Before the Storm, the opening scene to Chapter Five

[Sothis]

Well folks, I have not worked on this fanfic for ages. Combination of writer's block and a busy personal life at the mo. Now I have the first page and a half of a planned 16/17 done of Chapter Five, for your evaluation and criticism.

***

The huge complex buzzed with life. Twisted, awful life. The more the enemy was engaged, the more it became clear to the soldiers fighting them that it wasn’t just a public relations move, it was a necessity.
Seeing helpless people forced to engage in the murder of billions had awoken something in the Imperial officers. They weren’t just destroying the Borg, they were liberating the trillions of enslaved minds that had been overtaken by the oppressive will of the Collective. As Captain Gregari’s Star Destroyer, the Raven, and her support ships, an entire flotilla of frigates, corvettes and dreadnoughts, closed in on Unimatrix One, the captain took heart from the fact that this would be the last engagement- the Borg were gone elsewhere, this was their last stronghold.
Unlike previous engagements, Gregari did not expect an easy fight. The structure they faced was large enough, and powerful enough, to dish out damage, particularly against the smaller vessels. Fortunately, TIE Defenders and Missile Boats were quick, nimble fighters that could launch powerful rockets and bombs, straight into the heart of the enemy. A large contingent of Borg cubes and spheres had been detected at the base, but they would pose no threat. If they were true to form, the Borg would send their ships in to assimilate the Imperial starships, despite the futility of their efforts having been proven time and time again.
“All ships and fighters report ready Captain.” Stated Lt. Commander Jos formally. To Gregari, the scientist almost seemed disappointed- as though he was about to wipe out a fascinating research project, or laboratory specimen. Too bad.
“Order the ships to move in closer, lets get the attention of those Borg vessels. Once they’re engaged, order the fighters to begin their strikes.”
At the signal, with the Raven taking point, the Imperial fleet moved forward, advancing upon Unimatrix One. As expected, the Borg began to send out their ships, some thirty vessels, black and with glowing green innards, that would look menacing, if it weren’t for their pathetic firepower.
Immediately the Borg ships opened fire, and the Imperial vessels were mildly rocked by the hit of torpedoes against their ships. In response, a pair of lancer frigates opened up all batteries on the nearest sphere, tearing to shreds in a fireball that briefly illuminated the rest of the fleet.
Without wasting any time, the fighters shot forward, screaming toward their target areas, increasing speed to make themselves harder to track. They banked toward the structure at brake-neck speeds, firing off their rockets at the last moment, as Borg phaser fire and torpedoes shot furiously at them. One or two fighters were hit, and in a blaze of glory fired off as many bombs as they could, before colliding against the Borg station. Their weapons found their target zones, and blew tremendous holes into Unimatrix One, hot debris spewed everywhere, as the fighters veered off and prepared for another attack run. Their primary aim was to destroy or disable enough of the enemy station to make it safe for the capital ships to close in and finish it off, and already, after one round of bombs, it appeared that part of the station was struggling to maintain power, the crackle of damage seen where the huge explosions had ripped into it.
As the fighters began to devastate their target, the Imperial fleet was cutting into the Borg fleet like a knife through butter. Gregari found it amusing in many respects- the Borg were the most inept enemy he had ever fought, lacking in any form of tactics, and unable to advance their technology through research. It was inevitable that they’d come across a race one day more advanced, that would repel them. It was Gregari’s fortune that it was the Empire that had that honour.
A second wave of fighters now advanced, equipped with more heavy bombs and missiles. They swooped upon their target areas like birds of prey, showing no mercy. With large portions of the superstructure already suffering the effects of damage, Borg weapons fire was sparser for the second attack, and the fighters easily dove upon the last bastion of the Borg, their bombs ploughing into the structure with huge fireballs, plumes of vaporised material flung away.
It was a slaughter. With the fighters getting deep into Unimatrix One and delivering their powerful payloads into the heart of the Collective, it was all the Borg could do to even maintain a Collective.
Deep in the heart of the Unimatrix, she fumed with impotent rage, the sheer indignity of the scale of her defeat. From controlling thousands of worlds and trillions of Borg, to one base that was now being dismantled. And all of it, gone in just a few months.
A concept was brewing deep inside of her, one so alien, so against everything she was. The notion of negotiation. Of surrender. Her will to survive was beginning to overcome her pride. As she stood in her chamber, drones surrounding her, drones that had not yet become disconnected from the damage raging across the base, the Borg Queen stepped up to a control panel, and steeled herself. Closing her eyes, she silently instructed the base to hail the alien vessel, and then spoke for all the remaining Borg.

“Captain, we are being hailed, by the base.” Stated Jos flatly as the last remaining Borg cube erupted behind them.
“It will be the same drivel as before. Cut them off.” Gregari waved dismissively with a hand, not at all interested.
“I tried sir, but they keep repeating. It’s not the same frequency as their usual transmissions either.”
His curiosity suddenly aroused, Gregari eyed the viewscreen.
“Open a channel. Lets see what they have to say.”
“I am the Borg.” The female voice was a surprise, a single voice at that.
“What you are is an abomination. What do you want?” Answered Gregari vehemently.
“You are about to destroy us, destroy me- I can’t allow that. I want to survive.”
Another wave of fighters closed in, explosions still enemanting from the Borg structure, as Gregari pondered the woman’s words with interest.
“I find it curious that you can even hope for mercy, when you have shown none to countless billions in your time. How many beings have been enslaved against their will, their bodies mutilated, their minds engulfed by the evil Collective?”