First of all: Official disclaimer: All characters except the ones you don´t recognize is owned by their respective companies. Babylon 5 and associated characters is owned by Time Warner Entertainment Company, Robotech and associated characters is property of Harmony Gold, Star Trek: TNG and associated characters is owned by Paramount, Star Wars and associated characters is property of Lucasfilms Limited. The Uncanny X-Men and associated characters is owned by Marvel Comics.
Oh, by the way; Me poor, you no need sue, me make no money anyway of this, me own no money.
Secondly I´d like to apologize for any inaccuracies in the portrayal of these characters or places.
My knowledge, (but not my enthusiasm), is mostly limited to X-Men, I had help from friends with
the others. (Thanks guys!) Any inaccuracies can therefore be safely blamed on them :)
When, where and why: the Babylon 5 parts is set before the third season, Robotech is set between episode 3 and 4 of the american series, Star Trek is set in the middle of season 3, Star Wars is set shortly after the events in ROTJ, and X-Men is set about issue 334, but out of continuity, of course.
Note: Due to Robotech history being somewhat fragmented and confused, with the three different anime-shows and the movies, plus the McKinney novels, I´ve decided to incorporate bits and pieces from the different scources more or less as I see fit, so don´t flame me if you think I screwed up on the Robotech chronology or what protoculture really is. It´s just fan-fiction......
INFINITE PATHS
BABYLON 5/ROBOTECH/STAR TREK: TNG/STAR WARS/X-MEN CROSSOVER
INFINITE PATHS: CHAPTER ONE:
A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away......Leia Organa, a leader of the rebellion and late of the royal house of vanquished Alderaan, activated the inboard comlink system aboard the freighter, and often smugglers´ vessel known as the Millenium Falcon.
-"Han? We´re almost there. ETA in less than two minutes." She said, flicking of the ships´ autopilot
in order to go to manual flight system. The autopilot was perfectly capable to take them all the way to their destination, but Leia prefered to pilot the ship manually in case something unexpected were to occur. It often did, in a vast and dangerous galaxy the unexpected were almost commonplace.
She had learned the hard way not to trust conventionality, and it had saved her life more than once.
The pressurized door to the cabin swished open, and the ship´s captain, Han Solo, entered cursing.
"That corroded pile of microchipped junk! 'I´m terribly sorry, sir, but your hyperdrive appears to be malfunctioning.'" Han squeaked in a high pitched voice. "What´d that glorified micro-computer do to my ship´s hyperdrive?" He practically growled.
-"What´s the matter?" Leia asked.
-"I´ll tell you what´s the matter, I tell Artoo to plug into the navi-computer to run a standard test on
the hyperdrive systems and he tells me that its not working!"
-"Well, did you let the technicians have a look at it as I suggested?" Leia asked patiently, knowing
full well what the answer would be.
-"Those clowns! I wouldn´t trust them to fix a broken hydro-spanner! Me and Chewie went over the ship this morning and everything worked perfectly. It´s that droid´s fault."
-"You and Chewie have been unable to repair that hyperdrive properly for months. When we get back, let
the technicians fix it. We won´t be needing it now, anyway, this mission´s strictly in-system." Leia said. -"Which reminds me, we should be approaching the phenomena about now, so grab a seat." She added.
The phenomena, as they called it for want of a better or more specific term, was a massive energy distortion in the outer rim of the star system where the largest rebel stronghold in this part of the galaxy lay. It had appared on the scopes as suddenly as if it had just materialized out of the empty void. Such a phenomenon was unheard of in known space, and rebel high command had suggested
a squadron of fighters to be sent to investigate. General Solo had volunteered for the mission out of boredom, and Leia had accompanied him. The risk was considered minimal as it was unlikely to be any sort of Imperial ploy, as Imperial action was scarce now that the Emperor was dead and the Empire shattered into a thousand squabbling factions. Leia´s brother Luke had declined an invitation to accompany them, saying that he had his Jedi mediation exercises to do. Leia was secretly rather glad that Luke didn´t want to come along as it gave her a rare opportunity to spend some time alone with Han. That thought was interrupted by the sound of the cabin door swishing open again, allowing the robotic duo, R2D2 and his anthromorphosized counterpart, CP3O, to enter the cabin.
-"Your Highness, Artoo and I really must protest! General Solo´s behavior really is unaccepteble.
He threatened to turn us both into scrap metal if we did not repair the hyperdrive before we return home. Artoo is only an astro-mech droid and cannot preform such precision work, and as I pointed out to General Solo, my primary function is that of a protocol droid----"
Leia let the droid´s voice wash over her as she turned to run a full sensor sweep of the surrounding space. The readings had not changed, it was still there, dead ahead. A massive energy fluctuation across the entire EM spectrum measuring approximatly twelwe cubic miles in diameter, large for a human, but very narrow and fucosed for the vastness of space.
-"That´s odd." She said. "Look at the particle residue, abnormal concentration of tachyon particles and gravitons, but showing no significant increase in gravitional pull, no measurable mass, and all non-passive forms of scanning are completly absorbed."
-"We´re at a two hundred mile distance beyond the outer edge of the phenomena, medium scanning range, slowing to a full stop." Hans voice was businesslike now that he faced the prospect of action again. Even the droids had gone quiet, exept for Artoo who gave a worried beep.
-"Don´t worry, Artoo, I´m sure it´s perfectly safe." CP3O said reassuringly.
-"These readings are incredible! The power generated by this thing is enough to light up a thousand star-destroyers!" Han exclaimed.
-"What do you think it could be?" Leia asked.
-"Well, if I didn´t know it was impossible, I´d say it was a self-sustained hyper-space window, except for the tachyons. I don´t think---what was that?"
A sound had crept into the edge of the humans´ consciouness, a slight whisper at first, it turned gradually into a keening wail that reached a cresendo of inaudiuble sound. It seemed like a wordless song. A tune of majesty and power, that made both Han and Leia feel sad and alone.
Leia was suddenly reminded of her mother and father, both lost to her by the manipulations of the Emperor. She turned to Han, and found his expression unreadable.
-"What-what is that?!" Han asked.
-"I don´t know......" Leia answered, reaching out to squeeze Han´s arm.
-"Pardon me. What is what? Princess Leia? General Solo? Oh my....." CP3O´s words where interrupted by a flash of light, and around the Millenium Falcon, time and space ceased for a moment to exist, then twisted.
When the hastily summoned squadron of X-wing fighters reached the spot where both the Falcon and the phenonema has vanished twenty minuted earlier, they found only empty space.
INFINITE PATHS: INTERLUDE ONE
The Wings Of Death shuddered as another blast from the front Uncreated ship narrowly missed it and crackled agains the edge of it´s shields. Commander Don´ver of the house of Neremani was proud of his lineage, being the only commander in the royal fleet who could claim relation to the Emperess. He therefore asked his ancestors, as well as Sharra and K´ythri, to forgive him as he gave the order to turn the ship around and head for Chandilar, the Shi´ar thronworld, leaving only two medium-class Kree millitia fighters to stand against the Uncreateds´ three ships.
He had already seen what had happened to the other five who had attempted to halt the invaders, as well as The Wings Of Death´s nest mate, it´s sister ship, The Bloody Talons. They had intercepted an distress signal from a Kree world, not yet fully occupied by the Shi´ar, while on a routine patrol through the outer systems. Their first thought had been that it might be Kree rebels attempting to gain a foothold by which to regain their lost empire by attacking a barely Shi´ar colonized planet.
They where wrong.
When the first lumpy, oblong, veiny ship had appared on the viewscreen, Don´ver had prayed to K´ythri for deliverance. The Uncreated had returned, seeking to continue their mad quest to extinguish all religious life in the universe. From what Don´ver had learned, the Uncreated had attempted to destroy all religious races because they considered them inferior and dangerous. He
had learned how correct his teaching was when the first Uncreated ship had poured fire upon The Bloody Talons, leaving it crippled in space, its shields cracked like fragile eggs.
The second blast had vaporized it completly, leaving a sinking horror in Don´vers guts. Return fire from The Wings Of Death and the surviving Kree ships had been inefficient, causing only minor damage. Don´ver, as well as most of his crew, had realised this was a battle they where not likely to win, and a few of the crew had already began to chant their death-dirges to Sharra.
Shi´ar captains, as well as crew, where trained to die with their ships, but Don´ver had realized that there was a need for someone to bring news of this to the Majestrix.
The Royal Grand Fleet was spread thin these day, attempting to patrol both Shi´ar space and the newly aquired Kree territory, and it would take time to gather forces for an effective counterstrike.
Attempts to establish an Insta-link to the nearest command post proved futile, as the Uncreated where jamming all communications. So Don´ver gave the order to retreat, the light from the last exploding Kree ship illuminating his view screen as they sped towards Chandilar.
The Uncreated ships continued on their path, slowly but inexorable, towards the heart of the Shi´ar Imperium, leaving only pieces of the destroyed Kree vessels tumbling lonely in space.
INFINITE PATHS: CHAPTER TWO
These are the voyages of the starship.....Enterprise, which hung apparently motionless in the arid
void of space, orbiting the planet of Jan-Daar. The Enterprise had been sent there on a mission of mercy to deliver medical supplies to the planets populance, a potential ally of the Federation.
The supplies had been sucessfully delivered and the Enterprise was now about to leave for the nearest Federation outpost. The ship´s command bridge, normally a busy place, was quiet, only the slight background hum of machinery was heard.
Captain Jean-Luc Picard raised his head, rubbed his eyes, and said in a tired voice;
-"Commander Data, set course for sector 24-B, warp six. Number One, resume command
of the ship while I retire to my quarters for a good nights sleep."
-"Yes, sir." Replied Commander Data, tha androids´ pale fingers flowing over the command console as he laid in the appropriate course.
-"Good night, sir" Added Commander Riker, Picard´s second in command, referred to as 'Number One'. Picard nodded and stifled a yawn as he made his way to the turbo-lift elevator, then gave the command to take him to the level of his quarters. Well there he sat down for a moment at the edge of his bed before turning off the lights. He thought that he had barely fallen asleep when his communicator, still attached to his suit which he had discarded, but still folded neatly, over the back of a chair chimed loudly.
-"Captain Picard. Captain, are you there?" Picard was instantly alert, knowing that he would only be awakened if there was a crisis of some sort.
-"What is it, Number One?" He asked as he struggled to get into uniform.
-" We have encountered some sort of phenomena in space, actually as far as we can tell it´s in both sub- and real space simultaneously. I didn´t want to take the risk of going thru it, so I ordered Data to slow us down to impulse power."
By the time Riker had reached the end of his sentence, Picard was already out the door and heading for the turbo-lift.
He reached the bride a few seconds later, and began to instantly assess the situation.
-"Mr Data, what can you tell me about this thing?." He asked.
-"It appers to be some sort of rift in the space-time continium, Captain. All energy levels are consistent with our previous encounters with such phenomena. This particular rift, however, seems unusually small."
-"Is there any danger to the Enterprise?" Picard asked.
-"Unknown at this time, sir, however, from the data we have gathered regarding such phenomena, they should not prove any risk unless we were actually to fly through it. It would be simple to fly around it, but starfleet regulations requires that we investigate unusual phenomena."
-"Is it stable?" Riker asked.
-"It appears to fluctuate slightly, but it is defeating our active sensors, if we were to send a probe through the rift´s event horizon, we might find out more."
-"Make it so, mr Data." Picard turned to commander Riker. -"We can afford to spend a few hours investigating this phenomenon. Since there seems to be no immediate danger, I will return to my quarters. Wake me up if there´s any change in the phenomena."
-"Yes, sir...." Riker was suddenly aware of a change in the atmosphere of the ship. Not in the air, it was as clean and perfect as always, thanks to the ships intricate life-support systems, but the feeling of the place. An almost palpable sense of sorrow and loss....Riker was suddenly reminded of Tasha Yar, the crew member and friend who had died some time before. He looked around, trying to shake the feeling, when he noticed that all the crew on the bridge also seemed oddly affected. Some just sat there, others shook themselves, as if to dislodge something invisible that weighted them down.
Even Captain Picard had paused in his step, and was staring straight ahead, eyes unseeing.
Only Data seemed unaffected, studying his command console with total concentration.
Suddenly he spoke up; -"Captain! I´ve detected a sharp increase in Verterons and Tachyons patricles emanating from the phenomena. The readings are off the scales. I recommend that we disengage the Warpdrive completly to avoid any harmful effects to the ship."
Picard didn´t respond, looking only vacantly into space.
-"Sir? Are you allright?" Data asked.
-"Hmm? Oh, yes, I was just.....reminded of something, that´s all. You were saying, mr Data?"
-"The phenomena is emitting dangerous levels of Verterons, I recommend that we shut down the Warp drive, before the Verterons particles interact with the ship´s Tetryon emission."
-"Agreed." Picard said and activated his communicator before resuming; -"Mr LaForge, shut down
the Warp drive completely. The phenomena is emitting dangerous levels of Verterons."
The bridges com-system sounded, and mr La Forge, the ships chief engineer, spoke;
-"Affirmative, captain, commencing shutdown sequ--"
Just then there was a flash of light, and the Enterprise vanished, seemingly without a trace.
INFINITE PATHS: CHAPTER THREE
In the year 1999, high above Macross Island in the south pacific, a phenomenal event occured in the skies which altered the course of human history......
But now, the enormous and awe-inspiring alien vessel Mankind had named Super Dimensional Fortress Macross floated derlict in space, just outside the orbit of Pluto, the outmost planet in the Sol system. Although 'just' was a relative term in the enormous vastness of interstellar space, it was in fact several tens of thousand miles away from Pluto but billions of miles away from the planet it had left behind when it tried to activate it´s protoculture-driven fold system for the first time. The attempt, done in desperation to defend Earth against an unprovoked alien attack, had left the SDF crippled as the ships´ fold system had vanished, and had deposited the alien vessel, together with the entire Macross island, at the very rim of the solar-system.
Now the warship was heading home, carrying over 56.000 human beings with it.
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