As she walked into the main passageway, you could still smell the new paint on the walls. Nine had certainly earned it. Her crew had made great headway in the constant struggle with the Cardassians and the True Way. Her old warship, was a Vesper Class Cruiser. Being a cruiser commander was not how she had envisioned herself. At the helm of a feisty escort was what she had always wanted. Cannons, quick turns, being a pain. It had been seven years since the planet she was visiting on shore leave had been assimilated by the Borg, five since she was liberated. Most still looked at her and only saw the Borg implants, and she could feel the lack of trust. It had taken much longer to gain her crew’s trust. They were putting their welfare in the hands of one they viewed as a destructive outsider. What they ended up learning was that Nine was a very cool, calculating captain. The Borg influence made her a bit cold, but she did not succumb to the stresses of the job. In battle she was the same as when she ate a meal. Basically lacking any outward sign of emotion, constantly analyzing the situation, always looking to turn any situation to her advantage.
This ship, however, was something to show a little emotion. U.S.S. Yorktown was brand new, and ready to fight. Much more capable that her old ship, it would withstand a pretty good beating, and still dish out some significant damage. Most of her crew had transferred with her. She had insisted on her bridge officers coming along. It would waste too much time building trust all over again.
One thing was certain, she was and would always be Borg. Once you were assimilated, you could not go completely back to what you were. The technology did not exist to reverse the process. It helped her though. She was not encumbered by the emotions that seemed to consume regular species in their decision making process. She made a decision, and that was final.
The first flight of the Yorktown was in just a few days. There was so much to do. Standing orders to write, assignments to be made, department heads to be briefed.
Nine sat down in the captain’s chair and pushed a button,” XO, to my ready room”.
