“Shadows of an Empire”

Stardate 76543.2; July 18, 2399

 

 

EPISODE
111

 

 

 

Edited by Peter Bossley

Written by Chris Adamek


ADDITIONAL CHARACTERS

Overseer Artanis

Legate Brunel

Angela Christopher

Admiral Kathryn Janeway

Courtney Kimball

General Ordikan

Cerebrate Ra’thenn

Justin Reinbold

Underling Tassadar

Lt. Commander Jayla Trinn

Administrator Va’kyr

Overseer Xelos

High Overseer Xi’Yor

Overseer Zeratul

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Author’s Note

 

 

 

 

 

First and foremost, welcome to the Final Chapter of Star Trek: The Final Frontier.  Before this epic begins, I would like to take a moment to thank everyone who has taken the time to read TFF over the years—and I would especially like to thank those of you who provided comments and insights into the series.  You know who you are.   Without people like you, I never would have been able to devote five years of my life to this massive project.  And since I’m going to save the longwinded and emotional speech for the final episode, I guess I’ll leave just it at that…

 

 

 

And now a quick note about the timeline that starts… well, right after I’m done babbling.  It’s a work in progress.  For the most part, I’ve limited it to events that I think might be relevant to The Final Chapter.  While I’m reasonably certain of the story’s direction, nothing is set in stone until an episode is complete.  Additionally, I’ve included some fairly generic events that are meant to fill in some of the blanks that I probably won’t be able to cover in the series (like much of the ancient Elorg/Phobian/Iconian history).  A lot of you have been asking for such details, but I have been unable to incorporate them into the story.  This timeline might be as good as it gets.

 

 

 

Yes, I have decided to incorporate Enterprise into the TFF universe.  I’ve been ambivalent about Enterprise in the past, but I have begrudgingly come to accept it as an actual part of the Star Trek universe.   “Borderland” was pretty good, wasn’t it?  The Orions looked just like I thought they would!

 

 

 

And… before I get tons of hate mail, I should like to clarify right now that I thought The Empire Strikes Back was an excellent movie.  By far, my favorite of the Star Wars flicks.

 

 

 

 

 

 

To ensure an enjoyable experience for you and your friends…

 

 

 

• Be considerate!  Please, refrain from talking during the show.

 

• Turn off all cell phones, pagers, Gameboy Advance SPs, and that hideous electric fruitcake hat that your grandmother gave you for your birthday last year.  I don’t care how near and dear it is to your heart, that thing has to go!

 

• Place all waste in the nearest receptacle on your way out.

 

 

 

Now, grab an ice-cold Pepsi, sit back, and enjoy

STAR TREK: THE FINAL FRONTIER - THE FINAL CHAPTER

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Previously…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

201,134 BCE

 

A conflict between the Phobian Republic and the Al-Bhed Collective begins.  The Phobians are swiftly defeated at every encounter (“A Link to the Past”).

 

 

 

201,131 BCE

 

• The Phobians encounter a space-dwelling organism in the Sra’xa’diin Nebula.  After extensive study, Phobian scientists are able to genetically modify the organisms for use against the Al-Bhed (“A Link to the Past”).

 

 

 

201,129 BCE

 

• The Phobians successfully deploy the genetically modified aliens in battle; the Al-Bhed are summarily eliminated (“A Link to the Past”).

 

• The Phobian Republic enjoys a few months of peace, however scientists quickly discover that they are unable to control their creation—and with the Al-Bhed no longer a viable target, the aliens—now known as the Sra’xa’diin—begin to attack Phobian targets (“Reconciliation,” “A Link to the Past”).

 

• The Phobian Ambassador Phannah contacts the Iconians for help containing the Sra’xa’diin (“A Link to the Past”).

 

 

 

 

 

201,128 BCE

 

• The Iconian Professor Eridar reaches Fa’diel Station several months later, and is initially receptive to Phannah’s suggestions—but when he discovers the Sra’xa’diin were genetically modified to suit the Phobians’ needs, Eridar officially withdraws the Iconian’s support.  Unfortunately, he is killed by the Sra’xa’diin shortly thereafter (“A Link to the Past”).

 

• Without help from the Iconians, the Phobian Republic quickly begins to crumble.  In a matter of months, the Sra’xa’diin obliterate more than 90% of the Republic (“Reconciliation”).

 

• Rumors of a powerful species called the Elorg begin to circulate (“A Link to the Past”).

 

 

 

201,126 BCE

 

• Hoping to preserve at least some of their species from slaughter, the Phobians place dozens of their young in stasis pods, and launch them into the unknown (“Reconciliation”).

 

• The remainder of the Phobian Republic’s fleet is annihilated by the Sra’xa’diin at Xantoran VII (“Reconciliation”).

 

 

 

200,914 BCE

 

• The Iconians seal the Sra’xa’diin into fluidic space (“A Link to the Past”).

 

 

 

200,618 BCE

 

• The Elorg Prophet Na’zar is born on Brilnari IV (“The Joining”).

 

 

 

200,505 BCE

 

• The star at the center of the Eredas System enters the final stage of its life.  Instead of evacuating, the denizens of the fifth planet—the enigmatic Elorg—decide to move their entire homeworld to safety (“Lost Worlds”).

 

 

 

200,464 BCE

 

• Na’zar sets out on a journey of exploration that takes him across the galaxy; he chronicles his journey in a set of notes that would later be dubbed The Tome of Na’zar. 

 

 

 

200,409 BCE

 

• After nearly 100 years of preparation, the Elorg use a highly advanced transwarp conduit to move their homeworld, Eredas, to safety (“Lost Worlds,” “Rebena Te Ra”).

 

 

 

200,406 BCE

 

• The Elorg try to place Eredas in orbit of a nearby star, but their efforts are hindered by a species known as the Rilnar.  Instead of fleeing to another star system, the Elorg stand and fight; they subsequently claim the Rilnar System as their own (“Roulette”

 

 

 

200,399 BCE

 

• The Rilnar armada attacks Eredas.  Angered by the assault, the Elorg amass a considerable fleet of starships and hunt down the attackers; before long, the entire Rilnar armada is destroyed, and the Rilnar themselves are a conquered people (“Roulette”).

 

 

 

200,316 BCE

 

• Na’zar concludes his travels, and thusly begins to share the chronicles of his journey with his peers back on Brilnari IV.  Many of his thoughts and observations are considered revolutionary, and at the urging of the Brilnari government, Na’zar travels to Eredas to share his findings.

 

 

 

200,315 BCE

 

• Na’zar finds the journey to Eredas an arduous one.  While his route falls entirely within the borders of Elorg space, the myriad Elorg colonies rarely communicate with one another, and their differing laws and agendas tended to weaken the empire as a whole.

 

• When Na’zar finally reaches Eredas, he finds a world in decay.  A combination of factors, including civil war, poverty, and plague, have reduced the once opulent world into little more than a slum.  With little in the way of a government, Na’zar finds it relatively easy for the natives to accept his ideas.

 

 

 

200,311 BCE

 

• Na’zar forms the Elorg Bloc.  At the moment, it is little more than an official title for the myriad Elorg colonies, but as word of the newly organized government begins to spread, leaders from each of the colonies travel to Eredas to learn more.

 

 

 

200,307 BCE

 

• At long last, representatives from all 21 of the major Elorg colonies agree to unify.  Na’zar thusly grants each of the representatives the title of Overseer, and appoints them to the newly established Conclave of Overseers.

 

 

 

200,306 BCE

 

• Curious about this new government forming very near the borders of their empire, the Iconians begin to investigate the Elorg Bloc.

 

 

 

200,304 BCE

 

• After several years of rule by the Conclave of Overseers, Na’zar seeks to reform the governing council, believing the Conclave needs a single voice to speak of its myriad actions.

 

• In response to the call for reform, the Conclave appoints Overseer Fenix to the newly created position of Cerebrate. 

 

 

 

200,294 BCE

 

• Hoping to add a few more worlds to the Elorg Bloc, Fenix issues an edict to the Conclave of Overseers authorizing them to colonize worlds along the Iconian Border.

 

 

 

200,292 BCE

 

• The Elorg colonize Gildebron III, a desert world on the edge of their territory.  It is the first of six colonies established under the Cerebrate’s edict.

 

• On his deathbed, Na’zar adds a list of ten prophecies to The Tome of Na’zar.  He claims they are visions sent to him by the chi-goehs, the Elorg gods.

 

 

 

200,289 BCE

 

• Hoping to dissuade any further colonization along their border, the Iconians attack the Elorg colony on Rebena Te Ra. The Iconians subsequently occupy Rebena Te Re, making it one of the few colonies where Iconians and Elorg coexist (“In Memoriam”).

 

• Fenix dies at the age 304.

 

• An’tiir is elevated to Cerebrate—and vows to honor both Na’zar and Fenix by continuing to expand the Elorg Bloc (“Adversaries”).

 

 

 

200,172 BCE

 

• The Elorg continue to colonize, not only along the Iconian border, but across the galaxy.  Their territory now spans hundreds of light years, and their military now rivals that of the Iconian Confederation…  Unwilling to stand by and allow the Elorg to gain supremacy over the galaxy, the Iconians attack and destroy most of the Elorg colonies along the border—and the Great War begins.

 

• An’tiir and the Conclave of Overseers quickly decide to take Eredas to a secluded—and secret—location in order to prevent an Iconian attack.  The tactic was devised by Na’zar decades earlier (“Lost Worlds”).

 

 

 

200,166 BCE

 

• After enduring a considerable stalemate, both the Elorg and the Iconians attempt to harness the vast energies of interspace, the layer of space between subspace and normal space.  The Iconians are immediately successful—but are surprised to find a malevolent species, known as the Ividians, inhabit the region.  Their task force is summarily obliterated (“In the Line of Fire, part II”).

 

• The Elorg quickly take advantage of the Iconians’ predicament, and make several bold forays into Iconian space.

 

• In response to the incursions, the Iconians attack the Elorg flagship, killing Cerebrate Al’tiir in the process.

 

 

 

200,165 BCE

 

• Jevian is elevated to Cerebrate.  He authorizes the construction of a new Elorg flagship—a city ship—that would serve as headquarters for the Elorg Bloc for the remainder of the war.

 

 

 

200,161 BCE

 

• Construction of the city ship is completed.

 

 

 

200,157 BCE

 

• Jevian is assassinated by the Iconians.

 

• A resolute Overseer Xa’yen is elevated to Cerebrate.  After naming the city ship to honor the fallen Cerebrate Jevian, he vows to bring about an end the war.

 

 

 

200,156 BCE

 

• The Battle of Sorrows.  The Elorg and the Iconians wage a cataclysmic battle that ends with the destruction of Iconia.  In one final act of desperation, the Iconians use their dimensional technology to seal the entire Elorg fleet into a subspace pocket.  In the aftermath of the battle, both the Elorg and Iconians are thought extinct (“Beginnings”).

 

• A small group of Elorg, however, manage to escape capture.  Fearing some of the Iconians might have also survived, the Elorg flee into the Alpha Quadrant, where they founded the highly enigmatic Breen Confederacy (“Desperate Measures”).

 

 

 

200,154 BCE

 

• Because they did nothing for the Elorg during the Great War, Xa’yen declares the chi-goehs false gods.  To fill the newfound spiritual void, Xa’yen declares himself a divinity (“Toccata and Fugue”).

 

 

 

30,000 BCE

 

• Modern humans evolve on Earth.

 

 

 

3200 BCE

 

• The first of many violent wars takes place on Vulcan.

 

 

 

371 CE

 

  After thousands of years of violence and bloodshed, a philosopher known as Surak leads the Vulcan people to reject their emotions in favor of a philosophy that embraced pure logic (“The Savage Curtain” [TOS]).

 

 

 

378

 

• The Romulans leave Vulcan in a rebellion against Surak’s teachings (“Unification” [TNG]).

 

 

 

384

 

• The Romulans conquer the Remans.

 

• The Romulan Star Empire is founded.

 

 

 

407

 

• As Elorg culture continues to stagnate in subspace, many individuals begin to seek the forbidden wisdom of the chi-goehs. 

 

 

 

1014

 

• A century-long war between Romulus and Vulcan begins (“Death Wish” [VGR]).  The war would ultimately end in stalemate.

 

 

 

1129

 

• The Hebitians attack and occupy the Breen Homeworld (“Toccata and Fugue”).

 

 

 

1344

 

• Led by Za-el, the Breen destroy a Hebitian outpost in the Molgeras Sector.  The victory gives the Breen the momentum needed to destroy the Hebitians (“Toccata and Fugue”).

 

• The Cardassians, also emerging from Hebitian rule, begin to assert themselves as a culture (“Chain of Command” [TNG]).

 

 

 

1953

 

• The Vulcans make first contact with the Andorians (“The Shipment” [ENT]).

 

 

 

2063

 

• Humans become a warp-capable civilization (Star Trek: First Contact).

 

• The Vulcans make first contact with humanity (Star Trek: First Contact).

 

 

 

2119

 

• Starfleet is established on Earth (“Broken Bow” [ENT]).

 

 

 

2152

 

• The Earth Starship Enterprise encounters the Romulans for the first time (“Minefield” [ENT]).

 

 

 

2153

 

• Seven million people are killed when the Xindi attack Earth (“The Expanse” [ENT]).

 

• The Enterprise is ordered to find the Xindi weapon and prevent another attack (“The Expanse” [ENT]).

 

 

 

2154

 

• With help from both the Andorians and several of the Xindi factions, the Enterprise is able to destroy the Xindi weapon (“Zero Hour” [ENT]).

 

 

 

2156

 

• After learning of Earth’s longstanding alliance with Vulcan, the Romulans attack, thrusting Starfleet into another major interstellar conflict (“Balance of Terror” [TOS]).

 

 

 

2161

 

• The Romulan War ends.  The Treaty of Algeron establishes a vast Neutral Zone between Earth and Romulan territories (“Balance of Terror” [TOS])

 

• The United Federation of Planets is established.  Founding members include Andoria, Earth, Tellar, and Vulcan (“Zero Hour” [ENT]).

 

 

 

2218

 

• The Federation has a deadly encounter with the Klingon Empire.  The incident leads to nearly a century of hostilities between the Klingons and Federation (“First Contact” [TNG]).

 

 

 

2266

 

• The Romulans violate the Neutral Zone for the first time (“Balance of Terror” [TOS]).

 

 

 

2293

 

• A catastrophic explosion on the Klingon moon Praxis causes serious ecological and economical damage to the Klingon  Homeworld.  The Klingon Chancellor Gorkon subsequently launches a peace initiative with the Federation, an event that leads to the historic Khitomer Accords (Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country).

 

 

 

2311

 

• The Tomed Incident between the Federation and Romulans. Thousands are killed on both sides of the conflict, and the Romulans enter an extended period of isolation that lasts until 2364.  During that time, the Romulans develop their D’deridex-class warbird (“The Neutral Zone” [TNG]).

 

 

 

2314

 

• The Dii’nysyr Incident.  A renegade Elorg warship attempts to spread the word of the chi-goehs.  A young Overseer Xi’Yor ensures that the renegades are destroyed (“Toccata and Fugue”).