The post-treaty (and public executions) reception was in full swing, Imperial officers and Orion notables mingling under the light of crystal chandeliers. Servers went to and fro, mostly scantily-clad Orion women, but also with a fair number of young Orion men, providing drinks to the attendees. As in actual alcoholic drinks, and not the synthehol bastardization popularized by the Federation, in particular by the Terran Humans.
More than one Orion notable had privately expressed relief that the Coruscanti Humans had far better taste compared to their cousins.
An orchestra provided musical accompaniment, with periodic numbers sung by an Orion matron with a husky contralto. The songs and music alike were…alien, to the Imperials, but that didn't stop them – or at least the older ones – from appreciating the merits of Orion music. And while the younger Imperial officers only gave a show of polite interest, the Orions weren't exactly offended.
Why would they? The younger Imperials might not appreciate the finer things of Orion civilization – at least outside of Orion alcohol – but they definitely appreciated the fine curves and beautiful smiles of Orion women. And for the Orions, that was enough, for to them, there was nothing more beautiful and valuable than their women, and so long as the Imperials could respect that, then much could be forgiven.
"…honestly," one lieutenant remarked while following the movements of an Orion serving girl's hips as she moved with deceptive grace through the crowd. "The first thing that came to mind when I heard 'Orion Syndicate' was the Hutts. I've never been so glad to be wrong…or happy that these Orions are willing to work with us."
"Agreed." His friend said, taking a quick peek at a nearby matron's cleavage. Not subtle enough to avoid the matron noticing, but the Orion woman just smiled and gave a toast in his direction. "They've got a lot to offer the Empire, and the Empire is very generous to its friends and allies. I for one am looking forward to working with them in the future."
The two men smirked at each other knowingly…
…and then were standing to attention as I walked out of the crowd seemingly out of nowhere. "By all means," I said without preamble, and sipping at my drink as I did so. "Enjoy the Orions' hospitality. Just be certain to conduct yourselves properly as officers of the Imperial Navy."
"Yes, ma'am!" the two lieutenants chorused, and I smiled.
"Now, now," I said. "There's no need to be so nervous. Simply put, don't get carried away."
I toasted the two men, who relaxed and returned my toast with sheepish smiles and gestures. I lifted my wineglass to my lips, closing my eyes to take another sip…
…and then opened them as the music just stopped.
I wasn't at the reception anymore, but at what looked like a conference room of some kind, probably on a Federation starship somewhere if the LCARS display on the wall was any indication. Confusion briefly reigned before discipline put my thoughts back into order, and it wasn't long before I realized only one person could have done this.
Q.
I sighed, finishing my drink to steady my nerves, and placed the empty wine glass on the table. Then I walked past…
…and suddenly came to a stop, staring at my faint reflection on the polished surface of the LCARS display. It…it wasn't me, at least not the me that was Admiral Jaenera of House Targaryen, Viscountess of Summerhall. It was…it was who I used to be…back in the 21st Century of Earth, that of a woman who had died because a drunk driver had plowed into her and the wall behind her.
In hindsight…
…while I wasn't as striking as when I was a Targaryen, this body of mine had a homely beauty to it, my old brown eyes having a warmth that my new violet eyes lacked, and while my old dark hair wasn't as striking as my new platinum locks, they complimented me well. I smiled.
Whether as a Latina or a Valyrian, I will always be beautiful, huh?
I can accept that.
The door hissed open, and I turned my head, raising an eyebrow as a familiar bald man in a Federation uniform walked in. A bearded man followed, also in a Federation uniform, then a Klingon and a pair of women, all in Federation uniforms, and all of whom froze on seeing me.
"Intruder alert!" Riker immediately said, while Worf pulled out a phaser and aimed it at me.
"Who are you?" Picard demanded. "How did you get in here?"
"Elena de Guzman." I said with a shrug, using my old name. "And I'm not entirely sure, but if I had to guess the 'how', it'd have something to do with our mutual acquaintance, Q."
"Q…?" Picard echoed.
"You expect us to believe that?" Riker asked skeptically.
"She does seem to be telling the truth, though." Troi chimed in cautiously, but it soon became a moot point, as Q appeared in a flash of light, also wearing a Federation uniform while slouching on a chair with his feet on the table.
"Well, how else could she have gotten here?" he mockingly asked. "I mean, it's not like women just spontaneously appear out of the blue, do they? Mind you, plenty of young men – and even a more than a few older men – have fantasies like those. I've even granted it to a few of them, because why not?"
Riker finally looked at Worf, who reluctantly lowered his phaser. "Why are you here, Q?" Picard demanded while stepping forward. "Why have you brought Miss de Guzman here?"
"Miss de Guzman is an associate of mine." Q cheekily replied before turning to me. "Go on, Elena. Tell us all a story."
Q smiled at that, basically telling me to chart my course through these treacherous waters. I frowned and narrowed my eyes, and then sighed. Well, the best lies have a grain of truth at their heart…
…that, and the truth can just be so deceptive to those unwilling to believe it.
"Honestly, I'm just a clerk working for the law firm of Jonson, Johnson, and Johnston." I began, which wasn't exactly a lie. I never truly died, after all, so in a way, I was still what I was talking about. "It's a very dry and boring job, for all that it pays the bills. Then along comes Q, offering to add some excitement to my life, and…here we are."
"…what year are you from?" Picard asked, eyeing my office clothing suspiciously, already knowing the answer from his archaeological background.
"2018."
"Q!" Picard exploded. "I demand that you return this woman to her time immediately and to stop interfering with the proper course of history!"
Q snorted. "Do you really think involving a simple clerk like her could change anything?" he asked, and I suppressed a roll of my eyes at the trick question. "Besides, you're one to talk. Despite your Federation's precious Temporal Prime Directive, I know for a fact you people travel through time regularly for your own convenience. Do you think I don't know about that whole business between Kirk and the whales? Or your 'time police' messing around just so history remains as uniform – boring, even – as possible across timelines? Or that they've tried to keep this war from even starting in the first place?"
Q paused and shook his head. "Don't lecture me about messing with people across time, Picard." He said. "You and your Federation isn't qualified to judge on the matter."
"I don't know about that." I chimed in, and causing eyes to turn my way. "Well, that whole business between Kirk and the whales, that is. That one was a fun thing to watch from start to finish."
"Wait, how did you know about that?" Riker asked.
I shrugged. "I'm Q's associate." I lied through my teeth, rather than telling them I watched it on a DVD. "I know a lot of things."
"Well, there's your answer, Q." Picard immediately said. "Miss De Guzman has learned things, things someone of her time and age should not know about."
"That's not your decision to make." I quickly said.
"Miss De Guzman," Picard began while turning to me. "I understand it might sound harsh, but you must understand. The knowledge you possess is simply too dangerous. It could alter the course of Human history, derailing the proper progression of events that would see us mature as a species and a civilization, and keep us from learning the lessons we needed to learn before stepping out into space."
"Wow…that's…that's pretty short-sighted, all things considered." I said, genuinely shocked to hear it. I mean, I had expected something like that, even if only subconsciously, but to actually hear it. "Narrow-minded, even. I might not have gone to college, much less have a degree in quantum physics or whatever, but even I can see you're assuming your history is the only valid one for Humanity to have."
"I know, right?" Q asked with a laugh. "They claim so much they've moved past such primitive notions, but they're as arrogant and self-righteous as they've always been."
"Eh…Humans will always be arrogant." I said with small frown. "It ties in with this thing we have called personal identity. In short, it's just part of us."
Q hummed, holding up a hand to silence Picard and his companions. "And do you really think your kind deserve to go out into space with that kind of attitude?" he asked.
"Whether we deserve to or not…depends on how we handle what's waiting for us out here." I replied with a shrug. "If we can handle it, our pride's justified. And if we can't, then so much for our pride, right? Besides, it's not as though you transcendental races are beyond such things."
Q laughed. "Oh, but we are." He said with a wink. "In any case, let's get to the reason why you're here. The Empire's about to launch its grand offensive. One way or another, things will be settled soon enough. And as someone from the 21st Century, what do you think of the 24th Century?"
"…disappointed." I said after a moment, before looking at Picard and his companions, all of whom looked confused. "I mean, sure, we've become an interstellar civilization, made friends – and enemies – of other species out here, while people want for nothing…but at what cost?"
Q hummed, and I looked at him. "They're as Human as I am." I said with a gesture in Picard and his companions' direction. "But the way they think and act…they're closer to Vulcans than to my kind. And because of that…Human society has just become so…dull, and lifeless. Like robots living in toy towns."
"That's not true!" Riker said.
"Humanity may have been influenced by the Vulcans," Troi spoke up. "But Humanity remains a distinctive culture of its own."
"And toy towns?" Riker asked. "It might seem that way to someone from the 21st Century, but only because we've done away with such things that plague your time like inefficient urban design, traffic congestion, pollution, and overpopulation. Humanity looks and acts differently, but we're no less Human than anyone from your time."
"This is why I must insist that you return to your time, Miss De Guzman." Picard concluded. "From a simple and subjective perspective as yours, we are as alien as the Vulcans. But, you have not the experience to properly contextualize the changes that Human civilization has gone through in the past three centuries. And change always appears frightening to those who face it. However, I assure you, it has been, and will be for the best. You may not experience it for yourself, but your descendants will, and see it as the way forward for Humanity as a whole."
I tilted my head. "For someone so enlightened," I began coldly. "And who just saw his planet get bombed by the Empire, you speak so coldly of what you know is coming. World War III…the post-atomic horror…"
I trailed off while shaking my head. "…maybe I was wrong." I said after a moment. "A part of you is still Human, after all. That sheer apathy to misfortune and tragedy when it doesn't affect them, or if it does, it does so in a way they benefit from it. You are very Human in that sense."
"That's not what we…" Riker began, only for Q to silence them again.
"And what about the Empire?" he asked. "They're looking to win this war, so what do you think?"
"Well, they just bombed the Earth, didn't they?" I asked with a small smile, causing Q to smile knowingly back. "But…we also bombed Germany and Japan into rubble back during World War II. They bounced back…so Earth can bounce back too…and…"
"And…?" Q prompted.
"I've seen Coruscant." I said. "It's crowded, polluted, with all sorts of crime and political bullshit going on."
I paused and shrugged. "It feels just like home." He said.
Q smiled back, and held up a hand. "Fair enough." He said, before snapping his fingers…
…and then we were back at the reception, with Q walking past to regard a group of Orion artworks placed on display at a nearby wall. Excusing myself from the junior officers, I followed the transcendental being, and stood next to him.
"Interesting, isn't it?" he asked, sipping at his drink and gesturing at the oil on canvas paintings on the wall. "Each of these took more than twenty years to make, all about subjects Terrans and their precious Federation would find…less than enlightened. A matron enjoying a day out with her husbands and lovers. A matriarch out to big game hunting. A champion celebrating his victory on the arena floor."
"Orions were travelling the stars when the Vulcans were still figuring out how to make and work bronze." I quipped. "By all rights, they should be – and are – more enlightened than any of the Federation's leading races. Instead, they look down on the Orions for clinging to the trappings of a barbaric past that should be left behind and forgotten."
"And what does that tell you, when all is said and done?" Q asked with a smile.
"There's no point in advancing when you forget who and what you are in the process." I said.
Q's smile widened. "Maybe you do understand, after all." He said. "I look forward to seeing what you'll make of this all, when the war ends, and the peace begins."
"Yeah, I do too." I quipped, and Q laughed.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Over the following days, the Imperial Fleet converged over Orion. Hundreds of Star Destroyers formed the heart of the fleet, with thousands of other ships forming up into flotillas that in turn made up the Expeditionary Force's battlegroups. On the Courageous, the senior officers assembled for the final assignments for Operations Blue, Balerion, and Vhagar.
The attacks on Mars, Andoria, and Vulcan respectively.
"I will personally command the assault on Mars." I said. "In addition to the first battlegroup, the second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth battlegroups will be participating in Operation Blue. The seventh and eighth battlegroups will also be allocated to Operation Blue in a tactical reserve role."
I pressed a button on the control panel, and brought up classified information on the holographic display. "Intelligence provided by our Orion allies have also pointed to the Federation having stockpiled large numbers of mines, in particular a self-replicating variant, in the Sol System." I said. "For that reason, all battlegroups have been provided with ion warheads, with fleet commanders given carte blanche to deploy them as needed."
There were a few more issues about Operation Blue that needed discussing, but the most important one was brought up twenty minutes later. "With all due respect, admiral," a grizzled naval captain asked. "I must ask about the necessity to force an unconditional surrender from the UEG."
"A good question." I replied. "And that comes down to the preeminent role of the Terran Humans in the Federation. Yes, they co-founded the Federation alongside the Vulcans, the Andorians, and the Tellarites, but the Federation was originally a Human – Terran – innovation, with Terran influence being the most prevalent out of the founding races within it. You could even say the Terrans are the glue that holds the Federation together. I refuse to take any chances. By forcing an unconditional surrender, we drive it home to both the UEG's leaders and the general Terran populace that they have unquestionably lost the war. This in turn would serve to act against any tendencies for renewed resistance, starting with the Terrans and spreading outwards to other local species."
There were nods of understanding all around, and then the discussion moved on. "The ninth, tenth, and eleventh battlegroups will make up the allocated naval forces for Operation Balerion." I said. "Once the Andorian Defense Fleet has been destroyed, they will remain in-system and provide cover for the ground phase of the operation."
"The outer system outposts should fall quickly." General Amaken Crosal of the Imperial Army mused. "But Andoria itself is going to be a brutal theater, no way around it. The frozen landscape is a natural fortress, and one the Andorians are naturally adapted to. In contrast, we have no such advantage, and indeed, will have to adapt our technology to first."
"I have every faith in the engineering corps on that concern." I said before holding up a hand. "There will be no discussion on the escalation policy with regard to the ground phase of Operation Balerion. By now, you should all have read the psychological aspect of the operation as provided by the ISB and Imperial Intelligence both. Perception, whether by ourselves or the enemy, will be crucial to victory, both in the short-term and the long-term."
There were nods at that, followed by more discussions on other details for Operation Balerion. Then the topic turned to Operation Vhagar. "The twelfth battlegroup will be solely assigned for Operation Vhagar." I said before smiling. "Vulcans are logically pragmatic to a fault. Let's take advantage of that, shall we?"
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
It took another day before the final preparations were complete, and the Imperial Fleet assembled in formation in interplanetary space in the Orion Star System. On the planet itself, the various matriarchs and ladies watched on screens as the Empire assembled its forces for the greatest military operation this region of the galaxy had ever seen.
Not even the Dominion War had seen such a great concentration of force. More ships, yes, but in terms of firepower and combat capability, not even close.
On the Courageous' bridge, officers and men turned to me as I strode down the central aisle towards the command deck. Torrhen nodded curtly as I approached, Sara a step behind me in her role as adjutant.
"All fleets reporting in." Torrhen said, indicating the tactical display. "We are ready to commence the operation on your command."
I nodded. "Open a channel to all ships." I said. "I will address the combined fleet before we deploy."
"Yes, admiral." Sara said, already working at the controls. "Channel is open."
I nodded, and instinctively drew myself up. "This is Admiral Targaryen to all ships and personnel." I began. "I want you all to listen as you are. In a few moments, we begin the most important part of our campaign. I will not lie to you, it will not end the war, with many more battles awaiting us in the future. But, the operations we embark on now will decide the final outcome of this war. It will allow us to not simply conquer and occupy, but to build new and better for the future, and in so doing, turn the pages of history while leaving all our marks thereon. Soldiers of the Empire, what say you?"
"LONG LIVE THE EMPIRE!" a roar erupted across the entire fleet, officers and men on the Courageous' bridge abandoning decorum and discipline to voice their answer. "LONG LIVE THE EMPIRE! LONG LIVE THE EMPIRE!"
I nodded. "All fleets," I said. "The words are given: Blue, Balerion, and Vhagar! Commence operational maneuvers!"
A signal chimed across the bridge of every ship in the fleet, then the stars were streaking past to infinity, and the Imperial Fleet jumped to hyperspace.