Where No Jedi Has Gone Before-done! Survey on page 9

[RK_Striker_JK_5]

I have no idea why I'm updating this already...

Deepcrush-Yes, I did. I figured it fitting, you know?

Vic-Yes, poor him. Punished for Wes' antics. Pagh-Wraiths, eh? Interesting idea...

Sonic Glitch-Yes, and thanks. Shh, spoilers. [/River_song]

Bob-Ah, thanks. It has been corrected.

Here we go!

*****
Chapter Two: Killing of the Pawns
System 22-Alpha, at the edge of Known Space
Second Lieutenant Jecku Starr let out a long sigh and rubbed his eyes, desperately trying to keep them open. He was bored, bored, bored. In his five years at the edge of New Republic territory, not once had there been a need to send out any sort of warning. The only ships to show up were supply ships.

A low beeping interrupted Jecku's musings. His eyes fluttered open as his mind struggled to place the unfamiliar sound. What was that? Suddenly, it came to him; intruder alert. Something was coming from the Unknown Regions? A scoff escaped his lips as he flipped some switches.

One of the technicians, a Twi'lek, ran into the main operations center. "Sir, something's entered orbit."

Jecku stammered for a bit while his mind shifted into overdrive. What the hell was the procedure for this? He knelt down and slid open a drawer, pulling out a computer PADD. His thumb pressed down on one of the controls, allowing him to scroll through what he was supposed to do. Finally, "have you tried hailing them?"

The Twi'lek nodded. "Yes, but they refuse to answer. Their vessel is oddly shaped. It resembles a cube, measuring 3,036 meters a side."

Jecku scoffed. "A cube? Who the hell-" He was interrupted by an odd whine filling the room. He gasped as his bloodshot eyes saw several columns of energy appear. When the greenish swirls faded, several humanoids in black suits stood about.

The technician recoiled at the mere sight of them, his lekku twitching in fright. "What-what are y- !" One of the humanoids raised his-her-its right arm, a heavily armored prosthesis with whirling bits of metal. Thin black tubules snaked out and impaled him in the skull. Pure, white-hot agony coursed through the wounds, almost as if liquid fire was coursing through his veins. A deadening sensation soon followed

Jecku, meanwhile, drew his blaster and pointed it at one of the humanoids. "S-stay back!" he shouted, his hands quivering in fear. One of the humanoids approached his desk, and he opened fire.

Two blaster bolts shot from his pistol and hit the creature, sending out a shower of sparks and pitching it back. Another creature walked up and Jecku fired, but this one had some sort of personal shielding around it. The plasma bolts bounced off a translucent barrier.

Before the lieutenant could react, the humanoid extended his own set of tubules. They hit Jecku square in the face, pumping billions of nanoprobes directly into him.

Two minutes later, the drones formerly known as Jecku Starr and the Twi'lek technician stood up, Borg implants already sprouting from their skin. Their eyes had taken on a dead sheen and their very essence was being subsumed by the Collective. One of the Borg walked over to Jecku's former console and injected it with nanoprobes. Other drones began transporting down, as well as equipment.

The invasion had begun.
*****
Corona-class frigate RSS Shooting Star
Captain Remmi looked over the datapad in her hand, not sure what to make of her mission. All contact with the observation post in System 22-Alpha was lost two days ago. Her ship was the closest, and therefore was dispatched with due haste. Remmi didn't like this; 22-Alpha was near the Unknown Regions, and who knew what could come out of there?

The alpha shift navigator spoke up. "Captain, we are coming out of hyperspace in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1... Reverting to real space."

Remmi stood up as the Shooting Star reverted to real space, the bluish haze outside the viewport breaking apart into millions of lines, each one shortening to a pinprick.

Suddenly, alarm klaxons sounded out. "Captain, we have thirty unknown vessels in orbit. Configuration is cube-shaped."

Remmi turned to the tactical officer, a Devaronian. "Lieutenant, bring up shields and weapons batteries." She turned back to her chair and sat back down. "Contact those things. I want to know what happened to the team down there."

The com officer spoke up. "Ma'am, we have an incoming transmission." Remmi nodded. "Put it through."

An indescribably alien voice came through. It was trillions speaking as one, in the deadest monotone Remmi had ever heard. "We are the Borg. Your ship is unable to withstand us. You will surrender and be prepared to be assimilated."

The Devaronian sneered. "Cocky little Sith, aren't they?" The ship rocked and bucked beneath their feet. "They are locking multiple tractor beams onto us!"

Remmi sneered. "Open fire, all weapons!"

The Shooting Star's five forward turbolaser cannons spat bright red plasma at the Borg cube ships, scoring the surface and gouging out sections of the grid-like outer hull. Ion cannon bolts impacted, sending out waves of bluish lightning as they overloaded systems and power conduits.

In return, several more greenish tractor beams lanced out and latched onto the frigate. The shield bubble quickly turned from white to a sickly yellow before collapsing entirely.
Remmi's brow was shining from a thin coat of sweat. The tactical officer looked up and growled. "Our weapons are having less and less effect on them. Shields collapsing!" The deck plating beneath them lurched again.

Remmi got to her feet and turned to him. "Launch the recorder buoy."

A small hatch above the Star's main ion engines opened and a pod shot out. Tiny thrusters flared, sending it along before it entered hyperspace.

The Borg cubes surrounded the Shooting Star, dwarfing the comparatively tiny 275 meter long Corona-class frigate. A dozen cutting beams lanced out, slicing through the hull. The main fuel cells detonated, causing the aft engine block to explode and send out a shockwave that crumpled the forward areas like a tin can.
*****
The Corellian System. Headquarters for the Fifth Fleet
The recorder buoy exited hyperspace near Drall and was quickly picked up by an X-wing patrol. The snub-nosed fighters escorted the onyx device to the Intrepid-class Endurance, flagship of the Defense Force's Fifth Fleet.

Within an hour, General Etahn A'baht was in the main conference room with his senior staff, viewing the last moments of the Shooting Star. A'baht's whiskers twitched. An old memory came unbidden to the surface, a briefing on ships from the Milky Way Galaxy. He turned to one of his senior officers. "Compare those ships with ones in the Starfleet database."

The officer nodded and inputted some commands. The central holoprojector glowed and projected two images. One was a shot of the Borg ship. The other was a shifting series of ship schematics. Klingon, Romulan, Cardassian and other types flashed before it settled on one image. The text beneath identified it as Borg.

A smaller window detailed Starfleet's encounters with the cybernetic species and A'baht's blood grew cold. By the Force, he thought. He turned his head to one of his aides. "Contact Starfleet Command and Admiral Ackbar. Tell them we have a situation."

The aide, a human, nodded before running off.
*****
Captain's log, Stardate 58122.9. The Enterprise is in orbit of Coruscant. After delivering a small envoy to the capital, I have authorized shore leave for the crew. I myself have decided to visit one of the more famous structures on this city-covered world.

Captain Jean-Luc Picard walked up the hundred steps of the Jedi Temple's main entrance, his hands clasped behind him. He looked up at the five towers jutting into the sky, one of them with the top blasted off and the other four blackened and damaged, lichen and vines crawling up the edifice. He glanced down at the main entrance as the double doors swung open, the left one coming close to an odd blue-colored box.

A grizzled Jedi with a day's worth of stubble appeared in the entrance. "Captain Picard?" Kam Solusar asked, the rugged Jedi Master smiling. "Welcome to the Coruscant Temple.It's not as far along as we like it, but we do have... other priorities."

Picard nodded and extended his hand. "The needs of the living, Master Solusar. I understand perfectly. Thank you for allowing me a tour of the Temple."

Kam nodded and clasped Picard's hand, pumping it twice. He broke the grip and walked beside Picard as the two large doors opened, allowing them to enter. "Not a problem, Captain. I'm pleased you've taken an interest in the Temple."

"My former councilor was trained as a Jedi," Picard replied. "And I've always had an interest in history." He paused in the main entrance hall and looked around, his body spinning about a bit. A pair of cleaning droids hovered near the top of the arched ceiling. But otherwise, he and Kam were alone. Then why do I hear voices?

"Even those not able to use the Force can hear the echoes," Kam said, answering Picard's unspoken question. His mouth formed a grim smile. "The Purges left a psychic stain here as deep as an ocean and as livid as the Maw."

Picard shook his head. "I don't believe so, Kam. These voices are familiar to me, they're " He held up his hand and cocked his head to the side, screwing his eyes shut. "No "
*****
"Jean-Luc Picard "
*****
No."
*****
"Jean-Luc Picard you will be assimilated ."
*****
"No!"
*****
"Resistance is futile. You will-"
*****
"NONONONO!" Picard screamed, his face flushing red. "Why here? Why now?"

Kam grabbed Picard's shoulders, spinning him around as rage and fear wafted off Picard. "Captain, focus! What are you talking about?"

Picard's eyes focused on the grizzled Jedi Master. "The Borg," he whispered. "They are here, in your reality. I don't know how, but they are here." His eyes widened. "We must stop them, Kam!

"The Borg?" Kam repeated. "Who are the Borg?"

Picard's combadge chirped. He reached up and tapped it. "Picard."

Commander Data's voice came through. "Sir, we have a priority transmission for you from the Corellian Star System, Admiral Etahn A'baht."

Kam stepped back and dropped his arms. "Captain-Jean-Luc-please be careful," he finally said. "I feel darkness gathering around you."

A tight smile crossed Picard's lips. "the Borg are the antithesis of everything you and I hold dear, Kam. It is their darkness you feel, not mine." He tapped his combadge. "Commander, one to beam up. Energize."

Kam shook his head as Picard was surrounded by the silvery transporter beam and dissolved, atom by atom, to be reassembled in high orbit. "Be well, Captain. And beware."
*****
USS Enterprise, Coruscant orbit
Captain Picard rematerialized on the fleet flagship and stepped off the transporter pad, barely nodding to the transporter chief as he exited and speed-walked down the corridor, his legs eating up the distance. He boarded the nearest turbolift. "Bridge."

One minute later, the double doors opened and he stepped out onto the Enterprise's command center. "Have General A'baht's transmission sent to my ready room," he called out to his first officer.

The doors to the ready room slid open and he walked across to his desk near the corner, sitting down and inputting commands on the workstation in front of him. A few seconds later, the commander of the Fifth Fleet appeared on the small viewscreen, his round bald head glistening and his whiskers twitching.

"Captain Picard," he growled out. "We've had an incident at our outer territories. System 22-Alpha's gone dark, and the RSS Shooting Star was destroyed while investigating. They launched their log buoy and we've determined they're an old foe of yours."

Picard leaned back. "The Borg, correct?"

A'baht's mouth dropped in surprise. "I-how did you know?"

The captain grimaced. "I was assimilated by their Collective in late 2366. I have a unique insight on them."

A'baht nodded. "That's what Starfleet Command told us when we contacted them. I have the Fifth Fleet on standby in Corellia. What is your ETA?"

Picard thought for a moment. "We can be there in about seventeen hours."

The Dornean nodded. "Good, we'll be here. A'baht out," he said before the screen flickered, changing from his visage to the Starfleet arrowhead emblem.

A shaking captain rose from his chair and steadied his hands before walking out onto the Enterprise's bridge. Commander Data rose from the center seat and turned to the bald Frenchman. "Orders, Sir?"

Picard turned to helm. "Set a course for the Corellian System, maximum warp." He looked back to the tactical station. "Lieutenant, send a hail out to any Starfleet vessels. We'll be needing backup for this."

The helm officer nodded and inputted the commands, pivoting the Sovereign-class starship neatly on its axis before the two nacelles flashed, emitting a powerful subspace field that literally warped the space around the ship. Within seconds, the ship was traveling at 7,912 times the speed of light.

Picard tapped his combadge. "This is the captain. We will be holding a senior staff meeting in one hour." He turned back to Data. "You have the bridge, Number One."

The pale-skinned android nodded before sitting back down in the center seat.
*****
The Collective stirred. New information was being assimilated from the new drones, as well as the new installation being constructed below. Numerous star systems were within reach of the current fleet in orbit.

One of these was a major system in the New Republic: Corellia. It had five class-M planets with billions of sentient beings. There was also a curious object called Centerpoint. The Collective could make good use of the facility.

Twenty cubes broke orbit from 22-Alpha and engaged warp. They would reach the system in approximately sixteen hours. After it was conquered, the Collective would decide on the next operation; the assimilation of one of those 'Jedi Knights'. Their powers would greatly enhance the perfection of the Borg Collective.
*****
The Corellian System
General A'baht stood on the bridge of his flagship, the RSS Endurance, with hands clasped behind his back. There were intermittent sensor readings at the edge of the system, but nothing conclusive. Two Agave-class picket ships had been dispatched to investigate. He checked his chronometer and sighed. The Enterprise wasn't due for another hour, and he was hoping to have someone by his side who had actually faced off against the Borg.

At the edge of the system, the two Agave-class ships flew along. Both had a forward command area attached to a rather long, slender main fuselage. Wings jutted out amidships, with the main thrusters at the very tip. Four laser cannons were arrayed along the main hull, while two heavy turbolaser cannons jutted out beneath the bridge. All in all, they resembled overgrown starfighters. Both picked up a large object at the edge of the system and moved in to investigate.
*****
Nineteen of the cubes hung back, just out of the Agave's sensor range. A single Borg cube moved in, scouting the area ahead. Its destruction was assured, but valuable information would be sent back. And any opposition it encountered would be weakened by the fight. So intent on its mission, the Borg didn't even announce its presence with hails.

The picket ships, meanwhile, approached the cube and immediately opened fire. Turbolasers shot multiple blood-red plasma bolts at the surface of the cube, scoring the gray hull but doing little damage against the shields. The two ships broke formation and encircled the cube, dodging tractor beams and disruptor blasts.

Their luck ran out, though, when one of the picket ships was struck by a tractor beam. The greenish energy field encircled the ship, draining away shield energy and leaving the picket defenseless. A laser cutting beam sliced into the hull, breaching several fuel pods and causing the ship to explode in a rather impressive fireball for such a small ship.

The second ship wasn't as lucky. Several tractor beams lanced out from the uneven surface of the Borg cube, ensnaring the Agave-class in an identical greenish energy field. Instead of firing off energy weapons or torpedoes, the Borg cube activated its transporters and began sending drones over

Back at the Endurance, A'baht looked over a technician's shoulder at the events transpiring onboard the picket ship. "What's going on?" he asked.

The tech looked over the data being received. "This doesn't make sense, sir. Life signs belonging to New Republic species are disappearing, but Borg life signs are increasing." She looked over her shoulder and at the general. "Sir, perhaps we should label that Agave a hostile."

A'baht nodded, then stood up straight and walked to the center of the bridge by his command chair. "All forces, target the Agave-class picket ship by the Borg cube and destroy it. All forces, move out!"

The Fifth Fleet picked up speed, their ion engines flaring and sending them to the edge of the Corellian System and the cube. Defender-class star destroyers and Warrior-class gunships moved in first, spitting turbolaser bolts and proton torpedoes at the cube. There was really only one viable tactic with an enemy this big and powerful, hit it until it breaks.

The six surfaces of the cube erupted with weapons fire, lancing out three-hundred sixty degrees around it. Green disruptor blasts, shield-draining tractor beams and cutting beams lashed out from all sides. Over a dozen ships were destroyed in the first ten minutes, the debris shooting off rather violently.

In response, the New republic ships moved in as close as they dared and launched every fighter they had. X-wings, B-wings, E-wings and K-wings shot from hangar bays like swarms of piranha beetles and darted in-between the flak bursts coming from the cube. They pinpointed weapons emplacements and fired off everything they had. Within a few seconds, explosions blossomed over the entire surface.

A'baht shouted into his comlink as he observed the damage indicators on the cube. "All ships, open fire!"

Every ship in range let loose with tremendous salvos from their weapons. Turbolaser bolts carved into the cube, penetrating the armor and digging deep into the hull itself. Internal explosions blew out large chunks of it, and after a few more minutes, the entire cube was torn apart, reduced to little more than chunks of metal floating in the void.

A'baht let out a sigh of relief and let his shoulders sag somewhat. The Endurance had taken relatively little damage during the short battle, but others were not so lucky.

A lieutenant walked up to the Dornean, datapad in hand. "Thirty two ships were destroyed, sir, along with seventy others taking moderate to extreme damage."

A'baht took the datapad and looked it over. "Get all damaged ships to the shipyards posthaste. How are we dealing with the Agave?"

The lieutenant opened her mouth. But before she could answer, a sensor tech shouted, "General, we have more Borg ships inbound!"

A'baht's blood grew cold at the word 'ships'. "How many, Ensign?"

The young woman hesitated a bit before finally speaking. "Nineteen, sir."

A'baht looked up at the main viewscreen at the front of the bridge. "Show me," he ordered. The image flickered from a shot of the fleet to nineteen metallic cubes in the void of space. "By Oblivion "

Three of the cubes broke off from the main group and approached seven Defense force ships surrounding with the assimilated picket ship. The seven Sacheen-class escorts broke formation and fled the approaching onslaught, but were promptly blown out of space by the much larger cubes. The sixteen other Borg vessels spread out in a jagged line, providing all of the cubes with open fields of fire and allowing them to also cover each other.

A com tech glanced up at the fairly harried A'baht. "Sir, we are receiving a transmission from the Borg."

A'baht's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "We are?" He turned to the main viewscreen. "Put it on."

An image of the interior of one of the cubes was on the screen, accompanied by an odd voice.

"General Etahn A'baht of the New Republic Fifth Fleet, you will surrender this system and your ships to us. Resistance is futile. You will be assimilated."

The link cut off before A'baht could even open his mouth. He snarled and turned to his communications officers. "Tell the fleet to fall back and for the Five Brothers to raise prepare themselves. Corellia will not fall on my watch!"

Several bridge officers scurried about, but the Endurance violently rocked beneath their feet. Several consoles exploded in flames. "The Repulse, Defender and Indomitable have been destroyed. We've taken heavy fire and we have hull breaches on decks five through twelve."

A'baht shouted above the din. "Increase power to the shields and recall all fighters! Send out Omega Signal. All ships, fall back. I repeat, fall back!"

The disorganized Fifth Fleet turned and headed back for Corellia and Drall. The Borg cubes, mostly undamaged, followed. Several stayed behind among the crippled hulks of Majestic-class cruisers and Warrior-class gunships. Transporters were activated and drones were beamed over
*****
Please read and review.

[RK_Striker_JK_5]

*Looks around* Darn, hoping for a reply or two.

Well, here we go!

*****
On Corellia, Drall, Selonia, Talus and Tralus, a sort of organized panic took over. Turbolaser batteries were manned and the general populace fled into shelters. Independent ships fled by the droves while Corsec cruisers launched from space stations and lunar facilities.

Golan Arms defense stations turned their weapons batteries upon the advancing cubes, readying themselves for the ultimate sacrifice. The crews waited until the enemy was within 19,000 kilometers before opening fire. Emerald turbolaser bolts spat from weapons emplacements and hit the gray hulls of the cubes with tremendous force, carving into armor and destroying fairly large chunks of the interior. One of the Borg cubes even exploded, its sides buckling a bit before internal pressure tore it apart.

The others continued advancing. The turbolasers caused less and less damage with each salvo. The Borg latched onto the defense platforms with shield-draining tractor beams, quickly siphoning off shield energy before firing whitish cutting beams. The thin beams sliced through the armor of the Golan stations and through such areas as the main reactors and fuel pods.

Shields flickered into existence above the planet's surface, blocking transporters. Powerful sensor beams shot out from the cubes, probing and gathering information as they sat just outside of effective turbolaser range. Twenty minutes after entering high orbit, whitish pulses shot from recessed emitters in the cube's hull, impacting the shields.

In Shield Station 654-Beta, technicians looked over their monitors in confusion at the activity. One turned to a rather large holo-emitter dominating the center of the room, projecting a ten-meter wide image of the planet and orbiting objects. "Those pulses, they're disrupting our shield matrix!"

A section of the shield above 654-Beta wavered, turning a sickly yellow. The cube abruptly stopped firing, moving straight 'up' and away from the surface.

A male Drall, resembling an overgrown teddy bear, walked up to the holo-emitter and inputted some commands. "We can restore shield integrity and-ARGH!" he shouted at the end as a Borg drone grabbed him from behind, impaling him in the neck and pumping him full of nanoprobes.

Over a dozen drones emerged from the shadows and side corridors, arm-mounted disruptors firing nonstop. Security guards returned fire, killing a few, but the drones quickly took cover behind consoles and other pieces of equipment. They also began extnding their tubules, injecting nanoprobes into every computer console they could.

Alarms began blaring and klazons flashed as a deep male voice sounded from speakers. "Warning! Viruses detected. Override in progress. Shield collapsing!"

A section of the shield above the holographic planet shimmered and vanished. Two seconds later, the room was filled with the whine of transporters as drone after drone transported in, moving out and using information transmitted to the from their link to the others for the most efficient means of subduing the defenders.

More cubes moved into high orbit around Corellia, each one firing off the shields protecting the planet. Turbolasers lashed out, but the magnetic field containing the plasma dissipated short of the cubes, gently brushing against the slate-gray hulls. After an hour, the skies of Corellia lay open.

The remaining cubes spread out and began targeting the ground installations while Corsec ships, mostly old Carrack-class cruisers and Nebulon-B escort frigates, tried in vain to stop the juggernauts.

A single Borg cube could hold up to 179,000 drones. With several of them arriving over Corellia, a small army was available for occupation. Drones began transporting down into the very heart of Corellia's major cities, allowing them to bypass the traditional defenses. They couldn't beam directly into the shelters due to heavy shielding, so drones began materializing only a few meters from guard posts and entrances.

Shock overcame the guards for a moment, but they quickly recovered and opened fire with blaster rifles and pistols. The plasma shot from hidden and guarded positions, hitting the Borg, blowing holes in their armor and pitching them back a few meters before their corpses skidded to a halt.

More Borg transported down right where their compatriots were slain, their prosthetic limbs twitching and dead eyes staring across the expanse. And this time, they were ready for resistance. They took cover among rubble and behind broken down walls, firing off prosthetic-mounted disruptors at the guards. Firefights broke out all over Corellia, Selonia and Drall.

At Talus and Tralus, the planets were ignored. Instead, three Borg cubes settled in around Centerpoint Station. The huge construct, measuring three hundred kilometers from end to end, was lightly manned to say the least. Borg drones transported into the center and quickly began searching for maintenance crews and scientists.
*****
Back at the Endurance, A'baht was beside himself with despair. In less than an hour, one of the most prominent New Republic member systems was about to fall. The Fifth Fleet had been decimated and his flagship was a wreck. The Dornean looked over one of the few functional viewscreens.

"The rest of the fleet is in disarray and are retreating," a sensor tech called out. He suddenly sat up a little straighter as his console beeped. "Sir we have five ships dropping out of warp at the edge of the system." He smiled as he looked over the info. "It's a Sovereign-class starship and four Defiant-class starships."

On the Enterprise's bridge, Captain Picard looked over a tactical map of the battle. "Lieutenant Commander Tirsek, send a message to the other ships. We need to open a path for the Endurance and any other allied ships." He thought for a moment. "Have them target the two nearest the Endurance."

Tirsek nodded and relayed the message. "All ships stand ready," she confirmed, her antennae twitching.

Picard sat back down in his chair. "Fire."

The ships closed in on the cubes at full impulse, closing to point-blank range. The Enterprise's main phaser banks lashed out at the nearest cube. The four Defiant-class warships, two to starboard and two to port, followed with a massive pulse-phaser barrage, the elongated spheres streaking out from emitters mounted at the fore of their armored nacelles.

The pulse-phasers cut into the armored hull of the cube and proved difficult to adapt to at best, each one a different modulation than before. The beams shooting out of the Enterprise's saucer arrays continuously shifted both frequency and power while the pulse blasts ripped right through gaps in the shields and hull. The interior power cores of the cube exploded, destroying it and scattering debris across the system.

Several of the cubes and assimilated New Republic starships moved off-exactly as Picard predicted. Data looked over his console. "Sir, we are receiving a message from General A'baht."

Picard nodded. "Put it on screen."

The image changed from the destroyed cube to an image of a wrecked bridge. A'baht's brow was stained, but he appeared otherwise unharmed. "Thank you, Captain. What's our next move?"

Picard sighed. "General, our sensors indicate the presence of drones on the planet and seventeen cubes in the system. The only course of action you can take is to retreat." The captain sighed. "I'm sorry."

A'baht's mouth turned down. "You are joking, right?"

The Enterprise shuddered a bit. "We're taking fire from two assimilated Majestic-class cruisers. Shields are holding," Tirsek announced, her nimble hands dancing across her console. The ship bucked again. "The Rochester is taking heavy fire from an approaching cube and-sir, it's accelerating right at the cube!"

The viewscreen flickered from an image of the comparatively-tiny Defiant-class starship, nacelle-mounted impulse engines firing as plasma and duranium streamed from mortal wounds. The Rochester's pulse phasers fired even as the Borg attempted to steer her away with tractor beams or simply destroy her outright.

Ten seconds after Tirsek announced the suicide run, the forward edge of the Rochester's hull impacted with the cube's hull. Kinetic energy transferred between the two ships ripped the cube apart, sending gray chunks of hull scattering across local space for tens of kilometers.

There was silence on the bridge before Data cleared his throat. "Sir... The remaining sixteen cubes have reversed course and are heading our way."

Picard nodded at him. "I know, Data. I can hear them." He turned back to the viewscreen as the image changed back to the Endurance's bridge and A'baht. "Etahn, there's no other choice. Corellia is lost."

A'baht stood there for a moment before nodding. "We'll be back, though."

The Endurance and about thirty other ships flew through the gap opened up by the Enterprise and the task force. Within twenty minutes, they reached the edge of the Corellian System. A'baht looked at a screen showing aft of the Endurance. "We shall return," he said.

Twenty seconds later, the Endurance leapt to hyperspace in a flash of croneau radiation.
*****
Captain's log, Stardate 58124.4. It has been a week since the Borg invaded the Corellian Star System. Admiral Ackbar has called an emergency meeting of the Joint Chiefs in lieu of the attack. Starfleet Command, meanwhile, has sent Admiral Kathryn Janeway and Annika Hansen to attend. Their knowledge of the Borg might prove invaluable to us all.

Ackbar walked into the Fleet Command's main conference chamber, his nerves frayed and his temper shorter than usual after having received a message from Han Solo. The good captain was noticeably angry about Corellia being taken over and was about to lead an invasion of it himself. Ackbar didn't know who to feel sorrier for; Leia, for having to deal with him, or the Borg if he ever gets there.

His eyes swiveled forward, and he took in the beings seated around a large table. General Antilles, General A'baht, General Traest Kre'fey, Admiral Kathryn Janeway, Luke Skywalker, Annika Hansen and Captain Picard sat. All seven rose as he walked in. "We have no time for formalities," he said. "The situation is grim." His right eye swiveled to A'baht. "General A'baht, I wish to know the status of the Fifth Fleet. How many ships did you lose?"

The Dornean pressed a button on the control panel embedded in the table. In response, a large holo-projector rose and flared to life. Several lists appeared and scrolled down. "It wasn't nearly as bad as I initially thought, but bad enough. A quarter of our ships were outright destroyed. We believe that another quarter was captured by the Borg. The rest escaped."

Traest slammed his hand on the table, his fur rippling in anger. "So, can someone explain to me how the hell we lost Corellia in an hour to only twenty ships?"

Admiral Janeway cleared her throat and all eyes fell upon her. "That's a good question, General. Tell me, how much do you know of the Borg?"

The Bothan hesitated, dredging up what he'd learned in the past week. "They're from the Delta Quadrant of your galaxy and have launched two invasions of the Federation, both repelled. They're cyborgs who are linked in a hive mind."

Janeway nodded. "You've got the basics down, Traest. However, please note that during both invasions, the Federation came very close to being assimilated. They are very smart and adaptive to weapons. And their ships can take a hell of a pounding before dying."

Wedge placed both hands on the table. "I don't care about that. All I want to know is how to kill them and take Corellia back." His brown eyes seemed to be focusing on something in the distance. "My home is there. My family and friends are from there, and damn it, they won't take that away from me!"

Annika looked over at the enraged general. "By now, the vast majority of all five planets are probably assimilated. To be frank, your home is gone."

At that, Wedge leapt to his feet and jabbed his finger at her, face flushed red. "You think I give a damn about that? I'll take Corellia back from them. They won't stop me!"

Annika flexed her left hand, showing off metallic strips and implants. "Many species said that. All were assimilated."

Luke placed a hand on Wedge's. "Easy, Wedge. Save your strength for the coming battle."

Suddenly, all eyes were on the Jedi Master. "Master Skywalker, any insights from the Force?" Picard asked.

Luke half-closed his eyes and sunk into the Force. "The path shall be difficult. I see darkness ahead." He looked down, and for a moment his right hand shifted from synthetic flesh to cold metal and plastic. Strange voices echoed in his head. "We must fight them."

A'baht raised his hand. "Is there any chance of infiltrating Corellia or any of the other planets? We need Intel before proceeding."

A small smile crossed Luke's lips. "Actually, a Jedi Master was caught on planet. I can feel him, and he's not assimilated."

Ackbar sat up a bit. "Who is it? Kyp Durron?"

Luke shook his head. "Actually, it's Kyle Katarn."
*****
Corellia, Coronet City
Jedi Master Kyle Katarn hefted the rail detonator, making sure the launching mechanism wasn't jammed. His bryar pistol and BlasTech E-11 stormtrooper rifle were laying on the table in front of him, fully cleaned but without power packs.

He pulled out a long strap from the handles of the detonator and slung it over his shoulder, allowing him to pick up his trusty old pistol and slam a power pack into the handle. The pistol slid into a holster at his belt while the rifle went into his gloved hands. Kyle did a final check of his thermal detonators, rations, spare power packs and portable shield generator before he opened the door and stepped out into the former capital of Corellia.

His boots crunched under transparisteel, but no drones paid attention. The air hung heavy with echoes of screams and a miasma of hopelessness permeating the Force. He winced as he heard the internal screams of those with nanoprobes in their bloodstream and implants on their bodies. The buildings were now lined with alcoves and computer terminals. Drones plugged themselves in to either recharge or receive instructions from the hive mind. Everything was cast in a pallid green, and the air was more humid.

His danger sense flared. Kyle looked and saw a lamppost-except it wasn't a lamppost anymore. A powerful scanner was located where the bulb was. It sent a green wave of energy over him. Two seconds later, twenty Borg left their alcoves and headed right for him.

Kyle let loose with several colorful curses before he squeezed the trigger of the E-11, blowing a hole in the first drone and sending others diving for cover.

One drone dove at him, however, trying to tackle him to the ground. Instead, he pulled out his lightsaber and ignited it, slicing a large gash through its armor-and the flesh beneath. He then grabbed the corpse and held onto it, using it as an impromptu shield against incoming disruptor fire. He deactivated his lightsaber and pulled out a thermal detonator. His eyes noted the position of the Borg across the street and he let it fly, using the Force to guide it right to them. The Jedi Master dropped the drone and he sprinted for cover.

One of the drones knelt down to get the detonator, and Kyle waited until he had its hand on it before telekinetically tripping the fuse. A large explosion ripped the Borg apart, along with the six closest to him. Kyle then laid down a spread of firepower, blowing away several more drones.

The Jedi Weapons Master turned and ran, increasing his leg strength through the Force and letting it carry him far. Before he could leave Coronet, several Borg materialized in front of him. Each one had a disruptor rifle mounted on their right arm and both eyes replaced with targeting scopes. "This just isn't my day," he muttered.

He ducked down behind a decrepit speeder just before they let loose with an impressive volley of grayish-white bolts. He put his stormtrooper rifle aside and readied his rail detonator.

The speeder, meanwhile, was getting torn to shreds by the withering hail from the Borg. They advanced on his position, keeping a constant stream of firepower on his position.

Kyle readied the detonator, but had to duck several bolts, lest they take his head off. He thanked the Force that Jan Ors, his best friend, was safe on Yavin IV. It made getting off Corellia a bit difficult, but he'd been in tighter spots before.

He raised the weapon and pressed the trigger, shooting off a powerful missile. It detonated right in front of the group, sending out a powerful shock wave that incinerated their organic parts and turned the technological into shrapnel. Kyle had to telekinetically deflect some away from him.

The Jedi counted down from three before leaping to his feet, tossing a thermal detonator at another group of drones and laying down fire with his bryar pistol. He kept a telekinetic lock on the detonator's trigger plate while running, chewing up the distance between him and the drones.

He looked back once more at Coronet with his hazel eyes and sighed. Coronet, along with most of the cities, was owned by the Borg. Still, there were un-assimilated people out in the forests, mountains and deserts. We'll take this back, no matter what.
*****
Ten of Thirty-seven, the Borg drone formerly known as Thracken Sal-Solo, walked up to the ticking sphere and bent down, picking it up with his clawed right arm. The prosthetic whirred as it brought up to the scanner embedded where his right eye was before it pulsed, detonating and disintegrating him along with three other drones...
*****
Coruscant
Captain Picard sat in his ship's ready room, checking over situation reports and sipping on tea while classical music rattled everything inside. The door chime sounded. "Come in," he said absentmindedly.

The door slid open, allowing Luke to enter. "I hope I'm not disturbing you," he said over a soaring aria.

Picard pressed a button on his desk, muting the audio. "I apologize, Master Skywalker. It's just whenever the Borg are involved, I tend to remind myself of the things I love, the things that remind me of who I am."

Luke nodded. "Because the Borg strip those away from you." He walked over and sat down. The Jedi Master hesitated before speaking. "Captain, I need to go to Corellia. Kyle's good, but he can't take on the Borg by himself." A small smile crept across his face. "Although he'd make a sizable dent in their forces." Luke shook his head, his face taking on a mien of seriousness. "Anyway, is there any way for you to get either the Klingons or Romulans to loan me a ship with a cloaking device?"

Picard half-smiled. "I believe I can do one better." He pressed a button on his desk and spoke. "Computer, contact Starbase Deep Space Nine and put me in contact with Admiral Benjamin Sisko." He looked back up at Luke, his eyes twinkling somewhat. "I believe I have just what you need, Master Skywalker."
*****

Please read and review?

[Nickswitz]

I loved the battle scene between kyle and the borg, I do think he should have used the saber more though, but kyle never was one for a lightsaber, so fair enough, however, I'm seeing a Attack of the clones scene between the jedi and the borg, just running at eachother.

Something I also like is the fact that you made the borg hide rather than just standing and taking it like it doesn't hurt. Keep it up!

[Mikey]

I was a bit put off at first by the Borg doing things reactively, like taking cover or using ranged weaponry, but it certainly made them more of a threat to someone like Katarn. My only technical criticism is that "lin lieu of" is synonymous with "instead of."

This installment doesn't have the tongue-in-cheek humor of the first couple, but that's adequately made up for by some good blow-sh*t-up.

[stitch626]

This would make an awesome movie. Too bad neither party would make it.

[bob]

Ok tried posting this earlyer
i like this just dont have a super agility borgjedi
my suggestion
have a jedi get ass imilated (with a good reason) and they* attempt to purge the nanites



*The assimilated jedi

[Sonic Glitch]

my suggestion
have a jedi get ass imilated

Is that what they call it these days?

[RK_Striker_JK_5]

Nick-Thanks. And yeah, he's more a big guns Jedi than a lightsaber Jedi. And there was no way I could've kept the Borg as drones and have them take Corellia. I'll try.

Mikey-lol, well it is one of the bigger bones of contention with them. More blow-shit-up is coming. Less humor, but still some laughs.

Stitch-Meh, I dunno. I am adequate at conveying this, methinks. But thanks.

Bob-The Borg won't exactly be doing cartwheels, if that's what you mean. As for your suggestion... maybe.

Sonic-I... don't know nor want to know.

Here we go!

*****
One week later
A sleek, compact warship exited warp near Coruscant. It possessed stylings vaguely related to the average Starfleet starship, but there was much about it that was different. The main body resembled a phaser, while the warp nacelles were integrated into the hull itself. The total length of the vessel was 170 meters and had numerous weapon emplacements visible.

The USS Defiant quickly inserted itself into orbit around the city-covered planet next to the Enterprise. On board, Admiral Benjamin Sisko sat in the command chair, fingers folded in front of him as he contemplated the events unfolding. The Borg, who took so much from him, now were back. It didn't sit well with him, no sir.

At helm, Lieutenant Prinn Tenmei turned her head slightly and spoke. "Sir, we're in standard orbit. Captain Picard of the Enterprise is hailing us."

Sisko nodded. "Put it on screen." The viewscreen changed from an image of Coruscant to the bridge of the Enterprise.

Picard stood up from his command chair and walked forward a bit. "Thank you for coming, Admiral. Jedi Master Skywalker has need of a cloaked ship."

He stepped back and allowed a man dressed in black to step forward. He had sandy blond hair and penetrating blue eyes. "Admiral, I need passage to the Corellian System. There's a Jedi there named Kyle Katarn. I don't think I need to tell you what would happen if he's assimilated."

Sisko growled. "No, that wouldn't be a good thing. How long before you can come aboard?"

Luke shrugged. "Give me ten minutes."

Sisko nodded. "I look forward to seeing you. Defiant out." The image changed from the bridge of the Enterprise back to a shot of Coruscant. The admiral leaned back in his chair before speaking. "Lieutenant Bowers, while we're in the Corellian System, try to beam a drone aboard. I want to know what their plans are."

Bowers nodded. "Yes, sir." He leaned forward a bit. "Actually, I'd like to find out how they got here."

The admiral nodded in agreement. "Well, we'll worry about that after we've sent their sorry hides packing."
*****
The Borg hive mind stirred and proceeded to analyze the recent events. A human with unusual abilities was wreaking havoc on Corellia. He would have to be captured and assimilated. Two more outposts, Alpha-21 and Alpha 23, had been conquered, ensuring a secure line from the Corellian System to Borg territory in the Unknown Regions.

Still, there were problems. The United Federation of Planets had become involved. That nation had proven irritating in the past. Somehow, they had resisted assimilation. If they were involved

The Collective quickly made a decision. The Federation would be less effective fighting two wars. A message was sent to the Hub nearest the Beta Quadrant; invade the Romulan Star Empire. The two nations were allies, and the Federation would not be able to ignore a request for aid. And even if they did, the Romulans would be no match for a task force. The Borg would win either way.

At the edge of Borg territory in the Delta Quadrant, over one thousand Borg cubes approached a predetermined point in space. Within seconds, a transwarp conduit twisted opened in a flash of light. One by one, the cubes entered and made their way to the Frontier Regions of the Romulan Star Empire.
*****
USS Defiant
Sisko sat in the mess hall, chewing on some replicated food and grimacing. What I wouldn't give for some Cajun cooking about now! He took another bite, chewed it up and swallowed before speaking. "Sit down, Master Skywalker. The food's not too bad, but a little bland for my taste."

Luke smiled, pulled the chair out, set his tray down and sat down. "Thank you, Admiral."

The tough-looking human waved him off. "Oh, please. Call me Ben."

Luke nodded. "Only if you call me Luke." He hesitated before continuing. "What do you think we'll find at the Corellian System?"

Sisko paused and sighed. "Don't get your hopes up, Luke. The Borg are very efficient at assimilation."

The Jedi Master took a bite out of his sandwich. "The Borg took much from you."

Sisko looked up from his food and grunted. "They killed my wife at Wolf 359 and almost killed my son. Yeah, they 'took much' from me." He straightened up. "The path ahead against them will be difficult. I can see bloodshed on both sides, but there is hope for a resolution that doesn't involve galactic Armageddon."

Luke arched an eyebrow at him. "Is that a vision you're having, Ben?"

The admiral cracked a smile. "I spent about eight months with the Prophets of Bajor. They showed me the true meaning of time."

Luke half-smiled. "Sounds like my sojourn to Dagobah."

Sisko smiled at that. "I'd like to hear about it sometime."

Luke shrugged. "Well, you of all people will know if we'll have time to talk about our training."

Both laughed at that, but before they could continue, the com chimed. "Admiral, we're entering the Corellian System."

Sisko sighed and tapped his combadge. "Thanks, Elias." Both looked down at their half-finished food. "At least it wasn't real Cajun," the admiral remarked.

Luke looked up with an expression of confusion. "What's 'Cajun'?"

Sisko arched an eyebrow at him. "I'll have to cook up a feast for you and your family at Deep Space Nine when this is all over." He then spoke up. "Red alert, all hands to battle stations!"

Klaxons sounded and the lights flashed red. Both Luke and Sisko made their way to the nearest turbolift. Two minutes later, stepped off the turbolift onto the cramped bridge.

"Admiral on the bridge!" Commander Elias Vaughn shouted.

Sisko waved him off as the older human stood up. "What's the situation?" Sisko asked.

Vaughn glanced at the main viewscreen. "We're out of warp and our cloak is holding. The Borg can't detect us."

Sisko sat down while Luke stood beside him. The Jedi Master's face was an expressionless mask. "I feel pain," he said. "Billions cry out for freedom, but their voices eventually grow silent."

A blue-skinned Andorian named Lieutenant Thirishar Zh'thane turned to Luke from the science station. "Master Skywalker, can you tell if this Kyle Katarn is still on Corellia?"

Luke reached out and probed the system, searching for his old friend and former student. "He's on Corellia, but I can't pinpoint where. We'll have to go in closer."

Sisko nodded and spoke. "Lieutenant Tenmei, best possible speed to Corellia."

The petite lieutenant nodded and programmed the course in. "All set, sir."

Sisko smiled grimly. "This is where the fun begins. Engage."

The Defiant moved off and entered the system, weaving around floating hulks and assimilated vessels with relative ease. It eventually slipped into orbit around Corellia.

Luke stood next to Thirishar at the science station and looked over a map of the planet. "He's here," he said, pointing to a spot in the northern hemisphere.

Thirishar-Shar for short- moved his antennae about and detected energy emissions from Luke, emissions that felt eerily similar to ones he had felt from Admiral Sisko. He looked up from his seat and nodded. "There are human life signs there."

Sisko thought for a moment. "Assemble a squad of MACOs for extraction. I want this quick and clean."

Luke nodded. "I'll be in the transporter room."

He walked over to the turbolift, but before he entered, Sisko half-shouted, "May the Force be with you, Luke."

The Jedi Master saluted him before entering.
*****
the turbolift doors slid open and Luke exited, jogging down the corridor before entering the transporter room. The military assault command operatives, or MACOs, were already inside, checking over their equipment and weapons. Each wore a jacket covered in a gray and white camouflage pattern and matching pants. Luke saw the collar of a set of body armor peeking out at the top. Each one also had a belt and bandoleer loaded with weapons and equipment.

One of them turned to Luke. He had mottled green and black skin and was bald, marking him as a Suliban. "Can you use your powers to find your man down there?" he asked. Luke nodded and the Suliban grinned. He then pointed to a weapons locker. "I'd suggest getting at least a gas mask and helmet. You've already got a combadge."

The Jedi Master reached out and levitated a gas mask over to his outstretched hand. He looked back as one of the soldiers inserted a clip into his rifle with a noticeable chink. He walked over to the Bolian. "A slugthrower?" he asked, incredulity lacing his voice.

The blue-skinned humanoid nodded as he checked his weapon. "The Borg don't do well against kinetic energy, at least not their drones. Our phaser rifles, they adapt to. But these? Nope." he held up his rifle for emphasis.

The Suliban walked over. "Wish to be checked out for a rifle?"

Luke shook his head and patted his lightsaber. "I have all I need, thank you."

The Suliban smirked. "Just don't get too fancy on the planet." He then slid a gas mask over his own face and stepped onto the platform. "Admiral, this is Lieutenant Hox. We're ready on this end."

On the bridge, Lieutenant Tenmei maneuvered the Defiant around and close to the aft end of an Endurance-class carrier. "The radiation should shield us from Borg sensors," she said."

Sisko nodded and turned to Bowers at tactical. "Lowering shields and initiating transport," Bowers said.

The Defiant flickered briefly into existence before disappearing again.
*****
Ten beings materialized on the surface of Corellia, right at the edge of Coronet. One of Hox's men, a Bolian, pulled out a tricorder and began scanning. "The air's got a heavy concentration of carbon dioxide and temperatures are several degrees above normal."

Hox nodded and hefted his TR-116 slugthrower rifle. "Which way?" he asked.

Luke concentrated for a moment, blocking out the voices in his head. "Kyle is that way," he said, pointing to a building at the outskirts of the city.

Hox nodded and motioned to the soldiers under his command. "Richardson, take point. The rest of you, fall in behind and keep alert."

The MACOs moved off in a loose formation with Luke at point. The Jedi Master shook his head at the transformation of the capital from a bustling metropolis into a virtual tomb. Borg drones moved about in silence, only pausing on occasion to plug themselves into one of the innumerable alcove lining the street.

"Why aren't they attacking us?" Luke asked.

Richardson shrugged. "They don't see us as a threat."

They approached the building but were surprised when a human ran out the front door. He too wore a gas mask and was heavily armed. "Luke, am I glad to see you!" Kyle shouted. The two men shook hands, but stopped as their danger sense tingled, sending shivers down their spines.

Across the street, several Borg drones detached themselves from their alcoves and began marching over to the MACO's position, disruptors at the ready. Hox tapped his combadge. "Defiant, we need extraction, now!" He then raised his rifle, aimed and fired off a round. A buzz saw of transuranic rounds hit one of the drones, slicing through its armor and sending it crashing to the pavement in a bloody heap.

The rest of the MACOs readied their weapons and took cover while the Borg advanced. Silvery disruptor bolts leapt from their weapons while the MACOs returned fire with their TR-116's. Over a dozen Borg drones were killed in the first minute, but many more took their place.

Luke, meanwhile, ignited his lightsaber and leapt into a mass of Borg. His emerald blade sliced right through Borg armor. Two Borg attacked him from behind, but he simply telekinetically shoved them back almost ten meters and into a duracrete wall. He then leaned back-just missing a pair of assimilation tubules. He brought his lightsaber up, slicing through the Borg's prosthetic arm.

Kyle, meanwhile, was emptying his bryar blaster into another group of Borg. It was taking more and more round to penetrate the Borg shielding, and he was growing frustrated. "I'm really starting to dislike these Borg," he growled.

Hox, who was kneeling beside him, smiled briefly beneath his mask. "I'll tell you about the Battle of Typhon Sector later. My brother died there."

Hox's combadge chirped and Bowers' voice came through. "Lieutenant, we're ready to beam you up."

Hox breathed a sigh of relief. "Thanks, Bowers." He shouted to Luke while the Jedi Master telekinetically shoved another dozen Borg into a wall. "Luke, grab that drone you injured and get back here!"

Luke nodded and scooped up the fallen drone. He noted a pale green eye and a small scar on his right cheek before running back to the MACOs. His lightsaber twirled behind him, deflecting several disruptor bolts back to the Borg. "Ready?"

Hox stood up along with the rest of his team. "Energize!"
*****
The 'Northern' Romulan Border
The patrol ship Decius glided along near System Aleph-21, sensors tuned and weapons at the ready. Subcommander Triol piloted the ship along, his eyelids weighed down with fatigue and boredom.

The door behind him slid open and a heavily scarred Romulan walked in. "Anything?" he asked.

Triol shook his head. "Nothing, sir."

Admiral Xelut Jarok, cousin to the infamous Alidar Jarok, paced back and forth a bit. There were rumors that he was assigned to this place because of his cousin's treasonous actions, but in reality, Xelut wanted to come here, the Romulan territories nearest to the Delta Quadrant.

The admiral was the only survivor of the destruction of several outposts along the Neutral Zone in 2364. After learning who did it and where they came from, Xelut lobbied to get assigned to this region of the Empire. He had molded the border force into a competent team, able to deal with smugglers and the occasional conflict with alien races not yet conquered.

Then Shinzon came along, And all that Xelut had worked for was destroyed. The regions neighboring Delta Quadrant were placed on lower priority while the regions closer to the Federation and Klingon Empire gained even more importance. Xelut knew that the Borg would attack someday, and he wanted to be ready for it.

A low beeping interrupted the admiral's thoughts. "Sir, we have contact," Triol reported.

Xelut walked over and glanced at the sensor readings. A low gasp escaped his lips as his green blood turned to ice. "By my father's blood," he breathed.

Triol looked up at him. "It's the Borg, isn't it."

Xelut nodded and leaned forward. His hands danced over Triol's console. "Send a message to Romulus, priority one. The Borg are-"

Borg cubes dropped out of transwarp, suddenly appearing in front of the Decius and surrounding Xelut's cruiser. Multiple tractor beams shot out, lathing onto the shields and draining them quickly.

Xelut pulled out his disruptor, a wild look in his good eye. "Come and take me, you hell-spawned freaks! We go to hell together!"

Drones began materializing on the bridge. One of them grabbed Triol and hauled him to his feet while injecting him with nanoprobes. Xelut fired, blowing a hole in both the drone and Triol. Before he could react, one of the other drones ran forward and stabbed him in the face with assimilation tubules. Xelut shot him, then fumbled with the disruptor before pulling the trigger on himself
*****
Elsewhere.
Borg ships attacked the sparsely populated outer regions of the Romulan Star Empire, conquering them with relative ease. Only one ship was a witness to the carnage.

The USS Titan, a Luna-class explorer, monitored the Borg's deprivations with their advanced long-range sensors. Captain William T. Riker paced about on the bridge, his first officer Christine Vale looking at him with a bit of nervousness. "Sir, there's nothing we can do. It's a thousand cubes!"

Riker turned to her. "It doesn't make it any easier." He sat back down and turned to the ship's counselor and diplomatic officer, Commander Deanna Riker. "Are you all right?" he asked, a tone of concern on his voice for his imzadi.

Deanna stood up and stared at the viewscreen, her black eyes seeing beyond the three-dimensional image. "There's life out there," she said. Her head tilted down and her eyes focused on the navigation station. "Captain, I recommend we change course. I feel something coming."

Riker nodded. "It's your call."

The councilor nodded her thanks before walking over and standing beside Lieutenant Aili Lavena. She waited for the Selkie to nod her assent before she reached out, inputting coordinates that appeared in her mind. "There."

Aili looked them over. "Near the edge of the Neutral Zone. If the Borg cross over, we'd be dead."

"I know, Deanna responded. "But there's something there, Aili. Something we need to find."

The Selkie conn officer nodded as her gloved fingers danced across the control console. "Aye, sir. Course laid in."

"Engage," Riker said. He turned and faced the ship's tactical officer. "Mister Tuvok, open a channel with Starfleet Command."

The dark-skinned Vulcan nodded. "Channel open, sir. However, it will be ten minutes before they receive it."

The captain nodded. "Thank you." He cleared his throat and began. "Starfleet Command, this is Captain William Riker of the USS Titan. The Borg have begun an all out invasion of the Romulan Star Empire with one thousand cubes. In the past twelve hours, over a hundred systems have fallen and they are driving deep into Romulan territory." He thought for a moment. "Make sure to attach all sensor data in the transmission."

Tuvok nodded. "Transmission complete," he said a moment later.

Vale let out a sigh. "Now comes the fun part; waiting for a reply."

Deanna shrugged. "We must have patience, Christine. If we rush ahead, mistakes are made. And we have a date with destiny to attend to."
*****
Two hours later
The Titan approached an empty area of space, dropping out of warp. No star systems, nebulae, asteroid belts or even stray comets marred the empty void. The Luna-class ship sailed through on impulse, sensors detecting nothing.

Riker sat in his command chair and turned to his wife. "Let me guess, cloaking devices?"

Deanna nodded. "They're out there. Invisible to sensors, but naked to the Force. Open a channel, Tuvok."

Tuvok's deft hands moved across his console. "Channel open, although I do not know if they are receiving us."

"Oh, they are," Deanna said. She stood and walked forward a bit. "Romluan task force, this is Commander Deanna Troi-Riker of the USS Titan, and Jedi Knight. I know you're out there. Decloak so we can talk."

The viewscreen quickly changed from a shot of empty space to one filled as Romulan vessels began shimmering into existence, each one wavering slightly as the cloaking devices were powered down, allowing sensors and eyes to see them. They loomed over the science vessel, the smallest one in size equal to the Titan. The largest five D'Deridex-class warbirds.

Deanna glanced at the main viewscreen and reached out with the Force. A sigh of relief escaped her lips. "They're scared, tired and angry, but not assimilated." Her eyes narrowed and her lips twitched. "And an 'old friend' is in command." She crossed her arms. "We must be cautious."

Tuvok's right eyebrow twitched. "Captain, Consular Tomalak is hailing us."

Riker's' jaw worked a bit. "So, he escaped? I wonder if the praetor did as well. Onscreen, Lieutenant."

A rather grimy and blood-stained Romulan appeared on the viewscreen. "Hello, Captain Riker," Tomalak said, a hint of arrogance still playing through his voice. He paused for a moment. "Well, aren't you going to gloat about the destruction of the Empire?"

Christine Vale shook his head. "I'm sorry for your losses, Consular. The Federation grieves with you."

Riker spoke up. "Tomalak, how many people survived the invasion? What about the rest of the government?"

The consular scoffed. "I am the government, Captain. He made a sweeping motion with his right arm. "All that you see is all that is left of us. They were that thorough."

Riker nodded. "Well, we can take you in and give you shelter."

Tomalak smirked at that. "Ah, no. The freighters hold refugees and can go, but the warbirds stay and fight." His expression hardened. "The Klingons call us green-blooded cowards and think we are beneath Ferengi. Well, the Empire may be dead, but we shall not go to the underworld without one final blaze of glory."

Riker smiled at that. "Very well, Consular. We'll send your freighters to a starbase."He paused. "I hope you won't mind eventually working with Klingons."

Tomalak chuckled. "My dear admiral, I don't expect to survive the battle. Just keep those hairy animals out of our way and we'll be fine." The screen changed to a shot of Tomalak's flagship.

Ross turned to Tuvok. "Contact Starbase 15. Let them know they'll be receiving refugees."

Several of the smaller and more dilapidated ships warped out, their nacelles flashing. The remainder of Tomalak's fleet formed up, with Titan at the spearpoint.
*****

Please read and review.

[Mikey]

Well played, once again, my friend.

BTW - this may seem like a trifle, but...

Hooray for communications NOT magically being real-time feeds over hundreds of light year!

[Nickswitz]

Wow, very good, thats a lot of D'Deridex... haha. But yes, I like the delayed comm signals.

As well as that, I wonder if the borg would adapt to either force powers, or the lightsaber.

But I like it, keep it up.

[Vic]

Oooooh, a last stand, I'm all shivery inside! Once more into the breach, gallant 600, last stand at the hot gates, damn the torpedos!

[Mark]

Wow, very good, thats a lot of D'Deridex... haha. But yes, I like the delayed comm signals.

As well as that, I wonder if the borg would adapt to either force powers, or the lightsaber.

But I like it, keep it up.

I doubt they'd adapt to the force, unless they assimilate a Jedi AND the nanoprobes can overcome the midochlorians.

But I wondered the same thing about the lightsaber, since it IS basically an energy weapon, albiet concentrated. But I suppose you could install a remodulater as well. Maybe have the blade flash threw the color spectrum while its in "Borg-fighting" mode.

Now that I think about it, I wonder if you could install a "stun" setting on a lightsaber, hmmmmmmm

[stitch626]

Maybe have the blade flash threw the color spectrum while its in "Borg-fighting" mode.

Future replacement of the disco ball?

[Mikey]

Now that I think about it, I wonder if you could install a "stun" setting on a lightsaber, hmmmmmmm

They already have stun settings. Most people would be quite stunned to have a limb quickly and violently severed.

[RK_Striker_JK_5]

For the record, there is a 'training mode' for lightsabers, where it hurts when it touches you but won't penetrate. Also, midi-chlorians don't exist here. I personally hate the concept.

New post and proper responses Sunday night. Thanks, everyone.