The Valkryie has been ordered to patrol the sectors around the transwarp gate leading to the Omega Orionis Sector and the renewed Borg threat. I wish my cousins, the Midon sisters, all the best, as I heard that their ship, the Tahoe, had already been sent through the gate into Borg space.
End Log
"Captain, incomming subspace message from Admiral Quinn at Starfleet Command." I heard Seral say over the comm snapping me out of thought.
"Very well. I'll take it in here." I responded. A few seconds later the visage of Admiral Quinn appeared on my screen. "Quinn you old dog. You ready for that rematch of Bball? I promise not to bury you this time." I joked around.
Quinn's tight face relaxed just a little. "You know you barely one even against someone my age. But, no, that's not what I'm calling for. Recently, the Gallant recieved a distress call from the Tahoe..." My face grew grim as I thought of my cousins. "The Gallant was unable to respond to the distress call as they were attacked by a cube and sustained heavy damage, and barely made it back to the staging ground. We need your ship to investigate as most of our ships are engaged, and... I really don't think we can trust the Klingons.. even though they are working with us."
"Understood sir, the Valkryie is less then a light year away from the gate, but Admiral Fo.."
Quinn raised a hand and interrupted me. "I've already informed the Admiral and he's given full support. Unfortunately, he was unable to give any 7th support ships."
"Understood. We will head through the gate and find her, sir."
"Very well, the Tahoe's signal came for the Bellatrix sector. Good Luck. Oh... and Mercer?"
"Yes, sir?"
"Your going to bring your cousins. I know you will."
"Yes, sir!" I had forgotten that Quinn was as close to them as I was. Quinn had been a mentor for the 3 of us through the academy. Just as skilled as I was, Jomar and Catana Midon, were only distantly behind me in their respective fields, Jomar specialized in Tactical, and Catana in Science. I nodded to Admiral Quinn and closed the channel. "Helm, set course for Transwarp Gate maxmium warp, and notify me when we arrive."
"Aye, sir."
I sit back, and pray my cousins havent been killed... or worse...
"Sir, we are coming up on the gate." I heard over the comm while I was trying to finish the last chapter in my holonovel.
"Understood." I set the padd down, got up from the couch and walked through the door on to the bridge. "Status?" I asked Seral.
"The transwarp gate is at 75%, Captain."
"Good. Helm move us into position."
The Valkryie swung around around and pointed itself at the center of the transwarp gate, just as the gate opened, showing the strange green glow of a transwarp apeture.
"Transwarp Gate at 100%. Shall we procede, Captain?"
"Let's go. Helm take us though."
"Aye, sir."
The Valkryie entered the apeture and disappeared into greenness.
Captain's Personal Log Stardate 2409.31010
What used to take us months or more now only takes mere hours thanks to the transwarp network Starfleet has introduced. Hopefully we won't run into too much trouble once we arrive, both with the Borg... and the Klingons. I pray my cousi..."
"Sir, we are approaching the staging area."
"Understood. Computer, end log." I walked onto the bridge just in time to see the ship leave transwarp space.
"Wow.. Didn't know Starfleet was this serious about the Borg threat." Neilel chimed in as the viewscreen filled with both Federation and Klingon ships.
"Sir, we are being hailed by a Klingon vessel, audio only." I nodded to Seral, and she put it on speakers.
"HA! Anthoer Federation vessel come to join the fight. You will burn just as nicely in the black of space as the Borg do!"
"I assure you my ship won't be burning up anytime soon." I returned non-chalantly.
"Hmmm. We shall see Qua'pla Captain."
"Well that was intresting. Seral..."
"Another hail, Captain. It's the Gallant, sir."
"Onscreen." The cheery face of Captain Alyssa Tucker appeared onscreen. Way too cheery, consindering her ship looked like the drydock was the only thing keeping it together.
"Hi Mercer! Long time no see!"
"You always were the cheery one, even when your ship is in drydock."
"That's nothing. My ship is tough. Just like me, you know that." She smiled at me. Alyssa and I had been friends since before I can remember. Grade school, High School, and then the Academy. Though I was rather shocked to see her now. We hadn't spoken in a while so I guess that's one thing I never learned.
Her face became very stern in an instant as she looked off screen, almost as if she was gonna cry. "I know your cousins were on the Tahoe, I'm sorry Anton. I wish I could have gotten to them. I wish.."
I stopped her before she started to make a scene in front of both crews. "It's alright. Admiral Quinn filled me in on what happened. There was nothing you could have done. You saved your ship, and that's all that matters."
She smiled again, nodding at me and holding back tears. "Right. I'm sending you the approximate coordinates we received from the distress signal. They are ok. I know it."
"Don't worry. We'll find them." Alyssa nodded once more and closed the channel.
"Coordinates received, Captain." She'lanna said from her station.
"Alright. Helm set course maximum warp." I hit the ship wide comm. "All hands...... Battlestations." ...
"Sir, we are approaching the system which the distress call eminated from." Seral said as I was looking over ship readiness reports.
"Drop to impulse." I felt the ship shudder slightly as we dropped to sub-light speed. "Longe range scan?"
"One contact sir. Shape and size configuration match Envoy-class cruiser. Still no registry at this distance."
"I guess that's a start. No other contacts?"
"None , sir."
"Ok. Helm Bring us within sensor range."
Tense minutes pass as the ship draws closer to the sesnor contact. An alert beeps on Seral's console letting her know we are in range.
"In range Captain. One moment... Registry confirmed. It is the Tahoe. Reading several hull breaches that have been repaired. The entire ship reads of borg tech, and im reading the entire crew compliment, but..."
I knew what she was gonna say before she even said it. "They are all borg arnt they?"
"Possibly..."
That got my attention. "Possibly?" I asked as the whole bridge crew turned toward Seral's station.
"Well, as you know these new borg are not quite what we come to expect from te borg they have emotionals, feelings, and no central cognitive mind. In fact, I'm reading several faint human life signs."
"Several? Can you pinpoi...."
"Sir! Transwarp signature!" She'lanna nearly screamed from the Tac. console.
"Onscreen!" I whirled around to face the viewscreen just in time to see a sphere drop out of transwarp space.
"It's powering up weapons!" She'lanna said as her hands flew across her console preparing.
"Ready phasers! Arm quantum torpedos!" Red alert klaxons sounded all around as people ran back and forth.
"Sir, I'm picking power surges in the Tahoe. It looks like she's powering up."
"Great. Just what we needed. Her shields up?"
"No. They are still down."
"She'lanna, target their weapons and engines. Low power, dont over do it."
"Aye, sir." A few seconds pass. "Done sir. The Tahoe's enignes and weapons are disbaled."
"Great. Let's focus on the sphere." The ship rocks from a shield impact. "Fire all phasers hit it with everything we have!" a full phaser and torpedo volley fly from the Valkyrie, all catching the sphere dead center. The sphere turns black.. then explodes in a brillaint flash of red and green.
"Woah.. Preeeetttyyy." Neilel joked from here chair. I shake my head and turn to Seral.
"Now.. those lifesigns. Can you tell who they are? And can you get location or locations?"
"Can't determine who, but I can pinpoint locations. There are 4 distinct areas where human lifesigns are still present: Engineering, Sickbay, holodeck, and 10 forward."
"Excellent transfer coordinates the the transport cheif. Neilel, Seral, Sari, you're with me." I hit my comm badge. "3 FORCE Squads to transporter room 3." We walked over to the turbolift, and headed down, praying we could get to them in time...
The FORCE squads were already waiting in the transporter room when we arrived.
"Ok teams, listen up. There are four different areas we need to secure first. Team One, you're taking Engineering. Team Two, you have the Holodeck. Team Three, Ten Forward. My team will take Sickbay. Once these areas are secure and surviviors are beamed aboard, your teams will traverse the ship to meet up at sickbay, and we will start to clear the rest of the ship.
"Clear the rest of the ship, sir?" Commander Porsche asked. "Doesn't that mean killing the crew?"
"No, Seral has invented a new toy, while un-field tested, will hopefully give us the ability to render most of the crew viable for borg tech removal. Seral?"
Seral stepped forward, producing four phasers, and handed each team leader one.
"It's just a phaser.." Porsche said rather unimpressed while looking the weapon over.
"These 'phasers' have been modified to emit and very high frequency Electro-Magentic Pulse designed specificly for Borg implants and technology. Simulated tests and controlled tests on captured Borg have yeilded 100% results on the disbaling of Borg tech but leaving the tissue of the original person intact. Ensign Jenkins is one such recoveree from controlled tests."
Everyone turned to the young Ensign, who shyly smiled and did a small wave.
"Don't worry son.." I said. "She's proud of her invention and she's glad you here with us."
"Thank you, sir." Seral gave me the patented Vulcan "I have no emotions" look, as I slapped the young Ensign on the back to reassure him.
"Remember to use the wide setting to knock out as many you can in one shot. Like she said its not field tested and the Borg may adapt after a certain amount. We've set up the cargo bays to hold and start surgical operations with the EMH's. As soon as you disable, transport them to a cargo bay.Try and hold shots for key personnal Like Captain Mikes. If they do adapt try and disable them by taking immobilizing them. I want crew casuality to a min.
"Yes sir!" All the teams responded.
"OK, Team One, your up." They assembled on the transporter pad "Energize" and the disappeared in the blue shimmer. A few seconds later my comm badge chimmed.
"Mercer here."
"Team One, Captain. Surviviors here. Cheif Engineer and a few of the crew. They say th borg just beamed in out of now where didn't even appear on sensors. It was lucky that it was their routine weapon check in engineering.
"Captain Mikes?" I asked. A pause of a few seconds.
"He doesn't know, Captain. The Borg beamed in all at once... bridge included."
"Roger. Get them to our sickbay, then hold tight 'till the rest of the teams are in place."
"Aye, Sir. Team One out."
"Team Two." The next team got on to the pad "Energize" They, too, disappeared with a blue shimmer. Another wait. A bit longer this time.
"Team Two.. BOOM... here"
... here."
"What the hell is going on there? Was that tank fire?"
"Survivors activated... ZING... Old WWII program to keep the Borg away. Several of the... TAT-TAT-TAT... Borg are wounded, but not bad, as safety settings were only at 70%. They are still active and will need to be sedaited for surgery."
"Understood. Contact Cargo Bay Two and let them know. Was Captain Mikes one of the Borg there, or a survivior?" A pause..
"No, sir. Surviviors confirm neither of the two."
I sigh. Oh for two. "Understood. Get them to sickbay, and stay put 'till the last 2 teams are in place."
"Roger, sir. Team.. BOOOOOMMM... Two out."
"Team Three." Porsche lead her team onto the pad then nodded when they were ready "Energize" and one more team disappeared with the blue shimmer. A pause... Then a minute went by. I looked at Neilel and the rest of my team. They all shrugged back, well all except Seral. She just regarded me in her usual "no emotion" look, although.. you could see a glimmer of worry in her face. "It happens to all the Vulcans who spend 40+ years with humans." I think to myself. I was just about to hit my comm, when it beeped.
"Mercer here. What took so long Porsche? Everything alright?"
"Everything now sir. You can tell Seral her little toy worked like a charm. One shot and all the Borg in here just stopped in their tracks."
"It is not a 'toy' Commander. It is a highly sensitive peice of equipment. Please treat it as such."
"Was just a figure of speech, ma'am." I could feel Porsche's face getting a little red even though we were on different ships.
"Nice work. Get thoe Borg to Cargo bay Four."
"Aye, sir. Nice catch if I do say so my self. That wide setting is pretty wide. I count at least Twenty-Five or so."
"Twenty-Five??" I asked a little suprised.
"Yes sir. Survivors here too. Having the transport to sickbay now. Team 3 out."
"Alright let's go people." My team got on to the pad "Energize" we disappeared, and re-materilzed with phasers in out faces.
"OH thank the Maker." The survivors lowered their weapons as a young Trill stepped forward.
"I'm Captain Mikes." He offered a hand.
I took and replied, "Captain Mercer of the Valkryie. We're here to help."
"Mercer? Of the 7th? I thought most 7th ships were posted near the battlegroup?"
"They are. I was actually called in from Siruis. Plus my cousins are onboard.. the Midons? Are they..."
The young captain hung is head. "They are.. were... my best. Both of them were on duty on the bridge. I had asked Catana to cover for me while I visited my wife here in sickbay. She's do in 3 months and.. and if I had .."
I stopped him there. "Don't worry Mikes. We will get them back. That's why I'm here." I hit my comm badge. "Mercer to all teams. Begin moving towards sickbay. Clear as much of the ship as possible without drawing too much attention. Get them to the cargo bay for surgery any way bur killing them.
"Aye, sir." I heard three times. captain Mikes gave me a weird look, and I realized I had to explain. "We are clearing the ship with a new phaser developed by my Chief Science Officer. A Borg stunner if you will that allows us to stun the Borg implants and components without harming the organic tissue and leaving them free for surgery and removal of implants."
The Captain's eyes lit up like a Christmas tree. "So that means my crew can be saved?"
"Yes. But now we need to get..." Banging started to sound on the door. Everyone turned around towards the door, leveling phasers, pulse rifles and bolt pistols at it. "Hopefully there aren't too many." I said. As we all waited to see what would come through the door..
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