated.

 

[Tabi]

Part 2/5

Age of Conflict, War of Beginnings
One hundred and fifty-two years before the Writ of Union

Kot Dinum maintained eye contact with the sanheili warlord, carefully making sure his hand did not stray too far from the hidden holdout pistol in his robes. The warlord's hands were much the same, though they appeared to be a moment from grabbing the vibroblade hanging from his belt.

"It is agreed then?" The san'shyuum asked silkily. "Shall we set aside old hatreds and unite in the face of this great enemy we share?"

Intelligent eyes returned a calculating gaze, as Warlord Forna 'Salamee nodded stiffly, his hand straying far from the handle of his sword. Just the same, Kot's hand joined it's opposite on the stone table on which the treaty lay waiting, unsigned.

Around them, there was a ripple. San 'shyuum and sangheili collectively relaxed; their guard was still alert, but the threat of violence had significantly lessened now that both their leaders had shown peace towards each other.

"It is agreed, Holy Prophet," rumbled the warlord as he picked up the stylus. "Divided as we are, Sangheili nor San 'Shyuum can defeat the great enemy."

"Then together, we shall triumph." The both of them intoned together. They signed their names on the treaty and a covenant was born.

-

Though the Writ of Union would not be written and formalized for another century and a half, the alliance between the Sangheili and the San 'Shyuum brought end to decades of war between the two species; allowing them to fight as one against the enemy that forced them to unite.

Known only as the 'Great Enemy' during this conflict, the San 'Shyuum claimed to have the most knowledge of these mysterious aliens. During the civil war upon their homeworld of Janjor Qom, these aliens launched a full scale assault on the planet, somehow bypassing their entire planetary defense and sensor grid.

Their Mothership unleashed a flood of millions of fighters, thousands of troop transports, and over a hundred city-sized capital ships.

The sudden attack caught the San 'Shyuum off guard and within a week, over half the planet was in enemy hands. The Stoics, refusing to use the weapons of the Keyship in their hands, fought a futile battle against the enemy. The Reformists, desperate and frustrated, gathered all their supporters and forced entry into the vessel, barricading some six thousand of their number inside.

Unwilling to attack the object of their reverence, the Stoics were indecisive. Between the encroaching Enemy and the Reformists gathering even more support from the desperate, there was nothing they could do from stopping the ship from launching.

The Keyship took with it an entire landmass, allowing it to literally smash through the blockade above them.

Their erstwhile ancestors would curse them and swore none would ever return to Janjor Qom. However, their fate is ultimately uncertain, as the Enemy converged on their remaining holdouts.

Though the San'Shyuum advanced themselves with the help of the Keyship, they were ultimately unable to fight the Enemy and thus fled. The Enemy attempted to give chase, but their Forerunner vessel was by far the faster ship.

However, while the memory of the Enemy never truly faded, the San 'Shyuum were prepared to face them once more if they were ever discovered.

So when the Enemy did find them during their war with the Sangheili, the San'Shyuum were quick to withdraw from Sangheilos and gather their forces to bring the fight to their ancient foe.

With respite from San 'Shyuum assault on their capital world, the Sangheili rallied together what remained of their war fleets in preparation for another assault.

Forna 'Salamee, once mocked for his feminine name, fought throughout the latter stages of the San'Shyuum-Sangheili war, earning himself a reputation of honor and battle prowess unmatched by even the veterans before him. It was what led to his leading of the reconstituted (and sole remaining) war fleet into battle.

What he would witness was one that paved the way for the alliance that would be proposed many days after.

A enormous vessel shaped like an irregular dorsal dome, and two flipper-like appendages that hung beneath. Great beams of energy that would rip his vessels apart impacted it, leaving only wide ripples of green. Thousands of explosions filled the void, as sensors found the San 'Shyuum fleet floundering against such a foe.

Though technologically superior to the Sangheili, even they could not withstand such quantities of fire.

Against the hatred telling him to let the San 'Shyuum die, Salamee would command his fleet to save them. Mutiny almost occurred, when the order filtered through the ranks, but such was respect for the warlord did the warriors do as he commanded. It was this act that would bring both species together in the face of such a foe.

The war fleet dove into combat by performing a quick slipspace jump; the emergence of the hundreds strong cruisers and frigates wrecked havoc on the surprised alien craft as carefully positioned slipspace portals ripped their fighter swarms and destroyer flotillas apart. The San 'Shyuum fleet saw the opportunity presented to them and quickly annihilated what was left. Both fleet left, going onto their separate ways.

Forna 'Salamee expected to be stripped of his rank by the Sangheili Elders for not taking advantage of the alien attack and destroying the San 'Shyuum. However, he was soon vindicated when he received urgent reports of the very same creatures that trapped the San 'Shyuum fleet had struck an outlying Sangheili world at the same time. Cruel details of the alien's destruction of major cities and enslavement of survivors told all he needed to know of these new foes.

Subsequent peace envoys from both sides brought a halt to their mutual conflict. And from it came an alliance that would become something even more...