STAR TRAKS: THE REDISCOVERED COUNTRY

SOME PUN INVOLVING A REFLECTIVE OBJECT
by RPS


Disclaimer: As with many things in life, Star Trek is a trademark and property of Viacom and 
Paramount. As with a few things in life, Star Traks is the property of Alan Decker. And with 
very few things in life, Star Traks: The Rediscovered Country is property of myself.


Chapter One
Mirror Universe #317



 The United Canine Alliance Starship (UCAS) Sniff my butt moved aggressively through space. You 
could tell it was doing this by the aggressive evil mood the soundtrack was suggesting. As the 
ship was about to overtake the camera the image zoomed in on the bridge.
“My Lord, we have established contact with the UCAS Catch that ball.” Servant 2nd Class Mitch 
Hasselfree informed from his station. The bridge was composed of four consoles: the first at the 
front near the viewscreen was the helm, to the right of the bridge was the weapons console from 
which Hasselfree spoke, the science station to the left of the bridge and the final console behind 
the Captains chair. However, while the first three consoles were full of buttons, levers and controls 
the final console at the back on the bridge seemed to consist of a pair of decks, and underneath 
that a very impressive collection of LP’s.
“Very well. Prepare to receive the Prisoners.” A deep booming voice ordered from the hidden Captains 
Chair. “Servant Hasselfree, you will come with me. Servant La Force, you have the conn.” 
“As you order Master.” 
The chair spun round to face the turbo lift, and a small beagle jumped off the chair, running 
menacingly into the lift. The human servant followed and the turbo lift departed towards the docking 
ports. A shudder throughout the ship informed everyone aboard that the two ships were now connected.


 Servant 2nd Class John La Force was very happy with his position. As Officer in charge of 
Getting-Jiggy-With-It he was the second highest ranked officer on the ship, behind only the Master 
himself and Servant 1st Class McAllister, the Master’s personal pet. But that wouldn’t last for long, 
he knew. Not if his plan worked out perfectly, which it would. He knew it would. He ran his hand 
through his slick jet black hair. Yes, the bumbling fool would never expect it. Soon he, John La 
Force, would be the Master of All Men! And who knew what might happen after that. He allowed himself 
a little smile, and reached down, taking out a couple large round disks. First though, he was gonna 
belt out some wicked tunes.


 A tall muscular human shoved T’Pal through the airlock, forcing her to the floor. She tried to get 
up on her hands and knees but was promptly pushed back down. She felt, rather than saw, similar 
actions being performed on the rest of her crew.
“You shall bow low to your master, Vulcan.” T’Pal did not recognise this voice, but to keep our 
readers up to date with things I shall inform you that it belonged to Servant 1st Class Cornelius 
McAllister.
“I bow down to no dog, Human.” The Vulcan’s response brought the zapper. Thousands of volts of pain 
were pumped into her body, her muscles reduced to involuntary spasms.
“Enough.” Growled another voice. This voice she recognised. She grinned rather maniacally. 
“Richelieu, shame to see you still alive you son of a bitch.” Somebody kicked her in the head, and 
everything went black for a few seconds.
“You will address him as Master, filth.”
“Leave her McAllister, she will be dead soon enough. Well, not to soon. You will beg for me to end it 
when the pain becomes unbearable.” Man she hated that laugh.
“You’ve lost Richelieu! Your battlefleets have been destroyed, our spies on Earth have killed your 
masters. Felinekind will rule the Galaxy for eternity and you will be hunted down and killed like 
the dog you are!” The depressive grin didn’t disappear off the Master’s face.
“Oh, but how wrong you are Servant T’Pal, how wrong. Yes, our fleets lay destroyed, our leaders 
stabbed in the back by human traitors.” Richelieu spat out the word. “But we will not be found, we 
will not get caught. No, not where we’re going.” He laughed again. She’d do anything to stop that 
laugh.

 

Chapter 2
“Normal” Universe



 “Captain’s log, today. Things have been quite boring recently. We have reverted back to our role as 
a staggeringly overqualified taxi, ferrying diplomats from place to place as the final details for 
the new United Federation of Planets are finalised. It will be interesting to see what happens to the 
fleet when the combined powers pool their resources into a new Starfleet. I can only hope that our 
ship will be upgraded or that we get a new one, I really like the look of those Andorian Cruisers. 
Anyway, even a new registry would be nice. The crew’s absolutely hated me for several yearss now 
ever since I lost that stupid bet with Captain Hernandez and she won the designation NX-02 for the 
Columbia and we’ve ended up with the silly NX-00 registration.”
“Hey Captain!” McAllister paused the recording and went to open the doors to his quarters. Standing 
outside was Leftenant Sophie Halbarad. McAllister really liked her, she’d been one of the few people 
that still spoke to him after the Columbia incident. Although they weren’t officially dating, neither 
of them had asked each other out, they’d recently been spending loads of time together. Consequently 
McAllister had asked T’Pal if he could have the Captains dining room to himself this evening and had 
Chef prepare a special meal for two.
“Hey, Soph, you look stunning.” She didn’t really, she just come off duty and was still in her 
uniform, but McAllister knew it was comments like those which brought home the bacon.
“Err…thanks. You sure it’s okay, eating in the private Captains dining room…”
“Seriously Soph, I’m the Captain, its my room and I get to invite whoever I want there. And I’ve 
spoken to T’Pal, I think she’s okay with it…” The female Vulcan was refusing to say anything to 
McAllister since he’d gambled away the ships registry. He had actually talked to her, informing her 
of his plans for a romantic dinner for two, but she’d just stood there and McAllister had to assume 
that meant it was okay. “Come on then!” McAllister took Halbarad by the arm and walked out.


 “Listen, we all hate McAllister, but Halbarads all right. Isn’t this a bit extreme?” Commander Mitch 
Hasselfree asked T’Pal as they stood in the kitchens. Chef was busy working on the starters for the 
Captains meal: smoked salmon.
“She associates herself with the enemy. Retribution must be dealt.”
“Yah, but still…”
“RETRIBUTION MUST BE DEALT!”
“Okay, okay, calm down. You’re starting to sound more and more Klingon and less Vulcan every day.”
“I have spent too much time alongside you pathetic humans. The moment we get into spacedock I’m 
resigning and heading back to Vulcan. Oh, how I long for the red sands of Vulcan’s deserts, her 
scorching heat, asphyxiating you as you stand beneath her powerful sun!”
“Okay then…” T’Pals eyes stared off gleefully into mid-distance. Hasselfree let her get on with it. 
To be honest everyone on the ship was on edge. Losing their registry to a new Starship had just been 
the first of many things: everyone knew that the moment the Federation charter was signed the 
Secondprize would be heading for the scrapheap. They loved the ship, it had seen them through thick 
and thin, but there was no denying it: the thing should have been in a junkyard since the moment they 
launched, almost 10 years ago now. And the last of those years hadn’t exactly been the easiest on the 
crew. No, the Charter would ensure that Earth had plenty of ships to defend it, and it could 
concentrate on building top of the line ships and not having to rely on wrecks such as the 
Secondprize.
Hasselfrees train of thought was interrupted by the waiter coming into the room.
“They’re ready for starters Chef.”
“Okay, get the tray ready.” The waiter went off to another part of the kitchen, grabbing a posh grey 
metal sheet on which to carry the dishes which were waiting on a work surface near Chef. “Captain, if 
you want to do something, now is the time.”
T’Pal didn’t need to be asked twice. In her left hand she had a vial full of light reddish dust which 
she’d managed to get off Fawqin, the ships Doctor. Taking one of the plates she sprinkled the dust all 
over the fish. Then she handed it to the waiter.
“Make sure McAllister gets this one.”
“Yes Captain.” The waiter took the plate and placed on the tray next to the second plate. He went 
walked through the doors. Moments later he returned.
“So?” T’Pal asked.


 “So, get this right, he then turns to me and asks: listen, you seen where Brodeur’s got to?” At this 
both McAllister and Halbarad descended into a fit of giggles.
“Oh, I wish I managed to get on more away missions.” Halbarad had spent most of her time on the 
Secondprize as the Beta shift helmsman, the back-up in other words. Leftenant George Banks had been 
the Alpha shift helmsman until about a year ago, and as such helmed the ship in battle situations and 
was the pilot of the shuttle pod on most away missions. However when it emerged that he’d was the 
long lost brother of the Sultan of Brunei he had left the ship for the decadent life and palaces of 
the coastal Asian paradise, leaving Halbarad with a promotion and bigger role to play on the ship, 
and something McAllister was immensely grateful for as otherwise he might never have noticed her.
The waiter came carrying the starters on an ornate silver tray.
“Excellent, been really looking forward to this. Chef’s been raving about his smoked salmon all 
week.” The waiter went about his task, taking the first plate off his tray and started placing it 
on front of McAllister. “Come on Ensign, where are your manners? Ladies first!” The Ensign stopped 
dead in his tracks. He looked from the plate to McAllister, to Halbarad and back to the plate. 
McAllister was getting impatient.
“Get to it Ensign, it isn’t that hard a task.”
“Err…yes sir, sorry sir.” Deciding that if he changed plates it’d look suspicious he placed the 
plate intended for McAllister on front of Halbarad, and gave McAllister the remaining plate of the 
tray. “Please enjoy.” He said, and walked out back into the kitchens hugging the tray close to him.
“Honestly, young people today.” McAllister muttered before taking his knife and fork and digging in. 
Despite being 7 years younger Halbarad smiled, letting the comment pass, and also got started on her 
food. She cut into the fish, putting a piece into her mouth. Wow, Chef was right, this stuff was 
amazing. She quickly cut another piece, and was in the process of brining it to her mouth when she 
felt her stomach heave. She obviously didn’t look good because McAllister looked at her, worry 
evident on his face.
“Soph, you alright?”
Halbarad went to reply, but then she felt it rushing up her throat and couldn’t hold it in any 
longer.


 “Doctor says she’ll be alright, just a bad reaction to something in the food. Must be allergic to 
salmon or something.” McAllister informed Hasselfree and T’Pal who were waiting in Sickbay. In the 
background Halbarad was vomiting into a bucket provided by Dr. Fawqin. Hasselfree nodded to show 
understanding, while T’Pal ignored the Captain. McAllister then turned around and headed back towards 
the Doctor and helmsman.
“Bloody waiter, he was meant to give it to McAllister.” T’Pal muttered to Hasselfree under her 
breath, scared McAllister might still hear them. “At least he didn’t get away clean.” All down 
McAllisters front were strange brownish stains, the remnants from where Halbarad had puked all 
over him.
“I told you it was dangerous.” Hasselfree brushed some invisible dust off his uniform.
“Next time we’ll be more direct, no chance of bystanders being hurt. Damn that waiter, he’s going 
to feel pain.” T’Pal huffed and marched off out of Sickbay and down the corridor. Hasselfree ran 
after her.
“Captain, you can’t do that! It’ll look weird, him getting punished for doing absolutely nothing.” 
The security officer looked thoughtful for a moment. “Look, you still got some of that stuff left?”
“Yes Commander. And yes, I think I can see where you’re coming from.” T’Pal smiled. Man, he didn’t 
like that smile. Good stuff did not happen after that smile.
Back in Sickbay Halbarad had stopped vomiting and was able to speak for a few moments.
“Oh, Captain, I’m so sorry…”
“Seriously Soph, don’t worry about it. Nothing you can do, you just happen to be allergic to the 
stuff.”
“Not the best way to end our date, is it?”
“Listen, I said don’t worry about it.” McAllister laughed. “Anyway, this uniform needed a wash 
anyway.”
Dr. Fawqin chose this moment to approach them holding a slimy looking slug in his hands.
“Leftenant, this is a Jalanga slug from Tellar VI. You need to swallow this whole.” McAllister 
looked at the slug in Fawqins hands. The slimy, disgusting, horrible slug.
“Doctor, I think I’m going to be sick just looking at it.”
“Nothing to fear Captain, the thing is perfectly harmless. Brilliant at eating though. Once it gets 
in the Leftenants stomach it will eats its entire contents, including whatever is making her throw 
up. Its either this or spending the better part of the next 24 hours getting very familiar with that 
bucket.”
“There is no way in hell that I am eating…” Halbarad had to stop her sentence and instead buried her 
head back into the bucket. After a while, in between deep breaths she spoke. “Give me the damn slug.”

 

Chapter 3
Mirror Universe #317



 “Port stabilisers are down Soph.”
“I got it, I got it.” Halbarad responded whilst biting her lower lip, concentrating on the controls 
of the ship she was flying. The old refitted freighter turned slowly, the joints of the ship creaking.
 The ship fired several torpedoes as it went, strafing past the damaged NX class starship. The 
freighter then shook as fire was returned.
“God dammit, where’s that fur ball got to?” Halbarad cursed to herself, bringing the ship round for 
another run. The freighter had been part of the First Liberation Fleet, a motley collection of 
fifteen starships full of souls free from their Canine oppressors. But now they’d ran into what 
remained of the once proud UCAS 7th Fleet, and it was the only ship left.
“Yes! They’re here!” Shouted someone from behind Halbarad. And indeed there were. Space around the 
battle was suddenly full as Vulcan ships dropped out of Warp and commenced firing on the remaining 
human vessels. Soon there was only one left, floating helpless in the dark confines of space.
“Captain, the UCAS ship is hailing the lead Empire command ship. They say they have Grand Master 
Porthos on board and are willing to discuss their terms of surrender.”
Stupid, Halbarad thought. No way they’re getting out of this alive. And her thoughts were answered 
as the Command Ship lashed out with her weapons and the remaining UCAS warship was blown into 
millions of pieces. This brought several more cheers from the crew of the old freighter.
“Good job Soph, helluva good job.” Halbarad heard her uncle whisper in her ear. This was his 
freighter, previously the UCAS Bury my bone until the crew had risen up and overthrown their 
canine slavers. “Set a course back to Earth, maximum speed. Lets go see what the place looks like 
without those sons of bitches.” The last statement elicited even louder whoops and cheers, which 
Halbarad had thought impossible.
“Course set Uncle.”
“Engage.”


 “My Lord, the equipment is ready.”
“Very good, very good Servant Brodeur. And the prisoner?”
“Also set Master. T’Pal first, as you ordered.”
“Excellent.” Richelieu exited the watching booth and entered the torture chamber where T’Pal was 
stuck to the walls using copious amounts of Velcro.
“Let me go you stinking Beagle!”
“But why should I? Now when I am about to enjoy my moment of fun?”
“You sick perverted dog! Let me out of here!” The Vulcan struggled against the Velcro, slowly but 
surely getting free. Richelieu looked on unimpressed.
“You may unstick yourself from the wall, but that is not all that I have in store for you. For you 
see…” Overhead a tune started blearing out of some speakers. Richelieu was now wearing a pair of 
sunglasses and started rapping to the music. “Yo dog, time to get down to the tune man. Because a 
dog gotta have a good suit bro, he gotta have style.” The music and lyrics were being pumped out 
throughout the ship, where every crew member was now wearing sun glasses and bobbing their heads up 
and down to the music. “So he don’t look like some dumb recruit, a bro’s gotta have a top notch suit. 
Just like my favourite vest, made from my last Andorian guest. Its gotta go with my stylish hat, 
yeh its made out of captured cat. This wig is a bit ginger, use to be a Klingon Ninja. Human skull 
upon my feet, new fashion trends I have to meet. So the time has come to complete my set, to make my 
jacket your lovely skin I’ll get. Aiiiiiii.” The music stopped. “Brodeur, do your thing.” Richelieu 
finished his rap with his arms crossed and his head tilted to one side.
“You animal!” T’Pal struggled even more against the Velcro trappings. “You horrible disgusting 
creature! You’ll pay for this!”
“You think so? Oh well, shame you won’t be around see it then. Servant?” Richelieu motioned for 
Brodeur to come forward, who was carrying with him what appeared to be an oversized potato skin 
peeler. “Get to work.”
“My pleasure Master.” Brodeur licked his lips. He was sure going to enjoy doing this one. He started 
to sharpen the blade on the peeler, making sure that the artist that he was would be able to rely 
upon the best of tools. A chime sounded in the air, and Hasselfree’s voice was heard.
“My Lord, we have arrived at the co-ordinates. The gateway is here as you said Master.”
“Excellent, excellent.” Richelieu was rubbing his paws with glee. “I will be on the bridge 
immediately.”
“Master, shall I continue?” Brodeur asked the canine Captain.
“No, this one I wish to oversee myself.” Richelieu heard T’Pal let out a sigh of relief. “Begin with 
the others.”


 “Hey, I’m picking something up over here!” Halbarad heard Raj shout from the sensor station. 
“What you got?” Halbarads uncle asked from the Captains chair.
“Looks like a UCAS signal, yep, computer confirms. It’s the Sniff my butt.”
“Richelieu you old devil, how the hell did you escape?”
“Should I plot an intercept course?”
“Yes, maximum speed Sophie. Raj, send a message off to the Fleet about what’s happening. Everyone, 
battlestations.”


 When Richelieu walked onto the bridge all the humans snapped to attention.
“Master, we have also picked up the signal of an incoming ship. An Earth Freighter sir, intentions 
unknown.”
“Grrrrr.” Richelieu growled. “If they’re with the Felines they’ll have contacted them about our 
position. We must destroy them, quickly! Arm weapons and prepare to fire!” As the Captain gave the 
command to engage the enemy the lights on the bridge darkened and took on a reddish tinge, indicating 
that they were at battle stations. Throughout the ship crewmembers hurried to carry out their 
Master’s command.


 “Captain, she’s turning around and locking weapons on us.”
“Okay, Raj, scan the ship, tell me what we got on board. Soph, drop us out of Warp right on top of 
them, fire off a couple torpedoes and send us into a dive just past them. We gotta come in hard and 
fast.” Raj and Halbarad murmured back indicating their understanding and got busy complying with the 
orders. As the ship disengaged its faster-than-light engines and cruised barely metres away from the 
UCAS ship Halbarad fired off three torpedoes which all impacted on the enemies hull breaking through 
the entire saucer section.
“Sir, we got us one Canine, a couple hundred humans…and one Vulcan sir.”
“Vulcan! You sure about that Raj?”
“Yep, that’s Vulcan.” The ship shook as it was hit from weapons fire.
“Gotta be a prisoner. Lock a transporter beam on the Vulcan and get him out of there. Soph, time for 
us to run as well.”
Raj tapped several of the keys on his console before shouting. “Got him!”
The moment Raj finished speaking Halbarad sent the ship to Warp, and before the UCAS ship knew it 
they were light-years away.


 “Shall we pursue?” Hasselfree asked from the tactical station. As the fastest ship in the fleet he 
knew that they’d easily be able to overtake them.
“No, let them go. I have enough already for my suit, and it is time we be leaving.” Richelieu was 
extremely pissed about losing T’Pal, she would of made a very nice inside lining. But still, the 
gateway was open, he had a powerful ship and a new galaxy to conquer. “Helm, take us through the 
gateway.”


 
Chapter 4
“Normal” Universe



 “Captains log, today. We have just left orbit around Earth having fulfilled our mission to taxi 
the dignitaries there for negotiations regarding the Federation Charter. However there was not much 
time for shore leave as we were ordered to proceed to Sector 149 where a freighter reported some 
weird natural disturbances. Leftenant Brodeur has reviewed the readings taken by the freighters 
sensors and has suggested that it may be a wormhole of some kind. Our orders are to go to the sector, 
where we will fire off several probes into the disturbance to investigate further.”


 T’Pal and Hasselfree waited outside McAllisters quarters, able to hear the Captain recording his 
log. Confused as to what they were doing here, Hasselfree asked the Vulcan Captain what she wanted 
to do.
“Listen, that stuff Dr.Fawqin gave us, the vomit-induced powder. It works just as well in liquids 
as in solids. You got that cup of coffee I asked you to bring?”
Hasselfree nodded, handing the cup over to T’Pal. He’d passed through the mess hall on the way here 
to collect it as he’d been ordered to do. T’Pal took it and emptied the rest of the vial of powder 
into it. They’d managed to get three uses out of it: first the unfortunate incident with the salmon 
which had ended up with Lt. Halbarad eating it, second the waiter who had failed in his job and had 
also spent the night in Sickbay, and now the third and final use on McAllister.
“Just go inside, give this to him and mumble on about a report or other. Earlier today I managed to 
break into his room and covered his toilet with a mini-forced field I got off Commander La Force. 
Instead of puking down the toilet it’ll all bounce straight back off onto him! Oh, priceless!”
“Remind me never to piss you off Captain.” Hasselfree said, impressed by the Vulcans pranking 
abilities. T’Pal nodded and walked off down the corridor satisfied with herself.


 McAllister heard the door chime and shouted to come in. Commander Hasselfree entered.
“Hello sir, thought you might want this.” Hasselfree gave McAllister a cup of coffee.
“Ummm…thanks Mitch. What can I do for you?”
“Just to inform you that the tests on the probes are all complete sir, they all check out okay.” 
The probes the ship was to launch into the disturbance weren’t probes as such, rather they were 
torpedoes which had their warheads removed and replaced with scientific instruments. McAllister 
had asked Hasselfree to run some simulations with them to ensure that their makeshift probes would 
work. However he hadn’t expected any results until the following morning. Good to see the crew really 
hopped to his orders.
“Thank you Commander. And thanks again for the coffee.”
Hasselfree nodded and left the room. McAllister put the cup down on his table and tried to think of 
anything else to add to the log. Unable to come up with anything he put his legs up on the desk, took 
and cup of coffee and started bringing the cup to his lips.


 Halbarad hadn’t exactly had the best of days. Normally she enjoyed being at the helm, but today the
 stop at Earth had been extremely stressful. But at least it was over and they were back on their 
way. Walking down the corridor she passed Commander Hasselfree, saying a quick hello, and a few 
steps later she found herself outside Captain McAllister’s quarters. What the hell, she thought to 
herself, and knocked.
“Enter!” McAllister shouted from inside. She went in and saw him resting back in his chair, feet 
up on the desk. Richelieu, his dog, was asleep on the bed. “Hey babe.” He said as soon as he saw 
her.
Halbarad went in an collapsed on the bed next to the dog.
“Hey.”
“Tough day?” McAllister asked, concerned.
“Yah, just hate all the bureaucratic crap involved with orbiting Earth. Too many bloody space 
stations and stuff around it now, worse than navigating through a bloody asteroid field.”
“Hey, looks like you need this more than I do.” McAllister handed her the cup of coffee. “You need 
caffeine.” Halbarad took the cup, noticing it was still full.
“Thanks.” She said, taking a sip.
“Listen, what plans you got for tonight?”
“I don’t want to eat in that dining room again.” The coffee tasted a bit funny to her, but she 
drank it anyway. “How about we just go to the mess hall?”
“Sure, no problem. After that, you wanna come back here and watch a movie or something?” Halbarad 
went to say that would be brilliant, but she started feeling sick again. “Soph?” What was about to 
happen suddenly dawned on McAllister. He pointed towards a closet at the back of his quarters. 
“Toilets that way.”
Halbarad jumped off the bed and ran into the bathroom. McAllister heard her starting to throw up.
“You okay there honey?” His question was replied to with a scream. “Don’t worry, it’ll be fine.” 
McAllister clicked a button on his desk. “McAllister to Dr. Fawqin, you got any of those slugs left?”


 T’Pal was not in a happy mood.
“Foiled again by your human stupidity!” She picked up a Logic Weekly magazine from the coffee table 
in her quarters, rolled it up and started hitting Hasselfree in the head with it.
“Its not my fault! I gave him the coffee! I did exactly what you told me to!”
“Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!” T’Pal repeated as she hit him. However she was stopped by the beep 
announcing a comm. signal.
“Captain T’Pal to the bridge, we’ve arrived at the anomaly.” Leftenant Brodeurs voice rang out in 
her quarters. The Vulcan Captain went over to a wall console and pressed a button.
“On my way. Begin preliminary scans.” She let go, closing the channel and turned to the Security 
officer. “I have been called to the bridge. Yes, I need the logic some cold hard science can bring. 
Consider yourself lucky.” T’Pal turned and left for the bridge.
It was about a minute later when Hasselfree realised he’d been left alone in a woman’s quarters. 
And not just any woman’s quarters, her quarters. He skipped off towards her wardrobe and started 
trying on her lingerie.
 


Chapter 5
Mirror Universe #317



 “We’ve got to turn back.” T’Pal said, graciously accepting a canteen full of water from Sophie 
Halbarad.
“At least tell us your name first before we embark on another suicide mission.” Halbarads uncle 
joked.
“I am T’Pal, Captain of the Solok. My ship and myself were captured not long ago by Canine forces.” 
As she spoke Raj had inserted a needle into T’Pals arm, drawing a blood sample into a small plastic 
bottle. He swirled it around and showed it to the crew: it as green. This procedure had sadly become 
necessary after several humans had been operated on to appear Vulcan, thus infiltrating the rebel 
ranks and gaining valuable intelligence. Satisfied that she was who she said she was Halbarads uncle 
gave T’Pal a hand, helping her to stand up.
“You want us to head back after Richelieu? This ship is no match for his ship: sure we can get in, 
quick hit and run away, but if that son of a bitch really wanted us dead there’s nothing we could 
do about it.”
“I must speak with Command about this. Where can I access your communications?”
“Bridge is the only place, we’re only a small fighter.” Raj offered.
“Lead the way.” Before moving Raj looked to Halbarads uncle for confirmation, and he nodded to him, 
taking the lead. It only took a minute to reach the ships command centre. Sophie Halbarad relieved 
Branst, an odd looking Tellarite with orange hair, at the helm, who returned to the ships small 
Engineering section to look after the warp core. Raj, T’Pal and Halbarads uncle stood clustered 
round the bridges other main console which housed the tactical and communication systems.
“Which channel you want to open?” Raj asked. T’Pal quickly tapped the console, opening a channel 
and entering a key code.
“Wait a second,” Halbarads uncle exclaimed. “That’s the…”
He was cut off as the main view screen changed from the star scene around the ship to that of a 
plush office on Vulcan. In the middle of the office, flanked by an elderly looking Vulcan, sat a cat.
“This is Chief Admiral Ginger.”
“Captain T’Pal, authorization Alpha Gamma Three Epsilon One. I have a report concerning Operation 
HERALD. Contingency Blue Five.”
“Acknowledged. Implement Plan OBTUSE. Ginger out.” And as quickly as that the cat disappeared from 
the screen.
“That was the Chief Admiral!” Raj shouted, unable to believe what he had just seen and heard. It was 
said that even the higher Fleet Admirals didn’t have the authorization got to see the Chief Admiral, 
never mind a Captain such as T’Pal. Halbarads uncle lay a hand on the Vulcans shoulder.
“I think you’ve got a bit of explaining to do.”
“Very well.” T’Pal nodded. “This may take some time, and I imagine you might want to get a drink.”


 Sophie sat down next to her uncle in the ships small mess hall, putting her coffee down on the 
table. T’Pal wasn’t drinking anything, however her uncle was also drinking some coffee. Raj had 
been left in charge of the ship on the bridge.
“Top scientists at the Vulcan Science Institute have theorized that this is not the only universe 
that exists, but that there exists millions of ‘parallel’ universes.” The Vulcan explained. “Our 
intelligence services on Earth discovered that the Canines also had knowledge of this and were 
beginning to conduct experiments into travelling between the universes. This was called Operation 
HERALD. Towards the end of the war, as the Felines gained the upper hand their attempts grew more 
and more desperate until we believe a working device was used to create some kind of link between 
our universe and another one. My ship was dispatched to destroy the technology, however we failed.”
“And now you think that Richelieu has used this link to escape into a parallel universe?” Halbarads 
uncle asked, thinking of the consequences.
“Yes. Which is why we must go after them. If Richelieu is able to broker an alliance between the 
other universe and themselves, we’d have a whole new war on our hands, one that theoretically could 
never end as more and more universes are pulled into it.”
Silence filled the room for several moments. Eventually Halbarads uncle got up and approached a 
comm. panel on the wall. He opened a channel to the bridge.
“Raj, scan back to the anomaly. We got any UCAS ships hanging around?”
“Negative that. No sign of anything. Weird, we should still be able to pick up the Sniff my butt, 
but no sign of them”
“Bad news Raj. Turn us around and head back to the last known location of the Sniff my butt. 
Fastest speed possible, we need to get there yesterday.
“Roger that.”

 

Chapter 6
“Normal” Universe



 McAllister was helping the sick Halbarad to sickbay when they passed T’Pals quarters. They heard 
some weird singing coming from inside, though it definitely didn’t sound like T’Pals voice.
“Man, I feel like a woman! Dan, dan, darraann-nan dan dan!”
Cautiously McAllister pressed the contact that would allow him access to T’Pal’s quarters. As the 
door slid open, nothing could of prepared him for what he was about to see.


 At that moment in time Hasselfree was trying on a nice pink lacy number. He heard the door open, 
and turned round to see Captain McAllister and Leftenant Halbarad looking into the room, dumbfounded.
“Oh crap.” He said, before feeling extremely light and passing out.


 “He’s coming around, told you my methods would do it.” Dr. Fawqin looked happy with himself as he 
danced about Sickbay in a traditional Nausicaan jig of joy.
“Corn, you must agree that his methods did work.” T’Pal told McAllister.
“I’m sorry, but surely this is too far!” McAllister sighed and shook his head. “Poor soul, I’ll 
have to remember not to fall unconscious when I’m anywhere near him.”
“Oh shut up man. He deserved it for wearing my lingerie. And the least he can do is explain himself 
before he faints. Look, he’s awake.” T’Pal grabbed the waking form of Hasselfree on the bed and shook 
him. “Wake up you bag of emotional stupidity!”
“What...who...Fawqin, you have a nice bum!” Hasselfree then laughed a bit and fell asleep again.
“Look what you’ve done! Now we’ll have to repeat the procedure.” Following his conclusion Dr. Fawqin 
wadded back towards one of the cupboards.
“No! No way! He won’t survive it!” McAllister took out his phase pistol and started waving it about. 
“Don’t you people have any morals?” Weapon in hand and pointing it at his Vulcan Co-Captain and his 
Nausicaan Doctor, he reached the communication panel and called for two guards to come immediately 
to Sickbay. When they arrived McAllister still held on to his phase pistol, as Fawqin knelt down 
beside an unconscious T’Pal.
“I told her not to come near!”
The guards looked from the prone form of T’Pal on the floor, to the Nausicaan Doctor, to their 
commanding officer lying on a bed in sickbay wearing nothing but T’Pals underwear, to Halbarad 
attempting to swallow a live slimy green slug and finally back to McAllister.
“Okay, this is just too weird.” One the guards said, before stunning a surprised McAllister. 
“That’s for making us the stupid NX-00.” He finished, leading the other guard out of Sickbay and 
leaving Dr. Fawqin to clean up the mess of two unconscious Captains and an unconscious Hasselfree.


 Suddenly all the sensors on Brodeur’s console lit up. 
“We got something coming through the anomaly!” He shouted to the commanding officer, before 
realising that he was the highest ranked officer on the bridge. “Crap. We’re done for.”
The rest of the bridge officers looked at him quizzically. This wasn’t the kind of behaviour 
you usually got out of an officer commanding the most powerful ship in the sector.
“It’s alright Leftenant, I’ve got the bridge.” T’Pal fell out of the lift into the bridge. “What’s 
happening?”
“I was studying the anomaly when our sensors measuring power readings spiked. Then we got a hull 
starting to appear.” Brodeur glanced up at the view screen. “And now its here.”
T’Pal now looked at the view screen. Fully out of the anomaly there was another ship. Another 
NX class starship.


 The scene on the other NX class starship was one of quiet excitement. They’d made it through to 
the other side unharmed, and would now be able to make contact with their sister ship. Soon this 
universe would be mobilised, and the Feline threat and the pesky Vulcans would be defeated.
“Servant La Force, I believe the occasion merits a wicked tune.” Richelieu said from the Captains 
chair.
“I believe it does Lord.” La Force got busy, and picking out a couple of LP’s he placed them on the 
decks and started getting jiggy with it.
“Lord, we are being hailed by the Earth vessel, it identifies itself as the USS Secondprize, NX-00.” 
A servant called out from the communications console.
“Very good. Put them on screen.” Richelieu posed his most frightening and powerful figure, preparing 
himself to deal with the mirror-universe canine commander. However, the screen was filled by a face 
he never expected to see. A Vulcan face.
“T’Pal!” Richelieu growled. “What are you doing on that ship? I demand to speak to the Captain of 
that vessel!”
“Richelieu? You talk?” On the USS Secondprize T’Pal was having a hard time following the logic of it 
all. “I’m the Captain of the Secondprize. What by all the custard creams on Vulcan are you doing in 
the Captains chair?”
“Traitors! Destroy them!” Richelieu shouted. Obviously the mirror universe they’d appeared in had 
been one where the war had been won long ago by the Felines. Blast! But that wouldn’t stop him from 
destroying the Vulcan now. “Open fire, all weapons!” 
Servant Hasselfree at the weapons station did exactly that, firing disruptors and torpedoes at the 
Secondprize, which had been caught unawares with the proverbial pants down.
“Lord, the enemy ship has been disabled: engines, weapons and hull polarisation are gone. Should I 
finish the job?”
Richelieu smiled maliciously at the disabled NX class starship on the screen.


 “Report!” T’Pal screamed, as smoke filled the bridge and crewmen ran to put out the several fires 
that had sprouted out all over the place.
“They hit us, no warning. Everything’s gone: weapons, engines, main power…I’m surprised we’re still 
in one piece.” The officer at the tactical console reported. He was sporting a bleeding wound on his 
cheekbone and looked the worst for wear.
“Sensors working? I need to know what’s going on out there! They coming round to finish us off?”
“I d-d-don’t know Captain.” Brodeur stammered at the science station. “Sensors are offline, can’t see 
a bloody thing.”
“Bridge, Engineering, we need main power back now!” T’Pal bellowed down the comm. channel.
“What the hell are you guys doing up there!” Commander La Force shouted back. “You should be grateful 
I’ve still got auxiliary power working!”
“Don’t make me come down there myself!” T’Pal threatened. “I want main power back five minutes ago.”
“Understood.” Came the sole reply from La Force before the channel was closed.
It took several minutes, but finally main power came online.
“Where are they Brodeur?” T’Pal asked. They’d figured out they’d survived long enough that the other 
ship wasn’t interested in destroying them, but they could still board the ship, or if they’d gone 
someplace else T’Pal wanted to know where.
“No sign of them. Wait, picking up a Warp trail, heading away from here towards Alpha Centauri. Its 
incredibly recent, its them alright.”
“We got Warp capability back?”
“Negative that ma’am.” An Ensign reported from the helm. “Ask Engineering.”
As if on cue, La Force arrived on the bridge with a toolkit.
“Warp drive’s shot to hell, going to take several hours to repair, and that’s assuming we’ve got all 
the parts.”
<Crap> T’Pal thought inside of her, though she didn’t let it show on her face. Instead she told La 
Force, “Focus on getting communications back online. The logical course of action is to alert the 
fleet of this, and after that we’ll concentrate on weapons and engines.” La Force nodded, and started 
shouting instructions down to Engineering through the internal comm., telling his staff which systems 
to focus on repairing. “Meanwhile, I think I need to speak to Captain McAllister.”


 
Chapter 7
“Normal” Universe



 “Entering the anomaly now.” Sophie Halbarad reported from the helm of the rebel freighter. “And 
we’re through.”
Weird, she’d expected it to be harder than that. It was difficult to notice that they’d just 
changed universe, only prior knowledge helped. That and the fact an NX class starship had just 
appeared to the starboard side. At the command chair Halbarads uncle cursed.
“Soph, evasive! Load weapons and prepare to fire!”
“Wait!” Raj shouted from the only other console on the bridge. “Scanning it, they’re dead in the 
water. Reading no power going through to the weapons or engines. They’ve been beat up pretty badly.”
“Hail them.”  Halbarads uncle ordered. Raj pressed several buttons, to no avail.
“No response, then again I’m not sure if they’re even able to respond.”
“Are our docking mechanisms compatible?” T’Pal asked from the back of the bridge.
“You want to board them?” Halbarads uncle asked incredulously. “Four people on our ship versus 
nearly a hundred over there?”
“Why not?” T’Pal stared back at him.


 John La Force had joined Starfleet to make sure that warp cores worked. He’d been pretty good at 
it, that’s why he’d made the rank of Commander and been made Chief Engineer of a starship. However, 
a grease monkey he was not: warp cores were fixed by pressing an infinite diversity of buttons on a 
neat little console or keyboard. So he was not best pleased when, covered in grime and sludge, he 
found himself climbing out of one of the many service ducts which ran throughout the ship, and then 
proceeding to climb between the cables and microprocessors and capacitors and various other 
electrical equipment that made up the communications station.
“Try that.” He said to Ensign Deer who was at that time also fiddling with his communications 
equipment.
“Naughtthere, nothin’working Commander. Allgon’.” Deer answered, his unintelligible words 
accentuated further by the tough conditions they were working in.
“Stupid thing.” La Force grunted as he punched the metal casing of where he was working. This 
did nothing to solve the problem except for making his hand hurt. “How about we try something else.” 


 T’Pal was walking down the corridor towards Sickbay when she felt the ship shudder, enough to 
knock her slightly off-balance. Next to a panel on the wall, she pressed a button to contact the 
bridge.
“Bridge, what was that?”
“Captain, another ship came through the anomaly and has just docked with us.” Brodeur reported.
“Have a security team meet me there now!” Was she going to get no rest? “T’Pal to sickbay, how we 
doing there?”
“Captain McAllister should regain consciousness any minute now, but I’m afraid Hasselfree and 
Halbarad will be unavailable for a couple more hours.” Dr. Fawqin answered.
“When McAllister’s awake tell him to meet me at the docking port. Tell him we’ve got visitors.”
“Welcome or unwelcome?” the Nausicaan asked.
“I guess we’ll find out.” T’Pal answered, before rushing off to meet the visitors.


 “You sure about this?” Sophie Halbarad asked T’Pal as they made lat-minute checks on their 
equipment. They ship had docked with the Secondprize, and four of the five ship’s occupants were 
at the airlock. Raj, T’Pal, Halbarad and her uncle would all be boarding the NX class starship, 
with Branst, the ships Tellarite Engineer remaining behind to guard the ship, and if necessary make 
a quick escape.
“I am.” The Vulcan replied, inserting a small handheld disruptor into a utility belt she had around 
her waist, which as followed by a scientific tricorder and several clips for the weapons she was 
taking on board. She also had a larger plasma rifle slung on her back. Halbarad herself wasn’t 
going in unarmed: she had two of the smaller disruptors in holsters at her hips and was carrying 
an assortment of small blades which could be both thrown and used in close quarters. They’d reasoned 
that the ship would probably be friendly to them as Richelieu’s ship had been the one that had left 
it in its current state, the enemy of my enemy is my friend kind of thing, but it didn’t pay to go 
in prepared for anything.
“You ready ladies?” Halbarads uncle asked from behind them. Following him to the airlock was Raj. 
Halbarad nodded back: they’d boarded plenty of ships and she’d done her share of ground fighting. 
She knew what to expect.
“Let us commence.” T’Pal said simple. Halbarads uncle moved to the front, and pressed the button 
to open the airlock door.

 T’Pal met four security guards, all fully armed, at the airlock. Soon after McAllister stumbled 
to the scene, holding his head.
“What the hell is happening here?” he asked.
“After the ship got blasted from all the way here back to Vulcan by another NX class starship 
another ship appeared out of nowhere and has now docked with us. Oh, and that NX class ship that 
attacked us was commanded by your dog who, as well as speaking perfectly good English, called me a 
traitor before giving the order to attack us. This is so illogical I don’t know where to begin.” 
As T’Pals explanation went on McAllister’s jaw became further and further separated from his mouth. 
She extended her hand and clamped the human Captains mouth back together.
Before McAllister could respond the doors to the airlock started sliding open.


 
Chapter 8
“Normal” Universe



 Back on the UCAS Sniff my butt Lord Richelieu was fuming. How was it possible? How had the damn 
cats and their damn Vulcans pawns gained access to the power of an NX class starship? And that 
bitch, T’Pal, Captain of it. It was lucky he’d manage to catch them unawares when he did, he 
didn’t relish going up in a fight with that ship. Even if it was commanded by an inept Vulcan.
The atmosphere on the ships bridge was weird: the ships crew did not truly understand what they 
had done by travelling from one universe into a parallel one. One which furthermore contained NX 
class starships such as the Sniff my butt which they had attacked and disabled, and to top it off, 
as the servants on the bridge now knew, commanded by a Vulcan.
“Servant La Force?” Richelieu commanded.
“Yes master?” La Force answered from his station behind the Captains chair Richelieu was sitting in.
“I need to think. Bring Servant McAllister to me.”
“Right away Lord.” La Force answered, leaving the bridge and entering in the turbolift, heading 
towards the Captains chambers.


 La Force paused outside the chambers entitled to Lord Richelieu as sole master of the starship. 
He’d never actually been inside, but this would not be the time when he did. Instead he proceeded 
to the next door, that which would give him access to McAllister’s quarters. McAllister had been 
First Servant on the ship for nearly ten years now, and there were rumours that he had always 
served Richelieu and never been under another master. Loyalty such as that could not be bought, 
it was no wonder that the Master trusted him so.
However, that would not help him when La Force assumed his rightful place next to Richelieu as his 
first servant. The officer in charge of getting-jiggy-with-it knew that he would have to walk over 
McAllister’s dead body to advance. Well, so be it.
La Force extended a finger, pushing a button next to the door.
“What is it?” McAllister called from inside.
“The Master commands your presence on the bridge.” La Force replied.
The doors swished open, revealing Cornelius McAllister, Servant 1st class. He was dressed in the 
identical all-black UCAS servants uniform, but the black collar, which all servants of the Canine 
Alliance wore, contained golden diamond-shaped decorations, compared to La Force’s silver diamonds.
“La Force.” McAllister said gruffly, recognising La Force’s presence. “Still kissing arse?”
“Not as much as you.” La Force responded, sniggering. Incensed, McAllister backhanded him, sending 
the Servant 2nd class sprawling into McAllister’s room.
“I will not suffer insolence from the likes of you.” McAllister threatened. “Useless, glory seeking, 
insolent little rats. It’s a wonder the master doesn’t have the lot of you killed.”
“I learnt from the best.” La Force said, nursing his jaw where he had been hit. McAllister advanced 
into the room, intent on kicking La Force but stopped himself at the last moment.
“No, I will not lower myself to your level. You don’t deserve my attention. Come, we must report to 
Lord Richelieu.” He turned and left the room.
“Yes sir.” La Force said. He got up and left the room. However, he left behind a little present. 
Under McAllister’s desk a small black object remained, unnoticed by the leaving servants. Only a 
solitary red light blinked on the object, on and off. La Force knew that when that light stopped 
blinking, he would become the most powerful human on the ship and in the galaxy. 


 “Lord Richelieu.” Servant McAllister bowed as he left the turbolift on the bridge, Servant La Force 
exiting behind him and heading straight over to his decks behind the Captains chair.
“Servant McAllister, good. We must discuss tactics. You are aware of the current situation?”
“Yes Master, I am up to date.”
“Good. What do you suggest?”
“It is obvious that this universe is a lost cause. We must return to the anomaly and use it to pass 
into another universe, one more partial to our goals.”
“Yes, that is a good plan.” Richelieu said, considering the options available to him. They would not 
last long in this universe without allies, this much he knew. “Can you make the alterations necessary 
so that we can go through into another universe?”
“With enough time and resources I believe I can do so Lord.”
“Make it so.” Richelieu ordered. “I am retiring to my chambers, contact me when you are done. You may 
call upon any of the ships resources to complete your task, it is of paramount importance.”
“Yes Lord.” McAllister and the rest of the bridge crew bowed as the dog left the bridge. Once he left 
McAllister turned to Servants Hasselfree and La Force. “Well, lets get started.”
Chapter 9
“Normal” Universe

 The doors to the airlock started sliding open. The security guards crouched low so as to present a 
smaller target, and likewise McAllister and T’Pal pulled out their phase pistols and prepared 
themselves for a fight. The airlock doors finally finished opening, revealing three humans (two 
males and a female) and a Vulcan with a load of nasty looking weapons pointing at them.
“McAllister!” The boarding Vulcan shouted, which McAllister now noticed had a striking resemblance 
to T’Pal. However he wasn’t able to think about this for long, as just after shouting his name the 
Vulcan fired her weapon sending a bolt of energy straight at the human Captain, which he managed to 
duck and hid behind T’Pal.
“Wait!” The elderly of the four humans shouted, using his hand to lower the Vulcan’s rifle.
T’Pal meanwhile pushed McAllister away, and moved slowly forward stretching out her hand slightly.
“Who are you?” She asked, referring to the Vulcan.
“My name is T’Pal, I am a loyal officer of the FFF. Identify yourself.”
“My name is T’Pal, I am a loyal officer of the Vulcan Alliance.”
“Interesting.” Both T’Pals intoned.
“But why do you want to kill me!” McAllister shouted. “I haven’t done anything bad lately!” He then 
recognized one of the boarding humans. “Halbarad? Soph?”
“How do you know my name?” She replied in disgust, holding her weapon more tightly.
“But Soph! Its me! What are you doing out of Sickbay?”
“Sickbay?” Halbarad/Mirror asked incredulous. “What have to done to me you sick pervert!”
“I haven’t done anything! You were sick! It wasn’t…wasn’t me.” McAllister finished mumbling. It 
hadn’t been a good day.
“Who do you support? Canine or Feline?” The more elderly of the humans inquired.
“What? Well, I’ve got a dog, so Canine I guess.” McAllister replied. What the hell did they want to 
know that for? Evidently, this turned out to be the wrong answer as the four boarders suddenly raised 
their weapons and prepared to fire. “Feline! Feline! I love cats! And lions and leopards and stuff!” 
McAllister tried to deflate the situation.
“Are you aware where we’re from?” T’Pal/Mirror asked.
“I’d guess Vulcan, seeing the pointy ears and all that.” McAllister volunteered. Surely that answer 
wouldn’t make people shoot at him again?
“Of course I’m from Vulcan.” T’Pal/Mirror replied. “I mean which universe. Which reality.”
“Okay, now I’ve definitely got a headache.” McAllister leaned back against one of the corridors and 
ran his hands through his hair. “What you on about?”
“How about some coffee?” The elderly boarder, Halbarads uncle, said. “This could take some 
explaining.”


 “We can only speculate as they will not tell us, but this is how we think it begun.” T’Pal/Mirror 
said. She had been joined in the mess hall by Captains T’Pal and McAllister of the Secondprize and 
the three other boarders from the rebel Earth Freighter. “Roughly two million years ago two species 
from neighbouring systems discovered faster-than-light technology at approximately the same time. 
These species discovered each other, and to say that they didn’t get on too well is an understatement. 
Following thousands of years of war a ceasefire was eventually negotiated, and there was an uneasy 
peace. A Cold War continued between the two species, even though a majority of both species chose to 
abandon technology and lead comfortable lives on various planets, fooling the primate-evolved 
population of the various planets into providing free food and entertainment.” T’Pal/Mirror paused 
to sip a drink of water and then continued. “Eventually the peace broke. Contact between the 
primate-evolved species forced the older warring species into action, and a fresh war began mostly 
fought by the primate-evolved servants.”
“Primate evolved?” McAllister asked. “That’s us isn’t it? That Darwin guy, Origin of the Species.”
“That is correct.” T’Pal/Mirror replied, though she tried to avoid meeting McAllister’s gaze. “The 
foot soldiers in this war were ourselves: Vulcans, Humans, Tellarites, Andorians…”
“And the commanders? These old species at war with each other for millions of years?” T’Pal asked.
“Felines and Canines.” T’Pal/Mirror’s statement was greeted by complete silence, which was followed 
by McAllister’s uncontrollable laughter.
“Dogs and cats? You’re slaves to dogs and cats?”
T’Pal/Mirror nodded. McAllister managed to stop laughing to stare at the Vulcan from the mirror 
universe.
“You’re actually serious? You actually mean what you’re saying?”
“The war now is all but over. Following several crushing victories a joint Vulcan and Andorian fleet, 
aided by rebel Earth Forces managed to destroy the last Canine strongholds, and a few damaged 
warships and outlying outposts are all that remain of what was once a Canine Empire stretching 
across thousands of star systems. The starship that attacked you was commanded by the last free 
Canine Commander.”
“So the remaining Canine elements managed to find a way to ‘skip’ between universes, and came 
here to escape the Felines.” T’Pal summarized.
“That’s it.” The older human from the rebels ship concluded. “If we can defeat this starship, 
stopping it from gaining access to another universe where it can find help, the war will be over 
and we will be free from the canine oppression. We need your help Captains.”
“Whoa, calm down there.” McAllister said, spreading his hands and getting up from the seat where 
he had been listening attentively to go and stare out of the mess halls windows. “You want me to 
destroy a human ship, commanded by my dog, because you think cats are better.”
“Not better. The Felines are simply the lesser of two evils.” Halbarads uncle pleaded. He glanced 
quickly at T’Pal/Mirror before continuing. “We’ll get rid to the damn cats soon enough.”
“They won’t stop with our universe.” Sophie Halbarad said to McAllister. It was the first words 
she’d spoken since leaving the docking port. “Once they’ve conquered our universe they’ll expand, 
and you will be next.”
“Arrgghh! This is plain insane.” McAllister shook his head.
“Dogs look up to you, cats look down at you. Pigs are the best pets to have, they simply look at you 
as you really are.” T’Pal muttered absentmindedly.
“What?” McAllister asked.
“Just a random thing I heard on Earth once.” T’Pal explained. It was obvious that despite her Vulcan 
logic she was also having trouble coming to terms with what was being told to her.
“Captains,” T’Pal/Mirror said, addressing both her mirror-self and McAllister, “you have a choice to 
make for us all. You can either vote for freedom or oppression. Which do you choose?”
 


Chapter 10
“Normal” Universe



 “My Lord, the modifications are complete.” McAllister reported to Lord Richelieu who had returned 
to the bridge and was now sitting in the Captain’s chair.
“What is your plan?” the dog commanded.
“We need to return to the gateway. Once we have neutralized any opposition there we can alter the 
gateway using a polaron beam to shift it to another frequency: one which will allow us entry into 
another universe.”
“And how will you ensure that whoever we meet in the new universe will be sympathetic to our cause? 
Constantly having to defeat opposition whenever we enter the gateway will become tiresome.”
“I can answer that My Lord.” La Force put in. “Parallel or Mirror Universes increase in number 
related to the amount of time has passed, and are created by branching out from a source universe. 
We are now able to identify our own universe, the right one, and follow its branches outward. If it 
goes to plan, we should end up in a universe where we have won the war.”
“Excellent. Set course for the gateway and ready all weapons. Servants, prepare to create a better 
future for us all.”


 
Chapter 11
“Normal” Universe



 “Captain! Red Alert! We’ve got that NX-class ship incoming again! Scanning, weapons fully armed!” 
Brodeurs voice shouted out of the comm. panel in the mess hall.
“Looks like we’ve had our choice taken away from us.” McAllister grimaced. “I suggest you return to 
you ship, we could do with some help if we’re to win this.”
Halbarads uncle nodded his agreement and took off back towards the docking port, followed by the 
rest of his crew. Likewise T’Pal and McAllister rushed off, but to the bridge of the Secondprize.


 “Report.” T’Pal barked when she arrived on the bridge. McAllister followed her out of the lift, 
though he was too late as the Vulcan sat down in the Captains chair.
“NX class starship incoming, weapons hot. ETA four minutes.” Sophie Halbarad reported from the helm. 
Doctor Fawqin had obviously discharged both of his patients, Hasselfree was working at his tactical 
console, working hard at staying unnoticed by T’Pal. “The ship we were docked with have now taken up 
a flanking position starboard, they are also powering up weapons.”
“They’ailin’us Cap.” Leftenant Deer announced from his communications console. Seconds later the 
bridge of the Rebel Earth Freighter appeared. The mirror Sophie Halbarad was at the helm, with her 
uncle in the command console and T’Pal/Mirror at another console behind him. On the Secondprize 
Leftenant Halbarad stared at the screen, her mouth wide open.
“What the…”
“Not now Soph. I’ll explain later.” McAllister said.
“We’ll cut them off from the gateway.” Halbarads uncle explained. “They’ll have to fly round us or 
take us out, while they do that you’ll have to strike. We haven’t got that much in the way of weapons 
or shields, so try and be quick about it.” His orders finished, Halbarads uncle disappeared from the 
viewscreen.
“Wow, real conversationalist.” McAllister commented.
“That was my uncle Nathan!” Halbarad shouted.
“They’re not real Soph, just from another universe or reality or something.” McAllister explained. 
“Just pay attention to that NX coming in. Its hostile.”
“Aye sir.” Shaking her head Halbarad concentrated on the helm controls.
“Here were go again.” Hasselfree said, and moments later the ship was rocked as it was hit by weapons 
fire.
“Helm, evasive. Tactical, return fire.” T’Pal ordered from the Captains chair. The battle had begun.


 “Blast those traitors!” Lord Richelieu screamed onboard the Sniff my butt. “I want them dead! Now!”
“Yes Master.” Servant Hasselfree complied with his orders and returned fire, quickly disabling the 
weapons on the Secondprize and then concentrating fire on the Rebel ship blocking their way. He was 
able to happily report,
“Lord, the enemy ships are now without weapons. The Rebel ship has also lost shields. They are 
signalling their surrender. What should I do?”
In the Captains chair the dog grinned manically.


 “They’ve lost shields!” Brodeur shouted from the science console, referring to the Rebel ship.
“Not good. Get those weapons working now!” T’Pal ordered from the command chair in the centre of 
the bridge.
“It’s going to take some time!” Hasselfree shouted back.
“Halbarad, try and avoid their weapons for a while.”
“I’m on it.” A the helm Halbarad replied to T’Pals command,
“They’re firing again!” Brodeur stated from his science station. “They’re going to hit the Rebel 
ship.” 
All eyes turned to the view screen as it showed the torpedoes leaving the enemy ship, on course 
towards their target. One or two of the crewmembers turned away as they impacted, the ship seeming 
to implode in on itself slightly before blowing up in a massive fireball.
“Sophie! No!” McAllister shouted without realising. Only when he had finished he caught himself, 
and looked embarrassed. “Sorry, wrong one.”
“Where’s those bloody weapons!” T’Pal shouted out again.
“I’m working on it!” Hasselfree replied. But it was too late.
“The enemy ship is now targeting us.” Brodeur reported.


“The Rebel ship has been destroyed Lord.” Servant Hasselfree reported, an evil grin adorning his 
face.
“Well done. Target the other ship, and destroy it.”
“Yes master.” Servant Hasselfree bent over his controls, entering the target data and selecting 
three torpedoes: two targeted at the ships Warp core and a third for the ships bridge. He was about 
to fire the torpedoes, when all the lights went out and he found himself in complete darkness.
“What’s happening!” Lord Richelieu barked from the command chair.
“We’ve lost all power! Both main power and emergency power are not responding.”
“What’s caused it?” Servant La Force asked, although he though to himself, <Not now, not now! It’s 
gone off early!>.
“I don’t know.” Hasselfree replied, flustered. La Force’s hand went to the belt at his hip, where he 
produced a tricorder and began scanning.
“I think it might be an EM Pulse of some kind, though it’s only affecting main systems.” He pressed 
several buttons on the tricorder, narrowing in down the scan radius. “Lord, the pulse seems to be 
coming from Room 1b, Deck C.”
All eyes turned to face Servant 1st Class McAllister.
“Traitor!” Servant Hasselfree shouted, drawing his phase pistol.
“Wait! No! It’s La Force! It must be!” McAllister tried to explain, grasping at straws. “He’s 
framing 
me, he’s the traitor!”
La Force walked up to McAllister, and punched him in the stomach causing him to double over.
“How dare you question my loyalty traitor!”
McAllister coughed, trying to get enough oxygen back in his lungs so he could reply. Lord Richelieu 
however interrupted before anyone could add to what had been said.
“Your fighting tires me. Servant Hasselfree?”
“Yes Master?”
“Kill both of them.”
“A pleasure Lord.” Hasselfree giggled.
McAllister and La Force forgot their rivalry as they both turned to confront Servant Hasselfree. 
He made quick work of the warring officers with his phase pistol, disintegrating both of them.
“Now get the ship working again.” Lord Richelieu ordered.


McAllister waited for the inevitable hit to come, though it did not.
“What’s happening?” he asked.
“The enemy ship has lost all power, no idea why. They’re dead in the water.” Brodeur explain.
“Somebody give me something to shoot with!” T’Pal demanded.
“I need more time!” Hasselfree begged.
“Well we haven’t got any!” T’Pal countered.
“Soph,” McAllister walked up to his helm officer and placed his hands on her shoulders, “ram them.”
“What?”
“Ram them. Just aim in their general and engage full impulse.”
“Okay then.” Halbarad engaged the engines, sending the Secondprize into a head-on collision with 
the enemy ship. “Everybody hang on to something!”
McAllister heard somebody mutter “Mommy” before the Secondprize barrelled head-on into the saucer 
section of the enemy NX class starship at over 10 times the speed of sound.


“Somebody remind me never to do this again.” McAllister said as he dragged himself off the bridge’s 
floor.
“Report.” T’Pal asked, who had somehow managed to stay in her position in the Captain’s chair.
“We’ve lost all power except life support and gravity, the enemy ship ain’t doing too good either. 
Reading no power signatures over there.” Hasselfree responded, blood running down the right side of 
his face.
“What’s happened?” Brodeur asked, as he steadied himself by leaning on his science console.
“We’re stuck into the enemy ship at a depth of 15 metres, or about 5 decks deep. No way we’re going 
to be dislodged from here.” 
“Get the crew to the escape pods.” T’Pal ordered. “We’ll start the self destruct.”
“No can do.” Hasselfree said. “Computers completely gone, self destruct system won’t work.”
“What about the warheads in the armoury?” McAllister inquired.
“The should do the job.” Hasselfree nodded. “It shouldn’t be too hard to set one of them on a 
delayed explosion. All the warheads are programmed to go off upon impact, once one goes off they 
should all go off.”
“That’s the plan then. I’ll work my way down to the armoury. Everyone else, get the hell out of 
here.”
“Yes sir.” As all the bridge crew headed out through the turbo lift shaft at the back left of the 
bridge, climbing down the ladders towards the escape pods, McAllister headed towards the second 
turbo lift at the back and right, preparing himself for the long climb down. Halbarad followed him.
“Where do you think you’re going?” he asked her.
“I’m going with you.” She replied.
“It’s a long climb.”
“Bet you I still beat you to the bottom.”
McAllister laughed. “Okay.”


T’Pal paused slightly as she got to her assigned escape pod, being joined shortly after by Doctor 
Fawqin. She thought quickly about her mirror self, killed on board the Rebel Earth ship, and 
Captain McAllister and Leftenant Halbarad, working to blow the ship up. She quickly reminisced on 
the many years spent on board the Secondprize, before closing the door, sitting back, and ejecting 
the escape pod. While looking out the window as the ship grew smaller she fished around for some 
popcorn to eat while she saw the ship getting blown up. After all, it was the only logical choice 
of food to include in a lifeboat.


 “Listen, you know that ship my mirror-me arrived on.” Halbarad said as she climbed down the ladders 
leading to the torpedo room.
“The old freighter thing?” McAllister asked.
“Yah. Listen, my uncle really owns it. My real uncle I mean, in this universe.”
“So?” McAllister wasn’t as fit as he thought it was, the climbing was really starting to make his 
muscles ache.
“It’s a good ship. Can reach Warp Three, plenty of cargo space, plus a deck and a half for living 
space. Crew of two or three could easily run it. When my uncle ran it he made a killing on the 
Andoria-Rigel route.”
“What you saying?” Then it dawned on McAllister. He stopped climbing and looked up to be greeted by 
the sight of Halbarads rear end also climbing down. He looked around and saw her looking down at him. 
She was starting to go red in the face. “You’re asking me to run the thing with you?”
“Yah. No more pressure to stick to the rules and no stress of having to deal with cry-baby Ensigns. 
Just us two, a couple thousands crates, and the galaxy.”
“I’ve got to say it’s appealing.” McAllister let his thoughts wander. Leaving Starfleet, he’d never 
thought about it. He thought he’d either get killed, or be forced to retire once he was too old to 
go from his quarters. But never leave of his own free will. And a freighter? Running deliveries? 
Then he looked back up at Halbarad and her expectant face, and he remembered who she was. What she 
was.
“On one condition.” He replied.
“You can bring the dog with you.”
“It’s not that.”
“Oh?”
“Will you marry me?” McAllister asked. Halbarad was so shocked she nearly let go of the ladder. 
She gripped tightly and looked down at the 15 deck and over 40 metre drop.
“You’ve got a deal.”
Wow. McAllister felt like climbing back up and kissing her. But first he had a ship to self-destruct.
By the time they’d finally reached the deck the armoury was located on McAllister was ready to 
simply lie down and never get up again in his life. However, knowing how short that life was going 
to be if he didn’t get a move on he forced himself up and jogged to the armoury, Halbarad following 
close behind. Pressing the contact the doors swished open, and the two officers moved to the nearest 
torpedo.
“A minute enough to get to the escape pod and get clear?” McAllister asked.
“Should be.” Halbarad answered, fiddling with various cables inside the torpedo casing. “That’s it, 
its armed.”
“Okay, lets get the hell out of here.”
The two of them turned and ran, taking 5 seconds to cover the ground to the nearest escape pod. 
Checking they were both in and comfortably seated McAllister pressed the big red button above his 
head, and ejected the lifeboat from the ship.


 
Epilogue



  “Captain’s log, Freighter Rose of Tralee, departing Earth. Date May the eleventh, 2162. We’re 
en route to Rigel with a precious cargo of hot-pants.
 The past few months have definitely been weird. The Federation Charter was signed not too long ago. 
Part of the Charter details changes to Starfleet so that it now compromises elements from every 
member’s space defence forces, so Sophie and myself took the opportunity to resign our commissions. 
Not like I had a reason to stay, I blew up my ship nearly a year ago now, and seeing what happened 
to the last one Starfleet weren’t exactly rushing around trying to get my a new command.
 It took a full week for a Starfleet vessel to rendezvous with the escape pods, during which we 
got married. I know, not much of a location, stuck in a cube of titanium barely ten metres squared 
in size, but I had the authority to do it as a Starfleet Captain (but God knows who thought we’d 
one day need to do it and had included it in our training), and we got bored after two days of 
sitting around. First and only time I’m acting as both groom, master of ceremonies and registrar.
 The self-destruct plan worked, as the torpedo exploded it also set off over fifty other warheads 
in the room, blowing both the Secondprize and the enemy ship into tiny pieces. The explosion also 
served to close the gateway, so we won’t be expecting any more weird ships coming in through there.
 And now onto the Rose of Tralee. It wasn’t easy, but Halbarads uncle eventually allowed us to take 
ownership of the freighter, and it wasn’t long before we got our first job. Trade is booming with the 
Federation becoming a strong entity, and trained crew with over 30 years of experience between them 
and a fast ship never have to wait around for long before getting work.
 So what now? First, Rigel. Really important to get our shipment in on time. After that, who knows. 
Just me and my wife, a couple thousands crates, and a galaxy waiting for hot pants.”