(Also, I need a name for a weapon that's both a pistol and rifle in one - which probably means inventing a new term, because I doubt anyone's ever made a weapon like that to create a word for it before)
A normie goes "Oh, what's this?"
An otaku goes "UwU, what's this?"
A furry goes "OwO, what's this?"
A werewolf goes "Awoo, what's this?"
"It's nothing personal, I just don't feel like I've gotten to know a person until I've sniffed their crotch." "We said 'no' to Mr. Curiosity. We're not home. Curiosity is not welcome, it is not to be invited in. Curiosity...is bad. It gets you in trouble, it gets you killed, and more importantly...it makes you poor!"
Passion and Serenity are one.
I gain power by understanding both.
In the chaos of their battle, I bring order.
I am a shadow, darkness born from light.
The Force is united within me.
lythe: *blocks the blast with a telekinetic barrier throwing her glaive like a spear into the chest of one of the thralls*
*********************
tess: are you sure you're free of them? can any "liberated borg" truly be free of them? or is this some ploy by the collective.... ive heard of sleeper agents being used before in my galaxy.... *she looks at kinkoshi with a mix of aggression and worry.*
"The rains have ceased and we are graced with another beautiful day. but you are not here to see it."
(pretty sure Nick was on vacation but I forget. Plus you're the one adding that it's going though multiple decks, not me, internal sensors especially on an Iconian ship would he able to detect that. as for a pistol and carbine in one. is that at the same time or a mode you can switch into?)
Nick: No, no I haven't! If I had I wouldn't have let you use it! I thought you used dark matter energy beams! *he shakes his head and lets out a frustrated grunt*
*the thrall in the trophy room is impaled by the glaive*
Nick: lets go, go! Lythe! hold a barrier up at the door. Quark, you're up! *he walks into the trophy room, his eyes immediately being drawn to the case of claimed starfleet commbadges, his eye twitching slightly, then seeing the voyager gold disc* okay, we're gonna be stealing much more than intended
Quark: Now, Now Captain, Temperance. *he jokes with a ferengi grin, looking at the items in the room as he looks for the sword*
Nick: *Walks up to the container full of badges*
Quark: *walks passed him* seeing these reminds me of the Dominion war. a lot of these were sent back home to loved ones. Starfleet, the Klingons, the Romulans... they all have their different rituals. Even the enemy cared for their dead.
Nick: Yeah
Nog: And they say you don't have a heart uncle
************
Adam: There are times where things like that won't be possible. you run a ship with nearly a thousand crewmembers and all of them look to you as their commanding officer. Leading by example is great, being hands on is great, but all those people signed up and joined starfleet to do that too. there's nothing wrong with letting them do their job. Patience is important, especially on a starship.
"We have no tomorrow, but there's still hope for the future. In our struggle to survive the present, we push the future farther away. Will I see it in my lifetime? Probably not. Which means there's no time to waste. Someday the world will no longer need us. No need for the gun, or the hand to pull the trigger." -Punished Snake
(Wouldn't that be a Submachine Gun or just one of those funky devices that basically attaches a pistol to a rifle mount for shooting around corners?)
Krystal: I get that. I'm just saying I'm not used to staying behind and pacing on the Bridge not knowing whats going on.
And I sure as hell don't want people thinking that they have to protect me because I'm a princess or anything. I'm still a Starfleet Officer and can take care of myself just as well as any other officer. I don't need people saying to pull back in case I get a splinter, and I sure as hell don't want that kind of rep either.
*sighs and put a hand on her hip*
Can't help it if I prefer to share the risk with my crew. Guess I'm kinda like Kirk that way.
lythe: *the strain of her unbridled use of her psyker abilities are starting to take their toll as she breaths heavily while a drop of blood trickles down her nose. she recalls her glaive using it to keep her balance as she forms a telekinetic barrier around the door.* i will hold it as long as i can.
"The rains have ceased and we are graced with another beautiful day. but you are not here to see it."
Janri: *She nods* I hope Lythe is alright. Let's hurry back. Where is the extraction point? Where we came in?
***
Kinkoshi: No no, the borg don't have sleeper agents. Thats just it Tess, they have one tactic. Overwhelming force to assimilate the opposition. They do not have creativity or imagination to wield. They only exist to add other species technological and biological distinctiveness to their own. Its actually their lack of innovation that is their greatest weakness.
I can guarantee that I and any other former borg who are liberated are completely free of their control. Physically we are completely separated. *She sighs* Mentally we are free from them, but for a lot there are still nightmares that persist.
(No, it's a pistol with an upswinging - or sideswinging, I haven't decided yet - barrel that can extend the gun's range...I actually had a brief thought that such a thing wouldn't work, because the heat produced by firing might eventually fuse the barrel to the body and render it unable to return to pistol mode - but then I remembered silencers exist, and those never seem to have any problems; also, I don't think gauss weapons even generate that much heat, so it wouldn't be an issue anyway.
Marrok: We do, but so do the Iconians, and using an enemy's weapons against them might be poetic...but in this case also a very bad idea, because they probably have resistances to it.
A normie goes "Oh, what's this?"
An otaku goes "UwU, what's this?"
A furry goes "OwO, what's this?"
A werewolf goes "Awoo, what's this?"
"It's nothing personal, I just don't feel like I've gotten to know a person until I've sniffed their crotch." "We said 'no' to Mr. Curiosity. We're not home. Curiosity is not welcome, it is not to be invited in. Curiosity...is bad. It gets you in trouble, it gets you killed, and more importantly...it makes you poor!"
Passion and Serenity are one.
I gain power by understanding both.
In the chaos of their battle, I bring order.
I am a shadow, darkness born from light.
The Force is united within me.
(there is a blaster I use in my TTRPG Star Wars game that you can use as a pistol or switch it to a carbine. Maybe instead of something you TRIBBLE into place. It can be some kind of telescopic barrel. Either one works. I mainly use A WESTAR-35 or DC-17 though. I did make a clone commando for another game, and... Well let's just say that the homeless population of coruscant has a new boogie man...)
Nick: Marrok, you break into the case with the voyager gold record, I'll get the badges open. Quark, take care of the sword.
Quark *has already moved to the console at the center of the room* way ahead of you captain.... So if we weren't already in the middle of all this, I would have let it go but, do you think we can carry all that latnium over there in your transporter pocket? *He points to a case with stacks of latnium bricks*
Nick *grumbles "of course" before shaking his head* I also have a magic pouch of holding Matt gave to me awhile back, though I keep that on my belt too it does already have some things, but I think if you're actually going to do this, why the hell not. But I'm leaving behind any of these combadges so you can get your bricks. Marrok, you got any technological or magically enhanced storage space?
*******
Adam: All due respect captain, You aren't kirk... Kirk had confidence. Nobody is going to protect you because you're princess but because you're the commanding officer, top of the chain of command. Nobody is going to give you the rep you think you'll have.
"We have no tomorrow, but there's still hope for the future. In our struggle to survive the present, we push the future farther away. Will I see it in my lifetime? Probably not. Which means there's no time to waste. Someday the world will no longer need us. No need for the gun, or the hand to pull the trigger." -Punished Snake
Marrok: Where do you think I got those turret bases from? All Lunari uniforms have transporter buffers built into them, but they can only store so much energy, so we can't take EVERYTHING here. *he replies while he examines the lock, then begins working on it*
A normie goes "Oh, what's this?"
An otaku goes "UwU, what's this?"
A furry goes "OwO, what's this?"
A werewolf goes "Awoo, what's this?"
"It's nothing personal, I just don't feel like I've gotten to know a person until I've sniffed their crotch." "We said 'no' to Mr. Curiosity. We're not home. Curiosity is not welcome, it is not to be invited in. Curiosity...is bad. It gets you in trouble, it gets you killed, and more importantly...it makes you poor!"
Passion and Serenity are one.
I gain power by understanding both.
In the chaos of their battle, I bring order.
I am a shadow, darkness born from light.
The Force is united within me.
Krystal: *annoyed look before shaking it off* Blame Yorktown's crew for part of it. Idiots think they're war heros and that I'm some pampered princess who never earned her command.
I'm not cut out for desk duty Commander. I belong out here. When I joined Starfleet I wasn't expecting to catapult through the ranks, and I sure as hell never thought I'd be Joined. Things just worked out that way. But I didn't do it alone. Tala, Amelei, Kayla, Deunan... I had friends who've been with me since day one. I wouldn't be here without them. And all the other friends I made on the way have helped as well.
Janri: Lek, can you cover the extraction point? I smell blood and its not from the Heralds I want to go check it out. *She sniffs the air*
***
Kinkoshi: They're well past the time they'd need sleeper agents if they had them, its been like decades since the Collective was the immense threat they used to be. They're still dangerous, but our technology has improved to the point we are better than them. In the entirety of the history since we've known the borg, none of the liberated have shown any signs of anything like that, and the first guy who was recorded liberated was decades ago.
Leck: I suppose I'll have to, it'll be more dangerous but its more fun that way. *he gives a grin and is off*
***********
Nick: we can carry the voyager plate and the sword anolog. The badges and latnium are gonna have to go with us. Split 3 ways, my transporter buffer, your transporter buffer, my bigger on the inside pouch. That'll be more than enough space hopefully. The badges are my priority. Leave latnium if we have to. Or let lythe warp it away! *He starts to crack into the commbadge case*
Quark: *currently cracking the code to the main safe* I've nearly got it! *********
Adam: It's lieutenant, Captain. I'm no commander. That would be Commander Victoria, but she's been on medical leave... Is she okay? *He asks, knowing the previous subject is futile to talk about. So changing the subject*
"We have no tomorrow, but there's still hope for the future. In our struggle to survive the present, we push the future farther away. Will I see it in my lifetime? Probably not. Which means there's no time to waste. Someday the world will no longer need us. No need for the gun, or the hand to pull the trigger." -Punished Snake
*Marrok continues fiddling with the puzzle lock, growing more and more frustrated as the screeching tone of a wrong answer continues blaring at him, until he finally manages to lock himself out of the system, causing the teenaged werewolf to let out a massive burst of profanity that would make a Greek sailor blush and slam his fist into the case repeatedly before calming enough to bring out a set of odd-looking devices from his uniform's buffer storage* Right, that's enough of that nonsense - math failed, now we're going brute force. *he growls before slapping the devices on every corner of the case and adjusting the arms on them, followed by grabbing a remote and activating all four devices, then looking away as an emitter on the arms starts spraying an intensely hot and blindingly bright beam of plasma which slowly moves along the edges of the case*
A normie goes "Oh, what's this?"
An otaku goes "UwU, what's this?"
A furry goes "OwO, what's this?"
A werewolf goes "Awoo, what's this?"
"It's nothing personal, I just don't feel like I've gotten to know a person until I've sniffed their crotch." "We said 'no' to Mr. Curiosity. We're not home. Curiosity is not welcome, it is not to be invited in. Curiosity...is bad. It gets you in trouble, it gets you killed, and more importantly...it makes you poor!"
Passion and Serenity are one.
I gain power by understanding both.
In the chaos of their battle, I bring order.
I am a shadow, darkness born from light.
The Force is united within me.
Janri: *She follows the scent of non herald blood, somewhat recognizing it but unused to properly tracking someone by scent until she finds the room the group is in, seeing the barrier on the doorway* Can you hear me in there?
***
Kinkoshi: Oh yes, we even have teams of people determined to free as many as they can. And even when someone has barely any of their body left we have ways of helping them get a replacement. An acquaintance of mine, Seventeen of the Romulan republic, when she was freed all that was left of her was her head, her *she gestures at her chest* And her spine. They were going to turn her into a new body for the Borg Queen if the old one died, but she was liberated before that. They managed to replace her body, give her a chance to have a proper life and all that.
*for now the waves of constructs and thrall seem to be thinning out, giving them a breather*
Nick: we're all working on it, keep holding! *he sees marrok burning into the case and shrugs, taking his phaser rifle and starting to blast around the case before swinging the stock of his rifle into the case and creating a opening, starting to take handfuls of commbadges and put them in the transporter buffer on his belt, once getting a beep when it can receive no more, stuffing them in the bigger on the inside pouch on his belt Matt gave him. grabbing all of the badges and running over to the case of latnium, being much less cautious and unloading at random into the case with phaserbolt fire*
Quark: *soon he successfully has the sword of Kahless in front of him, reaching out and taking it in his hands*
Nog: Nicely done, uncle! we actually did it. lets not stick around though. Lets head to the extraction point before T'ket comes down here herself and sees what's going on.
Nick: Marrok, when you're done over there i need help loading these bricks. *he starts putting bricks of latnium in the pouch, only having room for 6/50, he starts to walk over to lythe before he stops and looks at a case, something unexpected in one of them* is that a F***ing Black hole?....
Nog: Amazing. *he says, walking over* that's a singularity. T'ket must've taken it from a Romulan warbird! you could say it was the 'heart' of that ship. must've been a memorable opponent for her to keep that on display like this.
Nick: Huh.... Neat.... *he reaches back to his transporter buffer, grabbing a block of some more plastic explosive and sticking it on the case, followed by another block and another on the case* well now we can erase some evidence. he slowly backs up and grabs now 9/50 of the blocks before heading back towards lythe*
Quark: *carries the sword towards the door*
*************
Adam: Do... you know when she'll be back on duty?
Sn'ket: Captain, I'm getting some odd readings in our proximity, a build up of Tetryon particles inconsistent with surrounding space in the region.... I believe there may be another cloaked ship hiding with us.
"We have no tomorrow, but there's still hope for the future. In our struggle to survive the present, we push the future farther away. Will I see it in my lifetime? Probably not. Which means there's no time to waste. Someday the world will no longer need us. No need for the gun, or the hand to pull the trigger." -Punished Snake
lythe: *the barrier falls as she drops to her knees.* cant hold it...... ive nothing left.... *she bleeds more profusely from her nose looking utterly drained.*
****************************************
tess: that sounds horrifying....
"The rains have ceased and we are graced with another beautiful day. but you are not here to see it."
Janri: What's going on?! *She looks very concerned as she sees Lythe fall over rushing through the barrier as it dissipates.* Lythe! I thought you were going to be resting and recovering... *She listens for Lythe's heartbeat, sniffing her blood and shaking her head as her icy eyes seem to turn a brighter blue at the smell of blood* She got hit hard earlier, she shouldn't have been in combat.
***
Kinkoshi: She's still pretty self conscious about her body after all that. But she has one and as far as I know it works fine, I was more fortunate to have been less cyberneticized as she was, but there's still a few parts here and there like my arm that I had to get a new one. *She shows Tess her right arm, it doesn't look like it stands out at all visually* The wonders of modern Medicine.
*Marrok gathers up the breaching charges once they've finished burning through the case and gives it a hard shove, pushing it into the display case and allowing him to gather up the plate and store it in his buffer before running up to grab the remaining bricks, the set of Lacerator and Shredder turrets meanwhile managing to help hold the line against intruding Herald forces*
A normie goes "Oh, what's this?"
An otaku goes "UwU, what's this?"
A furry goes "OwO, what's this?"
A werewolf goes "Awoo, what's this?"
"It's nothing personal, I just don't feel like I've gotten to know a person until I've sniffed their crotch." "We said 'no' to Mr. Curiosity. We're not home. Curiosity is not welcome, it is not to be invited in. Curiosity...is bad. It gets you in trouble, it gets you killed, and more importantly...it makes you poor!"
Passion and Serenity are one.
I gain power by understanding both.
In the chaos of their battle, I bring order.
I am a shadow, darkness born from light.
The Force is united within me.
lythe: ive taken far worse hits before, i will be fine. you were supposed to be with the other ferengi what are you doing here? *a metallic clank is heard from her staff as stakes it in the ground using it to help her get up and stay on her feet.*
**************************
tess: so where are those borg usually at? ive also never met seventeen before.... and why does she have a number for a name?
"The rains have ceased and we are graced with another beautiful day. but you are not here to see it."
Janri: Leck and I completed our objective, we were heading back to the extraction point when I smelled blood that didn't belong to the heralds. I was worried you and the others were in danger so I came to investigate. *she looks ready to help Lythe in case she collapses again, looking around for the other blood she smelt*
***
Kinkoshi: There are 4 galactic quadrants here, Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and Delta. We're in the Alpha Quadrant right now, and the Borg originate in the Delta Quadrant, the opposite side of the galaxy.
The borg don't use names, they use designations for their drones. When some people are liberated, their memories might be missing from the trauma, or they may just not feel like the same person they were before so they keep going by their designation. When I was freed I went back to my name, Kinkoshi. But Seventeen, with how she was I'm not surprised that she still goes by the designation, she would've suffered a lot.
*Seventeen comes into the Mess hall, getting a raktajino and sitting at one of the tables as it looks like she's working on some kind of report. Her skin is discolored a very unnaturally pale slight shade of green, her hair white as snow, and her implants obvious*
That's her over there. She's stationed here like most of the people you'll see around the station.
Krystal: Odd... can we run a scan without revealing ourselves? Honestly I don't care where Quark got the cloak, but in my experience, Ferengi always like to skimp out on something.
(r/Holup...Tetryons being linked to cloaking technology only showed up once in all of Star Trek...in The Die is Cast, shortly before a Keldon decloaked right in front of DS9.
A normie goes "Oh, what's this?"
An otaku goes "UwU, what's this?"
A furry goes "OwO, what's this?"
A werewolf goes "Awoo, what's this?"
"It's nothing personal, I just don't feel like I've gotten to know a person until I've sniffed their crotch." "We said 'no' to Mr. Curiosity. We're not home. Curiosity is not welcome, it is not to be invited in. Curiosity...is bad. It gets you in trouble, it gets you killed, and more importantly...it makes you poor!"
Passion and Serenity are one.
I gain power by understanding both.
In the chaos of their battle, I bring order.
I am a shadow, darkness born from light.
The Force is united within me.
*the waves of Iconian forces has stopped for the moment, allowing them an exit
Nick: Lets move let's get out of *as he walks towards the exit*
Brunt: *standing at the end of the hall with a disruptor pointed at the group* That's far enough! *he gives a big ferengi grin* Well done, quark, you actually managed to pull it off despite everything. I suppose I shouldn't be too suprised, you've a talent for larceny, after all. Time, however is a factor. Hand it over, now... or I'll shoot you all and take it from your cold dead fingers... or maybe I'll just set off the bomb
Quark: Are you out of your mind? Have you forgotten who Nog and I are related to? No payout is worth what will happen to you if you do this. Rom will have every Eliminator, Bounty Hunter, and pirate in the four quadrants gunning for you!
Brunt: How did Leck put it? Ah, yes. "the Riskier the road, the greater the profit" wise words indeed. The payout from this job will provide me with more than enough latinum to remove your idiot brother and take my rightful place as the Grand Nagus! I'm willing to give you a sporting chance however. Hand over the package. you might be able to flee before that very angry Iconian arrives!
Quark: Have it your way, Brunt. you're dumber than you look if you think the crew of our ride won't be suspicious when you come back without us, or their Captain. They'll probably throw you in the brig on general principle. I know I would!
Brunt: Ah, but I won't be traveling with them, Quark, I've made other travel arrangements. Time's up. hand it over, or prepare to meet the Blessed Exchequer. Heh. I'd pay a lot to witness that audit! might even be worth dying for, just to hear you scream on your way down to the Vault of Eternal Destitution!
Nick: I'm sure I could arrange that. *he says, rifle slinged on his back, taking up a gunslinger pose, ready to draw* I can't refuse a man his dying wish.
Quark: Captain, are you Sure that's a wise idea?
Nick: pretty sure, yeah.
*********
Sn'ket: Unknown at the moment, captain. the only way we'll know is when we do it. your orders?
********
Donovan: *Tilts his head at seventeen, shaking it before downing another round*
"We have no tomorrow, but there's still hope for the future. In our struggle to survive the present, we push the future farther away. Will I see it in my lifetime? Probably not. Which means there's no time to waste. Someday the world will no longer need us. No need for the gun, or the hand to pull the trigger." -Punished Snake
Marrok: He cannot possibly be this stupid, can he, uncle Nick? He does realize there are several anti-personnel turrets tied to the neural link in my head right behind him that will absolutely shred him if he gets tagged as a hostile...right? And that's not even factoring in this railgun here that would utterly liquify whatever part of the body it hit, along with a good chunk of the flesh surrounding it. *he asks as he slowly raises said rifle to point at Brunt*
A normie goes "Oh, what's this?"
An otaku goes "UwU, what's this?"
A furry goes "OwO, what's this?"
A werewolf goes "Awoo, what's this?"
"It's nothing personal, I just don't feel like I've gotten to know a person until I've sniffed their crotch." "We said 'no' to Mr. Curiosity. We're not home. Curiosity is not welcome, it is not to be invited in. Curiosity...is bad. It gets you in trouble, it gets you killed, and more importantly...it makes you poor!"
Passion and Serenity are one.
I gain power by understanding both.
In the chaos of their battle, I bring order.
I am a shadow, darkness born from light.
The Force is united within me.
Krystal: *grits her teeth* Ok... we're cloaked, practically driving our nose into the back end of an Iconian Dreadnought, and we got a sensor echo indicating a possible second cloaked ship. We do any active scanning at this range, we potentially reveal ourselves to a very angry T'Ket.
Unless we come at it sideways...
What do we have in scientific capability? If we can't ping it ourselves, can we use a probe to ping it from a location well away from us? We might be able to mask a probe launch by timing it with a shield impact from Fek'lhri weapons. Or a cold launch using vented atmosphere to build momentum.
(I don't think the torpedo tubes can open fast enough to allow for a vent launch - this is where building magnetic accelerators into the tubes would've come in handy.
Or just cheese it by opening the doors and having a field up, then building up pressure inside the sealed tube before dropping the field. Or go all Jedi Shadow Bomb and have a strong telekinetic fling the probe out the tube.)
A normie goes "Oh, what's this?"
An otaku goes "UwU, what's this?"
A furry goes "OwO, what's this?"
A werewolf goes "Awoo, what's this?"
"It's nothing personal, I just don't feel like I've gotten to know a person until I've sniffed their crotch." "We said 'no' to Mr. Curiosity. We're not home. Curiosity is not welcome, it is not to be invited in. Curiosity...is bad. It gets you in trouble, it gets you killed, and more importantly...it makes you poor!"
Passion and Serenity are one.
I gain power by understanding both.
In the chaos of their battle, I bring order.
I am a shadow, darkness born from light.
The Force is united within me.
Sn'ket: *he taps at his console and looks back over to Krystal* Captain, this is a Warship. The most we could do is.... *He looks at his console again* I'm picking up transporter signals going to the Iconian ship. We are not alone Captain, how should we proceed?
********
Nick: I... I actually think he is that stupid... Wait what was that about bombs?
Brunt: *he taps something on his wrist, a large explosive device is beamed in*
Nick: ah, so that's those other arrangements you mentioned.... You realize if that goes off, you may end up as dead as the rest of us
Brunt: that bomb has enough yield to take you all out witho-
Nick: *interrupts him* No, I put explosive devices on a contained singularity literly feet away from that bomb. I was gonna blow it when we left. You're gonna trigger those explosives and release it, likely consuming us all before it collapses in on itself.
Brunt: Wait, what?! Are you insane? No, you're a starfleet officer, you wouldn't be so destructive, that has to be a bluff!
"We have no tomorrow, but there's still hope for the future. In our struggle to survive the present, we push the future farther away. Will I see it in my lifetime? Probably not. Which means there's no time to waste. Someday the world will no longer need us. No need for the gun, or the hand to pull the trigger." -Punished Snake
Comments
#LegalizeAwoo
A normie goes "Oh, what's this?"
An otaku goes "UwU, what's this?"
A furry goes "OwO, what's this?"
A werewolf goes "Awoo, what's this?"
"It's nothing personal, I just don't feel like I've gotten to know a person until I've sniffed their crotch."
"We said 'no' to Mr. Curiosity. We're not home. Curiosity is not welcome, it is not to be invited in. Curiosity...is bad. It gets you in trouble, it gets you killed, and more importantly...it makes you poor!"
*********************
tess: are you sure you're free of them? can any "liberated borg" truly be free of them? or is this some ploy by the collective.... ive heard of sleeper agents being used before in my galaxy.... *she looks at kinkoshi with a mix of aggression and worry.*
Nick: No, no I haven't! If I had I wouldn't have let you use it! I thought you used dark matter energy beams! *he shakes his head and lets out a frustrated grunt*
*the thrall in the trophy room is impaled by the glaive*
Nick: lets go, go! Lythe! hold a barrier up at the door. Quark, you're up! *he walks into the trophy room, his eyes immediately being drawn to the case of claimed starfleet commbadges, his eye twitching slightly, then seeing the voyager gold disc* okay, we're gonna be stealing much more than intended
Quark: Now, Now Captain, Temperance. *he jokes with a ferengi grin, looking at the items in the room as he looks for the sword*
Nick: *Walks up to the container full of badges*
Quark: *walks passed him* seeing these reminds me of the Dominion war. a lot of these were sent back home to loved ones. Starfleet, the Klingons, the Romulans... they all have their different rituals. Even the enemy cared for their dead.
Nick: Yeah
Nog: And they say you don't have a heart uncle
************
Adam: There are times where things like that won't be possible. you run a ship with nearly a thousand crewmembers and all of them look to you as their commanding officer. Leading by example is great, being hands on is great, but all those people signed up and joined starfleet to do that too. there's nothing wrong with letting them do their job. Patience is important, especially on a starship.
Krystal: I get that. I'm just saying I'm not used to staying behind and pacing on the Bridge not knowing whats going on.
And I sure as hell don't want people thinking that they have to protect me because I'm a princess or anything. I'm still a Starfleet Officer and can take care of myself just as well as any other officer. I don't need people saying to pull back in case I get a splinter, and I sure as hell don't want that kind of rep either.
*sighs and put a hand on her hip*
Can't help it if I prefer to share the risk with my crew. Guess I'm kinda like Kirk that way.
***
Kinkoshi: No no, the borg don't have sleeper agents. Thats just it Tess, they have one tactic. Overwhelming force to assimilate the opposition. They do not have creativity or imagination to wield. They only exist to add other species technological and biological distinctiveness to their own. Its actually their lack of innovation that is their greatest weakness.
I can guarantee that I and any other former borg who are liberated are completely free of their control. Physically we are completely separated. *She sighs* Mentally we are free from them, but for a lot there are still nightmares that persist.
Basically, I was inspired by this thing from Power Rangers: https://powerrangers.fandom.com/wiki/Category:Arsenal_(Lightspeed_Rescue)#Thermo_Blaster )
Marrok: We do, but so do the Iconians, and using an enemy's weapons against them might be poetic...but in this case also a very bad idea, because they probably have resistances to it.
#LegalizeAwoo
A normie goes "Oh, what's this?"
An otaku goes "UwU, what's this?"
A furry goes "OwO, what's this?"
A werewolf goes "Awoo, what's this?"
"It's nothing personal, I just don't feel like I've gotten to know a person until I've sniffed their crotch."
"We said 'no' to Mr. Curiosity. We're not home. Curiosity is not welcome, it is not to be invited in. Curiosity...is bad. It gets you in trouble, it gets you killed, and more importantly...it makes you poor!"
Nick: Marrok, you break into the case with the voyager gold record, I'll get the badges open. Quark, take care of the sword.
Quark *has already moved to the console at the center of the room* way ahead of you captain.... So if we weren't already in the middle of all this, I would have let it go but, do you think we can carry all that latnium over there in your transporter pocket? *He points to a case with stacks of latnium bricks*
Nick *grumbles "of course" before shaking his head* I also have a magic pouch of holding Matt gave to me awhile back, though I keep that on my belt too it does already have some things, but I think if you're actually going to do this, why the hell not. But I'm leaving behind any of these combadges so you can get your bricks. Marrok, you got any technological or magically enhanced storage space?
*******
Adam: All due respect captain, You aren't kirk... Kirk had confidence. Nobody is going to protect you because you're princess but because you're the commanding officer, top of the chain of command. Nobody is going to give you the rep you think you'll have.
#LegalizeAwoo
A normie goes "Oh, what's this?"
An otaku goes "UwU, what's this?"
A furry goes "OwO, what's this?"
A werewolf goes "Awoo, what's this?"
"It's nothing personal, I just don't feel like I've gotten to know a person until I've sniffed their crotch."
"We said 'no' to Mr. Curiosity. We're not home. Curiosity is not welcome, it is not to be invited in. Curiosity...is bad. It gets you in trouble, it gets you killed, and more importantly...it makes you poor!"
********************
tess: thats what they would want you to think isnt it? if you were a sleeper agent you wouldnt know....
I'm not cut out for desk duty Commander. I belong out here. When I joined Starfleet I wasn't expecting to catapult through the ranks, and I sure as hell never thought I'd be Joined. Things just worked out that way. But I didn't do it alone. Tala, Amelei, Kayla, Deunan... I had friends who've been with me since day one. I wouldn't be here without them. And all the other friends I made on the way have helped as well.
***
Kinkoshi: They're well past the time they'd need sleeper agents if they had them, its been like decades since the Collective was the immense threat they used to be. They're still dangerous, but our technology has improved to the point we are better than them. In the entirety of the history since we've known the borg, none of the liberated have shown any signs of anything like that, and the first guy who was recorded liberated was decades ago.
***********
Nick: we can carry the voyager plate and the sword anolog. The badges and latnium are gonna have to go with us. Split 3 ways, my transporter buffer, your transporter buffer, my bigger on the inside pouch. That'll be more than enough space hopefully. The badges are my priority. Leave latnium if we have to. Or let lythe warp it away! *He starts to crack into the commbadge case*
Quark: *currently cracking the code to the main safe* I've nearly got it!
*********
Adam: It's lieutenant, Captain. I'm no commander. That would be Commander Victoria, but she's been on medical leave... Is she okay? *He asks, knowing the previous subject is futile to talk about. So changing the subject*
*******************
Tess: is it easier to retake those that have been assimilated in the past?
#LegalizeAwoo
A normie goes "Oh, what's this?"
An otaku goes "UwU, what's this?"
A furry goes "OwO, what's this?"
A werewolf goes "Awoo, what's this?"
"It's nothing personal, I just don't feel like I've gotten to know a person until I've sniffed their crotch."
"We said 'no' to Mr. Curiosity. We're not home. Curiosity is not welcome, it is not to be invited in. Curiosity...is bad. It gets you in trouble, it gets you killed, and more importantly...it makes you poor!"
***
Kinkoshi: Oh yes, we even have teams of people determined to free as many as they can. And even when someone has barely any of their body left we have ways of helping them get a replacement. An acquaintance of mine, Seventeen of the Romulan republic, when she was freed all that was left of her was her head, her *she gestures at her chest* And her spine. They were going to turn her into a new body for the Borg Queen if the old one died, but she was liberated before that. They managed to replace her body, give her a chance to have a proper life and all that.
Nick: we're all working on it, keep holding! *he sees marrok burning into the case and shrugs, taking his phaser rifle and starting to blast around the case before swinging the stock of his rifle into the case and creating a opening, starting to take handfuls of commbadges and put them in the transporter buffer on his belt, once getting a beep when it can receive no more, stuffing them in the bigger on the inside pouch on his belt Matt gave him. grabbing all of the badges and running over to the case of latnium, being much less cautious and unloading at random into the case with phaserbolt fire*
Quark: *soon he successfully has the sword of Kahless in front of him, reaching out and taking it in his hands*
Nog: Nicely done, uncle! we actually did it. lets not stick around though. Lets head to the extraction point before T'ket comes down here herself and sees what's going on.
Nick: Marrok, when you're done over there i need help loading these bricks. *he starts putting bricks of latnium in the pouch, only having room for 6/50, he starts to walk over to lythe before he stops and looks at a case, something unexpected in one of them* is that a F***ing Black hole?....
Nog: Amazing. *he says, walking over* that's a singularity. T'ket must've taken it from a Romulan warbird! you could say it was the 'heart' of that ship. must've been a memorable opponent for her to keep that on display like this.
Nick: Huh.... Neat.... *he reaches back to his transporter buffer, grabbing a block of some more plastic explosive and sticking it on the case, followed by another block and another on the case* well now we can erase some evidence. he slowly backs up and grabs now 9/50 of the blocks before heading back towards lythe*
Quark: *carries the sword towards the door*
*************
Adam: Do... you know when she'll be back on duty?
Sn'ket: Captain, I'm getting some odd readings in our proximity, a build up of Tetryon particles inconsistent with surrounding space in the region.... I believe there may be another cloaked ship hiding with us.
****************************************
tess: that sounds horrifying....
***
Kinkoshi: She's still pretty self conscious about her body after all that. But she has one and as far as I know it works fine, I was more fortunate to have been less cyberneticized as she was, but there's still a few parts here and there like my arm that I had to get a new one. *She shows Tess her right arm, it doesn't look like it stands out at all visually* The wonders of modern Medicine.
#LegalizeAwoo
A normie goes "Oh, what's this?"
An otaku goes "UwU, what's this?"
A furry goes "OwO, what's this?"
A werewolf goes "Awoo, what's this?"
"It's nothing personal, I just don't feel like I've gotten to know a person until I've sniffed their crotch."
"We said 'no' to Mr. Curiosity. We're not home. Curiosity is not welcome, it is not to be invited in. Curiosity...is bad. It gets you in trouble, it gets you killed, and more importantly...it makes you poor!"
**************************
tess: so where are those borg usually at? ive also never met seventeen before.... and why does she have a number for a name?
***
Kinkoshi: There are 4 galactic quadrants here, Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and Delta. We're in the Alpha Quadrant right now, and the Borg originate in the Delta Quadrant, the opposite side of the galaxy.
The borg don't use names, they use designations for their drones. When some people are liberated, their memories might be missing from the trauma, or they may just not feel like the same person they were before so they keep going by their designation. When I was freed I went back to my name, Kinkoshi. But Seventeen, with how she was I'm not surprised that she still goes by the designation, she would've suffered a lot.
*Seventeen comes into the Mess hall, getting a raktajino and sitting at one of the tables as it looks like she's working on some kind of report. Her skin is discolored a very unnaturally pale slight shade of green, her hair white as snow, and her implants obvious*
That's her over there. She's stationed here like most of the people you'll see around the station.
Nick...is there a Cardassian ship out there?)
#LegalizeAwoo
A normie goes "Oh, what's this?"
An otaku goes "UwU, what's this?"
A furry goes "OwO, what's this?"
A werewolf goes "Awoo, what's this?"
"It's nothing personal, I just don't feel like I've gotten to know a person until I've sniffed their crotch."
"We said 'no' to Mr. Curiosity. We're not home. Curiosity is not welcome, it is not to be invited in. Curiosity...is bad. It gets you in trouble, it gets you killed, and more importantly...it makes you poor!"
*the waves of Iconian forces has stopped for the moment, allowing them an exit
Nick: Lets move let's get out of *as he walks towards the exit*
Brunt: *standing at the end of the hall with a disruptor pointed at the group* That's far enough! *he gives a big ferengi grin* Well done, quark, you actually managed to pull it off despite everything. I suppose I shouldn't be too suprised, you've a talent for larceny, after all. Time, however is a factor. Hand it over, now... or I'll shoot you all and take it from your cold dead fingers... or maybe I'll just set off the bomb
Quark: Are you out of your mind? Have you forgotten who Nog and I are related to? No payout is worth what will happen to you if you do this. Rom will have every Eliminator, Bounty Hunter, and pirate in the four quadrants gunning for you!
Brunt: How did Leck put it? Ah, yes. "the Riskier the road, the greater the profit" wise words indeed. The payout from this job will provide me with more than enough latinum to remove your idiot brother and take my rightful place as the Grand Nagus! I'm willing to give you a sporting chance however. Hand over the package. you might be able to flee before that very angry Iconian arrives!
Quark: Have it your way, Brunt. you're dumber than you look if you think the crew of our ride won't be suspicious when you come back without us, or their Captain. They'll probably throw you in the brig on general principle. I know I would!
Brunt: Ah, but I won't be traveling with them, Quark, I've made other travel arrangements. Time's up. hand it over, or prepare to meet the Blessed Exchequer. Heh. I'd pay a lot to witness that audit! might even be worth dying for, just to hear you scream on your way down to the Vault of Eternal Destitution!
Nick: I'm sure I could arrange that. *he says, rifle slinged on his back, taking up a gunslinger pose, ready to draw* I can't refuse a man his dying wish.
Quark: Captain, are you Sure that's a wise idea?
Nick: pretty sure, yeah.
*********
Sn'ket: Unknown at the moment, captain. the only way we'll know is when we do it. your orders?
********
Donovan: *Tilts his head at seventeen, shaking it before downing another round*
#LegalizeAwoo
A normie goes "Oh, what's this?"
An otaku goes "UwU, what's this?"
A furry goes "OwO, what's this?"
A werewolf goes "Awoo, what's this?"
"It's nothing personal, I just don't feel like I've gotten to know a person until I've sniffed their crotch."
"We said 'no' to Mr. Curiosity. We're not home. Curiosity is not welcome, it is not to be invited in. Curiosity...is bad. It gets you in trouble, it gets you killed, and more importantly...it makes you poor!"
Unless we come at it sideways...
What do we have in scientific capability? If we can't ping it ourselves, can we use a probe to ping it from a location well away from us? We might be able to mask a probe launch by timing it with a shield impact from Fek'lhri weapons. Or a cold launch using vented atmosphere to build momentum.
Options?
Or just cheese it by opening the doors and having a field up, then building up pressure inside the sealed tube before dropping the field. Or go all Jedi Shadow Bomb and have a strong telekinetic fling the probe out the tube.)
#LegalizeAwoo
A normie goes "Oh, what's this?"
An otaku goes "UwU, what's this?"
A furry goes "OwO, what's this?"
A werewolf goes "Awoo, what's this?"
"It's nothing personal, I just don't feel like I've gotten to know a person until I've sniffed their crotch."
"We said 'no' to Mr. Curiosity. We're not home. Curiosity is not welcome, it is not to be invited in. Curiosity...is bad. It gets you in trouble, it gets you killed, and more importantly...it makes you poor!"
********
Nick: I... I actually think he is that stupid... Wait what was that about bombs?
Brunt: *he taps something on his wrist, a large explosive device is beamed in*
Nick: ah, so that's those other arrangements you mentioned.... You realize if that goes off, you may end up as dead as the rest of us
Brunt: that bomb has enough yield to take you all out witho-
Nick: *interrupts him* No, I put explosive devices on a contained singularity literly feet away from that bomb. I was gonna blow it when we left. You're gonna trigger those explosives and release it, likely consuming us all before it collapses in on itself.
Brunt: Wait, what?! Are you insane? No, you're a starfleet officer, you wouldn't be so destructive, that has to be a bluff!