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  “Is that what I think it is?” enquired Janeway in a very quiet voice pointing to a short handled hammer held within the entities belt. “Mjolnor the hammer of Thor” said Chakkotay with clear reverence “it must be” “I’ve read about in the histories – there was no greater weapon known to god, man or alien.” Just for a moment there was a quiet in the ships hold as no one, not even the sometimes didactic holograph said anything.

  Whether the Voyager knew it or not this was even now still the case. For all that mankind had advanced over several centuries of time there was nothing in Star Fleet nor in the arsenals of the Klingons, the Cardassians or even the Borg or Jem H’Darr to match this great weapon.

  “Computer” said Janeway “give us all the information you have on the hammer of Thor.” There was surprisingly little information in the computers data banks but what there was seemed most potent and again the ships hold fell briefly silent. Crew members hung on the short references to the hammers alleged ability to transcend space-time – to teleport objects vast distances (including interdimensionally) and even it was once rumoured to facilitate intertemporal travel.

  Janeway knew that here was a man or rather a god that could with physical strength alone, tear her ship apart as if it were something less than cardboard. But all the histories showed that the son of Odin had always been a friend of man who would have given his life in defence of the Earth. Surely they had nothing to fear from him?

  Attempting to check for life signs the ships doctor quickly realised that no technology at his disposal would allow him to penetrate the stasis field surrounding the Thunderer. This did not matter a great deal as the life status of the Thunder God was about to be placed beyond doubt.

  Awakening the Thunderer rose, first to a sitting position and then to his feet. Most of the ships crew had to look up to him. Sheepishly, feeling foolish and totally inadequate, the ships security personnel trained their phaser and other weaponry on the figure of Thor.

  Janeway introduced herself giving a very succinct explanation of who she was, of the Federation, and the present circumstances of Voyager. If the son of Odin was surprised at learning what century he was in he did not show it. Thor asked a few brief questions of Janeway but gave no real indication of his own circumstances. Janeway wondered if Thor had been imprisoned in the stasis block or whether it was of his own making – a protective shield while he slept ?

  At that moment Janeway was summoned to the bridge, long range scanners having detected no less than 3 Borg cubes approaching. With Voyager still dead in space and powerful enemies approaching Thor quickly assessed the situation.

  “You had better show me to your engine room” said Thor with his great hammer, starting to pulsate with power, held just above his shoulder. The implications of his statement were obvious. “This way” said Belanna Torres her mouth watering

  In engineering Belanna Torres pointed to the ships warp core. “It’s still off line” she said “if we had just a few more hours” “You don’t need it” said Thor. Placing his hammer in a strategic position Thor announced “the hammer can interface with and supply power to even very advanced and very alien technologies.”

  Giving truth to Thor’s statement, engineering, indeed the entire ship, began to hum, almost sing with raw power. “Shields are up” shouted Chakkotay “at 80%, no 100%, no 120% and rising.” “Warp drive or some equivalent thereof is on line” announced Seven of Nine. “Captain?” said Tom Paris conscious of the approaching Borg and waiting for her signal to depart.

  For some reason Janeway hesitated, and the first long range Borg energy projections crashed against Voyagers shields. “Shield status” yelled Janeway, conscious that she hadn’t actually felt any impact. “Shields now at 200% and rising” Chakkotay yelled back. Janeway looked at Thor who just seemed to smile slightly. “It is your ship captain” said Thor. “All right Mr Paris take us out of here.” ordered Janeway.

  “Take her to warp 8” said Janeway “I want to lose the Borg.” But at warp 8 Voyager was unable to escape the Borg cubes all three of which were steadily gaining on her. Janeway looked at Thor again “all right Mr Paris let’s see what Voyager can do.” The ship increased it’s already considerable warp speed “warp 9, 10, 12, 15” came progressive shouts among the excitement and apprehension on the bridge.

  As Voyager increased its warp speed even further the Borg were left far far behind. The ship levelled out at a warp speed that was well beyond starfleet experience. In due course Janeway ordered a return to the more comfortable speed of warp 6. Seated in Janeway’s ready room Thor stated simply “I have the power to teleport your entire Vessel instantly to the Earth - you may want to discuss this with your crew.”

  On his own for a moment in a luxurious cabin provided for his use, Thor reflected. The stasis field that had surrounded him while he slept in space was of his own making – a protection. He saw that the OdinPower and the Rune Magics had all but deserted him – only a minor element of each lingered. He had been surprised but not convinced by the length of his sleep. He detected residual mystical/temporal energies suggesting he may have been transported into the future while he slept. Thor also harboured a suspicion he might be in an alternate reality – though the residual Odinpower told him otherwise. Once the Voyager and her crew were safely home he needed to return to his own time.

  Thor looked at mjolnor – only a residual element of it’s time travel properties remained. Still that together with the lingering OdinPower and Rune Magics should be sufficient.

  Janeway assembled the crew and informed them of Thors offer, although their response would presumably be unanimous she asked them all to think on it for a while. Thor was conscious of the length of time Voyagers crew had been gone and of the relative ageing of their loved ones left on Earth. He asked Janeway for a few calculations in this regard. Belanna, Seven of Nine and Janeway herself obliged. The implication was clear, a modest temporal adjustment, courtesy of Mjolnor would smooth the path to the crews reunion with family and friends.

  It was characteristic of Thor that he would make such an offer even though it might ultimately jeopardise his attempt to return to his own time. The crew were in awe of Thors great feat in teleporting Voyager to Earth though in truth he was capable of far greater teleportation feats.

  Of all the Voyagers crew it was Tuvok that was ultimately most bemused by Thor. He did and redid his various calculations but somehow the power of Thor simply defied all Vulcan logic. “Such a being ought not to exist” concluded Tuvok.

  On arrival at Starfleet HQ Thor and the Voyager crew were given a heroes welcome. Thor had travelled into the future before and on the surface all seemed as it should be – if this was an alternate reality the differences were not detectable. Thor even derived some pleasure from the grand tour of star fleet headquarters – smiling as he saw the legendary names of past starfleet captains such as James T Kirk, Jean Luc Picard, Rory Calhoun to name just a few inscribed on the rolls of honour.

  Star Fleet Command did not immediately ask for his help but Thor knew the request was coming. They knew what he had done for Voyager. While Earth itself did not seem in immediate danger Thor knew they fought a desperate and seemingly one sided battle against the unholy combination of both the Dominion and the Borg. He would like to help but there was something he needed to know first.

  Taking a short leave of his starfleet hosts Thor twirled his hammer above his head and soared skyward, in just a few minutes the son of Odin was almost half way round the planet. In his wisdom, long ago, Allfather Odin had created a beacon/monument that was quite unique and beyond close duplication. It was a reference point by which any sufficiently advanced entity could determine whether they were in their own reality. Coming in fast and low over the Australian outback Thor slowed at the monument.

  Placing his hammer in an indentation in the monument he was given a response that provided an ironclad surety that he was not in an alternate reality. Just before departing Thor noticed a section o
f the indestructible monument open and unbelievably within it lay one of Odin’s two rings of power. Recorded history only spoke of the one ring the fate of which was known, but Odin had kept another and Thor was mightily glad to see it. To Thor it provided further confirmation that he was not in an alternate reality.

  Moments later Thor left, the ring of power on his finger, and his spirits high as, in even less time than it took him to come this way, he was back at starfleet command headquarters. He immediately offered the admirals of Starfleet command his full cooperation.

  At the mouth of the newly created wormhole on the edge of the border between Federation and Klingon space the Dominion and the Borg vessels poured forth. The Klingons kept a watch on the massed armada but seemed powerless to intervene. A motley assortment of star fleet vessels had been preparing to attack but waited for more substantial Federation reinforcements all teleported to that location by Thor.

  The Son of Odin led the attack – in an area of space hundreds of millions of miles across he created a great cosmic storm energies from which struck at every invader simultaneously. The smaller of the Dominion vessels were smashed beyond repair though the larger Dominion dreadnaughts and the Borg Cubes proved highly resistant. Thor also struck at the entrance to the wormhole with blasts of anti-force that served to temporarily close it halting the flow of enemy vessels.

  Thor then began to strike at the individual Borg Cubes and Dominion dreadnaughts. Using something akin to his godblast but in heavy pulsating bursts concentrating at first on the densest concentrations of the huge vessels. Moving at great speed and with considerable evasiveness Thor proved a difficult target even for the nimblest Dominion fighters. In any event the ring of power shielded him mightily from the relatively few direct hits upon him.

  However large numbers of Dominion and Borg vessels managed to move around the edge of Thors continuing storm and began to engage the Federation star ships. The son of Odin was in no doubt this was a contestation he would win but he was concerned at the potentially vast loss of life among Starfleet personnel.

  “All Father Odin” cried Thor “if you can hear me now, aid your son now in this battle that we may save the lives of so many men and women of Starfleet.” For what seemed like a very long moment there was no response – how could there possibly be? – Odin was long dead was he not? and surely this was desperation on Thors part.

  But then all of space seemed to open and a power that could only be that of Odin answered his son in absolutely unmistakable terms. A vast wave of surging, bludgeoning Asgardian energies struck at the Dominion and the Borg destroying wherever they were. The Asgardian energies continued up through the wormhole and out into the home quadrant of the Borg and the Dominion destroying not only vessels within the wormhole but also all vessels waiting to enter it. The wormhole itself was also totally destroyed.

  Then there was quiet – even for interstellar space. Thor cried out “Father, thank you father” – he waited long moments for a reply but none come. After the battle Thor saw that all of the Odinpower and all of the rune magics had been returned to him. Certainly now there would be no impediment to his returning to his own time.

  Neither the Dominion nor the Borg had ever heard of the Asgardian gods Odin and Thor but these were names they were now never likely to forget. Neither the Borg nor the Dominion could ever be described as cowards but in this place near the Klingon border they received a demonstration of unmistakably superior force that would remain with them always – a defeat so thorough that no Dominion historian could ever re-write it.

  A godless invader had been stopped by the power of two true gods.

  The son of Odin did not tarry at Starfleet Command – but he left them with one great legacy – Odin’s ring of power was ensconced within the engineering section of the Federations very latest and most powerful starship - the latest in a long line of vessels with the proud name of Enterprise.

  Attack on the All Place

  The All Place

  There is no where in all of the Multiverse even remotely comparable to the All Place.

  If you can imagine a colossal city far greater, far vaster than any of the great cities of the Tolden or the Brell before them. A city viewed from space that is brighter than any star and exists in the void between two of the larger galaxies.

  A super city in which every city block represents one of the realities of our Multiverse. And where you can move from one reality to another just as easily as you can walk to the next street in a city on Earth.

  A city which exists, in some form, in all the realities.

  Of course not just anyone may visit this place.

  *

  The approach of evils ultimate form was not capable of physical detection.

  It came not from within the Multiverse but outside of it. From the endless, truly limitless, truly empty ethereal sea. A place of eternal darkness with not so much as a candlepower of light across all of its limitless extremities.

  Yet for all that, the ultimate evil that now moved through the ethereal sea was darker still.

  An attack without precedent, an attack on the All Place itself, was imminent.

  An attack based on surprise, stealth, and utterly devastating power.

  Yet for all of its stealth, all of its undetectability, the custodians of the All Place, the great trans Galactic super power empire of the Tolden, knew the attack was coming and they stepped aside.

  This was not cowardice, the Tolden are not cowards, but they are only custodians of the All Place. Its true defenders are the champions, the mightiest warriors of each of the realities that it embraces.

  So it was that the ultimate evil, the darkness that emerged from the ethereal sea, found itself driven back into the darkness by the greatest warrior of each reality. The energy and power bursting forth from a thousand hammers and more held high.

  Did you not know it?

  The Galactus’s of this Multiverse, the Celestials may come and go, but there is one immutable fact amid all the realities. In every single reality the greatest champion, the mightiest warrior is an incarnation of the mighty Thor, Lord of Thunder, son of Odin.

  It is said that the ethereal sea is no longer dark but alight with the light, energy and power output from sustained bursts of more than a thousand hammers of Thor.

  Whether that is true or not I can tell you that there has never been another attack on the All Place.

  End

  When the Thunder Returns

  Sonod was unable to remember anything from more than two cycles ago.

  It was never spoken of but instinctively he knew he was not of those whom he now lived among. Still he had come to know companionship, happiness of a sort, and even love among them. Wherever his true roots lay he knew his present companions were a kindred race. Warriors that had more recently also turned to mining, forestry and agriculture the Norze were the dominant race on the large resource rich world of Gardas.

  When first he came among them his great strength was immediately apparent. Whether in battle against beasts or men, mining ores, or felling great trees the strength of Sonod became legendary. It was generally thought that there was no physical task beyond him.

  When the star spanning Overlords came Sonod was mining far below ground and in a distant location. It was quite some time before runners could bring him news of the invasion. By then the Overlords had eliminated all opposition and begun to establish themselves. Several large star ships lay in orbit and strategically positioned and imposing military bases were under construction. There is only so much that a semi-feudal race can do against star spanning technology – numbers, courage, cunning and local knowledge notwithstanding.

  Sonod’s own modest village and those nearby had been totally destroyed. Almost all those in the village at the time had been killed. And within sight of the village a few miles distant a sprawling, ugly, Overlord base was under construction. On seeing the destruction of the only place he could remember as home the fury welled deep
within Sonod.

  Above him a storm gathered and although he could not control it he knew instinctively that it was of his making. In mere moments the storm spread planet wide and to the outer limits of the planetary atmosphere. The darkening sky took on a violet hue and the cascading lightning seemed more electric blue than intense white.

  Although uncontrolled the storm seemed, as if with an intelligence of it’s own, to seek out the Overlord invaders while leaving the planet’s indigenous persons unscathed. Growing still further in intensity the storm reached beyond the planet’s atmospheric limits forcing the Overlord star ships to break orbit. Under the storms onslaught all Overlord communications between themselves ceased. While the storm rage Sonod watched transfixed until, with his heart almost overloaded with anger, his attention turned to the nearby Overlord base. With a single leap he covered the several intervening miles to the base perimeter.

  Mighty balled fists moving with piston like efficiency and speed smashed against the Overlord base force shields which soon crumbled under the assault. Entering the base Sonod’s fists struck with deadly power and accuracy smashing the alien buildings and huge unfathomable machineries. Overlord troopers struck back with hand held and fixed mount energy projectors and rapid fire high explosive projectile weapons. Sonod hurled weighty items of machinery weighing hundreds perhaps even thousands of tons at his attackers and then launched himself among the survivors fists flailing. In a remarkably short period of time this particular Overlord base was subdued nor, with the storm, could the Overlords send reinforcements.