(OFF: You could play others' characters through your post until they decide to come back.)

=/\= Captain Karelia to the U.S.S. Ares. We could use some help carrying supplies to stock the reconstruction of the StarPhoenix base on Dantor. Our holds are full, and we could use any help you could render. Karelia out. =/\=

"I'm near there too. I can get to the bridge through the turbolift shaft. I'll see what I can do about Imperial soldiers on the bridge."

Karelia and the two Imperial guards walk onto the bridge and stand beside the access port, waiting for Lollock to exit. Tom taps his badge again.

"Surprisingly, there was only one guy on the bridge. It's safe to come out now."

"Commander, they're trying to--"

Five Borg drones materialize directly in front of Tom's console, and he draws his phaser. He kills the first drone with a phaser beam, and breaks the neck of another as he pistol-whips it with his phaser. Unfortunately, a third is able to connect their tubules to his jugular vein. He screams, but shatters the drone's nose as security officers take care of the remaining Borg.

Tom falls to the ground.

Tom takes the commander's commbadge after she is bludgeoned and tossed into the corner of the bridge.. By the time she wakes, Tom is sitting at the helm and Keach is in the command seat.

"Ahh, Commander, you're awake. We've got a proposition for you. We need a second bridge officer to get the computer to transfer command." Tom calmly draws a phaser. "We were hoping you'd be willing?"

"Transporter room, how many did you actually get?"

The comm was silent for a moment. "127... out of 875."

"Yes, ma'am. We're in position. The cube is still 13 hours away, we'll have a bit of a wait on our hands."

"The power emissions are slightly off. Something doesn't seem rig--"

The console begins to chime.

"They're hailing us. Putting it on viewer."

A picture of the same bridge come up on the screen, with a familiar man standing in the center. The man stands to talk.

"This is the I.S.S. Tiberon of the Terran Empire. Lower your shields and submit to inspection. Immediately."

The man standing on the bridge was Jeff Keach.

"No clue. According to the star charts, we're in the same area of space, but there's something odd about it. The stars are... backwards."

Tom's panel begins to beep. He turns around to check it. "There's a ship coming in. Akira-class, registry is NCC-54382. Ma'am, that other ship is the Tiberon..."

"I've programmed the deflector to mimic the disturbance that brought us here. Surprisingly, bridging he gap between the universes is easier thatn I thought. Even easier with transporters."

"Still no clue, ma'am. I'll keep on it."

(OFF: I'm going to speed things up, since the Evolution and Skytoucher are already at Avalon Station.)

"We'll be arriving at Starbase Avalon momentarily, Commander. Oh, I can't wait to have Doc Wallace get this Borg stuff out of me."

"Aye, Captain, warp 8!"

The Tiberon streaks off toward DS12.

Tom gets to the bridge, straightens his uniform, and addresses all of the Imperial guardsmen on duty there.

"Attention! The rogue Starfleeters have killed Captain Keach! I'm taking command of this vessel as of this moment! Now, you three: I saw a group of them on Deck 14, headed toward the armory! Get them!"

Unbeknownst to Tom, he had just sent three guardsmen to the same place where Commander Talen was due to arrive...

"Captain? Terran Empire? What's going on here, sir?"