By: Tuxedo Rainbow

Era: Crystal Imperium - 4151 AD

An investigation into a terrible accident in space leaves more questions than answers…

Narrative Mode started July 5, 2005

Authors note: I play to do this as a screenplay, but first, have to do it as a narrative. Star Trek ideas are c Paramount, and Star Wars ideas are c Lucasfilms. All are used without permission.

Space, the final frontier… Yeah, I know it sounds corny, but it is, even in this day.

“Stardate 241517.11. The USS (United Senshi Starship) Tempus is en route to the Sol Galaxy for routine repairs.” the captain stated.

That captain is yours truly, Tuxedo Rainbow. My wife, Sailor Terra, is my “Number One”, my commanding officer. Amongst our crew of 144, we have Terrans, some Vulcans, a Bajoran, and several Klingons. The Klingons, of course, do not wear fuku, but wear standard Klingon battle gear.”

Usually, this would be a routine repair and shore leave. But, these days, things were not ordinary.

The United Force of Planets (or UFP) was the result of the disbanding of the DOOP in the 37^th Century. After a brief change and the United Federation of Planets (same acronym), the UFP was formed by the then ruler of Crystal Tokyo, Black Lady Serenity, to give senshi and knights a way to serve their kingdom without having to stay years on a home world. Naturally, she decided most of those who would join, we joined merely to get away from her.

The starships of the USS fleet were of ten types: The Mercury class were scientific ships, the Venus class mostly used for entertainment and holodecks, Mars class ships had mikos and could usually see the future; the Earth and Moon classes were used as first-contact and diplomatic ships. Jupiter class ships were the most heavily armed and most heavily armored. Uranus class ships were notorious for being troublemakers, but good fighting ships. Neptune class ships were used to traverse most water planets. Saturn class ships were known for the ability to destroy planets. Pluto class ships were used to investigate unusual situations though time travel. Setsuna promoted us to Captain and Commander from within, and within three years, the Tempus was the most well-known ship of the fleet.

“Automated distress beacon from sector F of the Alpha Quadrant,” responded a Mercurian communications officer, “it’s from the Phobos.”

That was a fine Mars class ship. I knew many of the Mars disciples of that crew.

“Not a good sign,” I responded, “we have to change course and investigate.”

The science officer, a Vulcan, responded, “a very logical decision, but are there not closer ships?”

“Nothing in range,” responded the communications officer.

Terra nodded.

“Change course,” she replied.

“Yes, sir,” the helmsman responded. Our crew knew not to say the other term on front of Terra, when she heard that last, the Cardassian officer that spoke that word was drinking his dinner through a straw.

“Activate time slip,” I replied.

A Plutonian officer nodded. Usually on Pluto class ships, there was an officer that knew of the Time Stop, and was trained to use it almost as powerfully as Setsuna herself. Most times, we used it to time slip from one place to another. Over seventy-five percent of the time, our officer would survive without much as rest needed.

I didn’t mind the promotion. After all, I was the one who allowed Fula, Sailor Mirinoi, to join the Oak, who got Karona, Sailor KO-35, her position on the Technus, and I was the one who convinced Trese’, Sailor Triforia, to go on the Love-me Chain. I call that unusual. Those three senshi still talk to me when they can.

“Approaching target coordinates,” the helmsman reported.

“Deactivate Time Slip,” Terra replied.

Most of the time, while we were out of the Time Slip, we kept to Warp 5 or under. We were protectors of the galaxy, after all.

“Report,” I commanded.

“Nothing on sensors,” reported the Vulcan Science officer.

“Still getting the distress signal,” the Communications officer replied, “correction, several signals. The Phobos, the Deimos, the Oro, the Mizuno…”

The list continued: Thor, Zeus, Shiva, Archangel, Aqua Mirror, Space Sword, Atlantis, Ra, Lune, Serenitus… That was too many ships. It has to be a second mission force. Usually, if a planet or planets were not inhabited, a group of ships would come and check to see if they could support human life.

I noted the Einstein amongst the long list of names.

“Debris, shuttlecraft, anything, we need clues, people,” barked Terra.

The Plutonian officer that did the Time Slip was sent back to his quarters for a rest.

Things did not add up. So many beacons, but no survivors, no shuttles, and no debris.

There was only one option left, but it meant defying Neo Queen Serenity’s orders.

Queen Lady Serenity did not care.

I sighed. Terra knew what I was going to do. She knew these things. We had only done this twice before, under investigative circumstances.

She decided not to file a report. She agreed with me. We needed answers.

“Begin the computations,” I commanded, “we’re going to do a Time Jump.”

The crew was not surprised. In fact, it was the most logical course of action.

“Sensors indicate that the distress beacon is no more than 48 hours old,” reported the Science Officer.

That meant we would not use too much energy in a jump. 2 days isn’t bad. However, we could not interfere.

“Computations complete,” replied Engineering.

“Activate Time Jump,” I commanded.

Seeing time reverse the first time is an odd experience, but we are trained to ignore unusual things.

Most Ensigns would be amazed at how events “rewind”.

“Time Jump completed,” Engineering replied .

“Shields up,” Terra responded.

Pluto class ship shields were created by Ami herself, so that no ship could mess with the natural progression of time.

Seeing all those ships in the area, scanning, made us wonder what happened.

Then, it occurred.

“Time Stop!” I shouted.

The energy to cause time to stop usually results in one’s death, but Pluto found a way to subvert that little misconception, and taught it to her disciples. Terra and I both knew how to do it.

The Phobos was exploding. We say nothing.

“No sensor readings yet,” responded the science officer.

“Hurry up,” I strained, “ I can’t hold it long.”

Helm and Engineering were likewise baffled. No one knew how it was happening, but it was.

I fainted. The ships exploded, one after the other, like dominoes in a chain.

“Sensors in inconclusive,” the science officer responded, “logic dictates that an enormous amount of some type of force was used.”

Terra nodded, as I recovered. We could not regain the lost ships, and we had no answers.

There was only one thing to do: Warn others.

“Set up a series of class four warning beacons,” Terra responded, “and plot our course back to Earth.”

It was the least we could do. Those beacons could not be destroyed by any other ship in the fleet.

Still, it bothered me that someone or something destroyed thousands of lives… and might do it again.

Days later, after our shore leave, we got a call from the Mars class ship Freedom, asking for our help in instigating a series of artifacts found on an abandoned world. My daughter’s hobby was archeology. I figured we could assist by seeing how and when these artifacts were made.

In my quarters, Terra looked at me.

“It didn’t matter, we couldn’t save them, Temporal Prime Directive and all,” she stated.

I nodded. What worried me was that the beacons could be destroyed, anytime, by anyone. And I knew with that much power, they would be corrupted, and might attack Earth.

Still, we had free time, and no new emergencies. A little scientific work wouldn’t hurt us…

After all the destruction, a single, large, moon-shaped fortress scanned the area.

“They are done, Darth Icarus,” noted a general.

Darth Icarus, Sith Lord, last of the Sith, looked at the beacons, and pondered.

He could destroy them with but a thought, just as he destroyed the ships that had ventured too close to his Death Star, but he decided not to.

The ships were just a warning, just like the beacons. They would not interfere in his conquest.

It was he would decide when to test the limits of his power, one day, and see if he could use the Force to usurp the Kingdom he sensed in his mind. A kingdom still at war, but still at peace.

There would be time, lots and lots of time, and he could move as slowly as he wanted.

The Dark Side would only corrupt him more… and then, he could corrupt anyone he wanted to.