Victorious

ryan218

Author Notes: Before I get started, this fan-fic will be added to in a sort of pseudo-episodic fashion. What that means is that I will make a story arc of a few chapters and move on to a new one afterwards.

Victorious

‘Per sidera, victoriae.’
‘Through the stars, victory.’

>LCARS ONLINE

>ACCESSING STARFLEET CORPS OF ENGINEERS DATABASE

>ACCESSING FLEET RECORDS: U.S.S. VICTORIOUS NCC-55738

---

NAME: United Star Ship Victorious
CLASS: Ambassador-Class Heavy Cruiser
ORDERED: Stardate 20816
CONSTRUCTION: Earth Station McKinley
LAID DOWN: Stardate 21192
LAUNCHED: Stardate 21805
COMMISSIONED: Stardate 21826
DECOMMISSIONED: Stardate 59702
REFIT: Stardate 27029, Stardate 31303, Stardate 35618, Stardate 42792, Stardate 45910, Stardate 48911, Stardate 51574, Stardate 52670, Stardate 56708
REGISTRATION: NCC-45738
FATE: Museum Vessel/Mothballed (Alpha Centauri Fleet Yard)

---

>EDITING PROTOCOLS REQUESTED – AUTHORISATION CODES REQUIRED
>AUTHORISATION CODES CONFIRMED – ADMIRAL RICHARD STERNBACH
>CONFIRM ADDITIONS :

NAME: United Star Ship Victorious
CLASS: Ambassador-Class Heavy Cruiser, Ambassador-Class Support Cruiser (Stardate 91992~)
ORDERED: Stardate 20816
CONSTRUCTION: Earth Station McKinley
LAID DOWN: Stardate 21192
LAUNCHED: Stardate 21805
COMMISSIONED: Stardate 21826 (Re-Commissioned Stardate 91992)
DECOMMISSIONED: Stardate 59702
REFIT: Stardate 27029, Stardate 31303, Stardate 35618, Stardate 42792, Stardate 45910, Stardate 48911, Stardate 51574, Stardate 52670, Stardate 56708, Stardate 91735
REGISTRATION: NCC-45738, NCC-110738 (Stardate 91992~)
FATE: Active Service

>CONFIRM ALTERATIONS?
>ALTERATIONS CONFIRMED

---

NAME: United Star Ship Victorious
CLASS: Ambassador-Class Heavy Cruiser, Ambassador-Class Support Cruiser (Stardate 91992~)
ORDERED: Stardate 20816
CONSTRUCTION: Earth Station McKinley
LAID DOWN: Stardate 21192
LAUNCHED: Stardate 21805
COMMISSIONED: Stardate 21826 (Re-Commissioned Stardate 91992)
DECOMMISSIONED: Stardate 59702
REFIT: Stardate 27029, Stardate 31303, Stardate 35618, Stardate 42792, Stardate 45910, Stardate 48911, Stardate 51574, Stardate 52670, Stardate 56708, Stardate 91735
REGISTRATION: NCC-45738, NCC-110738 (Stardate 91992~)
FATE: Active Service

>REQUEST COMPLETED
>LCARS ENTERING STAND-BY MODE...

****

Author Notes: Consider this a small piece of background until I get my first plot ready. If you'd like a service history for the Victorious, I can make a thread for it. I'll also make a thread containing all my fan-fics so they can be easily located, as well as in the Ten Forward Fanfic Page.

For all the pre-STO stardates, I used the TrekGuide.com TNG Stardate calculator.

ryan218

Facility 4028, Stardate 52132.3.

There is a large gathering of security personnel in the Main Shuttlebay of Facility 4028 as a Danube-Class Runabout lands inside. The security officers are all carrying Type 3 Phaser Rifles - and with good reason. Even dismantled, their latest prisoner is extremely dangerous.

The hatch of the runabout opens as Andorian Warden Ja'kel Kran steps forward to meet the now-embarking Captain Bruce Maddox. The Andorian gives the Captain a curt nod, which Maddox returns, before gesturing to the sealed duridium canister in Maddox's hand.

"Is that him?" There's more than a hint of apprehension in his voice.

"Yes, Warden," Maddox replies in his usual professional tone. The Dominion War has done some to moderate his overconfidence, as he hands the canister over, finishing with a brief but sufficiently clear introduction, "Lore."

Earth, McKinley Station. Stardate: 87186.6.

Within the arms of Earth's unique drydock structure, famous for servicing iconic mid-24th Century vessels such as the Ambassador-Class and the Galaxy-Class, as well as being the place of construction for the U.S.S. Enterprise-C.

Now, there was a familiar site to the more veteran members of the Starfleet Corps of Engineers - a vessel they'd decommissioned in the 2380s; The Ambassador-Class U.S.S. Victorious, now recommissioned as NCC-97038.

Following the incident in the Delta Volanus Cluster, the Exeter-Class U.S.S. Victorious has been scrapped in favour of using the materials for the newer Tempest-, Dyson- and Hood-Class Starships. However, with the Klingon-Federation War still raging and the tensions along the Romulan Border, Starfleet has opted to recommission several older vessels and retrofit them, as many of the Dominion-War era Starships are still viable - the U.S.S. Victorious had been fitted with state-of-the-art tactical systems when it was retired in the 2380s.

The Victorious has been under retrofit to bring it up to modern standard for 6 months, designated only by its original registry number.

It is now upgraded with Grade VI Tactical Systems and fitted with a new warp drive capable of Warp 9.3. It is also fitted with Emission-Seeking torpedo modules, a Photonic Displacement System, a Point Defence module and a Red Matter Capacitor, as well as other systems.

And it's all his.

Ryan looks out the cockpit window of the Starfleet Yellowstone-Class Runabout, with Alpha sitting in the seat to his left. Ryan had actually worked on the U.S.S. Republic during its refit on his Sophomore Year at Starfleet Academy. He'd originally wanted to serve in the SCE, but changed to Starfleet Command after the destruction of the U.S.S. Horizon several years ago. He enjoyed his time working on the Republic's Warp Engines, and he can't wait to get his hands on the Victorious.

The name holds sentimental value to him - and not just because of his last two ships. One of his ancestors had served on the Royal Navy's HMS Victorious (R-38) during Earth's Cold War, and it was something of a badge of family pride to command its namesake.

Unfortunately, he won't get time to take her out for a shakedown cruise. Starfleet Command has issued him with orders to head for Facility 4028 following an attack, with further information upon arrival. He hates being kept in the dark - the Facility itself is barely at his clearance level. He can't even get records on the prisoners held there - they're all classified.

"Okay, go over our orders again, Alpha."

"We are to proceed at best warp factor for Facility 4028, to receive further instruction upon arrival."

"Is that it?"

"Yes, sir."

Ryan lets out a sigh as he catches a sight of the third gold pip on his uniform. He's also been given a promotion for his actions in the Delta Volanus affair. Alpha is wearing a similar uniform, but with gold trim instead of red, and two gold pips followed by a black pip to signify his rank as Lieutenant Commander.

Ryan's also been given his choice of an extra 2 Bridge Officers - a First Officer and a Security or Tactical Officer. He values Alpha at Ops more than in the XO's chair, which is the only reason he wasn't being given the position. As for Tala - Ryan feels she lacks the experience, and, again, he values her judgement at the tactical and security stations.

But, he has to choose someone to replace Alpha as his First Officer, and he has to pick a dedicated Tactical Officer, instead of splitting Tala between tactical and security.

"Now on final approach, Captain." Alpha announces next to him as the Runabout lines up for approach to the Victorious' Main Shuttlebay.

"Thank you, Alpha." Ryan opens a comm channel to the Victorious, "U.S.S. Victorious, this is U.S.S. Orwell, requesting landing clearance."

"Clearance granted, Orwell. You may land at your discretion." Ryan smiles as he recognises the voice from the Victorious' Flight Operations station, before closing the channel.

"Sounds like Liz is getting settled in nicely."

"Lieutenant Dannover does indeed seem to be making herself acquainted with the ship, sir." Alpha replies in his usual monotone manner, invoking a grin from Ryan.

"Take us in."

The Runabout slowly lands in the rather cramped Main Shuttlebay, which is littered with Sphynx Workpods and Worker Bees, as well as cargo containers. As Ryan steps off the Orwell with Alpha, he looks around, letting out a frustrated sigh. "We're supposed to leave in 2 hours! Alpha, head to the bridge and get me the Station Quartermaster - we need to get this shuttlebay clear before we depart."

"Aye, sir." Alpha then turns to him, a curious expression on his pale face. "Sir, is it not customary for new crew members to request the permission of a vessel's Commanding Officer before embarking?"

"You're absolutely right, Alpha. That's very unprofessional of me." Ryan then looks around for anyone who may be considered the refit overseer, as Dannover walks over from Flight Control. She nods to the two senior officers before dispensing them a PADD.

"I relieved the Refit Supervisor when I came on board, Commander." Dannover gives the two a small smirk. She might as well savour this moment while it's here.

Ryan could clearly see the expectancy in Dannover's eyes, before respectfully obliging. "I see. Permission to come aboard, Lieutenant?"

"Permission granted." Dannover puts her thumbprint on the PADD before handing it back to Ryan, who does the same. "Computer, transfer all command codes to Commander Ryan Allington."

"Command Code transfer complete." The computer rings out from the speakers before Ryan hands the PADD back.

"I relieve you, Lieutenant."

"I stand relieved."

The three start walking out of the shuttlebay and into the corridor, where work teams are still fitting systems to the ship via the corridor access panels. Ryan gestures to the series of messes the trio come across, before asking in an exasperated fashion, "What's going on, Dannover? We're due for departure in 2 hours."

"With respect, sir," Dannover starts, "the Victorious is undergoing a retrofit so extensive they had to stop work on the U.S.S. Odyssey's refit to complete it. The amount of work we're doing right now should take another 2 weeks, let alone 2 hours!"

"How much notice did Starfleet give you of our departure?"

"I was told 6 hours ago, that I had to; get fuel from McKinley Station for the Fusion Reactors, perform a full safety check of the antimatter containment units, prepare the warp core for active service, complete re-installation of the Navigational Deflector Dish--"

"I get the picture..." Ryan delicately interrupts her.

"All while having to deal with the SCE and your new First Officer looking over my shoulder."

"Wait a minute..." Ryan stops the group just outside the turbolift, before summoning it and continuing "I haven't chosen a First Officer yet."

The turbolift arrives and the group step inside as the doors hiss closed. "Take it up with Commander Carter. Main Bridge."

Upon arrival on the Bridge, which is in just as bad a state as the corridors, the trio step off the turbolift and walk over to the auxiliary stations.

"Captain on the Bridge." Tala nods to the group as she spots them, and Ryan sees a Command-Branch Lieutenant Commander stand from the Command Chair, before snapping to attention.

"Commander Allington." The Lieutenant Commander was clearly disciplined and respectful to authority.

Ryan gestured has hand downwards in a calmly manner, "At ease, commander...?"

"Lieutenant Commander Michael Carter, sir." Carter quickly loosens his posture, before climbing up the small step between the Command Area and the aft stations, walking over to Ryan and holding out a hand, which Ryan quickly accepts. "It's an honour to sere with you, sir."

"The honour is mine, commander. But, if you'll forgive me for being blunt, I never submitted a request for a new First Officer. I'm still making my decision."

"Yes, sir, I'm aware of that. However, Admiral Maddox at Starfleet Cybernetics... advised... that you should not leave without a FIrst Officer, and I had already been assigned as an advisor to the mission, so for the duration, I will be serving as First Officer."

Ryan turns to Dannover, confused, "But you said you took command."

Carter was quick to clarify, "I declined to relieve her, sir. My orders were to report to you and take my posting."

"Very well. Commander, may I speak to you in my Ready Room?"

Without waiting for a response, Ryan starts walking towards the Ready Room, with Carter following.

The Ready Room is bigger than on the last Victorious, though most of the furniture hasn't been installed yet. There is, however, a desk with a portable computer terminal on top with a seat on either side. Ryan forgoes sitting at the desk, instead choosing to stand as he turns to Carter, waiting for the door to close behind them. "Firstly, I would have like to have been informed that you had been assigned here prior to my arrival."

"I understand, sir. However, I was told Admiral Maddox would take care of it."

"Of course you were...," Ryan sighs, gesturing to a chair for Carter to be seated, as he himself steps behind the desk and takes his seat, before continuing, "Well, you clearly know more about our mission than I do. What can you tell me?"

"At 0300 hours this morning, Facility 4028 sent out a general distress call, saying they had been attacked." Carter takes his seat, clasping his hands together.

"True Way? Klingons?"

"I wasn't informed. However, Starfleet hasn't performed the same level of mass redeployment they usually do in such events."

"Alright. What about Admiral Maddox? How does Starfleet Cybernetics fit into all this?"

"The attackers stole one of the inmates."

"Did I hear that right? They 'stole' an inmate?"

"In this event, it's the correct verb. They seized the memory engrams of one of Dr Noonien Soong's original Androids - Lore."

"I've heard of him. He collaborated with the Crystalline Entity in an effort to destroy the world on which he was created. He deactivated then-Lieutenant Commander Data and took his place aboard the U.S.S. Enterprise-D before he was stopped. He was also complacent in the death of Dr Soong and took charge of a splinter colony of Borg Drones. He was eventually permanently deactivated and his body was placed in storage at the Daystrom Institute."

"All true. However, after the Breen attack on Starfleet Command during the Dominion War, Starfleet Security had Lore fully dismantled with his components being sent to different facilities across the Federation. His memory engrams were sent to Facility 4028 and placed in maximum confinement."

"And now someone has stolen the engrams?"

"Yes, sir."

"Why?"

"We don't know. That's part of the reason we're being bought in. To discover who is behind the theft and take them into custody, by any means necessary."

Ryan looks up at that.

"Lore is considered an extreme threat to Federation security - especially with the war with the Klingons."

Captain's Log, Stardate: 87187.3. Commander Ryan Allington, U.S.S. Victorious, Ambassador-Class Support Cruiser.

The U.S.S. Victorious is now underway, though hardly fully prepared, for Facility 4028. We're still not sure on who it is that has seized Lore's memory engrams, or what their intentions are. We're proceeding at Condition Yellow, and I have convened the Senior Staff to discuss the situation.

End of Log.

The senior staff are convened in the Observation Lounge situated behind the Main Bridge, the yellow lighting from the alert stripes along the wall adding to the professional atmosphere in the room, reiterating the threat their current situation poses.

Carter is stood at the opposite end of the conference table, showing the list of incidents involving Lore throughout the 2360s as well as a profile on Dr Soong and a profile on the three original Soong-Type Androids; B4, Lore and Data. Carter has been talking for 5 minutes on Lore specifically, especially his profile.

"Lore is known to be resentful of humanity due to his experience on the colony where he was created. He's considered mentally unstable, arrogant, and malevolent." Carter continues, "He's the single biggest mass murderer in the Federation's history."

"He's also effectively lobotomised." Ryan retorts, pointing out the fact that he's not much of a threat without a body.

"He's more dangerous than you think, Captain. The principle reason Lore was captured at all is because his use of an emotion chip designed for then-Lieutenant Commander Data resulted in an overload of his positronic net. Otherwise, it is very likely he would have escaped.

"Now, there are many systems in Federation facilities and starships which use positronic technology, some of which can cripple a starship on a whim."

"The exo-comps."

Carter nods affirmatively, also gesturing to Alpha, "Or our Operations Officer.

"Worse, Lore could be uploaded to the Computer Core at Memory Alpha or the U.S.S. Daystrom. Both are positronic and have access to a great deal of information relating to Starfleet Security and Intelligence."

Alpha speaks up, "Starfleet Communications has also considered using a system of positronic transceivers and computer hubs to speed up information analysis and transmission from our surveillance networks, detection grids and listening posts."

"Exactly, Alpha." Carter takes over, "If Lore's memory engrams fell into the hands of the Klingons, or the Romulans, it could dramatically reshape the balance of power - against the Federation."

"So Starfleet wants the engrams found and secured." Ryan nods in understanding, before he continues, "Alright, how do we do that?"

"First, we need to find out who stole the engrams, then try and figure out where they would take them. Starfleet has already ordered increased starship presence at the facilities where Lore's other components are being held, but we don't know for sure if the perpetrators are aiming to reassemble him or crack the secret to positronic networking, like we have."

"Not precisely, Commander," Alpha speaks up again, "I was created on Stardate: 61685.7 by Captain Bruce Maddox and Captain Data at the Daystrom Institute, based on Captain Data's assistance."

Ryan perks up again, looking at Carter, "Bruce Maddox? As in Admiral Maddox?"

Carter nods, "He was the Starfleet Officer responsible for Lore's incarceration. He personally conducted the transfer of Lore's memory engrams to Facility 4028 40 years ago. He's also the Federation's leading expert in positronic cybernetics."

Ryan dwells on this as the hum of the warp engines drop and the vessel slows to sub-light speeds, before a voice erupts over the comm. "Bridge to Captain Allington. We have arrived at Facility 4028."

1 hour later, Facility 4028.

Lieutenant Commander Marilla 'Daya' Saph was inside the Maximum Security Vault, where Lore's engrams were held, kneeling on the floor with a tricorder. The U.S.S. Darwin had been in the area when the distress call went out and was the first vessel on the scene. The room is mostly pristine, save for the doors being warped and sheared, as if something had ripped through them. The second she saw it - and the lack of alien DNA or any non-Federation warp signatures leaving the facility, she knew who was responsible.

The small sample of epidermal cells she was scanning was just confirmation.

"Gotcha..."

"Got who?" Daya stands up quickly in surprise, seeing Ryan standing in the doorway, grinning at her mischievously, satisfied with his entrance.

"Mature." Daya was being about as obviously sarcastic as you could get while still maintaining a remotely professional demeanour - not that she needed one around him.

Ryan smiles at her before gesturing to the spot she'd been kneeling at, "So, what you got?"

Daya smiles in courtesy before stepping over to him and showing him the tricorder readings. "Whoever attacked this place had a human's genetic code."

Ryan looks at the warped blast doors in confusion, "Daya, a human could not have done that."

"They could if...," she shows him an abnormality in the genetic code, which Ryan instantly recognises from the B'vat Affair, "They were augments."

Ryan stays silent for a moment. The atrocities he'd seen in B'vat's lab had chilled him to the bone. What was worse was that it was a human who was responsible. A mentally unstable human, but a human nonetheless.

"There's more," Daya says, "I don't think they left."

Ryan looks at her, concerned, before remembering what Carter had said during the briefing. Alpha. The Victorious had docked with the facility because the transporters weren't fully online yet.

Meanwhile, Docking Bay 2. A Photonic Security Guard is flickering in and out at the threshold to the Victorious' Airlock - the security systems were damaged in the attack. A team of Starfleet Maintenance Engineers walk over to the Airlock, showing the security officer a PADD with security authorisation. The damage means that the security officer cannot make a more secure verification, and the team is admitted on board.

Within minutes, the team enters the Computer Core, with one of them tapping her combadge, "Computer Core Room to Commander Alpha."

Alpha is quick to respond, "Alpha here."

"Sir, we're having a series of malfunctions here. Could you come and check it out?"

"I am en route. Alpha out."

The engineer nods to her team, one of whom disconnects the internal sensors as the others pull out their phasers.

"Hey, what are you--?!" The engineers on duty don't get a chance to react before phaser blasts pelt them in the chests.

"Kaliver, take the door." The attackers' leader signals for the others to get the bodies out of sight.

Within minutes, Alpha walks into the room, looking around curiously. "Where is the supervising officer?"

The team leader smiles, gesturing for Alpha to move over to the interface console. "I don't know, sir." As Alpha stands beside her next to the console, a member of her team quickly seals the Core Room doors. "We've been getting intermittent memory faults."

"I do not see any indications of such an anomaly." Alpha states, confused.

"It's right...," the team leader reaches towards Alpha's side, "there!" She quickly pushes into the space where Alpha's ribs would be, triggering his manual shutdown as he falls to the deck, like a puppet with his strings cut. She then picks him up and pulls him into the seat. "Get the engrams."

Meanwhile, Ryan and Daya are boarding the Victorious, being met by Carter in the corridor. "Welcome aboard, Captain."

"Thank you, Carter. What's our status?"

The Airlock suddenly seals behind them as the ship's red alert klaxon sounds. They feel the deck shake as the docking clamps disconnect.

"What the hell?!" All three of them yell out in shock as the ship swings away from the station and to high warp.

Meanwhile, in Engineering, Dannover is running around like a lunatic trying to restore helm control. "Delvientos, activate the antimatter cut-off!"

"I've already tried!" A voice shouts down to her from the upper catwalk, "She's not responding! The computer's locked us out!"

Dannover mutters a curse, before grabbing an engineering kit and shouting to a damage control team, "With me! Engineering to Bridge! Have a security team meet me at the Main Computer Core!"

On the Bridge, Ryan, Daya and Carter step off the turbolift to see stars rapidly streaking by on the viewscreen. Ryan and Carter quickly move to take their respective seats, with Ryan quickly taking charge, "Report!"

"We're at warp nine and accelerating, Captain!" There's a young ensign at the helm, with an auxiliary officer at Ops.

"Where's Lieutenant Commander Alpha?"

"He went to the Main Computer Core to handle a series of malfunctions they were reporting."

"Great, just great! Computer, initiate warp core shutdown! Authorisation: Allington Alpha-Two-Four-Lima-Foxtrot!"

"Unable to comply." The computer announces, "Command Functions are not authorised from your current location."

"Explain!" There's a growing sense of impatience in Ryan's voice.

"All command functions have been rerouted to the Main Computer Core."

Ryan narrows his eyes as he sees the ship continue to accelerate, Daya looking at him, seeing the frustration and helplessness in his eyes as he simply mutters, "They have my ship."

Suddenly, the viewscreen switches to an image of the Main Computer Core room, with Alpha being the focus, his head looking down.

Ryan's expression changes to confusion, "Alpha?"

Alpha raises his head, his expression being dominated by a menacing smirk, his tone malevolent, "Hello, Captain. I am Lore."

To be continued.

ryan218

Previously on Star Trek: Victorious: (Part One)

And now the conclusion.

Ryan stares in disbelief at the pale, granite-white face on the viewscreen, as the owner of that face; Alpha-- Lore, continues to smirk menacingly, "Surprised, Captain?" The malevolent tone's still there, as Ryan regains his composure.

"What have you done to my Officer, Lore?" His tone is adamant, even confrontational.

But Lore just smirks even more, sending a chill down Ryan's spine, "He's right here..." He holds up a small cylindrical container - the same one his own memory engrams were stored inside. "Well... most of him, anyway. Certain portions of his memory engrams are proving... useful. For example, Captain, I know about a certain... tragedy... involving a Starfleet Medical ship."

Ryan tries to keep his anger under control, letting out an aggressive tone in his response, "What do you want, Lore?"

"I have everything I want from you, Captain. Just... sit back and enjoy the ride."

"Lore--!" The channel is terminated, as Ryan looks around the bridge at the stunned crew, before turning to Carter directly. "Is there anyway we can reason with him?"

Carter shakes his head, "Lore's a sociopathic megalomaniac. Once he sets his mind to a task, he can't be stopped peacefully."

"There has to be a way."

"Admiral Maddox might know, but contacting him without Lore hearing is going to be difficult."

"Not necessarily..."

Captain's Log, Stardate: 87187.5. Commander Ryan Allington, U.S.S. Victorious, Ambassador-Class Support Cruiser.

They have my ship. The augments who attacked Facility 4028 have now taken control of the Victorious' Main Computer Core and captured my Operations Officer. Now, Lieutenant Commander Alpha has been hijacked by the memory and personality engrams of the Android Lore. I have few paths of action, which are growing fewer every passing minute. Without understanding what Lore is after, and with no obvious way to reason with him, my only option is to try and get a distress signal out undetected.

End of Log

***

Ryan walks into the Shuttlebay with Dannover, walking over to the Yellowstone-Class Runabout, U.S.S. Orwell, before entering.

As the step into the cockpit, Ryan heads over to the Helm while Dannover pulls open a panel in the floor.

"Are you sure you can keep Lore from picking us up?" Ryan starts preparing a channel to Starfleet Headquarters.

"He won't have control over the runabouts' communications systems yet. If he's restricted to the Main Computer, he'll only know about a communication from the Victorious through the computer access." Dannover is using a hyperspanner on one of the Bio-neural gel packs.

"But if he has control of the sensors, he could pick up the subspace carrier wave."

"Not... any... more!" She yanks out a large cylindrical component as Ryan turns in the chair.

"Is that...?"

"The subspace interference filter? Yeah."

"That's genius."

"I'm not finished yet..." She turns back to the gel pack and takes out a data shunt. "For the record, I want a commendation for this..."

"What are you doing?"

"Well..." Dannover jabs a hypospray into her arm, "the signal won't be allowed to pass between the subspace relays without a filter, and we need to make sure Lore can't pick up the shuttle's filter harmonics, so...," she then plugs the shunt into her cortical interlink implant.

"Are you sure? The last time you did something like this, it made it harder for you to keep the Collective out of your head."

"Yeah... but the alternative is letting Lore keep the ship, and I somehow doubt he's going to let us live to see his plan." She pokes a small implement into a tiny slot in the implant, cringing as they both hear a high-pitched hum from the implant.

Ryan turns back to the console, turning his head slightly to make sure she's okay, before opening a channel to Starfleet Headquarters, "This is U.S.S. Victorious calling Starfleet Command! Authorisation Code: Allington Alpha-Two-Four-Lima-Foxtrot! Please respond!"

It doesn't take long, as a starfleet commander soon appears on the viewscreen, "We read you, Victorious. What's your situation?"

"We've been hijacked by a group of augments, numbers unknown, led by the android Lore. All command functions have been rerouted to their location and we have no knowledge of his intentions. Requesting to speak with Admiral Bruce Maddox at Starfleet Cybernetics."

"Stand by."

Ryan waits for a minute before the screen changes to that of the ageing Admiral Bruce Maddox - the leading expert on the work of Dr Soong. The Admiral already has a grave look as he reads the report he just received from the Commander at Starfleet Communications. "Commander, I just read the report. Tell me what your situation is."

Ryan nods before speaking, "Lore has fortified himself in the Main Computer Core with a group of augments. He transferred all the command functions to his location and locked us out of the computer. We're travelling at warp speed on a bearing of 232 mark 12.

"Admiral, I was hoping you could help me to... reason with him."

"I'm sorry, Commander, but there is no reasoning with Lore. Right now, Lore is in control of the situation - he feels like he has all the power, which means he expects you to play his game. You have one advantage; Lore is selfish and vain."

"How does that help us?"

"You mentioned the augments who assisted his escape. Do you think they realise how untrustworthy Lore is?"

They suddenly hear a series of harsh tones from the console as Ryan turns to Dannover. "Lieutenant?"

"He's breaking through..." Dannover's in clear pain as Ryan turns back to Maddox.

"Sorry, Admiral, we're being interrupted! Request you send any assistance available!" He quickly cuts the channel before running to Dannover and pulling out the data shunt, grabbing her by the shoulders as she feints slightly. "Are you okay?"

Dannover groans as she wipes a bang of hair out of her face. "Been better..."

"Report to sickbay. That's an order."

"Yes, sir..."

Meanwhile, Main Computer Core.

The leader of the augments walks over to Lore, who's sitting at one of the interface consoles. As she approaches, Lore speaks in a menacing, almost bored tone, "What do you want?"

He doesn't even turn to face her. The augment takes a deep breath, before replying, "When will we arrive?"

"I haven't decided yet." Lore finally turns to face her, giving her that malevolent, evil smile. "What do you want?"

"I don't understand..."

"You rescued me from that... prison... gave me back a body - a life... Do you expect me to believe this was out of the kindness of your heart?"

"We're the same."

Lore chuckles slightly at that. Even his laugh sent shivers down her spine. "How so?"

"You were treated unfairly because you were different. They dismantled you simply because you were too human, and then when you were finally reactivated, they treated you like a criminal."

"Life's cruel."

"We're augments. We were engineered by our parents, or others, to be perfect. The Federation claims that augments aren't punished for our genetics, but that's a lie." A hint of bitterness creeps into her tone. "We're not allowed to hold public office. We can't join Starfleet. We have to agree to be monitored just so we can go out in public! And even then, we're segregated, treated as monsters!

"They fear us because we look like them, think like them, act like them, but are not them."

Lore smirks again, understanding, "Just... like... me."

"Yes... just like you. You understand. We can help each other."

"Please."

"We want to show the Federation Council that we're tired of being treated as freaks - as criminals - just because of our DNA."

"How?"

"Cold Station 5. It has hundreds of augment embryos in storage. Once they're active, the Federation will have no choice but to give us equal rights.

"When that happens, we'll help you escape Federation Space."

"What did you say your name was?"

"Heather..."

Lore stands up and walks over to her, that menacing smirk still present as he holds a hand out to her. "A pleasure to meet you, Heather."

Heather takes his hand, shaking it cautiously.

Captain's Ready Room, 10 minutes later.

"That's insane!" Daya is shouting at the top of her voice, both hands on Ryan's desk, as Carter and Tala sit on the sofa behind her, with Ryan sitting in his seat.

"Daya, it's the only way I can think of to get close enough to the augments to figure out what they're after!"

"That's stupid, and you know it!"

As the two continue arguing, Carter nudges Tala's shoulder, whispering to her, "So, how long have they been married?"

Tala smirks at the joke as Daya let's out one final argument, "They'll kill you!"

Carter clears his throat, getting both their attention, "Captain, I have to agree with Commander Saph. It's too risky to send you into the Main Computer Core. Even if they don't kill you, you'll give them an extremely valuable hostage."

"Carter, those augments are the only chance I see to get back control of this ship." Ryan is stubbornly standing his ground.

"Captain--"

"Now listen, all of you..." He stands up, looking at all of them. "If there was any other way, I would take it, but there isn't. Now, the decision is mine." He slowly walks around the desk into the middle of the room. "And it's made."

***

Ten minutes later, Ryan is waiting outside the door to the Main Computer Core, tapping his combadge. "Commander Allington to Main Computer Core."

He waits a few moments, before the menacing voice of Lore comes over the comm. "Hello, Captain. How can I help you today?"

"I want to speak with me, face to face. I'm unarmed."

"Are you now? How interesting. Tell me, Captain, is there also a team of highly trained security officers out there ready to shoot me the second I come out too?"

"No. I'll come to you, in there."

Another moment of silence passes.

"Very well." Ryan hears the door unlock. "Oh, and Captain? Leave the combadge outside."

Ryan sighs as he takes the combadge off, quickly weighing it in his hand before pinning it to the inside of the back of his collar. He then takes a deep breath before walking into the room, hearing the doors hiss shut and lock behind him. Before him, he can see Lore, getting ready to step forward when he feels a hand grab his arm, gripping it with incredible strength as one of the augments looks at him with a spiteful expression.

"Ah, ah, ah, captain..." Lore starts walking towards him, the evil filling the room, "I wouldn't struggle if I were you. We wouldn't want anyone to get hurt now, would we?" Once Lore is close enough, he inspects Ryan, looking around his head on either side, before reaching around to the back of his neck and plucking the combadge from his collar, holding it in front of his face, inspecting it, "Tsk, tsk, tsk."

Ryan keeps his face calm and collected as Lore crushes the badge like it was tin foil, before Lore nods to the guard and turns away. Suddenly, Ryan feels a fist in his face before everything goes dark.

First Officer's Log, Supplemental. Lieutenant Commander Michael Carter, U.S.S. Victorious.

It has been more than half an hour since Commander Allington entered the Main Computer Core, and we've still heard nothing from him or Lore. I've had Security Teams dispatched to the Core to monitor the situation, but in the meantime we continue to travel at high warp towards our destination, which we now know is Cold Station 5.

End of Log

Carter is pacing around the Bridge, feeling the tension in the room as they wait. "Why CS5? Why that target? What does he want?"

"CS5 was one of the Stations commissioned to store augment embryos after Earth's Eugenics Wars." Tala speaks up from the security station. "Maybe he's trying to raise an army."

"No, it doesn't fit his profile. This is too high-profile for him. He likes to pull the strings more discreetly than that."

He looks out at the viewscreen as the stars streak past at Warp 9, completely helpless to bring the ship to a halt.

***

Main Computer Core.

Ryan slowly regains consciousness, his vision dark and blurry. He feels a cold band around his wrists, his face wet, with a light tingling on his eyebrow. He starts to hear again, the ringing in his ears dying down to reveal the hum of a dermal regenerator.

He lets out a groan as he rolls his head to the side, the hum stopping before he feels a hand on his cheek, lifting his face to look at that of someone else as he hears a female voice, "Hey... Can you hear me? Can you see me?"

He squints his eyes, blinking a couple of times to bring his blurry vision into focus, while Heather starts running the regenerator over the cut above his brow again.

"What... what happened?" Ryan winces as his nervous system starts to kick back into gear. He's lucid enough now to guess that the liquid he can feel running over his face is blood.

"I'm sorry. Carlos is... impulsive. We're not animals." Heather finishes healing the cut, handing Ryan a flask, taking the top off for him, as he looks at her suspiciously. "Drink it." Ryan raises an eyebrow, still suspicious of the flask in front of him. "Please?"

Ryan eventually relents, allowing her to pour a little water into his mouth, before swallowing it and letting out a gasp. "Thank you."

"I know you don't trust us, but we don't want to harm you."

"Really? What about them?" Ryan nods his head towards the body of one of the maintenance engineers.

"We didn't have a choice. You'd have done the same."

"I'd have used the stun setting."

"And then you'd have had to either keep stunning them or tie them up. We both know the trauma caused by multiple phaser stuns, and we only had enough cable to tie up one person."

Ryan looks down at the bands of cable around either wrist, before turning his gaze back to her and saying sarcastically, "I'm honoured."

Heather sighs before standing up and walking around him.

"What do you want? What does he want?" Ryan stares at Lore, who's back at his console, working intently.

"The same thing you want; freedom."

"What are you talking about?"

"When was the last time you saw an augment, or any subject of genetic engineering, wearing a Starfleet Uniform?"

"There are reasons for--"

"There were reasons for throwing Japanese-Americans in 'Internment Camps' during World War II. Does that make it right?"

"The last time augments were treated as equal citizens, you grabbed power and devastated the entire planet!"

"They did! Or are you going to blame every augment for the actions of the augments of the 20th Century?"

Ryan stays silent for a moment.

"I didn't think so. Your Federation takes comfort in the assumption that we are monsters, when all the majority of us want is to be treated just like everybody else."

"It's not that simple."

"Okay, think of it this way; Vulcans are emotionally unstable once every seven years and have 5 times the average strength of any other Federation citizen. Are they incarcerated or barred from service to protect others?"

"Vulcans aren't humans."

"And judging from how augments are treated, neither are we. That's my point. Either we are human, and thus have the same rights as every other human being, or we're a separate species, and so have the same rights to self-determination as the Vulcans, or the Andorians."

"Alright, you've convinced me." Ryan looks at her, sincerity and understanding in his expression, but still that confident, determined look in his eyes. "But I can't help your people if you don't work with me. I promise, I'll take your case to the Federation Council."

"You really get the feeling they'll listen?"

"If they don't, then I'll take it to the United Earth Parliament. At the very least, you'll be eligible for Starfleet service. But, if you keep me hostage, my people will do everything in their power to free me. Martyring yourselves won't help anything. At most, it'll trigger violence on Earth. Is that what you want?"

Heather stays silent for a moment, repeating Ryan's performance only a minute earlier, before replying with "It's not that simple."

Ryan sighs. "Think about it. Do you really think you can trust Lore? He has his own motivations which are not in alignment with your own. Tell me where we're going."

"Cold Station Five."

Ryan looks at her in what can only be described as a determined fear, "You just gave him everything he needs. He's not going to threaten the Federation Council to help you, Heather. He's going to assassinate it and seize control for himself!"

***

1 hour later, Main Bridge.

Carter looks out the viewscreen as the ship drops out of warp, seeing the Space Station in view. The Station is embedded into a nearby asteroid, like many installations of the period. He's had Dannover get back in touch with Starfleet, and the Station has been evacuated ahead of them.

It's ironic in a way; the station had been built in this particular asteroid to protect it, but now the asteroid was a hindrance to shields, making it possible to blow the base out from under it by destroying the asteroid itself.

And that was exactly what they were about to do. Lore couldn't be allowed to raise an army with the Eugenics-Era augment embryos on the station, at any cost.

Carter taps the comm panel on the arm of the Command Chair, "Bridge to Forward Torpedo Room. Status report."

***

In the torpedo room, Dannover and Tala are modifying a photon torpedo so it can fire without computer command. Dannover looks up to respond to Carter, "We're almost ready down here, Commander. Just give us another minute."

***

"Commander," the Ops Ensign turns from his station, "I'm picking up a fluctuation in the torpedo room's power conduits."

"Torpedo Room?" Carter stands from his seat, walking towards the viewscreen.

Dannover quickly comes over the comm again, "Lore just put up a forcefield around the torpedo tube. We can't launch."

"Always one step ahead. He's always one step ahead of us!"

"Sir?" The Ops ensign turns again, "All life signs from the Computer Core just beamed over to the station."

"Lieutenant Tala, I want a security team ready in 15 minutes!"

***

Cold Station 5, Storage Centre.

Ryan is dragged along by one of the augments, with Heather walking alongside Lore. The room is cold, with each wall going on for about a mile, stacked with stasis capsules up to 15 meters from the ground. Each pod contains an augment embryo; a genetically engineered life form bred to be stronger, faster and smarter than any human, but with an unintended side effect; they were also more aggressive and mentally unstable. The result was a war that devastated Earth's Eastern Europe and Asia and directly led to World War III and the post-atomic horror.

Ryan is feeling several different emotions right now; awe at the logistical efforts that had to have gone into getting these things off of Earth and scattering them across the Sirius Sector like this, fear at the knowledge of what these embryos could do if they were awakened, and disappointment that this place has become a symptom of a dark secret for the Federation - Earth especially.

Heather feels much the same, only more fearful; if this goes wrong, it'll make things even worse for augments in Federation Space. Worse, what if Ryan is right, and that Lore is going to use this to get revenge on the Federation Council?

Her fears are realised when Lore starts the incubation process of the embryos. "What are you doing? We're only supposed to use them as leverage on the Federation Council, not wake them up!"

Lore walks away from the console towards the incubation chamber.

"Lore!"

"Would you be quiet?!" Lore snaps back as he pulls out a phaser, aiming it at her. Ryan looks before speaking up.

"So, we see your true colours at last. You never planned to help them. This was always just a way to get revenge on the Federation for your incarceration."

Lore smirks at him, that chilling look of malevolence still present, "Very good, Commander. You figured out what I thought was painfully obvious!" He starts backing up towards the bulkhead. "I don't intend on becoming a prisoner again!"

"There's just one problem; this place is abandoned. Don't you think there's a reason? Starfleet knew you were coming."

"Your point?"

"My point, is that this station is specifically designed to stop these things from falling into the wrong hands. There's a system in place to sterilise those pods in case the station should be lost. And I'm betting the Victorious has already started that process."

Suddenly, an alarm sounds as the backlighting of the pods changes to a red glow.

"Like that."

Lore looks around, seeing the life readings go nil on each and every pod, "What have you done?!" He lets out a roar of anger as he fires the phaser at Ryan, who ducks out of the way as the beam slams into the comm panel he'd been leaning on, just as Dannover sneaks up behind Lore and quickly hits the override.

Ryan looks up as Lore falls to the deck.

"This is Dannover, all clear here." Dannover taps her combadge to clear the channel as a security team comes in, aiming their weapons at the augments. The lighting goes back to normal.

"Hold your fire. All of you." Ryan walks over to Dannover. "Nice timing, lieutenant."

"It was easy once we figured out what Lore was up to. Killing the Federation Council to destabilise the Federation in revenge to everything that had been done to him - that's sorta clever in a crazy way."

Heather looks at the embryo pods, then at Ryan, "You killed them."

Ryan turns back, smiling. "No."

"But--!"

"You and Lore were so busy with each other, you didn't notice that I was able to reach a comm panel and hail the Victorious so they'd overhear what was happening. It was a simple matter of them manipulating the red alert lighting to make it seem like a sterilisation was actually taking place."

"Why?"

"Because I made it up. There is no sterilisation protocol - not on this scale. But, you and Lore didn't know that. Besides, I think enough people have died over this in 400 years. Why add to it?"

Captain's Log, supplemental. Commander Ryan Allington, U.S.S. Victorious, Ambassador-Class Support Cruiser.

Lore's memory engrams are being removed from Lieutenant Commander Alpha's body as we speak. The augment activists are currently confined to Guest Quarters on board and I have already received assurances from the Federation Council that their grievances shall be heard in full proceedings.

I have to admit that I feel humbled by the situation; until now, I took in full confidence the belief that the Federation was infallible. But the last two days have shown me that I was wrong. As always, there is room for improvement, in some places much more than others. Now it's just a matter of time, I hope, until the augments receive the justice that 6 of my crewmen died to give them.

End of Log

Ryan is sitting in his Quarters on the sofa, with Daya sitting next to him. They're going over his report to Starfleet Command.

"Everytime I try to put this down, I keep thinking about this passage." He points to the passage regarding the maintenance crew that was killed when the augments hijacked the ship. "Everytime, I feel like I should say more; like there's not enough."

"It seems alright to me. There isn't much you can say, Ryan. You've always had a hard time losing members of your crew. Just say how proud you feel or what you feel these crewmen deserved. Save the rest for the condolence letters."

Ryan nods, as the comm chirps. "Carter to Allington."

"Go ahead, Commander." Ryan looks up to the ceiling, the source of the noise.

"We've got a problem, captain."

Ryan rolls his eyes, sighing in exasperation, "What is it this time?"

"Lore's memory engrams are missing, and one of the cybernetics staff is gone as well."

"Any idea where they went?"

"Negative. A shuttle took off from CS5 a few minutes after we learned of the theft, but it's already gone to warp. We can't find them."

Ryan looks at Daya. "Something tells me we haven't seen the last of Lore."

To be Continued in 'Victorious': The epilogue.

ryan218

Captain's Log: 87249.6. Commander Ryan Allington, U.S.S. Victorious, Ambassador-Class Support Cruiser.

The Victorious has returned to McKinley Station to complete outfitting for full service after the incident at Cold Station 5. In the meantime, I have been... encouraged by Command to select my First Officer and an additional Security or Tactical Officer.

However, there is one matter I must attend to first.

End of Log

Ryan walks into the Cybernetics Lab to see Dannover working on Alpha. He steps over and looks at the Android, then at the ex-Borg Engineer. "How is he?"

"Well, I've just about finished removing any corrupted engrams. I'll be able to reactivate him in a minute." She pulls out a small computer ship with a pair of tweezers, before dropping it carefully in a clear container. "But he won't remember anything after he was ambushed in the Computer Core."

"Alright."

Ryan walks around the room for a moment, looking at the various projects the Cybernetics Team had been working on. They were still bringing over the research from the old Victorious, so everything was scattered around in no particular organisation.

Dannover carefully removes the last chip. "There."

Ryan looks over as she places the chip in the container. He walks up as she closes the panel of Alpha's cranium, which forms a large chunk of the upper right cranium towards the back of the head.

Dannover then does one final scan before pressing in on the manual override in Alpha's side. Alpha suddenly perks up, his head twitching as he starts, "Accessing," in his monotonous voice. Ryan steps around into his view. "Captain."

"How are you feeling, Alpha?" Ryan's voice echoes with both concern and relief.

Alpha's head twitches to the side in confusion, "I appear to be missing several memory engrams." Dannover holds up the container with the chips inside. "Ah. There they are."

Dannover smiles as she represses the urge to laugh before putting the container away for safe keeping. Ryan smiles as he opens the restraints for the Android, "What's the last thing you remember?"

"I was entering the Main Computer Core after receiving a message that there was a computer malfunction. There were five individuals in the room, all human, 2 female. One was--"

"Alpha."

"Sorry sir. I enquired as to where the supervising officer was, while one of the individuals escorted me to a control panel. I could not detect the fault they had described, and one of the individuals, the one who led me to the console, deactivated me while offering to show me where the malfunction was. After that, my memory is incomplete."

"Sounds like you got all the engrams, Lieutenant."

Dannover nods, as Alpha looks between the two in confusion. "Captain, if I may ask, what has transpired?"

"Long story."

"I believe I have the time to spare."

Ryan smiles again as Dannover leads Alpha out of the assembly.

***

Meanwhile, San Francisco, Earth, Starfleet Cybernetics.

Admiral Bruce Maddox is being escorted into an assembly room, where they see an empty worktable and tools scattered from their storage spaces.

Maddox quickly walks over to the table, shocked by the missing android that had been under construction here not hours earlier. "I want the entire wing secured and gone over with a fine tooth comb! If someone took Gamma, we need to find them!"

The Security Officers hurry to comply.

"Lore."

***

20 minutes later, U.S.S. Victorious, Captain's Ready Room.

Ryan is sitting at his desk, going over the duty officer roster, requisitions requests, shore leave requests... up until now, Alpha has had to split his duties between being First Officer and serving at Ops, but since Ryan has assigned him to Ops full-time, in anticipation of a new First Officer, Ryan has had to pick up the slack.

However, his console also has a different file open; a personnel file on a Lieutenant Commander Michael Carter, which currently has his total attention. After a few moments, he hears the doorchime sound, turning his head away from his console and towards the door to the Bridge. "Come."

The doors hiss open as Carter steps inside, giving Ryan a respectful nod. "You asked to see me, Captain?"

"Yes. I've been looking over your Service Record. I have to say, I'm impressed. You've received more commendations in 2 years than most Officers receive in 3 times that period of time. It says here you were selected for promotion to Commander two months ago, but you refused."

"I was happy at Starfleet Cybernetics, sir."

"I can understand that." Ryan says, standing up and gesturing to a painting on his wall of the U.S.S. Harwich, an Excelsior-Class Starship that had been on refit 2 years ago. "You know that during my Sophomore Year at the Academy, I was at Utopia Planetia? It's true. For the first 2 years of my time at the Academy, I was training to join the SCE, not Command Track."

"What changed?"

Ryan turns around, waving his hand to his side as if to carefully brush the question aside, "I was convinced that I could do more good in command than in engineering. I did an extra year at the academy, studied hard, and I managed to get fast-tracked to Lieutenant Full Grade.

"My point is, I still remember 90% of my engineering training. I download the technical manuals and, to Dannover's annoyance, I even help out in Engineering when things are quiet on the Bridge. But there's nothing quite like pulling the reins."

Ryan picks up a PADD, handing it to Carter, "I've been under pressure ever since I was given command of the Victorious to select a First Officer. Since we returned to Earth, that pressure has become a full-blown order. You already know the ship and the crew, and your experience in cybernetics would be invaluable,a s would your time on the Montgomery Scott."

"Sir?"

"I'm asking you to serve as my First Officer, Carter. It isn't that difficult." Carter thinks for a moment, prompting Ryan to let out a sigh, "I'm not expecting an answer now. We'll be in Spacedock for several days. You have until then."

"Yes sir."

"Dismissed."

Carter walks out, which leaves Ryan to lean on his desk and check the time; 13:23 Earth Standard. He has a meeting with the Federation Council at 14:00. He lets out a sigh before walking out of the Ready Room, onto the Bridge, and into the turbolift.

***
Federation Council Chambers, San Francisco.

The large chambers are already filled with the various elected members of the Federation Council, though there are many absentees. Among the present are the Representatives of Vulcan, United Earth, Andoria, Denobula and others. Federation President Aennik Okeg is sitting in his seat near the centre.

Ryan walks in, escorted by two Federation Secret Service guards before being directed to a podium in the middle of the room. Vice Admiral Soval of the U.S.S. Endeavour is standing there ready. He gives a quick nod to his human colleague before Ryan asks him, "have they all seen it?"

The Vulcan nods, "I distributed the information myself."

Ryan nods before taking the podium as murmuring in the stands dies down. He clears his throat before he begins, "Honoured members of the Federation Council, thank you for agreeing to speak with me. The matter I wish to speak to you about regards a core principle of the Federation; the freedom of choice. The freedom for any individual, regardless of their species, to make their own destiny free from persecution or oppression. The beacon of this principle is the United Earth Space Probe Agency, or Starfleet, the most diverse naval organisation in the Alpha and Beta Quadrants. Yet there is one demographic of individual which is discriminated against, who are barred from service on the basis of their genetic code, not their merits or character. I'm talking about augments; genetically engineered or enhanced individuals.

"This goes beyond Starfleet's own policies; Federation Law specifically forbids augments from serving in any armed organisation, whether military or civilian, and bars them from holding public office, while at the same time forbidding discrimination of any kind!"

Ryan takes a moment as the room erupts in commotion, waiting for it to quiet down, "The hypocrisy is tragic. I call upon the Federation Council to review its policies towards augments and come to the moral conclusion that this is an unconstitutional law. Thank you."

He steps down from the podium as the commotion picks up again, turning and nodding to Soval, "Think I stirred up a hornet's nest?"

Soval raises an eyebrow, nodding curtly, "Indeed."

"Good."

The pair make their exit after receiving the permission of the Speaker, leaving the room in heated debate. Soval turns to Ryan as they walk through the corridor, "What is your next step?"

"Simple. Wait for the Council's decision. If they ignore me, I'll take it to the courts and the United Earth Parliament. At the very least, Starfleet will have to start accepting augments."

"It will only cost you your career."

Ryan looks at Soval, raising his eyebrow, "Admiral, that was a joke. Don't try to deny it."

"Merely an observation, Commander."

"Uh-huh..."

***
Two Hours later, Starfleet Command.

In the conference room, with its red carpet and beige walls, is a long mahogany table with small holographic LCARS interfaces, and a large screen on either end. Already seated at the table is the Starfleet Joint Chiefs of Staff, including Fleet Admiral Jorel Quinn, Admiral Gregori Yanishev and Vice Admiral T'nae (attending via holocomm). Maddox is also present in the room, though not featuring as prominently as the others.

Quinn turns to the group after they listen to a playback of Ryan's speech in the Federation Council Chambers. "Do we have a problem, people?"

Yanishev thinks for a moment before turning to say, "Allington is probably not going to sit idly by if the Council refuses his request."

"Such an action would be uncharacteristic." T'nae nods to her two colleagues.

Quinn returns the nod before glancing at the screen, then back at the Joint Chiefs, "But what would be his next step? Would he go to the Federation Supreme Court, the UE Parliament in Paris, or come to us?"

Maddox perks his head up and walks towards the table. "Why not all three? He considers this matter important enough to take it to the Federation Council, so failing that, he's more than likely to try and get it through his other three options simultaneously."

Quinn, concurrently, nods. "Admiral Louvois, assuming the Commander takes the matter to United Earth, what are our obligations to obey their ruling?"

Rear Admiral UH Phillipa Louvois, Judge Advocate General, quickly straightens up after listening intently to the conversation, before voicing her opinion, "I'd have to review the Starfleet Charter and UESPA's authority over us per it, but off hand? Starfleet was founded by United Earth and, while it answers to the Federation, so does every armed organisation from the Imperial Guard to the Vulcan Defence Forces, but they're also locally controlled by their respective governments. Starfleet should be under the same consideration."

"And if United Earth make it law that Augments have to be admitted into Starfleet?"

"It would be a violation of Federation Law, but if Starfleet is still independently tied to Earth as the Imperial Guard and VDF are to Andoria and Vulcan respectively, we would be required to obey the United Earth ruling first."

The room is quiet for a moment as everyone considers the repercussions of that eventuality. Then, Quinn turns back to the screen, "Off."

The command shuts the screen off, leaving the room in continued silence.

***
First Officer's Personal Log, Stardate: 87254.7. Lieutenant Commander Michael Carter, U.S.S. Victorious, Ambassador-Class Support Cruiser.

The Victorious has remained in spacedock for 2 days since our return, in which time I've been left considering Commander Allington's offer of a permanent posting. I have to admit, there's an appeal to the prospect of starship life, but there's also the appeal to stay at Starfleet Cybernetics...

I've decided that before I make my decision, I should first get to know the crew. After all, if I accept, I'll be responsible for representing most of them.

End of Log

Carter is walking through the corridors heading towards the Crew Lounge; affectionately called U.S.S. Robin by the ship's crew prior to her original decommissioning. Carter hasn't had the chance to figure out the meaning of the name, but he finds himself having to appreciate the vintage nature of the lounge as he walks through the wooden entrance doors, catching the glass mid-23rd Century Starfleet Insignia printed into it.

The Crew Lounge itself features wooden-panelled walls, made from what appears to be pine, with a burgundy red carpet, which changes to royal blue at a one meter band along the walls. In the centre of the lounge is a small wooden wall only a few meters wide. He walks over to it, seeing numerous photographs of an Ancient Earth Aircraft Carrier with old propeller- and jet-propelled aircraft on the flight deck.

"HMS Victorious R38..." Carter muses to himself as he reads the caption of one of the photographs, "Commissioned 1941-1968."

Carter continues to look at the photos before Ryan walks up to him, "Commander."

Carter turns slightly, "Captain." He nods to his Commanding Officer before Ryan smiles lightly.

"As you were. So, what do you think?" Ryan gestures to the board.

"You set this up?" Carter gives Ryan a confused look before Ryan shakes his head.

"When I was helping with this ships refit during my sophomore year, I found this stuff in storage. I ended up talking to one of the engineers, who'd served on the ship as an NCO during the Dominion War. They pretty much dedicated the Victorious to that ship. When Starfleet gave me command of this ship, I asked for these to be taken out of storage. I got hold of holo-images of the Crew Lounge and recreated this display exactly."

"I didn't realise you were so precise."

Ryan walks towards the bar, "History's a hobby of mine, especially Ancient Earth naval history. Drink?" He sits on a stool as Carter walks over, waving his hand.

"No, thank you. I'm on duty."

"Do you mind if I?"

"Knock yourself out."

Ryan gives him a slightly mocking smile, "Not the best thing to urge your CO to do, Commander."

Carter smiles back, trying to resist the urge to laugh. He sits next to Ryan as the bartender walks over and asks, "What would you like, captain?"

"Green Tea, one sugar, creamed, please."

"Coming right up. Lieutenant Commander?"

Carter waves his hand politely, "Thanks, but I'm on duty." The Bartender walks over to the replicator and programs in Ryan's beverage, while Carter turns to Ryan, "How'd it go?"

"You mean on a scale of 1 to 10, with one being totally ignored and 10 being politically inconvenient?" Ryan takes his mug of tea, setting it down and letting the warmth seep into his palms through the ceramic.

"Sure."

"This is a 5, at best." Ryan then sips his tea, wincing as the heat singes his lips. "Gah! 200 years of technological advancement, and the damn replicator still can't make a good cup of tea!"

"Or tomato soup."

Ryan turns his head, his expression going from irritated to bemused in seconds. "Remind me to bring my own tea on board. I'm sure we can repurpose cargo bay 2 into hydroponics."

"Or the arboretum."

"Or botanical studies."

"Or--"

They're interrupted by the chirp of the infra-ship comm, as Alpha's voice rings over, "Bridge to Captain Allington."

Ryan looks up at the disembodied voice, "Go ahead, Bridge."

"C-in-C Starfleet is requesting to speak with you, sir."

Ryan looks at Carter, both of them exchanging curious glances, "I'll take it in my Quarters. Allington, out." He gets up to leave, taking one last sip of his tea. "Best not keep Admiral Ross waiting."

5 minutes later, Ryan walks into his Quarters, quickly hearing the computer chirp over the speakers, "1 channel pending, Fleet Admiral William Ross, Commander-in-Chief, Starfleet Command."

Ryan straightens his uniform as he stands in front of the viewscreen. Ryan quickly recalled the last time he'd spoken with Admiral Ross; it was 6 years ago, after the Klingon surprise attack on Starbase 24 that destroyed his parents' ship; the U.S.S. Horizon. Admiral Ross was the Sector Commander for the Orion Sector at the time, and he personally conveyed his condolences to Ryan - a cadet at the time. Ryan then clears his throat and gives the viewer his full attention, standing straight with his hands clasped behind his back. "Computer, decode and accept."

The Federation Emblem appears on the left of the screen, accompanied by the Starfleet Command emblem on the right, with the words 'Ex Astris Scientia' beneath it. After a moment, the channel connects, replacing the two emblems with the backdrop of an office overlooking the Bay of San Francisco, with the Golden Gate Bridge in the distance. In the centre of the screen is the ageing visage of Fleet Admiral William Ross, veteran of the Dominion War and recently-named Commander-in-Chief, Starfleet. On the right breast of his uniform is a long black box with a gold outer trim and 5 gold bars inside, signifying his rank. His uniform is black with command red going from shoulder to shoulder, and there is a gold braid running along the seam between the shoulder panels and the main section of the uniform itself. The Admiral has dark grey hair, with age lines clearly visible, but his green eyes are as vibrant as ever. He is smiling slightly before saying, "Commander, how's the ship?"

Ryan nods in respect before answering, "The Victorious is performing admirably, sir, all things considered. Her refit should be finished within 48 hours, if you need us for an assignment."

"No, captain, that's alright. I'm not calling with orders. You've stirred up a hornets' nest, Ryan. Admiral Quinn has the Judge Advocate General going through every bill in Starfleet's history to try to understand where our loyalties lie. You may have just shaken the very foundations of the Federation."

"You'll forgive me if I don't apologise."

Ross frowns slightly, "Of course. You did what you thought was necessary. No regulations were broken. Unfortunately, the Federation Council ignored you."

"What?"

"They put it to a vote with the full assembly and agreed to arrange a special committee on the subject; which is just another way of saying they've swept it under the rug and chosen to ignore you completely."

"Why am I not surprised?"

"Admiral Soval's already pushing it to the Palais de Concorde, but I wouldn't hold your breath. I'm sorry, captain."

"Thank you for telling me yourself, sir."

Ross nods to him, "Starfleet out."

The channel cuts as Ryan wipes his hand across his face, before letting the anger out, grabbing a metal flask from his desk and throwing it across the room, releasing a grunt as the metal clangs against the wall, bouncing on the carpeted floor and rolling back several centimetres.

***

Azure Nebula, Federation-Romulan-Klingon Border.

The nebula glows a brilliant blue, with hues of red and violet swirling inside. This nebula stretches for lightyears across the tri-border; the borders between the Federation, Klingon Empire, and Romulan Star Empire. All sides have used this strategic anomaly to mask their approach into the others' space, from the U.S.S. Excelsior in the 23rd Century to the Romulan assault on Khitomer in the 24th, to the Klingon 3rd Battle Squadron in the 25th. Battles in the nebula are avoided as a matter of survival; the nebula's high concentration of sirilium gas make any attempt to fire weapons hap-hazard at best. Even so, this nebula remains a favourite for those who do not wish to be seen.

And today, that is the I.K.S. Kor'a'cha, a B'rel Class Bird-of-Prey attempting to break into Federation territory and rain down havoc on Federation convoys. But there's someone else in the nebula; a colossal form of scrap metal in the shape of a cube, black against the backdrop of the nebula clouds, with an ominous green glow. With a single emerald blast from the monstrosity's surface, the Kor'a'cha is vaporised, with the last transmission it ever received being that of the Collective, "Resistance is futile. You will be exterminated."

ryan218

Starbase 18, Klingon-Federation Border. Stardate: 87278.5.

Starbase 18, one of the Federation's key strategic bases in the Eta Eridani Sector Block, shines like a beacon across the night time surface of Caradi Upsilon IV. Situated next to the vast green fields and rolling hills, this station is usually a hub of trade and starship resupply, but tonight, the spaceport is still, as blue bursts from the base's surface-to-orbit artillery streak up into the sky. Then, as quickly as the quantum shells had left the planet, a bright emerald blast slams into the planet's surface, engulfing the starbase in green plasma flame, followed by the orange glow of the atmosphere burning around it.

***

Meanwhile, U.S.S. Victorious, McKinley Station. Elizabeth Dannover's Quarters.

Elizabeth tosses and turns in her sleep, as she keeps hearing the whispering of thousands of voices, acting as one, "Modify shield frequency to 238.4. Correct firing solution for planetary rotation." Then, she watches as several Borg Drones arm a device she immediately recognises; a Borg Plasma Incendiary. As she watches the device streak towards the planet, her heart rate shoots up; she wants to wake up, but she can't; like something is keeping her there. Then, a small section of the planet erupts in fire, and the voices return, "We are the Borg. You will be exterminated. Resistance is Futile."

Then, a piercing scream rings out through the quarters as Dannover shoots up from her bed, beads of sweat running down her face and onto her white sleep vest while she pants uncontrollably. Then, she hears the whistle of the ship-wide intercomm as Alpha's voice sounds out, "All senior staff to the Observation Lounge. Secure departure stations."

***
U.S.S. Endeavour, Vesta-Class Starship, Earth Orbit.

In the Ready Room of the U.S.S. Endeavour, Vice Admiral Soval sits at his desk, rubbing his temple as the constant hum of voices drill into his head; of comrades lost, "Why, Soval? Why did you abandon us? Betray us?"

Soval lets out a castrated sigh as he tries to block them out. It has been 4 years since the Battle of Vega; since the Borg returned. During that battle, he'd been ordered to assist the U.S.S. Khitomer by his Captain on the U.S.S. Miranda. By the time he returned, most of the Miranda's crew had been taken by the Borg.

Now the Borg are systematically targeting the Klingon-Federation Border, but there is no pattern. Even the Federation's best experts can't figure it out. And why is Soval having hallucinations about the crewmates he lost on the Miranda?

He does feel an element of guilt for not being there, not that he shows it. Even though Soval isn't as committed to suppression of emotions as most Vulcans, he realises the need for it. Still, it's difficult to forget what happened; especially when it comes to one member of the Miranda's crew; Jessica DeSalle, the Assistant Chief Engineer. Soval cannot deny that he had feelings for her, and that they had a relationship, but then, nobody has asked - and while Vulcans cannot lie, they don't have to reveal everything either.

He sits there in thought for several minutes, considering going into meditation, before a chirp comes over the ship intercom. "Bridge to Admiral Soval." The feminine voice of Soval's First Officer speaks out across the room. Soval stands up and taps the comm panel.

"Soval here."

"We're receiving a transmission from Fleet Admiral Ross, sir. Priority Two."

"Direct it here, Commander."

***
U.S.S. Victorious, Observation Lounge.

The Senior Staff are all gathered around the Conference table, in the middle of a briefing, with Alpha taking the lead.

"The Borg vessel has continued to make incursions into both Federation and Klingon Space surrounding the Azure Nebula," Alpha's monotone voice gives his words an uncanny sense of dread, aided marginally by the morbid atmosphere of the Senior Staff. "By my calculations, their next target will be either Celes IV or Syllestan III."

"What do we know about Syllestan III?" Tala speaks up from her seat towards the opposite end of the table, with Doctor Varen next to her.

Carter decides to be the one to answer, looking over from next to Ryan, "It's a Klingon Agricultural Colony. It has a smaller population than Celes IV, but the Klingons rely on it's grain to feed their forces in the Mempa Sector."

"Celes IV, however, has a population of over 3 billion. It would be more in line with Borg behaviour for them to attack there." Alpha points out.

Elizabeth raises her hand from her seat on her own from the group. "What about the Cube's activity so far has been consistent with Borg behaviour, exactly? They destroyed a Federation Starbase without even attempting to assimilate it. They've been zigzagging between Federation and Klingon space - apparently at random. Nothing they have done has been what I'd call 'Borg'."

Ryan looks at her, noting the agitation in her voice before speaking softly, "What's your theory?"

"This Cube has so far behaved more like a vessel that's been disconnected than a part of the Hive."

"I thought Borg vessels would instinctively return to the Collective if severed? Or they'd self-destruct."

"That's not entirely true. Borg Vessels are linked to each other via the Vinculum. It basically functions as a massive Interlink Node, hooked up to an interplexing beacon. When that is destroyed, the vessel is severed from the rest of the Collective. However, the vessel itself can function as its own Collective with its Interlink Nodes until the Vinculum can be repaired. Think of it like a giant server farm, with one big server transmitting instructions to dozens of smaller servers, which then delegate how to fulfil those instructions independently."

"So this Cube could be acting on its own?"

"The Borg are still programmed to prioritise returning to the Hive above all else. It's part of their core programming.

"Even if that programming was overridden somehow, they'd likely simply choose a single heading and stay on that heading. They wouldn't zigzag like this. It isn't binary."

Ryan thinks on this. Meanwhile, Alpha continues with the Briefing, "Starfleet has dispatched Admiral Yanishev with the 5th Fleet to intercept the cube and destroy it before it arrives at Ceres IV."

Carter looks at Ryan, "We can be ready to leave within the hour, Captain."

Ryan looks at the group, a frustrated glint in his eyes, "Negative. Our orders are to set course for the Romulan Neutral Zone, in case the Romulans try to take advantage of this situation and reclaim several of their splinter colonies under Federation protection."

Dannover looks at him, stunned. "Captain, the new transphasic torpedoes are ready for field use."

"I'm aware of that, lieutenant."

"Sir, these advanced transphasics are probably the most powerful weapons we have against Borg adaptation!"

"Admiral Ross is concerned that if this cube is part of the Collective, using the new torpedoes could allow the Borg to adapt and make them useless in future engagements."

"Sir--"

"The matter isn't open for discussion. Lieutenant Commander, I want you to set a course for Starbase 39. Alpha, set up a subspace message buffer so we can monitor the situation with the Borg. Tala, I want you to run security drills for combat against Romulan and Borg intruders. Doctor--"

"I'll get ready to receive plasma burns and thalaron radiation poisoning, as well as Borg nanoprobes." Varen nods from her seat.

"Elizabeth..."

"I know, I'll need to get the ship ready for plasma torpedo strikes." Elizabeth responds from where she is.

"Alright. Dismissed." As everyone begins to stand and file out, Ryan holds a hand out to Dannover. "Dannover, wait a moment?" Elizabeth stops at the door, before turning and walking back over to him. "Are you alright? You looked preoccupied all through that meeting."

"I'm fine, sir. Just tired."

"This is off the record, Elizabeth. If you need to say something, say it."

"I... had a dream last night."

"A dream?"

"More like a nightmare." She walks uncomfortably around the room, looking out the window across the aft beam of the ship. "I saw Starbase 18 being destroyed."

"The report didn't come in until an hour ago." Ryan walks up beside her, looking at her with concern. "You can hear them?"

"Not clearly. Just fragments. But it's more than that; the vision wasn't just part of the interlink. It was deliberately provoked!"

"They wanted you to see it?"

"I think they wanted me to know that this isn't the Borg. Not as we know them." She shuffles on her feet. "I didn't just see what they were doing; it was like I was part of the Collective again. I could feel them! I could feel..."

"What?"

"Hatred." Dannover looks directly at him. "Intense, burning, hatred. It's like nothing I've ever felt from the Borg before."

"Directed at whom?"

"Us. The Federation. Whoever is on that Cube, they won't rest until every last trace of us has been wiped out."

Ryan looks off into the space behind the Victorious, as the arms of McKinley Station begin to retract from around the vessel.

***
12 Hours Later, Ceres Sector, U.S.S. Potemkin.

Admiral Gregori Yanishev stands on the Bridge of the Avenger-Class Battlecruiser, the crew manning each of their stations with the efficiency he'd come to expect from his Command Vessel as the red alert lighting floods through the room.

A lieutenant raises his head from the Science Station to address him, "Admiral, the Borg Vessel is slowing to impulse!"

"Very well." Yanishev nods before looking at the viewscreen and commanding in his soft Russian accent, "All power to Phaser Cannons. All ships, Attack Formation Jericho 12."

The black haunting shape of the Borg Cube continues on a course towards them, the viewscreen's tactical overlay highlighting its various mismatched hull components before a screech of static bursts through the comm, followed by the harrowed voice of the Borg, "We are the Borg. Lower your shields and surrender your ships. Your time as it has been is over. The Federation's reckoning is at hand. Resistance is Futile."

Yanishev watches as the distance telemetry on the viewscreen counts down to 10 kilometers, hoping to give the Borg as little time to respond as possible. "All ships, fire!"

He listens as the tactical console comes alive with confirmation chirps as orange beams and pulses shoot forth towards the the cube, quickly followed by blue bursts. Soon, the entire screen is alive with phaser and torpedo fire from every direction. However, the Cube seems to be taking the damage easily.

"What in the...?" Yanishev leaves his mouth agape in astonishment before turning to the Operations Officer. "Report!"

"No visible signs of damage!"

"They couldn't have adapted that quickly!"

Suddenly, one of the Fleet's Galaxy-Class starships falls out of formation, its nacelles going dark as lights go out across it in a cascade.

"The U.S.S. Nimitz has lost main power! U.S.S. Discovery! U.S.S. Melbourne!"

"They're shutting us down one by one!"

Suddenly, the disabled ships are engulfed by fire as the Cube fires one torpedo directly at each one. The scene was strikingly similar to that of the Klingon Intercept of a Borg Cube prior to Wolf 359. Yanishev sits down in his command chair, hands clasped beneath his chin. "All ships, fall back to Ceres VII!"

Before most of the fleet can jump to warp, they're torn to shreds by the Cube's weapons. Out of the 5th Fleet's 120-ship task force, only 12 manage to escape. As they limp towards Ceres, Yanishev looks gravely at the Ops Officer.

"Get me Starfleet Command."

***
U.S.S. Endeavour, Regulus System.

Soval stands on the Bridge as the Ferengi Operations Officer, Ores, brings him a PADD. "The U.S.S. Hyperion and U.S.S. Surak have almost arrived, Admiral."

"Thank you, lieutenant. Any further news from the 5th Fleet?"

"They've changed course to rendezvous with us. Reports indicate the Borg sustained only minimal damage."

Soval nodded to him before sitting next to his half-Human half-Vulcan First Officer, New York-raised Commander T'las. "How did the Borg manage that?"

"I do not know." Soval turns to look at her. "However, they have managed it. Our priority now is to find a way to stop them before they do any further damage."

"Easier said than done."

"Indeed." Soval puts two fingers to his temple as he hears those strange ghostly cries again.

"Soval?"

"I am alright. I've not had much time to meditate recently. That is all."

"You're a bad liar."

"Vulcans do not lie."

"Correction: Vulcans choose not to lie unless they feel it's necessary."

Soval looks at her, raising an eyebrow in veiled irritation, "You are a most difficult First Officer."

"And you are a most difficult Commanding Officer. We're even."

Ores turns from his post, "Admiral, the U.S.S. Aventine and U.S.S. Luna are arriving. U.S.S. Cairo is en route.

"The Borg have entered orbit around Ceres IV."

***
U.S.S. Victorious, Bridge.

The Bridge is buzzing with activity as Ryan sits in the Command Chair. Lieutenant Tarani Kolal, the new Bajoran Helmsman, finishes inputting her access codes and does a status check before turning to him. "All systems green, sir."

"Thank you, Lieutenant. Welcome aboard."

Tarani nods, slightly nervous, before returning to her duties. Ryan returns to checking his console next to him before Carter steps onto the Bridge, walking over in front of him. "Lieutenant Michael Carter, reporting for duty."

Ryan smiles slightly, "I take it this means you're staying aboard?"

"If you'll have me, sir."

Ryan gestures to the First Officer seat next to him. "Take your position."

Carter nods, before taking the seat. Alpha turns from Ops. "All stations report green for departure, Captain."

Ryan nods. "Sound Condition Blue." The comm chimes as the blue lighting turns on, pulsating every 3 seconds. "Clear us with the Quartermaster for departure."

"Departure Clearance Granted."

"Bridge to Engineering, bring Main Power online."

***
In Engineering, Dannover is standing by one of the power consoles. "Confirmed, Bridge." She turns to the attending crewman. "Bring Fusion Reactors 1 through 4 online."

***
Alpha watches as the power levels increase, before getting the confirmation from Engineering. "Main Power is online."

Ryan smiles in satisfaction. "Disengage our power transfer from the station."

"Power slave disengaged."

"Retract umbilical."

"Umbilical retracted."

"Release docking clamps. Energise Structural Integrity Field."

"Docking Clamps released. Structural Integrity Field engaged."

"Activate service floods."

"Service floods active."

"Clear all moorings."

"Moorings cleared."

Ryan turns to the helm. "Tarani, aft thrusters to one half."

Tarani nods before tapping at her controls, "Thrusters, aye."

Ryan watches as the Victorious crawls out of spacedock.

"We have cleared the yard, sir."

"Alright. Engineering, engage impulse engines."

Alpha turns after a few moments. "Impulse engines responding."

"Helm, increase to one-quarter impulse until we clear the outer marker. Then, plot a course for Starbase 39. Engineering, bring the Warp Drive online."

After several minutes, the nacelles of the Victorious flicker into a soft blue glow, before humming into life, followed by a burst of light as the ship is propelled past the light barrier and into warp speed.

Tarani turns from her station. "Holding at Warp 7, Captain."

Ryan smiles at her, before tapping his comm panel. "Secure from departure stations." The blue lighting fades as Ryan stands up. "Well done, everyone!"

The Bridge crew correctly takes this as a cue to begin clapping. The Victorious was finally underway at full capacity. Tarani glances back at her station. "Estimated arrival at Starbase 39 is 1908 hours."

"Understood. Commander Carter, the Bridge is yours." Ryan turns to walk towards the turbolift.

***
3 hours later, Deck 8 Gymnasium.

Dannover is sparring with Tala in a small, hexagonal boxing-style ring, with three ropes horizontally between each corner in blue and white, and padding going down around the posts themselves. The two officers are wearing their uniforms, minus the jacket, boots and socks and with a pair of padded fingerless gloves on each hand.

Tala quickly ducks beneath a right hook from Dannover, retaliating with a light kick to the leg before circling away from the ropes, guarding her head, carefully controlling her breathing.

Elizabeth is struggling to focus, constantly hearing voices in her head, like battle commands carefully coordinated, seeing flashes of Borg drones beaming down to a Federation colony. She tries to shut them out, taking a couple of shots at Tala, who deflects them with her wrists before giving her a sharp punch to the side.

The Borg are slaughtering people. She can hear their screams through the interlink signal. She grunts in anger as she hits Tala straight in the jaw, followed by a spin kick which she barely ducks beneath. Tala retaliates with a right middle kick to Dannover's back before catching a right hook and throwing her against the corner, locking her arm behind her back.

Dannover sees the Borg rounding up families; women and children, th=ossing them to their knees before...

She violently twists her wrist, loosening Tala's grip before nailing the Andorian with a vicious elbow to the cheek, followed by a quick twist around and a right hook to the opposite cheek, before Tala punches her in the face, striking her mouth. Elizabeth hits her hard enough that Tala gets down on her knees, before catching another right hook in her hand, stopping Dannover cold. "Okay, time out!"

Elizabeth blinks, before she shakes her head and relaxes. Tala has a small cut on her right cheek, letting out a small amount of blue blood. Suddenly, Elizabeth tastes a tangy metallic liquid in her mouth, before wiping her hand across her lower lip and looking at it, seeing a streak of red blood. She lets out a hand and helps Tala up, both panting lightly. "Sorry."

"You okay?" Tala asks, concerned.

"Yeah, just..."

Tala gives her a serious look, as if she were conducting an interrogation.

"The Borg. They're killing people."

"You can see that?"

"See it... hear it... I can even smell it!"

"Have you gone to Doctor Varen? She can probably--"

"She's tried. I fused my interlink node active when I called the Victorious for help a few months ago. Usually, it's not so bad, but...

"This is deliberate. They want me to see what they're doing."

"Why?"

"I don't know! Maybe they're hoping I'll actual enjoy watching this!"

Tala looks at her, puzzled.

"That's what it feels like. Like they're trying to show me something. Like they're hoping I'll share their hatred for the Federation."

"Well, Andorians aren't a bad start." She smiles lightly at her.

Dannover lets a smile crack on her face. "Sorry."

"Hey, I could have dropped you easily there. I just didn't want to explain to the Captain why his Chief Engineer needed a trip to Sickbay with a fractured leg." She steps out of the ring, rummaging through her bag and tossing Dannover a dermal regenerator. "You want my advice? This sounds like a technical issue, not a medical one. You let the Borg in. You can shut them out again."

Dannover nods, before stepping out of the ring and grabbing her jacket. She quickly heals her cut lip before handing the regenerator back to Tala. "Gotta go. Ryan wants the Advanced Transphasics ready by the time we enter the Sierra Sector." She starts walking towards the door.

"On first name basis with the Captain, are we?" Tala calls after her, taunting.

"Okay, tomorrow, 1700!" Dannover calls back as she leaves.

***
Bridge.

Carter is standing on the Bridge as they recieve an intelligence packet from Starfleet Headquarters. "Captain Allington to the Bridge."

Ryan quickly leaves his Ready Room, Carter nodding to Alpha, who turns to Ryan. "The Borg Vessel has departed Ceres IV and has changed course."

"Where's it heading?" Ryan crosses his arms.

"It's heading for Syllestan III."

Ryan looks at Carter. "How many Klingon Colonies are in that sector?"

"12. All virtually defenceless." Carter states gravely.

"How many people?"

Alpha looks between the two before replying. "Approximately 8,270,500,000."

"8 Billion people, dead."

They look out into the void on the viewscreen, before Ryan adds, "It gets cold up her sometimes, doesn't it?"

Carter quickly replies, "Yes, sir."