"Do not even consider escape, Major.", said Vader. "Not even your changeling friend will be able to help you."
"What do you mean?"
A guard walked out and handed Vader a container. "You are going in here.", Vader said, motioning to the container.
"Don't do it, Odo.", said Kira.
"He will.", said Vader. "Or he will watch you die!" Kira suddenly found herself surrounded by six storm troopers, with their blasters raised, pointed directly at her. "You have ten seconds, Constable.", said Vader.
"Ten...nine...eight..."
"I'll do it.", said Odo, before reverting to his liquid form and entering the container.
"Seal it.", Vader ordered. "Tightly." The trooper did as he was told. Vader then entered an access code into the locking mechanism, making sure that only he knew what that code was.
He then turned to Major Kira. "You will be taken to the cells, until we reach our destination."
"Which is?"
"The Death Star. Take her away."
Kira was then pushed along. "You'll never get away with this, Vader! We stopped you before, we'll stop you again!"
"Not this time, Major! We have gained more power since our last encounter!"
The I.S.N. headquarters was abuzz with the rumour. Lois Kent was busy trying to find out if it was true.
"And you say this came from Starfleet Command? A thousand ships heading into the Alpha Quadrant? Are you sure?"
The director then signalled that they were about to go on air. All normal transmissions had been halted so this news could be broadcast. Her image appeared on screens all over the quadrant. She was about to speak when the lights in the studio went down.
"What's going on?", Kent asked.
"We've lost all power to the transmitters!"
"Well get it back!"
"I can't! We're being jammed from an outside source! All I.S.N. feeds have been cut!"
Kent slammed the desk with her fist. The Alpha Quadrant was being invaded by an unknown force, and she couldn't tell anyone.
Magus had seen enough. Everywhere he went in Demeter City he saw the same thing, the same scene. Everyone, humans, Tarns, Creons, and the rest were making their feelings known. They did not like what Servalan had done. By declaring the election void, she had made an enemy of virtually everyone who lived on Altor.
He had seen enough. Taking his regular form, he took to the sky, his destination, the Demeter City Police Department. It would be there that he would find the man he sought, the man who could help him.
Lieutenant-Commander Devon Adair sat in the Sickbay of the U.S.S. Eden, as worried as hell. On the bed in front of her was her young son, Ulysses, motionless, under sedation. Nearby was the Eden's chief medical officer, Doctor Julia Heller. Over the past few hours she had been conducting several tests on young Ulysses, trying to find out what this mystery ailment was that was affecting him. So far, her search for answers had been a fruitless one, and now it continued to be so.
"I'm sorry, Devon, but I still can't find any answers!", she said.
"Why not?", asked Devon impatiently.
"I've run every test I can, and searched through the medical data base, trying to find an answer, but I can't come up with one! The only thing I suggest is that we get to a Starfleet medical facility as soon as possible. With the equipment there I should be able to find out what is wrong with Uly!"
"You should be able to? That isn't the sort of thing I want to hear from a doctor!"
Then, Devon's communicator sounded. It was a call from Commander O'Neill on the Bridge.
"Commander Adair, please report to the Bridge."
Devon activated her communicator. "Adair here. What is it, Commander?"
"You'd better come to the Bridge and see."
"Now isn't really a good time."
"I know, but I need you here on the Bridge. O'Neill out." Cursing O'Neill's timing, Devon left Doctor Heller to her work, hoping that she would have some answers for her by the time she got back.
She arrived on the Bridge to find it a hive of activity, and also to find a sight on the viewer she had not expected to see.
"My god! How many ships are there?"
"At the last count, nearly a thousand!", O'Neill reported. "We're having trouble keeping up with them!"
Then, a call came through from Engineering. It was from John Danziger, the chief engineer.
"Commander, we can't keep up this speed much longer! The warp core is nearing maximum stress levels!"
"How much longer do we have, John?"
"Five, maybe ten minutes at the most."
Before O'Neill could reply he saw the image on the viewer change. The ships seemed to be breaking formation.
"What's going on?", asked O'Neill.
"I don't know.", said Alonzo. "From what I can tell they're breaking into five groups of two hundred, heading off into five different directions."
"Well, we can't follow all of them!", said Devon.
"Alonzo, follow the group nearest to us.", ordered O'Neill. "Walman, keep trying to contact Starfleet Command. I don't want to go into this thing alone!"
"I've tried, Commander, but I can't get any response!", Walman said. "Something's blocked the I.S.N. broadcasts as well!"
"Who would want to block I.S.N.?", asked Devon.
"We can't worry about that now.", said O'Neill. "Just get me Starfleet Command!"
Pendragon sat in the command chair of the U.S.S. Flying Scotsman, it now having its more usual appearance. Around him everything was abuzz. He hoped the crew would not panic in this perhaps forthcoming crisis.
Commander Winthorn sat at the Ops console. Suddenly, his panel lighted up like a christmas tree.
"What's wrong?", asked Pendragon.
"Big trouble, Captain!", Winthorn replied. "Two hundred ships, heading towards us at warp nine-point-seven-five!"
"On screen!"
The viewer came to life as the image of the small armada appeared before them. Pendragon could not believe his eyes.
"How far away?"
"Less than a minute, Captain.", Winthorn replied.
"Captain, my scans show that several of those ships are Sontarran!", said Drathro.
"A Sontarran invasion?", asked Pendragon.
"No.", said Winthorn. "Not just Sontarran. I'm picking up a larger vessel, possibly the command ship of the main group. I'm checking the data banks now!"
The image of the ship soon appeared on the screen. This image shocked Pendragon even more.
"No need to check the data banks, Commander! We've seen a ship like that before! An Imperial Star Destroyer! We've got a full scale invasion on our hands here! We're completely out of our depth!"
Pendragon began to think quickly.
"Pendragon to Scott."
"Scott here."
"Is the cavourite drive functional?"
"As ready as she'll ever be!"
"Power it up, Mister Scott, and divert control to navigation. Colonel Greenleaf, arm all phasers and photon torpedoes, and give full power to the shields!"
"I thought we were getting out of here!", said Greenleaf.
"We are.", said Pendragon. "But the cavourite drive might not work! Drathro, set a course for the Time of Legends, at what ever speed scale that thing works on!"
The drive was fully powered, and Drathro did as he was ordered. Just before they were completely surrounded by Imperial and Sontarran ships, they vanished, confusing the sensor officers of all the ships nearby.
In the office previously occupied by Commander Sisko on Deep Space Nine, Borath sat, gazing at the computer screen, going over various reports that were coming into him from all over the quadrant.
Then, Admiral Necheyev entered, data pad in her hand. "Have you heard the news, Ambassador?" she asked.
"And what news is that, Admiral?"
"The Alpha Quadrant is being invaded, by a force from the Delta Quadrant! We should ready whatever Jem'Hadar troops we have here. We may need them."
"We will not, Admiral."
"What makes you so sure?"
"Because this fleet poses no danger to us. We will not be needing the Jem'Hadar in this matter."
"How can you be so sure there is no danger to us or Bajor?"
"I am sure, Admiral. Please, accept my word on this matter."
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