As long as you never use Ass and her borg talk as a pun...we're good
Ugh, there are some things even I will not stoop to. And you won't see any more "Resistance is futile" stuff, except during the bondage scenes, of course.
As long as you never use Ass and her borg talk as a pun...we're good
Ugh, there are some things even I will not stoop to. And you won't see any more "Resistance is futile" stuff, except during the bondage scenes, of course.
Hurray!
There is a better world out there, where we don't have to be slaves to an invisible man in the sky, where we can make decisions for ourselves and our society based on evidence, reason, and our own best judgment, devoid of what some shithead wrote two thousand years ago because he had a vision along side a desert road.
That's the country I want to live in, and it's well within our grasps as long as we stand up to be counted, fight the battles big and small, and realize that there is a light at the end of this tunnel. I look forward to seeing you all there on the other side.
-Wicked Pilot
The Republic fleet struggled over Alion, trapped by the interdiction field and surrounded by Borg Cubes on all sides. More of their ion weapons were deployed to shut down the Republic ships and leave them helpless in the face of assimilation. Before anyone could think blue bolts of energy cascaded through the systems of Home One. “Haash’n!” Ackbar called. “Can you get the power back?”
“I’m trying sir,” came the report from his chief engineer, “But I don’t think it’s going to work.”
“Do it, or we’re all finished!” Ackbar turned his attention back. No instruments, no communications, nothing to do but look out the viewport and watch the battle. The Borg had allowed them to penetrate their perimeter, he saw, so they could surround them more effectively on all sides. The flashes of turbolaser fire were diminishing as their ships were overwhelmed or escaped. Ten, twelve maybe, he thought as he watched them slip through the Borg ships and vanish to hyperspace. Some of the fighters too, of course. After a while, the firing stopped.
“Hassh’n,” he called, “How’s the power coming?”
“I’m sorry sir,” the mon calamari replied, “There’s too much damage. There’s nothing I can do.”
“I understand, major,” Ackbar replied. He stepped to the center of the bridge, looking out at the helpless remains of his fleet. He saw a frigate, the Refuge, he thought, drifting past the window. Two Borg cubes swooped at it, their tractor beams slowing it to a relative stop. A cutting beam sliced through the shaft that connected the front of the ship to the powerful engines, cutting the ship into two pieces, the cubes pulling their respective pieces closer to its ship to be devoured. “Anyone who wishes to take your chances in a shuttle,” Ackbar said, “is dismissed, with the thanks of the Republic.” He turned and looked at the downhearted faces of his crew. “May the Force be with you.”
The crew filed out the back of the bridge for a last ditch effort at escape. “Sir,” Thaneespi said, “Are you coming?”
Ackbar sighed. “If you manage to make it,” he said with exhaustion, “Tell my family, I hope I didn’t disappoint them; and that I can only hope the Republic does not die with me.”
Thaneespi nodded and followed the rest of the crew. Ackbar watched for some time as the frigate was cut to pieces, drawn into the Cubes section by section. It was fascinating in a detached sort of way. “How did they know who I was?” he asked quietly. Suddenly there was a great shudder, almost knocking him off his feet. He turned and saw the back of the bridge slowly moving away, a force field distorting the view. The image of the ships consuming the frigate drifted to the right, and he saw another cube, a much larger cube, filling the view beyond the window. It seemed to grow endlessly as the seconds ticked on. After a time he saw an open port with hundreds of drones moving about. He watched the ship slowly begin its pull into the opening. He knew what was to come, and yet there was no fear, only regret. He sat down in his chair; he knew what he'd have to do for the good of the Republic. Even when the sound of the Borg tools on the outer portions of the ship began, he had no fear. As they walked across the remains of his bridge, there was still no fear. Senator, Admiral, leader of his people, he would meet the end with the dignity of a servant of the Republic. It was all he had left to cling to, and strangely, it was enough. He shot down four Borg drones before they got too close, then put it to the side of his head... and did one last thing to protect the Republic.
--------------------------------------------------------------
Riker listened to the familiar gliding sound as the doors to Holodeck 2 opened, revealing a pleasant looking park. He didn’t even notice the doors close as he stepped across the grass towards the bench, just under a conveniently placed tree. The sky was as blue as anything he’d ever seen, and the air had the smell of a fresh morning rain. He watched Seven of Nine run up the path, her loose gray shirt soaked with sweat, her breath visibly labored. “Captain,” she said as she slowed to a stop and took some heavy breaths. “Can I help you?”
“You seem a little exhausted,” he commented as she stepped over and sat on a tree stump.
“Four kilometers,” she said with self-loathing. “And I feel as if I just ran twenty.”
“Dr. Crusher told you to take it easy,” Riker pointed out. “Your body needs time to get its strength back.”
“So you spoke to Dr. Crusher,” she commented, wiping her forehead and the side of her face with a towel.
He nodded. “And Borui. Seems you’ve changed in more ways than we thought.”
“Yes,” she commented. “And let me be the first to say I prefer the new me to the old, thank you all very much.”
“No one’s saying anything to the contrary,” Riker said. “Let’s talk about the Chief Science Officer, shall we?”
“I hope that means me,” Seven said. “And not just because I’m my favorite topic of conversation.” She flashed a smile, then got serious. “I looked things over during my aerobics workout. Cabot did a good job; his background in many of the sciences shows. He’d make a good CSO.” She grinned. “But not while I’m here.”
“So you still want to stay where you are?” Riker asked.
“Of course, why wouldn’t I? Captain, I haven’t changed, I’ve just grown. I still want to solve problems, I still want to understand the universe, all that’s changed is that I realize that it’s because it’s something I love. And I love being the Chief Science Officer of the flagship of the Federation. So, if I may be so bold captain, the only way I’m leaving my post is feet first.”
Riker chuckled. “If it’s what you want, then I’m glad to have you under my command. Frankly, I’m relieved; with Anansi helping the Borg and the existence of this Pyramid, things look very dire for the Federation.”
“I’ll do everything I possibly can, captain,” Seven assured him. “Anything that can be used against them, I’ll have it ready.”
“I have every faith, commander,” Riker said, then he smirked. “After all, the knowledge and experience of the drone -Seven of Nine- is part of us now. It has prepared us for all possible courses of action. Their resistance is hopeless.”
Seven laughed and shook her head. “I never realized how funny you are.” She looked around the park. “Then again, it seems like I’m seeing so many things for the first time, really seeing them, you know.” She shook her head again. “So much has passed by...”
“You’ll make them pay for what they’ve taken,” Riker assured her.
“That’s just it,” Seven said. “The paradox of emotion. The more I loved Luke, the more I pushed him away. I hate the Collective... and yet... I do love many of the things they’ve given me. You read my report on the nanoprobes?”
“Yes,” Riker said. “That could be a phenomenal asset. When you’re stronger I’d like you and Dr. Crusher to work together on that, see just what you can do with those things. Against an enemy that adapts, we need to adapt too.”
“Yes sir,” Seven said.
“Question,” Riker said. “Based on this, and what happened before we lost the Enterprise-E, does this mean you’re immune to assimilation?”
“I doubt it,” Seven said. “Maybe I’ll get away with that trick again once or twice, but the Borg will recognize it and find ways to form nanoprobes that I can’t control. If anything, it’s made me a target.”
“Well, let’s make sure we don’t let that happen,” Riker said. “In the meantime, don’t push yourself too hard. Let yourself heal; the human part of you at least needs to recover.”
“The human part has recovered,” Seven said. “It’s the biological lifeform that needs healing.”
Riker smiled and nodded as he got up. “So it is,” he said, and walked out.
--------------------------------------------------------------
“Ow!” Seven exclaimed the following morning as Luke squeezed the back of her right calf.
“Dr. Crusher told you to take it easy,” Luke reminded her as he went back to rubbing the sore muscle.
“Yes, yes, I know what she said,” Seven said as she bit her lip and closed her eyes. “I have never been so sore in my life. I can’t believe I’m this out of shape.”
“You were unconscious for half a year,” Luke said. “You can’t push yourself too hard. An hour of aerobics and a four kilometer run is not a good way to start your recovery.”
“Thanks for the advice,” she said sarcastically as he worked his way up to her thigh, causing her to groan slightly from the pain. This was a little more challenging; a series of metal strips, about a quarter centimeter across, extended from an implant down the back of her leg and into the flesh just above the back of her knee. He did his best, but it felt strange as the metal pieces dug slightly into his hands. He looked at the point where they entered the skin, running his finger along the spot where flesh and metal met. “Don’t do that!” Seven almost screamed.
“I’m so sorry,” Luke said, feeling like an ass for poking around with her body.
“No, it’s okay, sweetie, I’m not hurt.“ Seven looked very embarrassed. “Look, I’m just really ticklish, okay?”
Luke got back to work. “And I thought you told us all the Borg weaknesses,” he commented.
“Ow-a ow-a ow-a ow-a...”
“Seven, maybe you should just take the day and rest.”
“Oh no,” Seven said. “You’re not getting out of this that easily. You said you’d show me your home today and we’re going to see it.” She sighed as Luke started on the muscles of her lower back. “I had Barclay work up the program; he was only too happy to try to make up for what happened with the array, even though I told him it wasn’t his fault.”
“It’s up to you,” Luke said with a shrug, “But it’s not going to be very pleasant.”
“Oh you just don’t want to go.” She let out another gasp of pain, then got up and grabbed her uniform. “Thanks for trying Luke, but this isn’t working. I’m going to regenerate for an hour; that should give me a chance to repair any tissue damage and work the lactic acid out of my system.” She turned and gave him a kiss. “I’ll expect you in Holodeck 2 then or I send out the bounty hunters.”
“Yes ma’am,” Luke replied, heading for the shower. She was already gone when he got back, leaving him with time to reflect. So much to take in; the last few days felt like a lifetime. So many things he’d never given much thought too were now being asked. What would he do with his life now? He’d gone from farmhand to hero to Jedi to hermit... but all that was over now. There’s no longer me, there’s us to consider. What would he do? Before he knew it, the computer told him it was time, and he headed down to check and see what Seven had in mind for their little date.
The door to Holodeck 2 opened, and Luke stepped inside. Seven was already waiting. “All right,” he said. “Ready to go see the dustbowl that is Tatooine?”
“Later,” she said. Her mood seemed a bit darker, and he was worried. Had he screwed up? “I’ve been thinking about your vision.” Yes, he’d screwed up. “There’s something we need to settle, Luke.”
“Sure, sure,” he said. “Just talk to me, Seven.”
“Computer,” Seven said, “seal the holodeck, disable all command overrides, Authorization Seven of Nine Four Alpha Theta Two.”
“Confirmed,” the computer said.
“Seven, what’s going on?” Luke asked.
Seven looked into his face. “If any member of the crew discovered what’s about to happen, I would be unable to face them,” she said. “This is private.”
“They’re your friends,” Luke said. “They’ll understand.”
“No,” Seven said. “They won’t.” She hesitated. “Luke, I’m going to do something that... Luke, do you trust me?”
Luke looked into her eyes. “Of course I trust you,” he said.
“Then close your eyes, and no matter what happens, don’t open them.” He complied. There was the sound of a boot being tossed aside, then another, then the sound of Seven’s clothes. Seven took a deep breath. “Computer,” she said, “initiate program Hansen 1.” Luke heard the sound of the holodeck begin; something was odd about it, but he did what she’d asked. “Open your eyes,” she said, though there was a clear sense of nervousness.
Luke opened his eyes, and the sight froze the air in his lungs. They were on a Borg ship, and Seven stood before him in full Borg appearance: her hair gone, the implant replacing one of her eyes, the various tubules and devices over her form, the gray skin. “Seven?”
“Luke,” she said. “I thought about the vision you told me about, and I’ve figured out what it was that was bothering me about it.” She stopped, as if she didn’t want to say it. “You seem to look at my Borg side as being dark and evil.” She wet her lips. “You’re not the only one. Do you know what it is to be a former drone?” Her voice trembled. “First, when you’re assimilated, you are violated in every possible way, physically, mentally, until you are destroyed. And then you escape...” She choked. “Only to find a galaxy that loathes you for it, that wants to punish you for being a victim!” She was trying not to cry. “And no one, not one person, looks at you and feels sorrow for what you’ve been through... all they feel is hate! They despise the Borg... but they can’t hurt the Borg.” A sob slipped out. “So they’ll hurt you. Because you are small, because you can’t fight back... and you feel just like you did when you were assimilated, except this time it’s worse. Because say what you will about the Collective, when they harm people, they never laugh. They don’t tell jokes while you are in pain. And at least they have a purpose... they don’t hurt you just to watch you bleed.”
Luke tried to embrace her but she stepped back. “The Borg will pay, Seven,” he said, trying to sound comforting.
“This isn’t about the Collective!” Seven shouted. “This is about me! This is about what it is to live every day knowing that I will be held accountable for the sins of the Borg! To- To have Janeway blame me for a warp core accident simply for being in the room! For B’Elanna to despise me for not feeling guilty over being violated! ‘Enlightened’ humans who looked at a frightened girl removed from everything she ever knew and heaped scorn and mistrust on her! Can you possibly understand how that feels?!”
Luke looked into her grief-stricken face; he still wanted to hold her close. “No,” he admitted. “But I don’t blame you, Seven-“
“You don’t,” Seven said bitterly. “Because you deny it. You acknowledge it in words, but you don’t really admit it to yourself, because you’re like all of them. Borg are evil, every last one, in the Collective or out, they’re all the same down deep. You deny what I am in your heart because I look so human.” She started crying a little. “I want you to love me so much,” she pleaded. “But if you don’t really love who I am, then it’s nothing!” She stepped up to him, desperation in her eyes. “Luke, this is part of who Annika Hansen is. If you love me, truly love me, I need you to accept that.”
“I do,” he insisted.
“Not just words,” she said sharply. “Look at me, there’s a reason I went to these lengths, Luke.” There was clear emotion in her voice. “Seven of Nine, Tertiary Adjunct of Unimatrix Zero One, loves you, wants to be with you, wants to make love to you. Look at her, and tell me if you feel the same.”
Luke looked her up and down, and something surprised him. Those horrible things on his bitter enemy came together in such a way to make his heart pound. The way the armor hugged her feminine curves, the way the hue of her skin emphasized the fullness of her lips and the depth of her eye, the way the black material made her look so exotic... she was a drone, and yet, she seemed so incredibly sexual. And he knew what it was; it was because it was impossible for Seven not to be beautiful to him. Not some sappy “beauty is skin deep” thing, but being Seven made her truly look physically attractive to him. He stepped forward, wrapped his arms around her, and kissed her deeply. “You’re a Borg,” he whispered when it ended. “I accept that.” He looked into her gray face, and touched the implant on the side of her head, as if it were some wonderful part of her he’d only just noticed. “And I want to make love to you. Right now, like this.” He smiled. “Because you have no idea how sexy you look.”
Seven looked up into his face, lip trembling, her voice low and edged with tears. “You’ve made me so happy.” And her feelings moved things within him. That his just accepting this could fill her with such love and joy drew him to her in every possible way.
Afterwards, he cradled her in his arms, kissed the top of her head, and put her head on his chest as best he could with the various implants. “Was that... uncomfortable for you?” he asked.
Seven turned and looked at him. “No. Was it for you?”
“No,” he said. “I was just wondering, because... because if you don’t mind, I’d like to do this again some time.”
Seven’s breath trembled. “Oh Luke... You mean that?”
Luke cradled her close. “Of course I do... you’re my Seven.” He patted her back. “No matter how you change your body, that will never change.”
If my brain was an etcha sketch there would be no way I could shake it hard enough.......
CERC
Sum Senatus
And thus, the Padawan and the Master are dispatched, and it falls to the champion of the Force, Yoda to save them; whom in his near infinate power, displays little intelligence, by stopping the piller with the force instead of jerking his underlings out of the way so that his fight with Dooku can continue.....
Love is saying "you're gray and have no hair, but I'll still hump you."
I suppose that really is all I'm saying here. We've seen that Seven's assessment of Luke is true, how he's developed a personal dislike of the Borg in all their forms. This was Luke seeing past his prejudices and really just looking at what was in front of him, which is someone he adores. And when you look at someone you adore, that you find sexy, then even things that aren't in and of themselves attractive can come together to take on an attractive quality, and when it's something exotic, can take on a sexual aspect of its own.
Or you know, maybe I'm just a freak. There's a little bit of me in most of my characters, so I could just be fucked up myself.
Seven finished pulling her boots on; the holodeck was off and she looked “normal” again. “I don’t see how you expect Tatooine to top that,” Luke mused.
“Fair is fair,” Seven said with a grin as she got up. “You saw where I was raised, now it’s my turn. Computer, initiate program Barclary Seven Alpha.”
The universe changed around them. Luke hadn’t had much experience with holodecks. He’d done some training in one, played a few games, but walking around the outskirts of the homestead on Tatooine, that blew him away. “Sithspawn,” he whispered, “I don’t believe it.”
“Barclay’s very good,” Seven said. “Is that your home?” she asked as they stepped towards the igloo shaped outcropping.
“Luke!” came a shout, and a middle-aged man with dirty hair came up the stairs. “Luke, where have you been,” he asked. “You were supposed to take those droids out to the south ridge.”
“I- I did,” Luke said, trying hard to believe what was going on. “I got up early this morning to get a head start.”
He looked over at Seven. “Who’s this?”
“Uh, this is Annika. She’s Biggs’ cousin, come for a few weeks; she wanted to see the area.”
He extended a meaty paw with rural hospitality and shook Seven’s hand. “Owen Lars,” he said. “Luke, I see you for a moment?” They walked a few meters away. “You took care of those vaporators like I asked?”
“Yes sir,” Luke replied.
“All right. You can have the day if you like, we’ll make up the work tomorrow. Just don’t be out too late.” He looked at him carefully. “Something wrong?”
“Just, just got some grit in my eye,” Luke said, rubbing it a little.
“Okay, you go have fun, but remember, I expect you home at a reasonable time.”
“Yes sir,” Luke said, and walked back to Seven. She smiled at him. “He seems nice,” she remarked.
“I’d forgotten. I always think back to how much I hated being trapped here, I forgot how much I really had.” He looked around at the farm, perfectly intact. No billowing smoke, no signs of destruction... he swallowed as he thought of the other grizzly sight. This is the way I want to remember it, he thought.
“’Annika?’” Seven said. “You ashamed to be dating a Borg?” Before he could respond she laughed. “Just teasing, Luke.” She slid up and embraced him. “You’ve shown me you accept my Borg side, so... so I kind of like it as something special between us.” They kissed. “Can I ask you something?” she asked eventually. He nodded. “Why do you have a farm in the middle of the desert? I mean, no offense, but that sounds pretty stupid.”
“Land’s cheap,” Luke said. “Taxes are low; and enough moisture to make a decent living. At least that’s what my uncle says.”
“Just tell me you don’t grow watermelons.” She let him go and instead took hold of his hand. “What else is there to see?” she asked, covering her eyes to limit the glare from Tatooine’s twin suns.
“There’s a small outpost at Anchorhead. A few local natural formations, that’s it.”
“Don’t you have any cities?”
“Well,” he said with a smile. “There’s Mos Eisley, but it’s dangerous. You don’t want to go there.”
She laughed. “Any place that scares a Jedi I have got to see.”
“I didn’t say I was scared. You don’t want to see it; the place is a dump.”
“Then show me the dump,” she said. “Let’s see how awful this place is.”
Luke shrugged and headed over to the garage. Sure enough, there was his speeder, just as he always left it. Right down to the last dent, he thought with satisfaction. Barclay really was good. He pulled up along Seven, and the two raced across the desert world into the bustle of Mos Eisley, one of the major spaceports of Tatooine. And just as before, he was stopped by a couple of stormtroopers. “Identification,” he demanded.
“Seven of Nine,” she said to him. “Nice hat. Brings out your eyes.”
Luke handed over their cards; the trooper looked at them and then waved them through. Luke pulled over to the Cantina and climbed out. This is insane, he thought as he stepped through the entrance into the poorly lit interior, Seven close behind. “Lovely,” she commented. “It combines the utility of a neolithic camp with the warmth of a Klingon brothel.”
“You wanted to come here,” Luke remarked.
“Relax,” she said. “I’m really enjoying myself. I’ve never had a chance to do something like this, to visit a place without it being part of some function. It’s nice to see places like this, even if they do smell like a dirty sock.” The pair stepped up to the bar, Wuher wearing his usual sour face as Luke ordered drinks for both of them. As they waited things unfurled in such a way that Luke was convinced Barclay had read his biography. An Aqualish grabbed Seven’s shoulder and turned her, grunting at him with his garbled language. “Sorry, I’m spoken for,” she said, and turned back to Luke. “Charming place.”
A tap on her shoulder, and she turned back, staring into the squat form of the alien next to the Aqualish. “He doesn’t like you,” he commented.
Seven looked between him and his friend. “Tell him one of these days somebody’s going to shoot him for the ivory.”
He gave her a shove. “You just watch yourself,” he warned her. “We’re wanted men. I have the death sentence on twelve systems.”
“Oh please,” she replied. “You are not going to resort to a fight in a bar room, are you? It’s so cliché.”
“Why don’t we all just relax,” Luke said. “Next drinks are on me, all right.”
Just as he’d feared, the alien grabbed Seven’s shoulder and shoved her backwards off the barstool, planning to toss her clear across the bar. The last thing he expected was for her to flip her foot up and catch him in the throat with her heel, then using her momentum to flip him over too. Luke’s lightsaber was ignited, and before the Aqualish could even aim his hand had been removed. With a practiced Tsunkatse move, Seven drove her knee into the alien’s sternum, knocking the wind out of him. Then, deliberately stepping on his hand with the long heel of her boot, she sat back down on her stool. “I love getting out and meeting people,” she said with a smile.
“Tell Mr. Barclay he doesn’t need to be this exact with his work,” Luke said.
“The man is an artist,” she remarked, looking around at the collection of aliens, listening to the band play. “It makes me want to actually visit the real place, if it weren’t for the fact we’d have to fight our way past the Borg to get there.”
“No thanks,” Luke said. “I already said my goodbyes to this place; this is as close as I want to get to going back.” He felt her hand slide into his and squeeze it.
“Thanks for sharing this with me,” she said with a smile.
Together they walked back into the blazing suns, stark contrast to the interior of the cantina. After a short trip around town Luke took them out to Beggar’s Canyon, parking just on the top of the ridge and looking down at the beautiful natural formation. After a while they watched the twin suns set; Annika said she’d never seen anything like it. It was only a recreation, and something he'd seen countless times, but this time, it really did seem like something special.
--------------------------------------------------------------
In all the myriad worlds of the universe where life exists, there exists a natural predator-prey relationship. It is inevitable that there will be those who feed, and those who are fed upon. While this may tug at the heartstrings, it is a fact which cannot be ignored. It is natural, and from a Darwinian perspective, you might even say it’s right.
That being said there is one class of creature in the universe which differs from all the rest. The spider, and its many cousins throughout the universe, is as close to evil as the natural order allows. It is an efficient predator; cunning, strong; there is a reason that it is feared amongst those that can never be harmed by it, a basic instinctual fear of that evil.
The spider catches its prey off guard, paralyzing it, and then it begins. The prey is wrapped ever so slowly in a pile of silk, unable to struggle to escape. It may have the misfortune of watching helplessly as the spider consumes others before it, knowing it is only a matter of time before it is their turn. And then it consumes its prey alive.... slowly. Among the monsters of nature which have no mercy, it stands at the pinnacle of maliciousness.
The fear of its victims is similar to the feelings being invoked in the people of Alion at this moment. They stand, trapped under the shield that protects them from the ships just beyond. They watched in horror as the Borg literally tore the rescue fleet of the Republic apart. They cannot fight them off, nor can they hide here forever. They stand trapped, unable to do anything but watch and wait for their time. If they knew the name of the man responsible was “spider” in a distant tongue, they would find it a wholly appropriate title.
The Borg, who like the spider lack anything approaching empathy, circled about the planet. The shield held them at bay, for now; but it only postponed the inevitable. They knew it was their destiny to achieve perfection, to absorb all technology and all distinguished species into themselves. Sometimes, destiny needs a little push.
Alion has two moons, one an impressive two thousand kilometers across, the other a mere five hundred. This smaller moon was now the center of attention of the Borg as a dozen cubes began to surround it. The observers on Alion watched, wondering what the Borg were up to. What they did not know was that, while the Borg possessed hyperdrives now, it still was perfectly capable of using warp... and creating a warp field. These ships began to extend their warp fields around the moon, enveloping it in a field that reduced its inertial mass substantially, allowing Borg tractor beams to lock on to the moon.
A stable orbit depends on a precise speed and altitude; the Borg through a proverbial wrench into that by slowing down the moon. The people of Alion watched, and those few who understood wept at what they saw. They could do nothing, nothing but sit and wait helplessly while the moon fell.
Several days later the moon struck the surface of their outer shield; it was like trying to stop a bullet with tissue paper... well, not quite. That would imply speed. What was most sickening of all was the agonizingly slow descent as it passed through the shields and proceeded towards the planet below. The impact would be devastating; all life on the planet would be dead. As the Borg ships swarmed overhead, the Alions knew they would never have to worry about that fate.
Afterwards, having consumed their prey, the Borg, predators of the galaxy that they are, moved on.
--------------------------------------------------------------
Commander Laforge listened to the steady tapping of Lt. Comm. Sullice’s fingernails on the central interface in Engineering. He sighed and checked the chronometer. “The captain said she’d be here,” Sullice said.
“Computer,” Laforge said, “locate Seven of Nine.”
“Deck 9 Section 28,” came the reply.
“I’ll take care of it,” Laforge said, as he left the engineering team. “Deck 9,” he said as he entered the turbolift, and then proceeded to the room. Luke Skywalker’s quarters, he thought. Well, the rumors obviously were true. He pushed the door chime but there was no answer. After two more attempts he opened the door and stepped inside. The room was dim, but he could clearly see her uniform thrown over a chair. In the background was the sound of running water. “Seven?” he called.
A few seconds passed and she stepped out, her body wrapped in a towel as she came dripping into the main portion of the room. “Commander,” she said, but her voice had a very relaxed tone.
“Seven, what are you doing here?”
“Luke said I could use his standard shower,” she said. “He said it’s worlds better than a sonic shower.” She sighed. “He was right.”
Laforge tried to figure out what to say. “That’s really nice Seven-“
“It’s like,” she said as she leaned against the wall, “Like ten thousand tiny massages all at once, wrapping you in their warmth. The tensions of your body just seem to disappear.”
“I’m glad you like the shower,” Laforge said before she could continue, “But we have work to do.”
“Yes sir,” she said, and realization hit. “Oh, I’m so sorry, commander. I was so wrapped in-“
“It’s fine, just hurry down to Engineering,” he said. Ten minutes later Seven came into Engineering in her standard uniform, no sign at all of the dampness of her shower. She stepped up to the Engineering table next to Laforge.
“Nice of you to join us,” Sullice remarked.
“Sorry for the delay,” she said. “What are we doing?”
“We’ve been going over the scans of the new Borg vessel,” Sullice continued. “Starfleet has their experts going over it, but Captain Riker feels we should take a look at the data as well.”
“You studied the Death Star,” Laforge said to her, “We were wondering if you can tell us of any similarities between this ship and that battlestation. Hopefully something that will destroy it.”
“You have schematics?” she asked. Laforge tapped a button on the display, and the large table-like surface showed a turning diagram of the Borg Pyramid, with important points highlighted. “Can you remove the text, please,” Seven asked.
Sullice looked at her strangely. “Why would you want to do that?”
“Do I have to explain everything?” Seven replied. “I’m just asking you to remove the text for now.”
Laforge tapped a few more buttons and all that remained was the physical diagram of the ship. He heard what sounded like a small crack, and he noticed Sullice and the other engineer start to turn white. He glanced over and saw metallic threads stretching down from the implant over her eye and into her cheek, forming a kind of spider-web pattern over her eye. Small metal pieces began to appear along the lattice, and after a few seconds the eye was completely covered. After that they began to extend from the eye like a series of small towers, the longest extending about four centimeters from her face. Finally the sounds stopped and she closed her other eye, concentrating on the twisting display of the tetrahedron. “How did you do that?” he said in a quiet, awed voice.
“Can you keep a secret?” she asked.
“Yes.”
“So can I.” She continued looking over the diagram, while a smile spread across her face. “Just kidding; I’ll send you a copy of my report, sir. It’s more of my ‘usual light reading.’” After about half a minute there was another sound, and the parts of the optic piece began to withdraw; in less than ten seconds they were gone. “You can restore the text now,” she said. She looked between the three of them. “Or you can all just stand there and stare at me.” Sullice turned away and tapped the screen a few times and the text returned. Seven continued looking over them for a while, then slowly looked up at the engineer who was still staring at her. “Boo!” The officer jerked back, and Seven chuckled and went back to work.
“Lieutenant,” Laforge said, “I think we’ve got this covered. Why don’t you run that diagnostic on the power relays.”
As the lieutenant walked away she began nodding her head. “Yes, the Borg definitely had access to the Death Star’s blueprints.”
“You’ve been briefed on Anansi?” Laforge asked.
“Yes,” she replied. “It would make sense that he’d have access to them. However, there are some fundamental differences.”
“Such as?”
“Well, most obvious is the difference in size,” Seven began. “The reason being that the Borg don’t need to waste nearly as much space as a battlestation does; no crew quarters, no shuttlebays, no lavish accommodations for tin-horn dictators, no cell blocks... no interrogation rooms,” she said quietly.
“Yes, the Borg are nothing if not efficient,” Sullice said. “Anything else?”
Seven seemed to snap back. “Yes,” she said quickly. “The Death Star was built to protect against any large-scale assault without the support of outside ships. That isn’t the case here. As far as defenses go, it’s really just a scaled up version of a cube.”
“Any weaknesses you can see?” Laforge asked.
“Not really,” she remarked. “Most notable is the placement of the hypermatter reactor. You might think they’d place it center of mass, but it’s actually located towards the posterior portion, closer to these three emitters here,” she indicated the corners of the tetrahedron. “Must make for a more efficient power distribution. The container looks pretty solid, but there doesn’t seem to be much in the way of defense of the reactor as a whole. If you can punch through the hull material in this area, penetrate maybe five kilometers, one photon torpedo should take it out.”
“That’s your advice?” Sullice said. “We could have figured that one out.”
“So why’d you pull me out of the shower?” Seven asked. “Don’t blame me if the Borg are effective designers. I’m afraid there’s no trench, no central computer, and no magic torpedo that can save us this time.” She turned to Laforge. “Your only chance is to crack open the shell and kill the beast. I’ll consider the data some more, but I don’t see anything that’s going to change that.”
“All right,” Laforge said. “I’ll expect a full report on your findings. I’d like to see you in private, commander, in a moment.” Seven nodded and walked towards the turbolift.
“What in the hell did she do?” Sullice asked.
“I don’t know,” Laforge said.
“I don’t know what’s gotten into her,” Sullice said. “She always was something of a pain, but now she’s a regular prima donna.”
“Well, don’t worry about her, just concentrate on that reactor; maybe there’s a way to get there without having to punch through five klicks of Borg ship.”
“But, her majesty said it was impossible,” she said with mock shock.
“Let’s all just play nice, Sharon,” Laforge said. He walked over to the turbolift, and he and Seven entered. “Halt,” he said after a couple seconds. “I assume the rumors that you and Mr. Skywalker are seeing each other are true?”
“Are you inquiring as a friend, or as the first officer?” Seven asked.
“The first,” Laforge said.
“Then yes, he and I are romantically involved. I assume that’s not a problem; I am familiar with the regulations and it seems there’s no protocol violation.”
“No, no, you are free to pursue this relationship as far as you want, so long as it doesn’t affect your work.”
“I won’t let it,” Seven said firmly. “What happened had nothing to do with him-“
“I believe you, though I would like you to realize that you’ve changed. You’re so used to a regimented schedule, but now you’re operating like the rest of us mere mortals do, which means you’ve got to learn to manage your time. Balance between your interests and your responsibilities as a senior officer.”
“Good.” Laforge hesitated. “There’s one other thing you need to remember. Mr. Skywalker isn’t a member of our crew.”
“I know.” She seemed to suddenly realize. “He’ll- He’ll have to leave the Enterprise.”
“His mission is finished,” Laforge said. “Family’s one thing, but we can’t have anyone and everyone quartered on the ship. Keep that in mind, okay?”
“I-“ Seven looked like she was trying to resist the urge to panic, but finally seemed to beat it. “Of course. Thank you for reminding me, commander. I’ll have to discuss this with Luke later.”
I'm still trying to get the image of a dude and a machine screwing, out of my head........
nice chapters though
CERC
Sum Senatus
And thus, the Padawan and the Master are dispatched, and it falls to the champion of the Force, Yoda to save them; whom in his near infinate power, displays little intelligence, by stopping the piller with the force instead of jerking his underlings out of the way so that his fight with Dooku can continue.....
One of the better ways of using the holodeck and something that is interesting of contrast of Luke and Anakin, especially in who they were. They have similarities but you can see even from the reaction, how they were different.
Nicely done with Luke. At least here, he's not a whiny half neutered bitch.
MM /CF/WG/BOTM/JL/Original Warsie/ACPATHNTDWATGODW FOREVER!!
Sometimes we can choose the path we follow. Sometimes our choices are made for us. And sometimes we have no choice at all
Ghost Rider wrote:One of the better ways of using the holodeck and something that is interesting of contrast of Luke and Anakin, especially in who they were. They have similarities but you can see even from the reaction, how they were different.
Nicely done with Luke. At least here, he's not a whiny half neutered bitch.
Thank you. I realize the chapters have been very Luke-Seven centric of late, but I figure they've been through enough shit that they deserve some happiness.
Whee, I accidentally clicked on Dawn of Forever and got confused as hell before I realized why the plot seemed to have jumped ahead so much.
Good as usual, but I'm a bit surprised at LaForge. I mean, of course he's correct that they can't quarter everybody onboard the Enterprise, but Luke's an intergalactic war hero and Seven also played a big part in winning the war. You'd think they'd be willing to make an exception.
"I want to mow down a bunch of motherfuckers with absurdly large weapons and relative impunity - preferably in and around a skyscraper. Then I want to fight a grim battle against the unlikely duo of the Terminator and Robocop. The last level should involve (but not be limited to) multiple robo-Hitlers and a gorillasaurus rex."--Uraniun235 on his ideal FPS game
"The ability to destroy a planet is insignificant compared to the power of the Force."--Darth Vader
Trogdor wrote:Whee, I accidentally clicked on Dawn of Forever and got confused as hell before I realized why the plot seemed to have jumped ahead so much.
Good as usual, but I'm a bit surprised at LaForge. I mean, of course he's correct that they can't quarter everybody onboard the Enterprise, but Luke's an intergalactic war hero and Seven also played a big part in winning the war. You'd think they'd be willing to make an exception.
Thanks!
Just so there's no (further) confusion, he's not ordering Luke off the ship, he's pointing out that as a civilian the regs aren't going to allow him to stay on board indefinitely, that if she does want him to stay, she's going to have to do something about (which we'll see tomorrow morning).
Sonnenburg wrote: (which we'll see tomorrow morning).
And that my friend is one of the only good things about having to get up so freaking early to go to PT in the AM....... at least I have some good reading material when I get back, to eat breakfast to.
CERC
Sum Senatus
And thus, the Padawan and the Master are dispatched, and it falls to the champion of the Force, Yoda to save them; whom in his near infinate power, displays little intelligence, by stopping the piller with the force instead of jerking his underlings out of the way so that his fight with Dooku can continue.....
Sonnenburg wrote: (which we'll see tomorrow morning).
And that my friend is one of the only good things about having to get up so freaking early to go to PT in the AM....... at least I have some good reading material when I get back, to eat breakfast to.
CERC
Seconded, although for me its sitting my ass down at my desk first thing in the morning.
Luke was sitting down in his quarters thinking about what Seven had said. He’d never really thought about it; he’d just assumed that being with her was how his life was going to continue. Having to leave her, now, made his stomach tighten up. Of course, Seven had a plan, as she always does: engagement; that way, he was technically family. But that was a pretty big shove in the other direction too, and as much as he loved her, as much as he knew that she was the one for him, it was hard not to be intimidated by the idea.
As he was thinking Seven came out of the shower; she wore her bikini bottoms... and nothing else. “Oh, that was so relaxing,” she purred.
“You’re gonna catch cold,” Luke muttered.
“I’ve been working out so much, I just need to let my skin breathe.” She took some deep breaths. “Oh, my back,” she said as she arched it. “I’ve been overdoing it.”
Luke shook his head. “Seven, I’m not an idiot.”
“Of course you’re not, sweetie; I have complete respect for your intelligence.” She held her hands together with a look of excitement. “Oh look! A jump rope!”
Despite himself Luke started laughing as she made a show of it. “You think this will convince me?” he asked as she began exercising.
“It can’t hurt,” she said.
“Look, Seven, we can’t make this choice lightly, even if it is just a legal technicality.”
“Absolutely,” Seven said. “This decision is very important.”
“Yes.”
“Very big.”
“Exactly.”
“Very bouncy.”
“Ye-“ but he stopped and really began laughing.
Seven stopped skipping rope. “Laughter is very good for the body, and do you think you’ll ever find someone as sexy as me that can make you laugh?”
Luke shook his head. “Nobody makes me laugh like you do, Seven.”
Seven walked over to him. “I walked away from you once,” she said. “And you don’t know how much I regret it. I’m not going to make the same mistake twice, Luke. I want to be with you; I’d rather it were here, but if not, then I’ll do it.”
“Seven, you love it here-“
“But not if it costs me what we have,” she insisted. “I’m not asking for the real commitment; I don’t want to marry you. But I want to know that some day I’ll be close enough to maybe make that choice.”
“You’d give up being chief science officer on the flagship for me?”
“In a heartbeat,” she said. She wrapped the jump rope around her hands like chains and held them out. “Take me wherever you want to go, because I’m already yours.”
Luke shook his head and kissed her. “I don’t care what Borui says, you are crazy.” Seven laughed, and he began fidgeting with her jump rope. “I couldn’t forgive myself if I took you away from something you loved,” he said. “I’ll sign.”
“I love you,” she said.
“But I want this kept quiet, okay,” Luke said.
“Of course,” she said firmly.
“As far as I’m concerned, this situation is very personal.”
“I agree.”
“Very private.”
“Absolutely.”
“Very ticklish.”
“Yea- what?” She glanced down and saw he’d tied the jump rope ends together, leaving her hands bound. Her eyes flicked up to Luke’s face. “You wouldn’t.”
“You thought you could con me?” he asked with a sinister grin.
“Of course not,” Seven said. “I was just joking, because I knew you’d see right through it, see? Ha ha.”
“’Ha ha?’ Oo, that’s a very pretty laugh...”
“No, Luke, I’m a senior officer. This has got to break some kind of ru-ULE!” She stumbled back in a vain attempt at escape and fell over backwards on the bed. Before she could recover he was there, squeezing her flanks.
“You said laughter is good for the body,” he remarked as she struggled, laughing her head off.
“STOP IT!” she managed to get out.
“Are we even now?”
“Yes!”
“You going to be good?”
“Yes!”
“Promise?”
“YES!”
“Okay,” he said as he relented.
Seven laid back, panting. “Oh God,” she said. “That was torture.” She took a deep breath. “Are you as turned on as I am?”
“Absolutely,” Luke said, giving her a few kisses on her chest until he worked his way up to her lips.
Luke started on the ropes, but Seven pulled her hands away. “No,” she said. “Leave it.”
Luke looked at her curiously, then he got it. It wasn’t anything to do with being kinky, or some kind of weird bedroom game. After being a drone for so long -and thus not an independent person- Seven always wanted to be in control, whether it was in control of her emotions, or a situation, or anything. This was her way of saying, “I’m giving you control, because I trust you that much.” He was deeply touched by the gesture. “I love you,” he said slyly.
Seven smirked. “Then prove it.” She screamed at the touch. “That’s not what I me-heh heh heh -ant!!!”
“Oh, sorry,” Luke said with an evil grin.
“Idiot,” Seven grumbled with a smile. “NO!” Her cry descended into more laughter.
“See, now I think you’re just provoking me,” Luke commented as she struggled feebly. “I’m starting to get the feeling you actually like this.”
“Absolutely not,” Seven said sternly after the tickling relented. “It’s terrible, and you’re a big jerk for doing it, and you’d better not do it again... further to the left.” She stiffened as he grabbed at her, but all he did was pull her close.
“Resistance is futile, Annika,” he said.
“Oo, you know just how to melt a Borg girl’s heart,” Seven said. “Come on Luke; you’ve got a half-naked girl tied up on your bed. You know how many men would like to be in your position?” She thought a second. “And how many women?”
“Well what would you like?” Luke asked.
“Surprise me,” she said. He kissed her and began moving down the side of her neck. “Oh, see... see that’s much better... Oo! Yes, now you’ve got the- No, Luke, don’t do that.” She sighed. “Luke, that’s a thermographic sensor and while by some definitions it could be considered sensitive all it’s telling me is that the interior of your mouth is thirty-seven degrees.”
“And that doesn’t turn you on?”
“Sorry sweetie, stick with the fleshy things.” She sighed pleasantly. “That’s better. That’s much...” She took a quivering breath and whispered, “Assimilate me, you magnificent Jedi bastard...”
--------------------------------------------------------------
On his flagship, Vendetta, Thrawn put down the datapad and thought deeply. His was a mind that always considered everything, no matter how trivial; for in the trivial things sometimes offered the greatest answers. This Cult of the Emperor was a trivial thing, a collection of fools who somehow had spread over many worlds, proclaiming the return of the Emperor and allegiance to the Empire. This was what was accelerating his plans, he realized; the people truly believed he was the harbinger of the Emperor, and they accepted his authority because of it.
The cult hadn’t begun with the invasion by the Borg, Thrawn noted. There were several factions throughout the galaxy long before anyone had even considered the Borg a threat. Perhaps the invasion has caused the advancement of this movement? Thrawn stroked his chin as he thought. That would be quite fortunate; it’s also very suspect.
Thrawn was many things besides a formidable leader, he was also quite a skilled detective. There seemed only one logical explanation, given the facts as he had them, and if it were true he’d need to prepare for any unforeseen problems that would arise from that. “Captain,” Thrawn ordered into the communicator, “I’m sending you the coordinates of a planet; I wish to depart for it immediately.”
“As you wish admiral,” came the reply. Captain Jarrol knew better than to question Thrawn’s orders, however bizarre they might seem. He mulled over the situation as the Executor-class Star Destroyer slipped into hyperspace for a distant part of the galaxy. Perhaps he was being overly cautious, but when one stands with the Borg on one side and galactic domination on the other, you were wise to step very carefully.
--------------------------------------------------------------
Dr. Crusher kept her eyes closely affixed to the monitor as she continued counting. “Eight... nine... ten.”
Seven let out a controlled breath as she lowered the resistance bars back down to shoulder height for the last time. She sat up and looked over at Dr. Crusher as she tabulated the results, her breath slightly quickened, but not terribly so. “What’s the verdict?”
“Your average is 227 kilograms,” Dr. Crusher remarked. “Which for you is fairly normal. Heart rate, respiration, blood pressure all seem well within tolerance for a mild workout.”
“That’s the first good news you’ve given me in a while,” Seven said as she mopped her forehead slightly. The past six weeks had been tough on her, but she was Borg, she survived.
“How’s your nanoprobe therapy coming along?” Dr. Crusher asked. “Have you gotten any faster?”
"Yes," Seven said. "But it's tricky. I had to switch to practicing in one of the labs after it accidentally went off in my quarters." She pointed her hand at the floor and concentrated, and a plasma discharger formed in under ten seconds. Seven held it up for the Doctor. "Though I must admit, it never stops giving me a thrill," she said with a grin.
"I'll bet." Dr. Crusher reached over and took hold of the weapon. “Detach,” she ordered Seven, and the weapon came free, allowing her to carry it over to the examination table for analysis. “Anything to report on the biological front?”
“I slept three times this week,” she said with pride.
“You’re getting quite good at that,” Dr. Crusher remarked as she looked over the device. “You still regenerate?”
“Yes, but not as frequently.”
“Have you been eating?” The structure of the device seemed fairly well intact, but greater magnification might reveal any flaws that could be dangerous.
She heard Seven sigh. “I told you, I don’t like eating.”
“You eat when you’re with Luke,” Dr. Crusher commented.
“Yes, and I stand at attention in front of admirals, that doesn’t mean I like it.”
“Well, physically you don’t need to, but you might want to develop the habit for social situations.”
“Your opinion is noted,” Seven replied. “How’s it look?”
“Microfissures,” Dr. Crusher said. “There was a significant decrease in accuracy when you speed it up.”
“I’ll keep practicing,” Seven said as she took the device back into her hand, staring at it as it melted back into her palm. “Am I ready to go back to full duty?”
“I’d say you’re ready,” she said, completing the notes for Seven’s permanent file. “But I’d still suggest that you refrain from any away missions for at least a couple more days.”
Seven laughed. “Well, I’ll try not to overexert myself in the hostile territory of Bajor.”
“It is a bit odd,” Dr. Crusher admitted. “Last time we docked for this long was during a major refit.”
“If I could figure out Starfleet,” Seven remarked, “the universe would be a piece of cake to understand.”
"No argument here," Dr. Crusher said. "Seven, I'm thinking we should work on a dietary supplement for help with your nanoprobes. I think it might help with your generation speed and accuracy. I doubt the Borg devised them with your abilities in mind."
"Good point," Seven said. "Give me a day to think about it and we can compare notes, okay?" She nodded to Dr. Crusher and stepped out of Sickbay, turned and proceeded towards the turbolift. “Deck Ten,” she said as the doors closed. When they opened she stepped out and passed through the double doors to Ten Forward. Crewman Davis was manning the bar this afternoon, she noted as she looked about the club.
“Commander,” said Davis. “Mr. Skywalker wanted me to tell you he had some urgent business to take care of.”
Seven took a seat, rather disappointed. “Did he say what?”
“Wasn’t much time, he seemed pretty rushed,” Davis said as she put a tall glass of ice water in front of Seven. Like countless times before, Seven took the lemon slice off and set it down on the bar; why Davis insisted on including it was beyond her.
“I see you’ve graduated to the hard stuff,” came a familiar voice.
Seven turned around. “Harry,” she said with surprise, “What’re you doing here?”
“I’ve been giving a briefing on Voyager’s Astrometrics modifications on DS13,” he said, taking a seat next to her. “I’m surprised you weren’t asked to do it. You were probably more responsible for the new technology than I was.”
“Your attempt at flattery has failed,” Seven said with a bit of a smirk. “You've taken the technology in a lot of new directions, from what I've heard. Anyway, I’ve been a bit... preoccupied.”
Harry nodded. “The Doctor said you were in pretty rough shape after the coma. I must say,” he said taking a drink, “You certainly don’t look it.”
“Thanks Harry.”
“’Thanks?’” Harry said. “So the rumors are true.”
“What rumors?”
“B'Elanna says someone died and left you their personality,” Harry said with a smile.
Seven looked at him with a dismissive laugh. “Tell B'Elanna to stick it in her warp core and punch it.”
Harry almost choked at the answer. “That’ll certainly take her by surprise.” He looked over at her again with that thin smile of his. “I can’t believe you’re the same person who threw me into a security officer to try and escape Voyager.”
“Well,” Seven said as she put her drink down, “I still can’t believe you said ‘The Borg must meet a lot of people.’”
Harry rubbed his forehead with embarrassment. “I did say that, didn’t I. How stupid.”
“It was charming,” Seven said with a smile, “In a stupid way.”
Harry set down his empty glass. “Things sure have changed,” he said distantly as he looked out the window.
“I know. Believe me, I know.”
He turned back. “Want to talk about things? Say, over dinner?”
Now it was Seven’s turn to cough as she set down the glass, trying to get some of the water out of her lungs. “And Beverley wonders why I hate eating,” she mumbled.
“’Scuse me?”
“Nothing.”
“Am I to take this,” he said, gesturing at the dripping remains of the glass, “as a ‘no?’”
“Harry,” Seven began, and sighed. “Human beings should come with a manual, so we know how we’re supposed to act.” She paused. “Harry, I’m engaged.”
“What?!” Harry said in shock. “For real?”
“I wouldn’t make up a lie like that to say no to you, Harry,” Seven said with a smile.
“It’s just... Wow, I can’t believe it. That is, I can believe that someone would – It’s just kind of surprising.”
“Well, sometimes life works that way,” Seven said.
“He must be special.”
“He is,” Seven said.
Harry nodded. “But, can he play the clarinet?”
“No,” Seven admitted. “But he can manipulate objects with his mind.”
Harry shook his head. “That’s a pretty tough act to follow. Must be pretty exciting.”
“You’ve no idea,” Seven mumbled.
“Hmm?”
“Nothing,” she said. “I have to get changed for my duty shift. I hope there're no hard feelings.”
“Of course not,” Harry said, standing up with her. “It was good seeing you again.” He watched her walk out, and sat back down, alone. The bartender walked back. “How are you doing?” he asked. She put another glass down in front of him and walked back without a word. “Right,” he said, picking it back up and taking a sip.
--------------------------------------------------------------
Luke, Han, and Chewie took a seat in the security room on DS13, waiting. “Sure hope this is worth it,” Luke remarked. “This was supposed to be our official ‘we’re a couple’ thing; I don’t want her mad at me for skipping out.”
“Hey, you think I’d drag you down here if it wasn’t important?” Han asked. “Besides,” he said with a smirk, “we all know she can take care of herself in a bar.”
“Ah, funny,” Luke remarked. He still couldn’t believe Han and Chewie had told Barclay about the fight in the Cantina to help “add to the realism.”
“So,” Han said, “you and she really are engaged?”
“Just as a legal technicality,” Luke said. “Not to say she’s not special to me, Han.”
“Say no more,” Han remarked. “She’s family as of now, right Chewie?” The Wookiee growled an affirmative. “See?”
“Speaking of family, how’s Leia doing?”
Han grinned. “Twins.”
“Get out!”
“Doc back on Earth just confirmed it,” Han said, holding his hands and putting them behind his head. “Yep, when you’re good, you’re good.”
“Yeah, great work Han, we’re all real impressed.”
Han gave a half-shrug. “It’s a hell of a feeling,” he said. “Course, at the rate you and Seven are going, you’ll probably have a little one on the way too,” he jibed.
Luke kept his face even. It was Seven’s secret; it would be a betrayal to tell it to someone else without her permission.
“I assume by now you’ve... serviced the Collective?” Han offered a smirk.
Luke smirked right back. “What do you think?”
“Have her put the Borg suit back on?” Han joked. Luke answered only with silence as his grin deepened. “No,” Han said quietly. “No, you didn’t! You didn’t!”
“Nearly put my eye out with her ocular implant,” Luke said, his smile only growing.
“You-“ Han looked stunned. “I’m taking back some of the things I’ve said about you, Luke. I do have one serious question.” He cleared his throat. “You’re not worried about... ya know...” Han grimaced. “The nanoprobes?”
“They don’t work that way.”
“You sure?”
“By now, I think I’d have noticed,” Luke said with another smirk.
“Just, ya no, try not to get assimilated.”
“Well, technically, haven’t I been?” He caught Han’s look. “I mean the engagement,” he said with exasperation.
“I’m sure you did,” Han said as only he could.
Before anything more could be said, the door opened and station security came in. Chewie got up from his seat and took a position behind Luke and Han, looking as menacing as possible, which wasn’t very hard. Garak was led inside in restraints, followed by more security personnel and Colonel Kira. “Gentlemen,” she said to the trio as Garak was put into a chair opposite Luke and Han. “Mr. Garak’s been offering to cooperate with us for some time over what’s been going on on the station,” she said. “He has only now, after negotiating for some supplies for his faction of the Cardassians, agreed to give us the final point we’ve been missing.”
“Yes,” Garak said. “First, let me apologize Mr. Skywalker for any grievance I’ve caused you. Believe me, it was never my intent-“
“Shut – up,” Han said, overemphasizing each word. “Get to the point.”
“Some time ago using the Quark hologram, I purchased the services of the bounty hunter, Mr. Fett,” Garak continued. “He has quite a reputation, but I’m afraid even he failed in his mission.” He placed his bindered hands on the table in a pleading faction. “You must understand how desperate we were,” he said. “That’s the only reason I gave the information to the Empire about your Borg project; they had the information we needed for him to find his target.”
“What target?” Han asked.
“Isn’t it obvious?” Garak asked. “The one man whose presence can re-unite all of Cardassia.”
Not to sound like an attention whore here, but I see this has had a large number of views... and nobody had any comments on Seven of Nine jump-roping topless? Boy are you people jaded.
Excellant Chapter. And now I've said that I can say that my favourite part of each scene was the end without sound negative. The thermal sensor bit, the final image of Kim and of course the dramtic revelation made the chapter for me.
Though is it just me or is there a distinct increase in the number of Luke/Seven love scenes this time through? Its slightly grating I must admit.
Sonnenburg wrote:Not to sound like an attention whore here, but I see this has had a large number of views... and nobody had any comments on Seven of Nine jump-roping topless? Boy are you people jaded.
Their hands are too cramped to type.
To Absent Friends
Dalton | Admin Smash | Knight of the Order of SDN
"y = mx + bro" - Surlethe
"You try THAT shit again, kid, and I will mod you. I will
mod you so hard, you'll wish I were Dalton." - Lagmonster
Crazedwraith wrote:Excellant Chapter. And now I've said that I can say that my favourite part of each scene was the end without sound negative. The thermal sensor bit, the final image of Kim and of course the dramtic revelation made the chapter for me.
Thanks!
Crazedwraith wrote:Though is it just me or is there a distinct increase in the number of Luke/Seven love scenes this time through? Its slightly grating I must admit.
Spoiler Stuff Yeah... I was afraid that's how it would seem. There have been two additional scenes added over what was present in the original, one for its emotional value (33) and one for its comedic value (this one). Quite simply, it's because Mara has an unfair advantage over Seven; she originally had the first real sexual scene, and she has a lot more room to spread her attentions over (three times as many chapters).
There are also, obvious thematic necessities as to why the depth of Luke and Seven's relationship needs to be explored. For Luke it's the entire basis for Chapter 40. For Seven, it's why she acts the way she does in AAO.
However, if they grate (which like I admit I was afraid might happen), then I did screw up. I considered breaking the revised SOTN beyond the 40 chapter limit to spread them out further, but I didn't. Obviously I made the wrong choice; it makes the story less enjoyable for you and is a disservice to the characters I'm trying to show my own affection for.
My only hope is that perhaps the proximity of DOH 44 is compounding the issue. That was a one chapter necessity (as I said in the DOH thread), and I waffled on whether I should hold it even longer. The unfortunate drawback of me writing both at the same time is that I realize what I say in one place hasn't "happened" yet in another place where the fact becomes relevant (plus I keep screwing up whether I should call the character Seven or Annika, but that's neither here nor there), so I have to hold posting the chapter so that it makes better sense. Since there'd been a long delay for DOH I dropped it as soon as it was appropriate, but I should have realized it may have compounded the entire Luke/Seven romance thing that's unintentionally taking over SOTN.
Admittedly Sonnenberg, I haven't read the original draft of your story, and only started reading the Redux version up to the present point recently.
I'll be honest - I've no problems conceptually with Seven jumping rope topless, and willing to be silly with Luke. Besides, that's just a happy image. However, there didn't seem to be much of a buildup from when she re-awoke and where she's pledging her heart (and breasts) to Luke.
Mind you, for her it's a welcome change as a character, and something that's good to see in a story featuring her - which is her embracing all parts of what she is, Borg and Human both. It just seemed like there wasn't much of a buildup between she and Luke's relationship, in the way that both by definition are cautious people, and it seemed as if they would have spent more time "testing the waters" (not waterbed) with one another, so to speak.
Allow me to reiterate - Sonnenberg, this story is excellent so far, and I love reading it about as much as StarCrossed. However, how quickly Seven and Luke got busy just seemed a little incongruent.
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