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       #Post#: 331--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Roundup at the Borderlands
   DIR By: MichaelH23
       Date: November 6, 2016, 9:07 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       <cont'd
       Sheridan - "How did you uncover this?"
       Michael I - "We captured one of the mercs not long after I
       rescued my wife and a Namekian princess. They didn't like that I
       didn't leave them a fruit basket and took their hostages away.
       In the process I used methods that I would've condemned as
       emperor, but with no title and therefore no restraint, I was
       free to use. I won't tell you what they were because even the
       Inuyashians are unaware, aside from the crew of the ship where
       the interrogation took place, and they're sworn to a secrecy
       even my wife cannot overrule."
       Drake I - "Torture."
       Michael I - "I cannot confirm or deny that, you know that.
       Anyway, my canary sang to me the tale of the transaction which
       took place between a Xie military attache and a rebel officer.
       He was there not only as witness to the transaction and to
       verify the funds, but also as recipient of those funds."
       Sisko - "Damn. I knew there was more to the Xie involvement than
       just supplying arms to the rebels. They supplied funds to the
       mercs as well."
       Michael I - "How would you react if your wife, Kasidy and son,
       Jake, were abducted by mercs working for rebels and funded by a
       foreign government?"
       Sisko took only a moment to think it over, "I'd be out for
       blood."
       Drake I - "Did she give you permission?"
       Michael I - "No, as she is still undergoing psychological
       treatment from the trauma she endured while in captivity, but
       Kenzo Suzuki did, as foreign minister for the Gaian Union."
       Drake I had met Suzuki not long after his coronation as emperor
       and found him to be level-headed, calm, and thoughtful. There
       was no way Michael I could've falsely claimed otherwise.
       Drake I - "Very well. The Whitestars are released into your
       command. I would say take good care of them, but I know you
       will. Pick whoever you need from the Imperial Starfleet and the
       GUJF to supplement your crews."
       Michael I - "Thank you, Majesty. May this war end with victory."
       Sisko - "I better go relay your orders to Minister Martok and
       prepare to depart to join the armada."
       Drake I - "Thank you gentlemen, dismissed."
       All of them bowed their heads, except Michael I, turned and
       walked through the Golden Doors. Michael I smiled at his
       counterpart.
       Michael I - "They're good men. Always keep that in mind."
       Drake I - "I always do. And Michael, stay safe, for your wife's
       sake."
       #Post#: 332--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Roundup at the Borderlands
   DIR By: MichaelH23
       Date: November 7, 2016, 12:10 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Border of Breen territory. IRW Dokanek. Five hours earlier
       Kamemor sat across the conference table from the imposing form
       of the Breen Domo, Pran. Pran had come aboard only after a
       standoff between his flagship and the warbird which nearly
       caused an interstellar incident when Commander Ritol misread the
       energy signature of the Breen cruiser, believing it to be a
       prelude to attack. There was still some hostile feeling even six
       years after the Breen War which involved Trekylon (then Holy
       Trek), Inuyashia, The Empire of SIM and others. Domo Brex had
       been in charge of the Confederacy back then. Pran, then a thot
       in the Breen military, seized upon both the military defeat and
       the peace treaty to have Brex assassinated, then seized control
       in what was the Breen equivalent of a military dictatorship.
       Gradually, Pran introduced measures which steadily eroded
       military control until he was finally able to replace military
       rule with a new civilian legislature. While such a move would've
       been opposed by the military, Pran had-by combination of
       coercion and bribery-rode the wave of military discontent and
       came out smelling like a rose.
       Pran - "You would ask us to join you in assisting the Humans
       whom placed us in exile in this lowly galaxy, to watch over
       Humans who would refuse to return to the fold?"
       Kamemor - "Yes Excellency. I am even prepared to bring the
       matter of Breen settlement in Galaxy 23-A to the emperor's
       notice on your behalf."
       Pran leaned forward slightly, in thought. Not easy when taking
       into account the helmet which mostly served to conceal the
       Domo's true identity. Kamemor had learned years back that there
       were subspecies of Breen different from each other but all
       sharing the label of Breen. She was unsure which subspecies Pran
       belonged to, though the absences of a refrigeration unit
       attached to his suit meant he couldn't be a Paclu, alleged to
       need such units for risk of their cells boiling even in room
       temperature.
       Pran - "These enemies of Trekylon, they would pose a threat if
       allowed to destroy them?"
       Kamemor - "The Great Houses of Xie would wipe out all vestiges
       of Trekylon, including all the Founder Races, should they
       conquer Gaia."
       Pran - "This does not endear us to joining the empire as a
       Founder Race. If they cannot protect your people from the Xie,
       then why would we wish to willingly join such an empire?"
       Ritol - "The benefits far outweigh the risks, Excellency. If
       that were not so, the Romulan Empire would never have willing
       gave up our sovereignty."
       Kamemor said nothing. Ritol had only spoken true.
       Pran - "Your intervention on our behalf will not be necessary. I
       will meet with the Human emperor about settling in the native
       galaxy. How many others have you been able to convince to render
       assistance?"
       Kamemor - "You and the Cardassians are the only ones who have
       yet to join. The Cardassians are meeting with a Klingon
       representative now."
       Pran - "Where is the rendezvous?"
       Ritol - "We cannot tell you unless you're willing to pledge
       ships for the war effort. If so, then we'll share the
       information. If not, we have nothing more to discuss."
       Kamemor looked slightly shocked by the low hostility Ritol
       exuded as she spoke to the Breen Domo. Clearly, the commander
       had few lessons in the fine art of diplomacy and Kamemor
       believed she might need to re-evaluate her before continuing
       further. She was further shocked when the Breen appeared to
       actually consider Ritol's words instead of taking offense.
       Pran - "We do not yet have 600,000 ships to offer you. However,
       we do have 450,000 that can be available immediately. The rest
       must be kept in order to police the ex-Maquis systems."
       Kamemor - "I believe there is room for adjustment, Excellency.
       Commander Ritol will transmit the rendezvous coordinates once
       you return to your ship."
       She rose from her seat, as did Ritol and Domo Pran. Pran bowed
       his head in farewell. Kamemor returned the gesture.
       Pran - "It will be an honor to fight alongside you and your
       people, Praetor. May fortune light your way."
       With that, he turned and walked out the door, two Breen guards
       and two Romulan guards falling into step behind him. When the
       doors closed again, Kamemor turned to the younger commander.
       Kamemor - "You will need to be taught better how to handle
       yourself in a diplomatic situation, Commander."
       Ritol - "Praetor, I leave diplomacy to those better qualified,
       such as yourself. I am a soldier sworn to do my duty. That is
       all I'll ever be."
       Before Kamemor could say anything more, Ritol marched through
       the doors, headed for the bridge.
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Cardassia, the same time as the meeting with Domo Pran
       Kurn relished few duties as chancellor of the Klingon Empire.
       The one thing he despised the most, diplomacy, was proving to be
       just as he expected as he sat across from three Cardassians. Two
       of them he knew by reputation. Gul Ekoor had been a part of the
       democracy movement resulting from their defeat in a war against
       Trekylon (then Holy Trek) and Inuyashia. The collapse of both
       the Central Command and the Obsidian Order made possible by the
       defeat in turn made possible the rise of the democracy movement
       which swept into power. Central Command had been rebuilt by the
       new Detepa Council under civilian supervision (whereas the
       previous Central Command enjoyed an autonomy which often allowed
       it to lord authority over the civilian governing body). To the
       far right, Gul Nemec was a holdover from the old regime who had
       adjusted to the new government only reluctantly. Having been in
       the military four years longer than Ekoor, Nemec had a very
       impressive battle record.
       But it was the Cardassian seated between Ekoor and Nemec that
       gave Kurn pause. Castellan Elim Garak sat and smiled at the
       Klingon. To Kurn, the smile hid many lies, which was nothing new
       when dealing with a former member of the Obsidian Order. While
       Ekoor and Nemec wore serious expressions on their faces, Garak's
       smile appeared at once deceitful, uneasy, and even formidable.
       Kurn, while not happy with the fact his opponent was one such as
       Garak, was nonetheless up to the challenge.
       Garak - "You're here on behalf of Gell Kamemor to seek our
       assistance in a war the Humans started against a foreign power?"
       Kurn - "Yes. Kamemor is talking to the Breen domo as we speak,
       and we expect to win their support."
       Garak - "I see. And what if the Breen refuse your request?"
       Kurn - "Then when the enemy comes for them, they will be alone.
       They will die, perhaps with honor, perhaps not."
       Ekoor - "This...Great Houses of Xie you name. How formidable are
       they?"
       Kurn - "They aided the rebels during the Civil War, and tried to
       instigate a civil war in a neighboring nation. It is also
       believed that the Great Michael's wife was abducted by mercs
       funded by the rebels with money donated from the Great Houses."
       Nemec - "Humans and their need to fight. We Cardassians would
       not need outside help to settle our affairs."
       Kurn - "Yet you accepted the Great Michael's offer of Founder
       Race status rather than allow yourselves to be weakened by
       defeat. Do not speak to me of Human infallibility when you have
       also exhibited same."
       Ekoor - "Chancellor, you must understand that this isn't the
       same Cardassia that you fought alongside the Humans. We have a
       legislature and public opinion to consider."
       Garak - "Not to mention the pirates that continue to prey on our
       shipping lines. How would the emperor balance our offer of
       support? Would he send ships to our spacelanes and drive out the
       pirates?"
       Kurn - "If you cannot patrol your own spacelanes, then you
       invite greater attack."
       Garak - "Is that a threat, Chancellor?"
       Kurn bared his teeth at Garak, wanting nothing so much than to
       unsheath his dk'tagh dagger and plunge it into his body. But the
       fear that Garak's insincere smile would be forever frozen on his
       face at the moment of death reined in his impulse.
       Kurn - "If I were to threaten you, Castellan, you would know
       it."
       Kurn rose from his seat and started for the doorway leading back
       to the Landing Bay. Clearly he would get no answer from the
       elusive Garak. But then Garak surprised him, "Wait"
       Kurn froze at the doorway, and slowly turned back to face the
       castellan. But it was Ekoor who rose from his seat and walked to
       where Kurn stood.
       Ekoor - "Because this is a great threat to all of us, I am
       willing-with or without the consent of the council-to pledge
       30,000 ships.....five whole divisions...to the war effort."
       Nemec rose as well, "And I will pledge 50,000 ships to the
       cause."
       All three men turned to face Garak.
       Garak - "I will put the measure before the Council, but after
       that, the decision is out of my hands."
       Kurn nodded to Ekoor and Nemec, then turned and walked out, no
       bothering to offer farewell to Garak.
       #Post#: 333--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Roundup at the Borderlands
   DIR By: MichaelH23
       Date: November 7, 2016, 10:11 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Orbit of Atlantica, Gateway Sector. Milky Way galaxy
       Many of the surviving Xie, Jovepenian, and Rhamosian warships
       that managed to escape the noose fell back to the Atlantica
       system, with the Imperial Starfleet and IGF fleets in hot
       pursuit. Little did they know that a final, devastating surprise
       awaited them....
       ISS Orpheus
       Commodore Carlia Rhess licked her lips, not just to moisten the
       parched skin, but also in predatory anticipation of what was to
       come. Moments ago, Thrik received a subspace coded message from
       the surface, where the interplanetary gun had just been brought
       back online.
       Dovas - "They picked a defensible position, within the gravity
       well of the planet. We can't get too close without risking our
       ships."
       Dickson - "That's not counting the surface batteries and the
       interplanetary gun, Counselor. Add those in there and they might
       as well have painted bulls-eyes on their hulls."
       Rhess - "Mr Ryujin, hold position. We brought them here, we only
       need to keep them here for awhile."
       Ryujin - "Aye."
       Rhess - "Tahna, keep monitoring all frequencies. I want to know
       the moment they begin to panic. Maybe we can get them to
       surrender once they lose a few hundred ships."
       Narik - "Aye."
       Rhess - "Thrik, send signal on same coded frequency. Tell the
       guys dirtside they have a clear shot and to enjoy themselves."
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Surface of Atlantica. Atluc Mountain Weapons Control Center
       D'Lise stood at the main consoles with Milkowski at his side.
       Closer to the energy matrix itself, Xi Bao, Lanning and MacKenna
       used their tricorders and various tools to make adjustments.
       Figuroa sat off to the side, monitoring the power output at a
       second set of consoles. When the comm buzzed, Milkowski pressed
       the activation control and the coded transmission arrived. After
       imputing the decryption code, the message de-scrambled on the
       small monitor. Milkowski looked up at D'Lise with a smile.
       Milkowski - "We just got the word. We get to have our turkey
       shoot."
       D'Lise - "Ufunda, Batali. You boys have the guns loaded, have
       fun. Lanning, Xi Bao, MacKenna, stand by while I power up the IP
       gun."
       Milkowski - "Allow me to select the first target?"
       D'Lise - "By all means, Brian."
       Milkowski began scanning for the closest enemy ship and found a
       Jovepenian battlecruiser. Perfect. He locked in the coordinates,
       then nodded to D'Lise. D'Lise began the power-up sequence, which
       took almost five minutes to complete. With the transparent
       button now glowing green, D'Lise smiled.
       D'Lise - "As my great-great-granddad once said....FIRE IN THE
       HOLE!"
       He pressed the button...
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       The Jovepenian battlecruiser, fully prepared to face off againt
       Imperial starships and IGF fighters, was caught completely
       off-guard. The pulsar beam, a beam of anti-protons and neutrons
       compressed into a tight beam blasted from the surface of
       Atlantica. Unlike turbolasers, the beam lasted nearly a full
       minute before ending. Unlike phasers, the beam packed more
       energy than a fleet of 100 starships firing phasers at once. The
       beam ripped into the engine core first, destroying it in a
       matters of seconds even as it roared through the ship, killing
       everyone instantly. As the beam ripped apart the interior of the
       ship, the visible destruction could be seen on the viewscreens
       of friend and foe alike. The beam blasted the bridge of the
       Jovepenian ship into millions of pieces of debris before coming
       to an end. With the engine core now exposed and severely
       damaged, the ship listed sharply starboard before going up in a
       brilliant explosion which took several Xie fighters unfortunate
       enough to be too close with it. Following up on the explosion,
       several bursts of energy from the surface began to pummel the
       Xie and Rhamosian ships. Nadion pulse-cannons installed three
       years before the Exodus, they began to reduce the number of
       surviving enemy ships still further.
       cont'd>
       #Post#: 334--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Roundup at the Borderlands
   DIR By: MichaelH23
       Date: November 7, 2016, 10:22 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       <cont'd
       On the bridge of ISS Orpheus, Commodore Rhess and the crew
       watched with morbid fascination as the Jovepenian battlecruiser
       was ripped apart and destroyed by the single pulsar beam blast
       from the surface.
       Dickson - "That should make them consider surrender."
       Narik - "If that doesn't, then those other surface-to-orbit
       batteries should."
       Thrik - "They weren't expecting that we'd restore one of the
       planetary defense systems and push them closer to the planet to
       use them."
       Rhess - "That was their folly."
       Thrik looked down at his board as a signal came in. It
       originated from several badly damaged Jovepenian frigates.
       Thrik - "I have some Jovepenian frigate commanders offering
       white flags."
       Rhess - "Order them to disengage their remaining weapons ports
       and shut down their engines."
       Thrik passed the order via communications. Minutes later, on the
       viewscreen, the Jovepenian frigates-seven in all-showed all
       signs of compliance.
       Narik - "We can now add four Rhamosian destroyers to our POW
       list."
       Sure enough, five of the Rhamosian destroyers, not as badly
       damaged as their Jovepenian allies, had also shut down their
       engines and disengaged their weapons ports.
       Dickson - "Commodore, I have a massive power buildup in the
       remaining Xie and Rhamosian ships. They're powering their
       engines and setting course for Verulon Prime. Some remaining
       Jovepenian ships are also changing course."
       Thrik - "Do we pursue them, Commodore?"
       Rhess - "Our forces have been wounded and crippled. We need to
       repair the damage to our ships and get reinforcements before we
       press on to Verulon. Let them go, for now. We'll have another
       shot at them soon enough. Order the other ships in the fleet to
       stand down."
       Thrik - "Aye."
       Ryujin - "We won."
       Rhess - "We won a battle, Mr Ryujin, not the war. We still have
       many battles to fight before we win that. But all in all, not a
       bad first engagement."
       They watched as the remaining enemy ships turned and jumped into
       warp, on course for Verulon, their secondary fall-back position.
       Rhess - "All ships, set course back to Galaxy-1"
       #Post#: 335--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Roundup at the Borderlands
   DIR By: MichaelH23
       Date: November 7, 2016, 5:52 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Ministry Building. Imperiopolis, Gaia
       Martok was shoving another handful of gagh into his mouth when
       Sisko entered his office. Under other circumstances, Martok
       hated being interrupted when he was eating, but he and Sisko had
       been friends for many years, and he knew that the rear admiral
       wouldn't disturb the corpulent Klingon without good reason. As
       Sisko came into the office, he produced a padd with the orders
       as given by the emperor. Martok shoved the gagh into his maw,
       then took the padd from the mohogany desk he sat behind and read
       through the orders.
       Martok - "You accepted temporary rank reduction in order to take
       this mission?"
       Sisko - "I needed to see the streaking stars again. Got tired of
       being at a conference room constantly."
       Martok - "You understand my friend, that officially you are now
       a captain. This is to keep the enemy from knowing there is a
       high-ranking officer they could either capture or kill."
       Sisko - "I'm fully aware."
       Martok - "It would seem that you may have a secondary duty,
       Captain. There is a convoy of 500 colony ships each carrying
       5,000 people being dispatched to resettle the Gateway Sector."
       Sisko - "Drake I is determined to clinch our control of the
       sector now that we've defeated and driven off the enemy fleet.
       But I didn't expect to be escorting the convoy alone."
       Martok - "You won't be alone. The emperor just received a
       subspace holographic message from Gell Kamemor of Romulus. Seems
       she was able to gather all the Founder Races together. Each
       government is sending at least 600,000 ships. Chancellor Kurn is
       leading the Klingon contingent."
       Sisko - "Its amazing Praetor Kamemor was able to convince the
       Tholians to join in the effort."
       Martok grunted in agreement.
       Martok - "What really surprised me is that Kurn didn't slit
       Castellan Garak's throat when he met with him on Cardassia."
       Sisko - "So what are my orders in regard to the convoy?"
       Martok - "Just escort them to Galaxy-1. The rest will be taken
       care of by Commodore Rhess. You will receive your task force
       from her, with the addition of some of Kamemor's multinational
       armada."
       Sisko - "I wonder, why didn't you press to take command of a
       squadron of Klingon ships?"
       Martok - "Who would supervise the war effort? Besides, my days
       of commanding a Bird-of-Prey are over."
       Martok rose from his seat to shake hands with Sisko.
       Martok - "Transit time through the Galaxy Gate will take 24
       hours at maximum speed. Fortunately, your convoy can achieve
       maximum speed, or it would take longer."
       Sisko - "Then I better be under way."
       Sisko started for the door, then stopped and turned back to
       Martok
       Sisko - "Think about what I said, my friend. You still have some
       warrior in you left."
       Martok smiled, showing snaggle teeth
       Martok - "Qap'la, Captain Sisko."
       #Post#: 336--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Roundup at the Borderlands
   DIR By: MichaelH23
       Date: November 10, 2016, 8:05 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       26 Hours Later. Galaxy-1 Station
       Little Thomas Berning had never been on a space station before,
       so as he, his older sister Emmelina, his mother Janice, and
       father Jake disembarked from the transport ship and made their
       way through Customs, he held his mother's hand tighter. They
       were the first civilian colonists to set foot on the station in
       four years, and while Thomas was frightened of the large plazas
       through which they walked after their security checks at
       Customs, the others were excited about returning. Thomas had
       been born only three years ago on Azuria, just as the Civil War
       had past its high point, and the danger of a Xie
       conquest-by-infiltration had been removed by the appearance of
       the Inuyashians. His parents had lived on [i]Galaxy-1 seven
       years before, and in fact his sister was born here just before
       the Exodus. As other families and even many bachelor men and
       single women streamed from Customs and began to spread out
       across the plaza, Berning and his family made their way
       leisurely to a series of turbolifts on the far side of the
       plaza, where a small group of people were already waiting. They
       were on their way to their living quarters to settle in and
       begin the process of adjusting to their new lives back on the
       station they once called home....[/i]
       Medical Tech First Class Melissa Yarbrook, only two months away
       from promotion to full nurse, had already settled in at the
       Infirmary, where many of the injured from the recent Battle of
       Gateway Sector were being brought following the return of the
       victorious Imperial/IGF armada. While the station had yet to
       receive its Chief Medical Officer, and various doctors from some
       of the Imperial ships were serving temporarily to assist the
       beleaguered staff, it had been decided that Yarbrook would serve
       as Acting CMO for the duration. As she hurriedly grabbed
       hyposprays and made her way out into the adjacent corridors, the
       full scope of the recent battle could be seen in the various
       states and degrees of injury among the wounded. Some received
       only superficial injuries that could simply be tended to before
       dismissing them to private guest quarters on the station, or the
       return to their ships for convalescence. Others had been
       severely burned, blistered cut open by debris. A few had even
       lost limbs or parts of limbs, but sprinkled among the various
       injured were those too injured to save. Those patients would
       simply be administered painkillers and made as comfortable as
       possible until they passed their last breath. At the far end of
       the corridor, where only two medtechs recorded the certificates
       that would be sent to their loved ones, the shrouded dead bore
       silent witness to the fury of the enemy defense...
       Commodore Rhess stood in front of her chair on the bridge of
       Orpheus, looking at the image of the city-station on the
       viewscreen. Shuttles moved in a constant line between the
       station and her ship, as well as several other ships. Only four
       hours after the battle, the fleet were beginning the process of
       sending the overflow of wounded and dying to the station for
       care. Several of the other ships were docked inside mobile
       repair docks undergoing repairs. Farther out, past the imposing
       form of the station, the Galaxy Gate was alive again, and she
       could see several dozen transports against the backdrop of
       glowing, shimmering energy. Colonists bound for either the
       station or the formerly abandoned colony-systems in the sector,
       she knew. She had also been informed that the multiracial force
       pulled together by Romulan Praetor Gell Kamemor was on its way
       and would arrive within the hour. As she continued to gaze at
       the image of the station on the viewer, behind her the activity
       was chaotic as damage reports, casualty reports and repair
       estimations passed back and forth. Like the calm eye in a
       hurricane, she took it all in without showing the least
       disturbance.
       #Post#: 340--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Roundup at the Borderlands
   DIR By: MichaelH23
       Date: November 25, 2016, 1:32 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       2 Hours Earlier. Galaxy Gate-Bode's Terminal
       Michael I, former emperor of Trekylon now a private citizen of
       the empire and husband to Empress Rebecca I of Inuyashia, stood
       at the fore of the bridge on the Whitestar GUS Alabama as the
       rest of his crew, a mix of Otakus from Inuyashia, Romulans and
       Bajorans from Trekylon, and Cherokee from the State, carried on
       their various duties. He was in command of a squadron of 5,000
       Whitestars which had been given, reluctantly, by Kenzo Suzuki
       after getting the comfirmation from Rebecca I and Drake I.
       Suzuki, however, had reduced the number of ships Michael I could
       use, to maintain combat readiness, he stated. Michael I was more
       than amiable to the restriction, as he would still have
       sufficient ships. He had also contacted Drake I about the
       Venzetti individual Raan'Ta whom had been rescued after the
       Battle At The Gate. He was told that a fast transport would
       bring the Venzetti to Galaxy-1 and have him waiting by the time
       Michael I's squadron arrived. As he walked back toward the
       single chair at the center of the bridge (CONN and OPS were the
       only other stations on the bridge with chairs, so everyone else
       had to stand), his tactical officer, Nasmeen Rhelor gestured for
       him to come to her station. A twenty-six Earth-year-old young
       woman fresh from the Academy, Nasmeen had a genteel, almost
       quiet nature which belied her tactical training and instinct for
       combat.
       Nasmeen - "Excellency, I have a mass of ships on approach."
       Michael I - "From Milky Way or Bode's?"
       Nasmeen - "Bode's"
       Michael I - "I wasn't expecting anything more than the usual
       civilian convoys en route to Milky Way. This sounds serious."
       Nasmeen - "I am starting to get a better reading on the
       returns.....sir, I'm reading at least 18,000 ships incoming,
       with at least a two minute span between them."
       Michael I - "Yellow Alert, for now. Keep the shields down until
       we know who's coming in so fast."
       Nasmeen - "Intercept in 2 minutes."
       Michael I - "Do not engage the shields or weapons. Let's see who
       they are before we take any further action."
       From the CONN, the Romulan Tasmek Vol turned in his chair to
       face the former emperor.
       Vol - "Excellency, aren't we taking the chance these could be
       Xie elements which had been hidden either by natural stellar
       forces or cloaking technology?"
       Michael I - "If that was a hidden Xie fleet, then they waited
       too long to engage on this side of the Gate. The actual battle
       just took place on the Milky Way side. They won't affect the
       outcome of a battle that they already lost."
       Nasmeen - "Sir, the ships are close enough now that I can ID
       them.....they're from the United Tribes of Mongolistan."
       Michael I - "All of them?"
       Nasmeen - "Negative. Just the first 6,000 ships. I still cannot
       ID the other groups as yet. Now getting a hail from the lead UTM
       ship."
       Michael I - "On screen."
       The holoimager shimmered to life. A curtain dropped down, made
       from holographic material which could easily transmit an
       audio-visual feed from an incoming hail. As the curtain fell
       into place, Michael I walked through the curtain, putting
       himself in front of the viewport, where the Galaxy Gate could be
       seen ahead. The image shimmered again and an image of a smiling,
       mustachioed Asian face appeared. He wore a fur-brimmed headpiece
       which bore a horsetail plummage. Michael I did not recognize
       him, though he was certain Drake I might've met him.
       Image - "I bring you greetings from the United Tribes of
       Mongolistan. I am Hetman Tolui Temur, representing the Great
       Khan. Who do I have the pleasure of greeting?"
       Michael I - "This is Michael I, formerly emperor of the
       Intergalactic Empire and Federal Commonwealth of Trekylon,
       currently in command of a fleet representing the Gaian Union."
       Toglui Temur - "Gaian Union? I have met your representatives
       from your alliance. Your name is well-known as it is spoken
       often by the emperor of Trekylon. It is an honor indeed to meet
       the man who made the Gaian Union possible."
       cont'd>
       #Post#: 341--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Roundup at the Borderlands
   DIR By: MichaelH23
       Date: November 25, 2016, 3:00 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       <cont'd
       Michael I - "I am married to the empress who also helped forge
       the Union."
       Tolui Temur - "I have heard much of you. You are said to be a
       cunning warrior. Perhaps you and I could sharpen our blades for
       the coming battle."
       Michael I was stunned, "What battle you talking of, sir?"
       Tolui Temur - "The battle against the Xie pigs, of course. You
       see, our shipping lanes were attacked by the traitors from your
       former nation during its civil war. It was recently revealed to
       the Great Khan that elements of Xie technology were incorporated
       by those dogs."
       Michael I - "And the Great Khan wants to exact retribution."
       Tolui Temur - "Indeed. And because we now know that your former
       nation and its federacy also have grievances against the Xie,
       your enemy is now also our enemy."
       Michael I - "Is the Great Khan among your number?"
       Tolui Temur - "As a matter of fact, he is. He never shuns a good
       bloodbath. He is too Mongol for that."
       As he spoke those words, a second figure leaned forward out of
       the darkness. Michael I could see that this new individual was
       very muscular yet lean in build, bore his mustache and goatee
       like a proud warrior, and wore many decorative medals on his fur
       sash which draped diagonally across his gold chestplate.
       Timur-Oleg - "So at last I meet the Great Michael. The Klingons
       speak reverently of you, indeed."
       Michael I - "It is also my honor to meet you face-to-face."
       Before he could say more, Nasmeen interrupted, "Sir, the next
       group of 6,000 ships are dropping out of warp. I read their
       markings as originating from the Greater Empire of Showa."
       Michael I - "Stand by, Great Khan. We have new arrivals and I
       would like to set up a split-screen."
       Nasmeen - "Flagship is hailing us, sir."
       Michael I - "Patch them into the commlink."
       The image changed as a new image appeared to the right, moving
       the Great Khan's image to the left automatically. A bedecked and
       very well-armored face appeared on the screen, which Michael I
       recognized as the newest Shogun, Jirihito.
       Jirihito - "I hoped my fleet would meet with yours before you
       embarked on your Holy War against the Great Houses. I did not
       expect you would also make other allies."
       Timur-Oleg - "I am the Great Khan of the United Tribes of
       Mongolistan. Who addresses me?"
       Jirihito - "I am the Shogun of the Greater Empire of Showa, and
       I have several grievances against those Xie bastards."
       Michael I - "Maybe once this war is over, I can facilitate a
       more proper introduction for you gentlemen."
       Jirihito - "Any enemy of the Great Houses is a friend of Showa."
       Timur-Oleg - "Then it is settled."
       Before Michael I could address both men, a third signal broke
       into the commlink.
       Voice - "Hello? Is this channel open?"
       Michael I - "The audio channel is open, yes. Whom am I speaking
       to?"
       Voice - "Oh..my name is Ben Garrison, First Lord of the
       Columbian Navy, representing the United Planets of Columbia. Are
       you the leader of the Gaian Union?"
       Michael I - "I was the founder of a previous federation which
       gave birth to the Gaian Union. Michael I, formerly emperor of
       Trekylon."
       cont'd>
       #Post#: 342--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Roundup at the Borderlands
   DIR By: MichaelH23
       Date: November 25, 2016, 7:35 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       <cont'd
       Garrison - "It is an honor to meet you. I know you have
       questions about why my fleet is here with you and your allies. I
       would simply answer that question in terms of diplomacy. It is
       my president's wish to establish and strengthen our relations
       with neighboring powers. We were not directly affected by your
       enemies, but it is hoped that we can establish ourselves as a
       military power and expand our contacts by joining you."
       Jirihito - "Then you have arrived at a propitious moment, First
       Lord."
       Michael I - "Gentlemen, I believe we now have a fighting chance
       to win this war for the Gaian Union and for Verulon Prime.
       Commander Tolui Temur, I would like to come aboard the Great
       Khan's command barge to begin planning military operations and
       prepare you to meet with the Trekylonian commander in charge of
       the war effort."
       Timur-Oleg - "I would welcome you, Shogun Jirihito and First
       Lord Garrison to come aboard. I will prepare a Festival of
       Welcome for you."
       Michael I - "Once we make the jump into trans-space, I will beam
       over to your ship. Shogun Jirihito, First Lord Garrison, I can
       have our transporter beam you from your flagships to the Great
       Khan's at the same time."
       Both men nodded in agreement.
       Michael I - "Then if you will allow me to activate the Galaxy
       Gate, I will get us underway."
       He locked eyes with Vol, "Activate Galaxy Gate sequence."
       His fingers flew across the boards with rapid speed, as if he
       had done this before. Michael I looked back up at the two men,
       remembering that Garrison was also tied in via audio.
       Michael I - "You may want to pull some of your ships back. When
       the gate opens, a wash of energy will first blast out like
       water. If they're too close, they could experience a power surge
       and you could lose them. Its a major side-effect of using the
       gate, but it'll get us to Milky Way in 24 hours."
       A flash caught his attention. He turned back to the viewport to
       see the Galaxy Gate come alive with energy. The portal opened
       shortly afterwards.
       Michael I - "Mr Vol, set course for the Milky Way galaxy. Enter
       the gate and go to warp. Speed, warp 7."
       Timur-Oleg - "I shall await your arrival aboard with an honor
       guard. Thirty minutes?"
       Michael I - "Thirty minutes. My transporter will lock on to you,
       Shogun, and you, First Lord. They will beam you over at the same
       time I do."
       Garrison - "I've never experienced materialization before. This
       will be unique."
       Jirihito - "Agreed. I will also be ready. Jirihito out."
       His image, and the image of Timur-Oleg and Tolui Temur
       disappeared from the air. Michael I walked back toward his seat
       but didn't sit down.
       Michael I - "Inform Transporter Rooms 1, 2, and 5 to stand by
       for transport."
       #Post#: 343--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Roundup at the Borderlands
   DIR By: MichaelH23
       Date: November 27, 2016, 1:32 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Z+3 days 9 hours (An hour after Michael I's departure for the
       Milky Way). Breen battleship Dranek
       Thot Nor was not one to wait patiently for others, whether in
       his own race or aliens. He was pacing the bridge of his large
       and formidable battleship to such a degree that his crew were
       becoming annoyed. How a non-Breen could tell whether a Breen was
       annoyed was unknown thanks to the helmets that concealed facial
       expression. But he was attuned to his crew's emotional states
       and could read from the pace of their various activities how
       annoyed they were. Luckily, as a Thot in the Breen military, he
       didn't have to care how annoyed his crew was, so long as they
       did their duties. His Ak'ched (Lieutenat), Paras was also
       impatient.
       Paras - "We have been here for the last 10 minutes. Where is
       Kamemor and the rest of her associates?"
       Nor - "I'll give her another 2 minutes, then we're returning to
       our territory. I will not keep our ships away from the homeland
       much longer than necessary."
       Just then, a H'ren (ensign) whose name escaped Thot Nor's memory
       called from his station, "I have a tachyon surge at bearing
       0-4-0"
       Nor and Paras watched as the starry background began to waver as
       if it had been a reflection in the water being disturbed. The
       ripples began to solidify and take on the forms of various
       Romulan and Klingon craft ranging from the Bird-of-Preys to the
       Mogai and Negh'Var battleships.
       Nor - "Transmit the code and await verification."
       The H'ren did as ordered. Minutes later the reply-using the same
       code-was received. Uthot (sub-thot) Renk stalked toward the
       communications terminal and opened the commline to the Romulan
       and Klingon commanders. The images-split so the Breen could see
       both-resolved into the features of Commander Ritol on the IRW
       Dokanek and Chancellor Kurn aboard the IKS Mogh's Blade.
       Renk - "You are late."
       Ritol - "Actually, my rather charming companion and I have been
       here for a better part of four hours. We were waiting to see if
       the Gorn, Kinshaya, and Tholian fleets would arrive before
       yours."
       Kurn - "You never did have a good sense of humor, Ritol. Still,
       your ale was a very......considerate gift."
       Ritol - "Have you picked up any Gorn or Cardassian transmissions
       since your arrival?"
       Nor stepped up beside Renk, assuming an air of command, "No, and
       we will wait no longer. If they fail to arrive in the next
       minute, then I say we proceed without them."
       The h'ren spoke up again, "I'm picking up Gorn, Tholian, and
       Cardassian transmissions. They're about to drop out of warp."
       Renk - "Finally, the others arrive."
       H'ren - "Kinshaya ships dropping out of warp."
       Nor - "Hail their flagship."
       Moments later, the screen expanded to show the Kinshaya admiral
       in between the images of Ritol and Kurn. Archbishop Varan
       scowled at Thot Nor.
       Varan - "You do not have all the ships we agreed to. Explain."
       Nor - "I do not owe you any explanation, winged one. Know simply
       that the Gorn, Cardassians and Tholians will be arriving soon."
       Varan - "Do you tell true, Breen?"
       Ritol answered before Renk could, "He tells true, Archbishop.
       Already, they are coming out of warp."
       cont'd>
       *****************************************************
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