See, I keep telling myself I need to work on my other stories… And then, here I am. Sigh. Mirror-verse is addicting. And I fear that this will be an epic-length mirror verse…

This isn't related to any of my other mirror-verse fics, by the way. A possible sequel to 'A Two-Way Mirror' is in the works, but this is unrelated.

I'm not sure how much I'll be working on this; but, I like it, so I thought I might as well post the first chapter. In any case, I write mirror-verse pretty swift, so hopefully an update won't be long in coming. J

Disclaimer; I do not own Star Trek, nor any of the characters, ideas, technologies, or other materials within.

Prologue

How had it come to this?

Spock stared at the meditation flame before him, wrestling with the question, unable to find an answer. Hundreds of scenarios, possibilities, and probabilities whirled throughout his mind.

How had it come to this?

He was First Officer of the ISS Enterprise, flagship of the feared Terran Empire. He had achieved this position by helping then - First Officer James Kirk assassinate Captain Pike, and had been widely acclaimed, cursed, and admired as one of the most ruthless, efficient, and dangerous men in the Empire.

How had it come to this?

More importantly, why?

He shook his head.

He doubted he would ever know, but still, it troubled him.

Just earlier in the day, several members of the crew had been replaced by their counterparts from an alternate universe - counterparts who, though they had fooled the crew for a time, were evidently much more gentle than those of his universe. Counterparts who came from a 'Federation of Planets', a democratic-republic. Counterparts who cared for their colleagues' well-being and stuck together and tried, though they had no investment in his universe, to save the lives of the Halkans at great risk to their own ruse.

Counterparts who had spared his life.

Why?

Why had their universe been… that… and why was his so cruel?

Theoretically, of course, every possible decision was played out in every possible combination throughout the myriad of universes that existed. So, such a cruel world as his was inevitable in some universes. But what had occurred to diverge those two so dramatically? What crucial difference in the timeline had forged the other Vulcan to pacifists, and his to callous warriors? Had turned the humans he knew to conquerors, and in the other universe, explorers?

What had made that doctor save his life?

And what had resulted in such differences of character that his captain, against his advice, had killed the Halkans…?

Spock was not a cruel individual, but neither could he afford to appear weak; he distanced himself from all matters and remained strictly objective. It was part of the reason he made such a superior First Officer.

But Kirk, raging over the injuries his ego had taken in the other universe, had for once not even taken his advice into consideration. He made his reports about the transporter incident, and the 'intruders', and then he exterminated the entirety of the Halkan race - his diligent first officer at his shoulder.

Had his universe missed some crucial event in history, some missing piece that would have led them to the epiphany that would allow peace to reign?

And was there any way to change what was - or was the vision he had glimpsed beyond reach forever?

He stared into the flames, brooding. Oh, there had always been some few dissidents who clamored for a more peaceful system. Never anything so dramatic as the Federation he had glimpsed in the mind of McCoy, but nonetheless, hopefuls existed. Of course, those few were usually hunted down and killed for heresy, or at the least scorned for weak, mewling fools.

Citizens of the Empire had a multitude of arguments for effectiveness of the Empire. Surely theirs was the only way that would work? Surely no government could exist in democracy, in peace - to keep away their foes, the Empire needed to be strong, and most importantly, they needed to conquer, expand. They would be destroyed otherwise, the Empire told its citizens. They would all die if any 'weakness' were shown.

But Spock knew something they did not - because he had seen the Federation, if second-hand. He had seen peace, and its potential had to live still - if only people could be made to see it!

But others could not see the mind of that alternate-McCoy, and they could not know that vision. And certainly no one spoke against the Empire. Anyone who could truly hope to gain a following while vying for peace would be summarily executed.

The concept of a martyr, as he had seen in the mind of alternate-McCoy, was alien to him. Such a person would merely be labeled too weak to protect themselves in his world - as had happened many times over the centuries.

So, no one to speak, no way to change… And the Empire would continue to grow, continue to conquer, and grow ever more cruel in their quest for power. Whisperings of future plans filled him with an alien dread. There was talk that a eugenics program was in the planning, finally a return to the failed experiments of the 1990's. Khan was greatly admired through the Empire, and many yearned to match his power and influence, to help them show Terran supremacy and master other races.

A bioweapon was in the making to exterminate the Klingons.

Weapons to influence weather were being formed to be used as weapons against impoverished, low-tech worlds.

A force was being sent to wipe out a newly-discovered race who had greeted them in peace - because the Federation wanted an outpost there.

Atrocities, everywhere - and looming in the future he saw nothing but the cold maw of death reaching for the galaxy.

…

…

Unless…

No. It was a foolish thought. Spock shook his head. His skin crawled. It was heresy to even think of it, but…

Exhaling sharply, he returned to meditation.

But, in the back of his mind, the idea however there, and without his consent the seed of the half-formed thought spread its roots unnoticed in his mind, and an idea that would shake the Empire was born…

Roughly a month after the Halkan massacre, an event happened that shocked and outraged the Empire.

News broadcasters screamed for the treasonous individual responsible to be apprehended; top experts in technology were brought in to trace the disruption; the Empire vowed to execute the heretic who dared insult and challenge the might of the Terran Empire, and swore he would suffer publicly before that end.

It seemed quite a bit of a fuss, for just a page of text.

On broadcasts and computers all across the Empire, a page appeared, popping up over the appropriate, government-approved information. It was unknown how the perpetrator had managed the feat; a phenomenal skill in hacking must have been required, and it was theorized that the individual must have access to secure communications resources of high-clearance to be able access systems so far throughout the galaxy, and coordinate them all, somehow.

Not only that, but on the few old-fashioned newspapers, the page also managed to somehow get published. A few papers found the error and halted production, but most were baffled.

And, without the consent of the Empire, the vines of the seed that had been planted in one mind reached out and entwined itself with billions.

During the beginning of the nineteenth century, the infamous heretic Mohandas Ghandi began accumulating followers who sought to gain Indian independence. However, Ghandi did not raise armies, nor assassinate his enemies, nor even discredit them - instead, he peacefully protested.

In the year 1948, Mohandas Ghandi was finally captured and publicly executed by his government, for trying to avoid harming anyone.

Ghandi is, today, a well-known villain in Terran history - but little is said about his precise practices. The Empire calls him weak, cowardly, and says that he desired to destroy the entire essence of humanity. He was declared a dangerous radical - because he killed no one.

His readings are, of course, banned. Biographies do not exist; he is no more than briefly mentioned in history, because of his 'dangerous' ideas - and yet every child knows his name. Why is this? People know his name, and remember his name, because of his ideas - because, vaguely described as they are, some part of every individual recognizes the inherent worth of those ideas. Some shy from the thought; some grow wrathful; others righteously criticize; and some, though they are never free to admit it, feel longing and sorrow - sorrow for what might have been.

I have read his forbidden works. Peace, democracy...Admirable concepts, though I cannot claim to follow Ghandi's teachings. "There are many causes that I am prepared to die for," he said, "but no causes that I am prepared to kill for."

I have killed. I will not deny that. But never with pleasure, and often, after fulfilling my duty, I wonder at the waste of life - wonder at what petty reasons my superiors have to warrant the murder of another being, and wonder how any person can conceive that they have the right to deprive others of life.

Ten years ago, the gentle, slow-witted people of Calatara IV were slaughtered for denying the Empire. Five years ago, the harmless, agrarian society of the Kelesshians was bombed from existence; many survived the initial attacks only to suffer slow, agonizing deaths from radiation poisoning - many of which the Empire's medicines could have halted - and the few survivors were consigned as slaves. A month ago, the Halkans, a pacifistic, low-tech race - no threat to the Empire, for they were not even concerned with space travel - found their cities leveled for refusing to give up their dilithium. The reason they refused to give dilithium? To even trade? The Halkans refused Starfleet solely for one reason - the dilithium would be used to power starships, and weapons, and would result in deaths. Even if their defiance would effect nothing, they decided to die for their beliefs.

There are thousands of such instances I could is why I have begun this paper - not to bring to light these horrors, which are public knowledge, but to defy them, and the fear the Empire incites by such acts. We must all be advocates for peace, if only in our own minds.

I write this paper because I do not want to live in this Empire - but, more than that, I cannot bear the thought of others dying in this Empire.

I write this paper because the Empire has beaten down her people, and while I am confident that many share my longings, they will not dare show it - and if they did, their attempts, noble though they may be, would result in death.

I, also, am no Ghandi. I will not walk through the streets in protest, only to have assassins on my heels. But I will tell you the truth, and hope that, in knowing you are not alone, you will gain the courage to work toward a better life.

Life is full of potential. I think often, lately, of what could be. I envision a democracy that stretches through the stars, with allied planets who do not scheme and plot but are true allies, who assist each other and give aid; I see a peaceful galaxy of plenty, where slavery is abolished, where poverty is abolished, where murder is met not with praise but penalty, and execution is outlawed. I envision a democracy, where all races have say in the running of government, wherein we choose our leaders and they work for the people, for the benefit of all.

We will explore the galaxy, in search of allies and technology - and when races want nothing to do with us, we shall agree and seek out only their friendship, and even when rebuffed celebrate our differences.

We will preach tolerance, acceptance, and in our cooperation flourish in all areas, including technologies, medicines, and the humanities - art, music, philosophy.

Fear will vanish. Crimes will decrease. Corruption will be scoured from the planets of that democracy, and if any threat comes to the peace, it will be met honorably, and defied in the name of preservation of peace, not supremacy of the Empire.

This seems a lofty vision, I know - especially as I have not, of yet, said how this vision shall pass. I shall continue to write, and explain - but, for now, I give one more quote from the venerable Ghandi, for all those who have not been able to know his works, and ask that you give it heavy consideration, for in these simple words lie the key to the dissolution of the Empire.

"You must be the change you wish to see in the world."

A/N: Best part about mirror verse is, I can totally rewrite whatever historical anecdotes I use for this to fit the purpose. :P But, I can't claim the idea; it was briefly mentioned in David Mack's wonderful mirror-universe book "The Sorrows of Empire" (which I highly recommend you all go read immediately) that the work of Ghandhi was among the restricted books; reading his works could be punished with death. That sort of inspired this, because I realized I can totally twist and distort history in the mirror-universe, and I'm running with the thought and can't stop.

(Seriously, read that book. Spock goes bad-ass and takes over the Empire - and not in the pacifist-way my story is heading. It's creepy and full of murderous politics and moral dilemmas and character angsting and is, in summary, amazing).