Standoff
Posted on Tue Jun 9th, 2026 @ 7:11pm by Commander Kevin Lance
900 words; about a 5 minute read
Mission:
Into the mirror
Location: Mirror Universe
Timeline: Current
on:
{IWS Marcus Aurelius}
“Incoming Transmission,” Ensign Chin called out from his post at the communications conn, “Imperial channel”
“Pipe it through to my Conn,” Kevin ordered. He engaged the communicator on the arm of the Captain’s chair and the tactical display on the monitor faded to black and a soft hum of white noise began. The system was set-up to allow whomever was sitting in the Captain’s chair to have a completely private conversation. Even in the middle of a busy bridge, no one else would be privy to what was said or even who Kevin was talking to. Chin might be able to monitor the conversation from his conn but the Emperor’s paranoia was so great that Kevin was fairly certain that there were multiple safeguards against any such attempt.
The blackness was replaced with the Emperor’s image. Kevin was again looking straight into his own face. He recognized the fury on the Emperor’s face. Kevin’s escape and subsequent move to take the Imperial crown on Earth must have disrupted his plan. The Emperor was out for blood.
“Ah, the imposter reveals himself,” Kevin greeted his doppleganger. Slipping into the role of the rightful Emperor, he decided that there was no need to make it easy on anyone eavesdropping.
“How did you escape?” the Emperor demanded angrily, “Angel was supposed to have killed you.”
“I uncovered the devious plot to interfere with my succession,” Kevin replied calmly, “A scheme concocted no doubt by my Klingon enemies. From there it was a simple matter of rooting out the conspirators.” The dead captain of the guard and imprisoned chief of staff. “Now it is time for me to take my rightful place upon the Imperial Throne.”
“You will never be accepted,” the Emperor countered, “Your genetic code is different enough that you will be exposed for the fraud that you are.”
Kevin waved a languid hand, “I have a plan for that.” In truth he didn’t but the move towards Earth had merely been a feint, a ploy to draw the Emperor to him and it had worked almost perfectly. “But we each have something that the other desires. Perhaps we can make a trade.”
The offer cooled the Emperor and his face relaxed into a dismissive sneer. “I should have known that you would be too weak to do what needed to be done. You are nothing but a pathetic slave.”
Kevin shrugged, “It all bores me. The more power that you grab, the more enemies that you create and the more power that you need. You become Emperor, then draw the attentions of the Telerites and Andorians. You bring them under your heel and the Vulcans and Romulans are at your throat. It is an unending cycle that has only one end. Your inevitable failure when you realize that there isn’t enough power in the Universe to protect you from all your enemies. Ruling in the Void isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.”
The Emperor crossed his arms, “You know nothing. The greatest satisfaction is to crush those who stand against you. To hunt them across the stars, to shatter their armadas, to leave their capitals in flames and their people weeping amidst the wreckage. Let them witness the destruction of all they hold sacred before they kneel.”
Stark raving mad, Kevin thought. Yet he could see some of himself in the sentiment, the anger and resentment growing unchecked within the child that he was before he stowed away aboard the Dorcas James. It was as if the only thing that separated Kevin from his monstrous reflection was that one consequential act. “You want the Throne. I want the child. Let’s trade and call it a day.”
“I will take the throne and leave you with nothing. Not even your life.”
The response worried Kevin. Even at his craziest, the Emperor should have known the deal was most advantageous. There was something wrong. Kevin continued his reasoning, “But how much will it cost if I oppose you? How many ships will you lose? How long with it delay you taking the throne? How will your other enemies exploit your weakness?”
The Emperor grinned but his eyes betrayed concern. “You speak of costs and delays as though they matter. As though I would alter my course because a few more ships burn or a few more worlds must be pacified. But the truly amusing part is that you have built this entire bargain on an assumption."
Kevin felt a knot form in his stomach.
"You speak of trades. Exchanges. Concessions." The Emperor laughed coldly. "Yet you have never stopped to ask whether I am capable of giving you what you seek."
“What do you mean?”
“I killed the child,” the Emperor replied, “He was the final piece in my accession to the throne.”
Something snapped in Kevin. In an instant, his cool calculating resolve was shattered and replaced by a rapidly growing fury. Jason was nothing to the Emperor. Nothing but a pawn to be sacrificed. To Kevin, his children meant more than the Universe. His jaw clenched and released rapidly several times before he said, “Then there is nothing else to discuss.”
He severed the communication link and switched back to the tactical display.
“All weapons. Engage.”
:off
Commander Kevin Lance
Executive Officer
USS Chuck Norris
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