Mirror Krystal went through them and settled for a standard.
"Not quite what I like but... it works," she said as she proceeded to get dressed in front of Mirror Nat on purpose. "Normally I wear a sierra variant."
***
"I still don't buy that," Krystal replied. "Makes no sense to me. Besides... as much fun as immortality sounds... eventually you're gonna get bored."
"It'll work for now," Mirror Krystal replied. "Well... now that I'm not a total distraction and there are no weapons pointed at me... lets talk."
***
Krystal sighed.
"Maybe its just stress from everything that's happened recently," she admitted. "And... well... other things..."
Mirror Nat replied. "Now that sounds more like it. You mind telling me how you think one would bring a starbase from our universe to the other universe?"
***
Nat and Sarah stood there, not really knowing what to say at first. Nat spoke up. "I get what you mean. I mean, being from another universe and all, most of the people I ever worked with... they're gone. Sure, there are versions of them in your universe, but they're just not the same."
Sarah nodded in agreement, although Nat seemed to be ignoring her on purpose, probably since it was kinda her fault.
"Oh... that..." Mirror Krystal said before leaning against a bulkhead. "Best I've been able to figure out... Admiral Leeta's figured out how to artificially replicate the energy that Bajoran Orb used originally when she started working with some Cardassian Gul from the other side. Combine that with the right conditions and a deflector pulse... Basically it is similar to how the Undine open rifts into Fluidic Space. While it was rather rough when she first tried it as a Captain. But with the temporal tech she got... it became easy enough to transition whole fleets and even space stations."
***
Krystal closed her eyes.
"I fell in love, and... I had to let him go," she admitted. "Spent some time on Earth trying to sort out my feelings before going back to ESD and running into you Captain. So it was kinda out of the emotional frying pan and into this crazy fire."
She shook her head and ran a hand through her hair.
"Doesn't really matter anymore anyways. Nothing I can do to change it. Just gotta push forward."
Mirror Krystal raised a finger.
"Or one of the ships under her command," she pointed out. "After all, during the siege of Deep Space Nine, she was on Terok Nor. How could she direct ships that were already sent through if she was tied up with dealing with boarding parties. Those ships would have to be able to generate their own rifts."
***
"Probably shows I'm struggling emotionally, but doing a pretty good job covering it up," Krystal replied. "After all... have to put personal issues asside to carry out my duty."
"Scheduled to, but I've been... neglecting my duties," Mirror Krystal replied. "Convenient malfunctions in critical ship systems keeping the Lexington from being thrown into the meat grinder in the other Badlands. I may be an Imperial officer, but I will not throw away the lives of my crew like that. I've read the reports. The Federation, while still weakened by their own Iconian War, is holding the line. If I could, I would take command of the fleet and come up with a new plan. But no... Leeta doesn't care because she's all powerful now!"
It was clear that while she wouldn't hesitate to fight, she was frustrated by the detail of lives wasted for nothing.
"Admiral Leeta's already got one of her goons on my ship now," she growled. "Only way I'm keeping him quiet is trading my bed for his silence. Its only a matter of time before he turns that against me and takes my ship. Admiral Leeta won't get rid of me because of my success rate in combat, but she's getting frustrated by me not following her like a blind sehlat into the volcano. So if you want that data, feel free to take it from my ship. And while you're at it... do some damage. I want an excuse to pull out for repairs so I don't have to deal with that power blinded Bajoran witch. Give me an enemy I can fight, not one who throws fire like a toy."
***
"Not good enough," Krystal sighed. "Its only a matter of time before I hesitate."
"Ah... for that..." Mirror Krystal replied seductively. "Payment up front. If I'm going to let you sabotage my ship, I want something out of this."
***
Krystal gave Sarah a neutral look.
"Since when were we friends?" she asked, glaring at her. It was clear she still didn't trust Sarah.
Mirror Nat sarcastically replied. "Power, of course. You wanna become an admiral after I retire? That can be arranged."
He started acting more serious. "Yeah, sure. Why not?"
***
Nat did. "Me, obviously." He winked at them. "So what now? I doubt we should go near mirror Nat or mirror Krystal right now."
"I'll take that," Mirror Krystal replied before approaching Mirror Nat and wrapping her arms around his neck. "And one more thing. Consider it practice for when you take her."
She pushed herself up against him to get the point across.
"But before I hand over my codes, which I will change after you're done, there is one thing you'll need to know. I've locked sensitive data behind a voice print identification. So not only would you need my codes, you'd need either me or my counterpart to actually access that data. Of course I can't make it obvious that I'm helping you so any boarding action will naturally be met with force. You'll just have to... improvise."
***
Krystal randomly sneezed.
"Sorry... You're right. He's probably doing whatever it is Imperials do to secure information," she said.
"I'm sure you do," Mirror Krystal replied. "You got two of me on your ship after all. Now... how about you earn those command codes..."
***
Krystal's expression made it clear Nat got it in one. After a moment she sighed and just leaned against the bulkhead again.
"I honestly don't know what to do..."
Sarah nodded, and the three ended up at Sarah's quarters. They were just like those that Nat and Krystal had elsewhere. The only places to sit were a sofa in the corner, and a table with a couple of chairs. Sarah and Nat both sat on the sofa and motioned for Krystal to join them.
Nat shrugged. "I mean, we're on board a Mobius Temporal Destroyer that's apparently under temporal cloak, so no one can get to us, and mirror me is evidently busy, and I doubt the crew would try to murder us."
Sarah looked over. "What the half of my alliance in our universe gets ideas about Jim and the others from our universe?"
Nat went silent. He had tried to avoid this line of conversation, given the hopelessness of it all. "They're alive?"
Sarah looked a little nervous. "We captured them and put them in a prison in the Sarahara Dyson Sphere. Krystal's universe's Nat would have them now, and I doubt he'd let them go. They're beyond your help."
Nat sighed. "Too bad. Then again..." He snapped his fingers. "Didn't mirror me say their alliance were going to Krystal's Andromeda Galaxy to fight The Alliance? Might they help us rescue our Jim and co? The rest of my crew?"
Sarah deadpan looked at Nat. "I guess it's possible, but then again, the Sarahara Dyson Sphere is controlled by my Heralds, so it'd fall to me to decide what happens to them. Why would I want to help you?"
Nat facepalmed. "And I thought you were going to start being your old self again..."
"Not quite what I like but... it works," she said as she proceeded to get dressed in front of Mirror Nat on purpose. "Normally I wear a sierra variant."
***
"I still don't buy that," Krystal replied. "Makes no sense to me. Besides... as much fun as immortality sounds... eventually you're gonna get bored."
The resident forum voice of reason (I HAZ FORUM REP! YAY!)
***
Nat shrugged. "It's probably until they manage to do whatever it is they want to end up doing."
Winning.
***
Krystal sighed.
"Maybe its just stress from everything that's happened recently," she admitted. "And... well... other things..."
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***
Nat and Sarah stood there, not really knowing what to say at first. Nat spoke up. "I get what you mean. I mean, being from another universe and all, most of the people I ever worked with... they're gone. Sure, there are versions of them in your universe, but they're just not the same."
Sarah nodded in agreement, although Nat seemed to be ignoring her on purpose, probably since it was kinda her fault.
Winning.
***
Krystal closed her eyes.
"I fell in love, and... I had to let him go," she admitted. "Spent some time on Earth trying to sort out my feelings before going back to ESD and running into you Captain. So it was kinda out of the emotional frying pan and into this crazy fire."
She shook her head and ran a hand through her hair.
"Doesn't really matter anymore anyways. Nothing I can do to change it. Just gotta push forward."
The resident forum voice of reason (I HAZ FORUM REP! YAY!)
***
Nat looked a little concerned. "Well that doesn't help matters any."
Winning.
"Or one of the ships under her command," she pointed out. "After all, during the siege of Deep Space Nine, she was on Terok Nor. How could she direct ships that were already sent through if she was tied up with dealing with boarding parties. Those ships would have to be able to generate their own rifts."
***
"Probably shows I'm struggling emotionally, but doing a pretty good job covering it up," Krystal replied. "After all... have to put personal issues asside to carry out my duty."
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***
Nat replied. "Well you've done pretty good so far, it would seem. At least as good as I have been, although that may not be much..."
Winning.
It was clear that while she wouldn't hesitate to fight, she was frustrated by the detail of lives wasted for nothing.
"Admiral Leeta's already got one of her goons on my ship now," she growled. "Only way I'm keeping him quiet is trading my bed for his silence. Its only a matter of time before he turns that against me and takes my ship. Admiral Leeta won't get rid of me because of my success rate in combat, but she's getting frustrated by me not following her like a blind sehlat into the volcano. So if you want that data, feel free to take it from my ship. And while you're at it... do some damage. I want an excuse to pull out for repairs so I don't have to deal with that power blinded Bajoran witch. Give me an enemy I can fight, not one who throws fire like a toy."
***
"Not good enough," Krystal sighed. "Its only a matter of time before I hesitate."
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***
Sarah replied. "When that day comes, somebody'll be ready. Maybe us. Maybe your own crew. Somebody. You've got friends who can cover for you, ok?"
Nat looked over at Sarah, wondering if this was the same Sarah that had worked for the bad guys before.
Winning.
***
Krystal gave Sarah a neutral look.
"Since when were we friends?" she asked, glaring at her. It was clear she still didn't trust Sarah.
The resident forum voice of reason (I HAZ FORUM REP! YAY!)
***
Sarah shrugged. "Do you have anyone better here to help you?"
Winning.
***
Krystal didn't respond.
The resident forum voice of reason (I HAZ FORUM REP! YAY!)
He started acting more serious. "Yeah, sure. Why not?"
***
Nat did. "Me, obviously." He winked at them. "So what now? I doubt we should go near mirror Nat or mirror Krystal right now."
Winning.
She pushed herself up against him to get the point across.
"But before I hand over my codes, which I will change after you're done, there is one thing you'll need to know. I've locked sensitive data behind a voice print identification. So not only would you need my codes, you'd need either me or my counterpart to actually access that data. Of course I can't make it obvious that I'm helping you so any boarding action will naturally be met with force. You'll just have to... improvise."
***
Krystal randomly sneezed.
"Sorry... You're right. He's probably doing whatever it is Imperials do to secure information," she said.
The resident forum voice of reason (I HAZ FORUM REP! YAY!)
***
Sarah replied. "Sleep with people, probably."
Nat turned to Sarah. "I really don't think she wanted to hear that."
Winning.
***
Krystal's expression made it clear Nat got it in one. After a moment she sighed and just leaned against the bulkhead again.
"I honestly don't know what to do..."
The resident forum voice of reason (I HAZ FORUM REP! YAY!)
***
Nat replied. "I guess we could sit around and relax. Not like there's any alternative."
Winning.
***
Krystal nodded and got up off the bulkhead.
"Nothing better to do," she said.
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Nat narrowed his eyes. "What made you so special?"
Sarah went quiet and shrugged.
Winning.
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Winning.
The resident forum voice of reason (I HAZ FORUM REP! YAY!)
Winning.
The resident forum voice of reason (I HAZ FORUM REP! YAY!)
Winning.
The resident forum voice of reason (I HAZ FORUM REP! YAY!)
Sarah looked over. "What the half of my alliance in our universe gets ideas about Jim and the others from our universe?"
Nat went silent. He had tried to avoid this line of conversation, given the hopelessness of it all. "They're alive?"
Winning.
The resident forum voice of reason (I HAZ FORUM REP! YAY!)
Nat sighed. "Too bad. Then again..." He snapped his fingers. "Didn't mirror me say their alliance were going to Krystal's Andromeda Galaxy to fight The Alliance? Might they help us rescue our Jim and co? The rest of my crew?"
Sarah deadpan looked at Nat. "I guess it's possible, but then again, the Sarahara Dyson Sphere is controlled by my Heralds, so it'd fall to me to decide what happens to them. Why would I want to help you?"
Nat facepalmed. "And I thought you were going to start being your old self again..."
Winning.