Unity II: Shadows of the Night, Redux (Complete)

[CERC]

once again, a good read post early AM PT......

CERC

[Ghost Rider]

Very good...and the "sweetie" bit is so chilling and awesome.

[Sonnenburg]

once again, a good read post early AM PT......

CERC

Thanks!

[Sonnenburg]

Very good...and the "sweetie" bit is so chilling and awesome.

Thanks very much, I was hoping it would have an impact.

[Dalton]

Nice. I like how you internalize Luke's conflict.

[Sonnenburg]

Nice. I like how you internalize Luke's conflict.

Thanks, I'm glad you liked it.

[Dalton]

Nice. I like how you internalize Luke's conflict.

Thanks, I'm glad you liked it.

Still needs more tits. And there's not enough me.

[Sonnenburg]

Nice. I like how you internalize Luke's conflict.

Thanks, I'm glad you liked it.

Still needs more tits. And there's not enough me.

There will be more of you tomorrow.

[Sonnenburg]

Penultimate chapter

Part XXXIX


Lt. Louis finished checking over the numbers as the group of Federation troops stood by, anxiously wondering how they performed. “We shaved off six seconds that time,” he said with approval. “And this time everyone made it through alive; congratulations Mr. Dane.” There was a small chuckle at the crewman’s expense. “We’re going to call it quits for today, but before you leave I want a chance to introduce you to your new best friend. Computer, load Louis Three.” The holodeck quickly reconfigured the scene to a grassy field with painted cotton-weave targets wrapped around straw bundles. A weapon materialized in the air and he grabbed hold of it.

“This,” he said, holding it up for all to see, “Is a pump-action grade-2 slug thrower. Any ‘a you who saw any ground combat during the Dominion War can vouch for me on this, but the sad fact is that the phaser rifle only gets you so far. With the use of energy absorbing armor and shields, the time has come to supplement your firepower when going into hostile territory.” He pointed it at one of the targets, bracing the weapon up against his shoulder. There was a loud crack and the gun bucked up slightly, but one of the targets blew apart. He turned back to face them. “It’s noisy, it’s crude, and it’ll kick you flat on your ass if you’re not careful; but she’ll shred even plastoid armor at close range.”

“This,” he said, pointing to a bar affixed the top of the gun, “houses your slugs. You get twenty shots before you have to replace it, so make sure they count.” He pointed to a clip hanging off the bottom. “This is your power pack; it’s gives the slug its punch. You can usually get fifty shots off with it.” He held it up again for inspection. “This is a close quarters alternative weapon only,” he insisted. “Don’t try to go sniping someone with it unless you feel like making small holes in the ground. Use it if you’re facing a nasty drone or an angry Klingon. Now, tomorrow you’re going to be practice firing this, so take some time to go over the schematics, they’re in the database. Dismissed.”

Seven followed the group as they exited the holodeck, then walked briskly towards her quarters to clean up. Louis had pushed them pretty hard today, but with the risks involved, that was a necessity. It was rather unusual for her to have to follow the orders of a lieutenant, given her current rank, but since he was the expert in ground combat she was happy to follow his lead. Speaking of happy things, she was rather pleased by what she saw when she opened the door to her quarters. “Luke?” she said with surprise, which quickly turned to elation. It was safe to say that every day he was gone in the delta quadrant, the area current under siege by the Borg, had been difficult for her; this day was looking much better. She rushed to embrace him, but surprisingly, he stopped her. “Luke?” she said with worry. “What’s wrong?”
--------------------------------------------------------------

You have to leave her.

Luke looked into her face. It was the most beautiful one in the universe as far as he was concerned, and right now he could see the nervousness, the worry, and it was because of him. “Train yourself to let go,” the words chided him in memory. She was so full of fear and concern, and after all the days she’d had to endure during his absence, that was truly unfair of him. She hurts, Luke, he thought, and it’s your fault. Are you going to stand there and let it happen? “So afraid to lose her...”

Luke wrapped his arms around her so tight it threatened to crush her. I don’t care! he thought. Annika’s all I want. Just let me keep her and I’ll do anything, pay any price. “I love you, Seven,” he said with emotion in his voice.

“Is he dead?” Seven asked. “Oh, he is... oh, I’m so sorry, sweetie.“

“No,” Luke said, ending the embrace. “No, he’s alive. No, it’s- I just needed to work some things out. Everything’s going to be fine, Annika.” He kissed her cheek and held her again. “I’ll always keep you safe,” he whispered.

Seven squeezed tight. “Damn it, you’re making me cry you big silly.” And then they elected to make up for lost time.
--------------------------------------------------------------

Victoria Price, former captain of the Federation Starship Overlord, stood outside the dwelling of Chancellor Martok. In the rain. It always seemed to be raining whenever she wanted to go somewhere on this miserable planet. Finally there was an answer at the door, and she was taken to him. Martok was different than the others, she thought. He wasn’t a talker, he was a do-er, but he knew there was a time to fight and a time to think. If anyone would listen to her, she thought desperately, it’s him.

“What do you want at this late hour, Victoria Price?” he asked in a gravelly tone, his one remaining eye affixed on her.

“You know me?” she asked with surprise.

“I knew your grandfather,” he said. “Now answer the question. What do you want?”

Gruff and to the point, she thought; a Klingon all the way. “I have heard that the Klingons are withdrawing their support of the Alliance. They’re cutting all military ties to the Federation, Republic and the Romulans.”

“You do not approve,” Martok replied.

“I believe that it would be best for all concerned if the alliance remained in place,” she remarked.

“Very well then, your opinion is noted,” Martok said simply.

“Chancellor,” she replied, “I’ve come with more than my opinion.” She stopped. She was going to say it; she had to say it. No matter how badly she’d been wronged by Starfleet, the fact was that she disliked war and destruction and death, and if she could help stop it, then that was her duty. Not as an officer, but as a person. “The Klingon people still demand an explanation for the attack on Ho’rras. The time has come to explain.” She hesitated; this could mean her death. “I was responsible. I conceived the plan and participated in its execution,” she winced inwardly at her choice of word. “The final responsibility falls on my shoulders. I acted without allegiance and orders, a fugitive from the Federation. No one else should be held accountable.”

Martok sighed deeply. “I know,” he said quietly.

Price was a little surprised. “You do?”

“Yes,” he said. “I have known for some time now. And you do not deserve punishment, child. The attack was part of an engagement in war; there was no dishonor in what you did.”

“Then why is the Alliance being divided,” she asked.

“It is what the people want,” Martok replied. “They do not like what the galaxy has become. They believe we are losing what makes us Klingon. Ho’rras is just an excuse.”

“Chancellor,” she said, a pleading tone in her voice, “In these desperate times, we need to stand together.”

“I cannot give you what you ask,” Martok insisted. He sighed. “Do you not think that I’ve had this same conversation with Worf? Were it within my power I would consider your request, but the High Council and the people don’t want that; and I will not dishonor myself by abusing my authority.”

“Even if lives are lost,” Price shot back.

Martok leaned towards her. “Do you mean that? You believe that the ends DO justify the means?”

“That’s not the same thing, chancellor.”

“I am bound by my conscience,” Martok replied, “As you are to yours. I have made the position of the Klingon Empire clear; there is nothing more to say.”

Price turned and stormed out, more frustrated at herself than Martok and the Klingon Empire. She should have stepped forward at the beginning, she thought miserably. Now it was too late, and the alpha quadrant may go up in smoke because of her. Of all the bad decisions she’d ever made, that was the worst of all.
--------------------------------------------------------------

Luke kissed the back of Annika’s neck where they lay, so happy to have her back. “So, what have you been doing?” he asked. “That didn’t look like the usual workout attire, though it seemed to kind of fly off in a blur.”

“Oh, it’s a secret,” Seven said.

“It is?” Luke said. “Hmm... if only I knew what your greatest weakness was...”

“No, Luke, don’t you dare,” Seven said, then turned around. “Playing around is fine, but seriously, if you tickle secrets out of me, I can lose my commission.”

“I’m just kidding, Seven,” Luke said. “Being on the Enterprise doesn’t leave me with much to do other than think of new ways to torment you.”

“And you are quite a master,” Seven said, then gave him a quick kiss. “Still, I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to tell you this; after all, you know the details anyway, so if you were somehow assimilated the Borg would figure it out anyway, and that’s the only reason for security. Remember waaay back when you were hanging out with that alien, Kalib? He took you to the Borg homeworld?”

“Yes,” Luke said, uncertain as to where this was going, but pretty sure he wasn’t going to like it when he got there.

“Remember there was that door he tried to get you to open? Well,” she said, “Riker thinks I can open it.”

“What? I thought it was going to be me?”

Seven smiled. “Hair like amber and eyes of blue.” She fluttered her eyelashes at him.

“But Kalib said the person would be ‘touched.’”

“Well, I am, in my own way.” Seven held up her hand and her assimilation tubules popped out. “I can use these to penetrate the housing of the lock and use my nanoprobes to alter the command paths and activate the locking mechanism.”

“Seven,” Luke said. “I don’t want to disappoint you, but that door is neutronium.”

“It’s a neutronium alloy,” Seven said. “Not quite the same thing. Why else do you think it didn’t sink into the core of the planet? Anyway, my tubules can penetrate any known energy field or alloy, and that includes the housing on the door.”

“You’re serious,” Luke said.

“Absolutely,” she replied. “We can use the equipment to re-establish the connection.”

“What good will that do?”

“Remember the invasive program? The one we never got to actually use? I can tap into the Collective and insert that. Because of the way the relay works, it will affect the whole thing, the Borg will be shut down within minutes of receiving the program, and they won’t be able to stop it. Get in, set it up, get out, and the nightmare is gone forever.”

“Except for one small detail,” Luke said. “You have no idea what’s on the other side of that door. There can be a hundred thousand drones in there for all you know, you wouldn’t stand a chance.”

“We’re preparing for any resistance we might encounter,” Seven said. “Why do you think we’re training so hard?”

“All that training won’t matter once the Borg have adapted to your weapons,” Luke pointed out. “It’s crazy.”

“Luke, I love you but you don’t know a thing about what you’re talking about. Anything still inside that building has been sealed up for a hundred thousand years. It’s been cut off from the Collective, and even if it were to re-establish a connection, drones were only equipped with adaptive shields a few thousand years ago. Whatever’s inside that citadel won’t have any special protection against us.”

“It still sounds dangerous,” Luke commented, unable to think of any more rational arguments but refusing to agree with the plan.

“Of course it’s dangerous,” Seven replied. “But this could be it Luke. The end of the war, the end of the Borg. Whatever the dangers, we have to try. We’re not fighting for our lives, we’re fighting for what makes us human. Music, late nights, bar fights,” she giggled, “your insidious methods of torture.” She laughed a little as she embraced him, but he didn’t feel much better.

“I know that,” he said, “I just don’t like it.” He sighed. “Well, you can count on me.”

“That’s sweet,” she replied, “but it’s not going to happen.”

“I’m afraid it is,” Luke said. “I’m not letting you risk your life like this-“

“It’s not up to you or me Luke,” she replied. “Starfleet General Order 148: ‘Studies have shown that when individuals with strong emotional bonds are placed within high stress situations, the situation is frequently unstable. For that reason, individuals such as family members, spouses, etc. shall not be sent into the same combat zone.’ Like it or not, they’ll never include you in the mission if I’m involved, and the mission can’t happen without me.”

Luke sighed heavily. “When do you leave?” he asked.

“Two days,” she replied. “We’ll be rendezvousing at Deep Space 19 and taking a ship to the planet. If all goes well we’ll be back there that very night.”

“All had better go well then,” Luke said.

“You,” she said, poking him in the chest, “need to relax.” She started kissing him on his lips, then explored a little, and regardless of past and future, Luke let himself enjoy the present for a while.
--------------------------------------------------------------

On board Deep Space 19 C-3PO and R2-D2 watched the group of Federation and Romulan ships slowly drift around the station, joining the ranks of the Republic forces docked here. Artoo chirped something to Threepio.

“Of course I’m worried,” Threepio replied. “Being this close to Borg space is absolutely terrifying.” Artoo gave his electronic response. “You should know better,” Threepio admonished him. “After all, you were at Wormhole Base when the Borg came. You saw what they did.”

Artoo rolled back and forth a little, the chirping and beeping code speaking volumes. “Do you know what the Borg will do if they capture us?” Threepio asked with horror. “They’ll tear us apart and use us to line their hulls, or worse!” There was the sound of the docking procedure beginning and the two stopped their discussion. “Your highness,” Threepio said, “I believe they’re ready.”

Leia Organa Solo came over and stood next to the droids as they waited for the seal to be released. When it finally did, a tall Romulan officer stepped through the dock, smiling at her. “Ambassador,” his voice resonating a little as he stepped forward and took her hand.

“It’s good to see you again, Admiral,” Leia replied.

“Romulus has been a mite poorer since your withdrawal from our world.”

“I miss the hospitality of your people as well. I also thank them, and you, for helping us in our most desperate hour.”

Admiral Riklin nodded, then turned towards the window. “I see the Federation finally decided to chip in,” his voice having a slight edge of disgust. “It’s good to know that, no matter how much the universe changes, they will still be bound by politics.”

“Let us not dwell on such things,” Leia said. “The Alliance needs to stand as one, now more than ever. We three are all that remain, and I fear that with the damage to the Republic, it will all too soon be two.”

“That will not happen,” Riklin insisted. “As to your point, for your sake I will be civil to the Federation; I shall do my best not to regurgitate as they strut about like the heroes of the hour for deigning to show up.”

Leia laughed a little. “It is appreciated.” She took the admiral by the arm and lead him down the corridor as they spoke. Threepio turned back to the window with a shake.

“He’s quite cavalier,” he said, “But I’m afraid it won’t be as easy as he says.” Artoo warbled a response. “I know enough about fighting to know that this is very dangerous,” he shivered. “Very dangerous indeed.”
--------------------------------------------------------------

Delric Taar stepped into Thrawn’s office for the first time in over half a year, pleased at the victorious return of the commander. They had been receiving reports for some time about the expanding Imperial control in their own galaxy, and Taar knew who was responsible for that. For the first time in years, it seemed the Empire truly had something to celebrate. Unfortunately, Taar was forced to be the bearer of disturbing news.

“General,” Thrawn remarked as Taar walked over to where he sat. “I must commend you on your service to the Empire during my absence. You have handled things most effectively.”

“Thank you sir,” Taar replied. “And I congratulate you on your success, sir. You have restored the Empire to her former glory. Unfortunately, sir, I’m afraid I must also inform you of a most unbelievable turn of events.” Thrawn raised an eyebrow but said nothing. “We’ve learned that Picard is alive.”

Thrawn never showed fear, he never really showed anger for that matter, although he could be cross at times. But for a brief moment Taar could swear he saw a hint of some kind of emotion pass briefly over Thrawn’s face, but before he could dwell on it the admiral spoke. “I gave clear instructions that he was to be executed,” he replied, his voice showing his disappointment. “What happened?”

“We don’t know,” Taar said. “I’ve checked through the records and everything shows that Picard was executed as per your command, sir. Nevertheless, he has been seen, alive, on the Federation homeworld.” He swallowed. “Obviously he’s told them everything about our attack on him.”

“I am not concerned with what the Federation knows,” Thrawn replied. “They are insignificant in the grand scheme. I am more concerned about the sheer incompetence of this crew in dealing with a single human prisoner. I want you to find out who is responsible, and I want an example made of them. This kind of gross dereliction of duty will not be tolerated.” Taar nodded and quickly turned and left, allowing Thrawn time to mull over the situation. Picard escaping from his flagship; what an embarrassment.

Thrawn had spoken the truth to General Taar; the Federation really were of no importance. Even if Picard had told them the truth about him, it didn’t matter. What concerned him was what could happen if word of that got back to members of the Empire. While few would believe it at first, it could develop into such a problem as to destroy all he had worked for. He refused to allow that to happen.
--------------------------------------------------------------

Thousands of light-years away, a group of over eighty Borg cubes were in the midst of assimilating another world. Since their return, hundreds of planets had met a similar fate. The Collective was growing at an unbelievable rate at this point; their biological and technological diversity higher than it had ever been before, with no end in sight.

But then Anansi’s words reached them. After the assimilation was complete, the Cubes moved back into hyperspace towards their next target, the Federation homeworld. Twice before they had attempted this and failed; this time it would be different. At this same time Pyramid 01 also began to move to join the Borg fleet. The Federation, Anansi insisted, must be assimilated or destroyed at all costs. The Borg’s single-minded determination showed that there would be no doubt for their success.
--------------------------------------------------------------

On board the Star Destroyer Vendetta, Mara Jade strapped her boot into place, forming an almost seamless connection with the black bodysuit she now wore. The first time in years, she thought to herself. She snapped on her long black cape, and then she pulled out the last item. She hooked the rebuilt double-bladed lightsaber to her belt as she looked out the window at the distant stars.

“The orchestra is playing,” Darth Whind said. “The curtain rises. The time has come for you all to play the part that destiny has given you; and while the outcome has already been determined,” she smirked, “I still expect your best performance.”

[Crazedwraith]

Penultimate Chapter? Thats come up a bit quick! Nice chapter. And a Federation Slugthrower? Nifty!

[Sonnenburg]

Thanks! Yeah, it's about time they wised up.

[Sonnenburg]

Part XL


Luke’s eyes slowly opened after the Force meditation, his heart weighed down with all that was going on. He felt Seven come up from behind and start running her hands down his chest where he sat, rubbing the side of her face into his hair a little. “Want some breakfast?” she asked.

“You don’t like to eat,” Luke said quietly, unable to shake the feeling of dread.

“Mm, I had the most wonderful dream though,” Seven said as she squeezed him a little. “It was my birthday, back on the Raven, and momma made me french toast. Have you had french toast?” Luke said nothing. “It’s an egg-based goo you soak pieces of bread in, then you fry it. Not the best for the body, but it’s sooo good. You cover it with butter and warm maple syrup and just let it soak in. And you drink milk with it, three degrees Celsius. The warm and the cold just add to the flavor.” She stood up and walked over to the replicator. “You want some?” she asked.

“I’m not hungry,” Luke said. He listened as she sat down and started eating, moaning a couple of times.

“I don’t know why I didn’t think of this months ago,” she said with a mouthful of food. After a while, he could sense her concern, which only made him feel worse. “There’s something bothering you,” she said. He said nothing. “It’s about the mission. You’re afraid something’s going to happen, aren’t you.”

“Yes,” Luke said, “I’m afraid of having the woman I love go into a Borg compound in the middle of a war. Tell Borui to bring the straight-jacket.”

“Oh-ho, oh-ho, I’m spitting milk out my nose I’m laughing so much,” Seven said. “Luke, we’ve been over this before. It’s a risk, but it’s our best chance. Besides,” she said as she came over, “don’t you trust me?”

He got up and started pulling his shirt on. “Of course. But I’m afraid of what happened the last time you tried something like this.”

“Not going to happen,” Seven insisted. “They took advantage of my weakness last time. This time,” she had a glint in her eye, “they’ll be the ones that had better watch out.” She must have seen the look on his face. “I’ll be fine,” she said, “trust me.”

“Just be careful,” he said.

“Oh quit talking that way,” she said, then perked up. “Tell you what, we’ve got some time. I was going to save this for later as a kind of celebration, but...” She grabbed a PADD from a table nearby, tapped a couple buttons, and handed it to Luke. “What do you think?”

Luke’s eyes bugged out a little. “Made a few modifications to your Borg drone program I see.”

“Mm-hm,” she said, snuggling up to him. “You like my new look?”

“It’s... wow.”

Seven blew in his ear. “I grew some new implants just for this occasion.”

Luke glanced over at her. “What kind of implants?”

“There’s only one way to find out,” she said with a grin.

Luke shrugged. “Yeah, you’re right,” and he pushed her over onto the bed and pinned her down, tickling her ribs.

“THAT’S NOT WHAT I MEANT!” she screamed with laughter.

“Are you sure you-“ but he was cut off as the struggling Seven accidentally tossed him off the bed, cracking his head on the alcove.

“Oh God, Luke!” she said, getting up and coming over. “Oh sweetie, I’m so sorry!”

“No, it’s okay,” Luke said. “I’ve learned my lesson: don’t try to pin down a Borg.”

Seven helped him back up. “I hope you don’t mean that.” He looked at her oddly. “Don’t you think I could have done that on purpose at any time? I love this, Luke.” She took his hand. “Not in a sexual way... I was raised alone with my parents, and then I was assimilated. I never had the chance to be with other children... I-“ She grinned sheepishly and squirmed a little. “I like to play with you. I like just being a little girl tickled out of her mind by a little boy... because I know the torment’s just a sign of affection,” she smiled warmly at him, “just like you know my smiles and laughs are always genuine.”

“You always fought me,” Luke pointed out. “Called me a ‘big jerk.’”

“Well that’s part of play, sweetie,” Seven said. “Sometimes I don’t want to be a Federation hero, I just want to be your playmate, and I don’t mean sex. I want to give that little girl back some of what was stolen.”

Luke reflected on it. “So you want to play now?”

“No,” Seven said. “The little girl had her chance,” she pulled him up against her. “Now the grown woman gets her turn.”

Luke looked away a little and grinned slyly. “You’re not going to toss me around on the holodeck, are you?”

“You know that’s not my thing, sweetie,” she said with a smirk.

“You really have new implants?”

“Oh yes,” she said slowly, seductively. “We have thoroughly adapted.”

“Should I be afraid?”

“Only of getting tired,” Seven said, then kissed him.
--------------------------------------------------------------

Seventy-four light years from Deep Space 19, the Federation Starship Enterprise dropped out of hyperspace. The only problem was, it hadn’t planned to.

“Yellow alert,” Laforge said, as Riker stood up to get a better view.

“What happened,” Riker asked.

“Looks like an interdiction field, sir,” Lightner reported. “But it’s gone now.”

“Any ships in the area?” he asked quickly.

“No,” Lightner replied with confusion, “but, we’re receiving a transmission, audio only.”

“Let’s hear it,” Riker said. The were all surprised by the rumbling voice that came over the comm.

“Riker, we need to talk. Now”

Riker turned to Geordi, who shrugged. "Kalib?”

“That’s right. Now let’s get to work. There’s a planet nearby, I’ll fill you in once you arrive.”

“What work?” Riker asked. “What do you mean?”

“Riker, we can talk or we can do, which do you prefer? Wait, forget I asked that. Just get moving.”

“Channel closed sir,” Lightner reported.

Riker stood quietly on the bridge as the crew waited. Kalib wasn't the type of person to jerk them around; if he wanted to talk, it was likely urgent, and given what they were planning to do at the Borg planet, it was best to be in on it. “Take us there,” he said finally. “DS19 can wait a little while longer, if necessary.”

A few minutes later Riker and two security officers beamed down to the planet. Kalib was already there, waiting. “Mind telling us what all this is about?” Riker asked as he strolled over to the alien.

“It’s about the survival of your race, monkey boy,” Kalib replied. “So don’t give me attitude.”

Riker did his best not to show how annoyed his was. “What did you bring us here for?” he asked evenly.

“The Borg have snapped or something,” Kalib reported. “I’ve watched them for millennia, and I can tell you that they’ve finally crossed the line. They’ve assimilated at least two hundred planets, probably more in fact, in less than a month. They’re aggressive, and they’re swarming, and,” he held out some kind of data device, “they’re heading for you.”

“The Federation?” Riker asked in a quiet, disbelieving tone, hoping he was wrong.

“Yup. You’ve got a couple ‘a days, but they’ll overrun you like a ragothian stampede.”

Riker looked at the device, which showed the movement of several Borg vessels. “My God,” he said, “There must be at fifty Cubes.”

“Eighty-two,” Kalib replied. He tapped one of the buttons. “Not to mention this mean feller.”

“The Pyramid is coming as well,” Riker said in horror.

“Yup. You can tell by the course they’re heading directly for your space. They’ll be rendezvousing in less than a day, so if you want to deal with them, now’d be the best time, while they’re separated.”

“We don’t have time to raise a fleet by then,” Riker said in despair, his mind racing to find a way to deal with this threat. “The Republic,” he said suddenly. “They have ships, maybe they can help.”

“Whatever you do,” Kalib said, “Don’t talk about it, just do it. Time is a luxury you don’t have any more Riker, so quit wasting it.”

“Will you help us?” Riker asked quickly.

“I already have,” Kalib replied. “I’ve given you a chance. Take it.”

“What do you want?” Riker asked, almost desperate. “You want information, we’ll get it.”

Kalib shook his head with disgust. “I’m not a mercenary, Riker. Quit wasting time talking to me and stop the Borg. Now! Before your Federation is wiped out for good.”

Riker finally turned and walked back to the security officers. “Riker to Enterprise,” he said as he tapped his communicator, “Three to beam up.”

“You’re welcome,” Kalib shouted at them as they disappeared. “This is why you don't get involved, Kalib,” he said with a shake of his head as he lumbered back towards his ship. "Nobody shows gratitude any more."
--------------------------------------------------------------

The blood drained from Picard's face. "You're certain?"

Riker nodded grimly on the display. "Long-range communications and scans have confirmed the data. The Borg are coming, and I don't see how we can stop them alone. We need the Republic's help, probably the Romulans’ as well."

"And the president managed to burn those bridges rather nicely," Picard said with defeat. He wasn't a believer in karma, but it was hard to deny how fitting it would have been. "What about Seven? Do you think it will work?"

"Honestly," Riker said, "it's a long-shot. It's a startling coincidence that Seven fits the person described in the prophecy, but I'm not willing to bet the future existence of the Federation on it, especially since it seemed to so easily fit someone else already."

"I'm inclined to agree," Picard said. "Still, I think it's worth the attempt. At this point things are too desperate not to try everything, no matter how absurd it might seem."

"Seven thinks there's some merit," Riker said. "If the device served the described purpose, and they can get it running, she can tap directly into the central mind of the Collective and upload our program into every Borg at once. She would be operating on the same level as the Queen, there'd be no way they could lock her out."

"I have every confidence in her," Picard said. "But we have to assume she'll fail. There's still time before the Pyramid and the Borg fleet rendezvous?"

"Yes," Riker said. "The Pyramid would be the greatest threat; I'd recommend eliminating it first, before it reaches the fleet."

Picard nodded. "I'll forward this to Starfleet Command and the President. I'm sure they'll back this up, Will. The only question is whether the rest of the Alliance will help us."
--------------------------------------------------------------

Admirals Riklin and Nerrol both sat flanking Leia at the conference table as they watched Picard's image on the screen. Despite being thirty thousand light-years away, his uneasiness was crystal clear on the screen. He filled them in on the situation with the Borg. “I’m formally requesting that you aid us in this time of need, buy us enough time to have a chance to defend ourselves.”

The room was quiet. “Were it up to me,” Riklin said, “I’d let you rot to pay for the arrogance of the Federation. Fortunately for you, it is not.” He turned to Leia. “As always, we will follow your lead, ambassador.”

Leia looked at her hands resting on the table as she thought. The Republic had so few ships left, and no means to rebuild them. And they needed the fleet intact if they were going to have a chance to rebuild their shattered nation. She sighed. “The Republic has no senate, no capital, no worlds. All we have left is our word.” She looked up at Picard, her old friend. “If that is all we have left, then we will cherish it. The fleet will do what it can to buy you enough time to defend yourselves.”

“We are grateful,” Picard replied. “We cannot thank you enough.”

“Then make sure to do so,” Riklin said. “When this is over, the Federation had better show its gratitude to the Republic, or we will show the galaxy what kind of a people you are.”

"I will ensure that it is," Picard promised. “The strategic situation is being sent to you as we speak,” he added. “We don’t expect you to stop them all, but we hope you can at least slow them down.”

“We will do what we can,” Nerrol said. Picard nodded, and the screen turned off.

“You are far too generous, my friend,” Riklin said to Leia.

“The Alliance was created to fight evil,” she said. “And I see no greater evil than the Borg.”
--------------------------------------------------------------

Luke felt Seven pull him closer as Riker filled them in on the situation. "I see," she said.

"We're going to fight," Riker said. "But honestly... the Borg overwhelmed Wormhole Station with less ships, and the station's defenses were far beyond anything we have here." He shook his head in disbelief at how bad the situation was. "And even if we somehow win, the Borg could send a hundred times that number if they decided to. No matter what it takes, commander, no matter what kind of sacrifice, I need you to succeed."

Seven nodded, with the full weight of what was to come visibly upon her. "I'll do everything I can," she promised.

"I know you will," he said. "I just wanted you to be aware of just what is at stake here." He turned to Luke. "I'm evacuating all civilians at DS19," he said. "But I've been informed there's an X-Wing with your name on it if you'd like to join us, Mr. Skywalker."

"I'll be there," Luke promised. Riker nodded and left. "How are you doing?" he asked Seven.

She half shrugged. "I think I'm going to throw up, but other than that, I'm fine."

Luke pulled her close. "Let me come with you-"

"No," she said firmly. "I need to be focused. You would only be a distraction- Well not 'only' a distraction. I mean that I wouldn't be able to focus on the mission, I'd be too worried about you."

"I can help, Annika."

"I know you can," Seven said. "But one more body, even yours, isn't going to make a difference down there. But against the fleet, a pilot with your skill can make all the difference." She could read his expression and she lifted his chin so he was looking into her eyes. "We're both going to make it," she promised. "Together, or not at all... just like on the Death Star." She gripped his hand tightly. "Trust me."

Luke seemed almost in agony. "I do," he said. "But I'm so scared, Annika. I want to protect you. If I lost you,” he wrapped his arms around her, “I don't know what I'd do."

"I love you," she said. "Luke... let me go."

Luke blinked in surprise. "What?"

"Let go," she said. "I have to get changed or I'll hold up the mission." He released her, and she gave him a kiss. "You should probably get ready too." She smiled at him. "And I'll see you when this is finished, all right? I promise."

Luke nodded, but he couldn't bring himself to smile back.
--------------------------------------------------------------

Through the whirl of hyperspace the fleet of Borg cubes raced towards the homeworld of the Federation, unaware of the recent flurry of activity because of their approach. If they had known it would have made no difference. One ship, ten ships, a thousand ships for that matter, it was nothing more than a delay, a postponement of the inevitable.

Resistance is, and always will be, futile.
--------------------------------------------------------------

Seven fell in step with the rest of the Federation troops as they left the Enterprise’s dock and proceeded to the runabout that would take them to the Borg planet, and hopefully back again. She had seen that look on Luke’s face; he was so worried, she hated even the thought that something could go wrong. But the situation was serious, and she knew that she had to remain focused on the mission, or something would go wrong.

As the troops started filing onto the runabout Lt. Louis took her aside. “See you took my advice,” he said, pointing to her hair. She had wrapped it back into the way she had kept it before her... change. It made it fairly certain that it wouldn’t accidentally get in her face or caught on something, which could be deadly in a combat situation. She nodded her agreement. “Just so we’re clear,” Louis said, “I understand you’re a commander, but I want you to know that I’m a combat veteran with decorations. I know what I’m doing, sir. For the sake of the team and the objective, I’m asking that you not pull rank during the mission. Agreed?”

“Yes, lieutenant,” Seven replied.

“Wonderful,” Louis replied, and gestured for her to get on board the runabout. After he entered and the door was sealed they left dock and slipped into hyperspace, with the fate of an entire galaxy dependent on their success or failure.
--------------------------------------------------------------

“Luke?” Wedge said with surprise as his old friend came on board the Deliverance. “What are you doing here?” He shook his friend’s hand, a warm smile on his face.

“I heard you could use an extra pilot out there,” he replied.

“Absolutely,” Wedge said. “Although I don’t know what good we’ll be doing against the pyramid; that ship's just gigantic.”

“I know, I saw it from the inside.”

Wedge whistled. “We’ll have to talk about that some time. Suit up, I’ll have maintenance haul an X-Wing over for a final check before take off.” He grinned. "She's been sitting empty for a while."

"Oh?"

"Some hotshot who thought he was a hero," Wedge said. "It'd be nice to put the real thing in it for a change." He took off and Luke went to change into a flight suit. When he was finished he headed into the hangar, taking note of the flurry of activity as he proceeded towards his new X-Wing. He could sense the nervousness of the other pilots as he moved with determination; there wasn’t much time.

“Commander,” Lt. Dalton said as he approached. Whenever Luke went into a combat situation like this, he was referred to by his former rank, even though he was technically retired. “We were just getting ready to place your astromech, and you’ll be set.”

“Thanks, but I want to make a little change. Can you get me an X2?”

“Sure thing,” the lieutenant said as he called over one of his assistants. Artoo warbled something at him, obviously confused.

“You,” he said to the droid, “have a very important mission to perform. Come with me,” and he headed for one of the empty garages, his loyal droid not far behind. A few minutes later he was in his cockpit, watching the assorted fighters lift off from the Deliverance.
--------------------------------------------------------------

Normally space around Deep Space 19 was calm, but ever since the Borg stepped up their activities it had become very busy. Today made every day before this look sedate. Ships of various types moved past the station almost as one. Sovereigns, Defiants, Mirandas, and a horde of other Federation ships stood grouped together on the right flank. On the left, D’deridex and smaller warbirds swept through space. In the center, a group of corvette, frigates, and other support craft surrounded a single Mon Calamari Star Cruiser. Throughout the area buzzed Republic fighters, T’lixes, and Federation fightercraft. It was an impressive array of firepower, Riker admitted as the Enterprise took her place among them. As the group slipped into hyperspace, his only hope was that it would be enough.
--------------------------------------------------------------

The runabout set down just outside the tip of the citadel, the wind blasting as it settled into place on the bare rock. Lt. Louis gave the signal, and they all filed out, making certain the area was secure. It may have seemed silly, but with the stakes on this mission, they couldn’t afford to take any chances. “All yours commander,” he said to Seven as she walked over to the door. The wind was unbelievable, so much so Seven had to grab and hold her communication headset in place. She stepped up to the door and looked at it carefully. There didn’t seem to be any lock, or any door for that matter, but Luke said there was, and she put a great deal of stock in his words. Judging to be at about the center, she plunged her tubules through the thick armor and penetrated the lock itself. Primitive by current Borg standards, but still quite effective. The nanoprobes began overriding the locks instructions, and after a short while there was a grinding sound, as if a giant were rolling a great millstone. There was a sudden suction as the door swung open, drawing Seven inside flat on her face.

“You all right?” Louis asked as he helped her up. “Whoo, smell that!”

“Lovely,” Seven remarked with a cough. “Chateau de armpit. Are we ready?”

Carefully, their phaser rifles held ready in front of them, the squad began moving into the ancient citadel of the Borg.
--------------------------------------------------------------

[Sonnenburg]

(cont'd)



Quite oblivious to all the fervor that was taking place in the delta quadrant, General Delric Taar sat at his desk looking over the latest reports from his subordinates. His current position now demanded far more paperwork and far less attention to little details, like sharpening tactical sills. Why had he ever allowed this to happen? he thought for a moment. I’m a fighter jockey, why would I want to take a position that takes me away from my cockpit? Before he could continue the thought there was a buzz. “What is it?” he asked crossly.

“General, someone wishes to see you, she says it’s very important.”

“Who?” he asked impatiently.

“Her identification lists her as ‘Mara Jade,’” the voice replied, “But the name is not in our database.” A pause. “I think it would be very helpful to see her.”

A curious remark, Taar thought. Still, it would break up the monotony, even if it was just to shout at someone. “Send her in,” he said. He watched as the door opened and a woman dressed in a tight black bodysuit, complete with cape, stepped into the room. “Mara Jade,” he said.

She passed over her identification card. “General,” she said. “We have a matter of grave concern to discuss.”

Taar looked at the card, and after a short while slid it into the terminal by his desk. Immediately it asked for his command authorization code, which was rather surprising. He tapped it in and looked with shock at the screen. “Level 7,” he said with surprise, turning back to Mara Jade. “What are you doing here?”

“Mara Jade is my cover name,” she replied. “I am Darth Whind, servant of the Emperor, and here to discuss the condition of the Empire.”

“What do you mean?” he asked, trying to understand. Level 7 meant she answered directly to the Emperor. Her very existence was considered sensitive information. What was going on?

“We need to talk about Grand Admiral Thrawn.”

Taar’s eyes narrowed at her. “What about him?” he asked suspiciously. Was she attempting some kind of coup?

“I have remained outside Imperial affairs for some time,” she went on, “But I still care a great deal about the work of the Emperor. During my investigations I’ve uncovered a most horrible truth, one which could mean the end for us all, one which has forced me to finally return.” She paused. “I have evidence that Thrawn is working with the Borg.”

Immediately Taar started to laugh. “You can’t be serious,” he insisted. “He’s no more a Borg than you or I.”

“I expected you to find it unbelievable,” she said. “But nevertheless it is the truth.”

“And do you have any proof for these wild allegations?” he asked.

“As a matter of fact, I do,” she said, sitting down. “He is connected to the Collective at this very moment in fact. The proof is simple enough, you will find a subspace communication signal emanating from Thrawn’s office right now.”

Taar huffed, but walked over to the terminal and called up a check for any subspace signal. With satisfaction he turned back. “There is no signal,” he said with a smile. “It seems you’re wrong.”

“Run a diagnostic,” she said simply.

“This is a complete waste of time-“

“Run the diagnostic,” she insisted.

Taar found the whole thing stupid but nevertheless he entered the command code for the diagnostic. He was surprised to see that there was an error, a small frequency band was not being included in the sensor sweep. He overrode the commands and restored the system to normal. “Check it now,” she said. He called up the screen again, and was shocked beyond belief. A subspace signal, plain as day, coming right from Thrawn’s office.

He looked at her in horror. “What you’re saying,” he stammered, unable to come to terms, “It’s- It’s impossible! He wouldn’t do that.”

“He’s an alien,” Darth Whind pointed out. “Aliens don’t think the way you and I do. They don’t understand things like loyalty.” She allowed him a moment to reflect, but he still had trouble believing it. “Then there was Picard,” she said. “That one had me surprised as well. He would actually arrange for Picard to escape from his own ship,” she shook her head. “He is devious.”

“Why would he do that?” Taar asked. “He could just release him.”

“Release a Federation prisoner without arousing suspicion?” she asked. “He couldn’t chance it. The truth is he gave Picard his freedom in exchange for the information on the anti-Borg weapon, so he could find a way to stop it.”

“I still don’t believe it,” Taar replied, but found it difficult to mean it. It did all seem to point to the fact that Thrawn had betrayed them in the worst possible way.

“Your loyalty is admirable,” she said. “That’s why I came to you. If Thrawn is the traitor, we’ll need loyal men like you to lead in his place.”

“Thrawn’s not a traitor,” Taar replied, but found it harder to believe his own words then before. It would explain so many things, a small voice in his head said. All those nagging questions about the Empire and the Borg; it all makes sense. “What do we do now?” he asked weakly.

“We’ll confront him ourselves,” she said simply. “We can’t exactly take a Grand Admiral to trial. We’ll talk to him and decide for ourselves. After all, if a loyal soldier like you is convinced, he clearly must be guilty.”

Taar considered it. Yes, the best choice was to talk to him, ask him if it’s the truth. He straightened his cap and marched through the door, Darth Whind close behind. Time to finish this nonsense once and for all, he thought.
--------------------------------------------------------------

The fleet hung motionless in space as they waited. Much of war consists of waiting, and this one was no exception. And like any other war, most knew there was a good chance they wouldn’t be returning from it. But determination and dedication to duty gave them the courage to stand their ground as they waited. Finally, the interdiction field pulled the Pyramid out of hyperspace and into their ambush.

Ambush was one way to look at it. On the other hand it was like watching a swarm of ants trying to kill a small dog.

The ships immediately moved in to engage the tetrahedron, hoping to have the brief moment’s advantage of surprise on their side. Federation vessels bombarded it with their quantum torpedoes while concentrated fire from the warbirds managed to pierce their defensive shielding and dig pits in the surface. The heavy turbolasers of the Republic ships ripped into the sides of the pyramid.

It didn’t fire back.

This made the fleet all the more nervous. They expected some kind of retaliation from the Borg; what could they be doing? Suddenly they had the answer.

“Hostiles coming in,” came a report of the comm. “Hundreds of them!”

They watched as swarms of small triangular ships tore through space, blasting the fleet as they twisted about. “Rogue 2, you recognize those?” came the sound of Wedge’s voice over the comm.

“Copy Rogue Leader. Looks like Ssi-ruuk fighters.”

“All fighters and frigates,” the order came down, “Engage the fighters. Everyone else, concentrate on the pyramid.”

While the battle continued among the giants, the fighters quickly became involved in the most complex dogfighting of their lives. These ships were fast and maneuverable and very small, making them a pilot’s worse nightmare. Two of them quickly swarmed a B-Wing, shearing two of its large panels away before it spiraled out of control and exploded. Rogue Squadron quickly formed up together to fight them as a concentrated unit. If the Borg control them, Wedge thought, then they’ll be using very coordinated attack patterns; we’ll have to do the same.

While the small fighters moved to engage one another, several Defiants ran across the surface of the cube, bombading it with a mixture of quantum torpedoes and their pulsed phaser cannons. They moved in evasive patterns to avoid the counterfire as the green Borg weapons reached out and tried to eliminate them. One of the shots managed to snare a Nebulon-B Frigate, shearing it in half. Not too far behind was a mixed group of Sovereigns and Mirandas, using their concentrated phaser blasts to overwhelm the Borg’s adaptive shielding. Several of the green torpedoes were fired, one striking and blowing out the starboard nacelle of one of the Mirandas. The ship took a slow twisting dive that eventually caused it to crash into the pyramid. A pair of Akiras followed up, hoping to repay the Borg with a barrage of torpedoes and phaser fire.

Wedge grit his teeth as he watched one of his X-Wings go up. He pulled up behind the responsible party and returned the favor, but it was only a hollow victory. The Y-Wings were having the most trouble; they were easy pickings for these tiny fighters. He tried to coordinate the efforts with Grey Leader, but it was a bit difficult to organize an attack against these buzzing fighters. Nevertheless, they continued to pursue and destroy them as best they could while the capital ships continued to mercilessly pound the Pyramid.
--------------------------------------------------------------

Seven held her tricorder out as she moved quickly through the building, trying to learn as much as she could before any trouble might begin. Maybe the place is deserted, she thought hopefully. After all, the Borg would probably try and send as many drones as possible against Species 01 rather than keep them bottled up here. She turned off the main stairwell and continued through a small corridor. There was all kinds of equipment present, little looking of any real use. It was amazing how well preserved it was after all this time. As she continued the Federation troops fanned out, nervously intent on catching any Borg surprise before it popped out and assimilated them, or worse. “What’s the situation, commander?” Louis asked.

“The citadel is gigantic,” Seven remarked. “I still haven’t scanned all the way to the foundation.”

“Any sign of the device we’re looking for?” he asked.

“The central nexus? No, not yet. But that’ll have to wait; the primary antennae was destroyed in the bombardment. Fortunately the Borg believe in redundancy; there should be a secondary array we can use to connect to the Collective, we just need to find and activate it." She continued her scan of the floor and moved back to the main stairwell. She rushed onward while the rest of her squad tried to catch up.
--------------------------------------------------------------

Luke’s X-Wing came around on one of the triangle fighters and a quick blast of his laser cannons disintegrated it. He raced past the debris and started chasing the next one as it wound through the fleet, firing on whatever target it could find. Is there a drone in there? he wondered distantly. It’s so small. Fortunately he’d had plenty of practice picking off small moving targets, and another of the fighters disintegrated.

Luke saw distantly as he searched for a new target a number of the Warbirds swoop in at the Pyramid, their weapons firing together to create small pits in its surface. One exploded as a Borg weapon connected with it, forcing its partners to withdraw for the moment. We’re barely making a dent, he thought hopelessly, it’s just too big.

Several of the fighters were swarming over a D’deridex, and Luke brought his X-Wing over in the hopes of driving them off. They were operating under the same principle as the fleet, he realized, overwhelm the larger ship by sheer numbers. He picked off one as he swooped in and immediately pulled onto the tail of another. Suddenly there was a quiver in his mind and he yanked away, narrowly avoiding the shots of another fighter that had pulled up behind him. He pulled a tight loop and went screaming at it, blasting it to pieces. Another quick turn, and he was chasing down still another. There seemed no end to the tiny fighters.

His ship rocked as the Romulan ship exploded, buffeting the shields with energy and debris. Apparently they had gotten through, he thought wearily. Fortunately many of the fighters here had been destroyed as well. “R2,” he said to his new astromech, “Make sure the maneuvering thrusters aren’t damaged, we don’t want any surprises.” There was a chirping reply, but he ignored it, focusing on his next target. We’ll be at this all day, he thought as he lined up the shot and disintegrated the fighter. Annika, I hope you’re having a better day than I am.
--------------------------------------------------------------

“The central nexus is down about another twenty-five levels,” Seven said finally, stepping again off the main stairwell towards one of the corridors. “Still no sign of the array controls.”

“How deep does this place go?” someone asked.

“I don’t know,” Seven said, “But I’m not particularly interested in exploring this place, are you?” A murmur of agreements quickly followed. She pushed further down the corridor, and finally something showed up. “I think I’ve found it,” she said, slapping her tricorder closed and rushing forward, the troops close behind.

She finally halted in front of an ancient machine, marked with small amounts of dust; again, it was amazingly clean considering the ravages of time. She pulled out her tools and began taking off the front of the panel. The squad spread out around her, their eyes alert for any possible movement. When that was done, she pulled out the small fusion generator and attached it to the system. She rechecked the circuit, and then, with a small breath, completed the connection.

The floor shook for a second like an earthquake, but it quickly changed into a subtle vibration of the floor. After thirty seconds it finally stopped. Seven pulled out her tricorder, connecting to the sensors on board the runabout. “Array’s been deployed,” she said with a nod, gesturing back towards the main stairs. After a few steps the building shook a second time.

When Seven looked back on this day, a lot of emotions were there, but one of them was embarrassment. She'd been so focused on the mission that she didn't really think about her observations. Why was all this stuff still working? Because it was being maintained. Who was maintaining it? Borg, obviously. Borg drones who had been cut off for a hundred thousand years, waiting, following their final orders: stay alive until you are reclaimed. And so they did, even as millennia came and went, staying in stasis except for the brief necessities to keep things functioning. When Seven activated the array, she awoke them all... and connected their minds to the Collective.

“Sir!” came a shout from one of the troopers. “Movement! I’ve got movement!”

“Calm down,” Louis ordered. “Everyone stay alert.” They moved cautiously back towards the main stairwell, and then they saw it.

“Borg,” Seven said in a hushed tone as they started coming at the Federation troops. Immediately they opened fire and rushed towards the entrance to the stairwell. There was a single shot from the drones, and one of the crewmen fell down in a heap. They continued to lay down suppressive fire as they came around the corner. The woman in the lead let out a scream as a drone snatched her. Seven pulled out her slugthrower and cocked it as she moved to peak around the corner. She felt a pressure on her shoulder and a distant, familiar sensation as her body started shivering. Her eyes swiveled over as she saw two assimilation tubules sticking out of her neck, the emotionless face of a Borg drone just beyond. "Big - mistake," she said, and she assimilated the nanoprobes being flooded into her body like a flame to gasoline, running back into the other drone. Louis brought his weapon up, but before he could get a shot off the drone’s head exploded. She pushed the remains of the drone over. Before any more could be said another shot rang out, and the Federation forces withdrew behind the safety of the wall. Fortunately they had trained well for this situation, and moving in small groups they slipped back into the main stairwell.

“Now where?” someone asked as more shots rang out.

“Down,” Seven called. “The central nexus is still a long way off.” She noticed another drone and brought her slugthrower around, blasting its chest apart. She pumped the handle and moved onward, listening to another scream as a Borg weapon found its target. They darted to the right on the next level, rushing down the corridor. Another group of drones approached, but this time the troops were prepared and annihilated them before they had a chance. Seven rushed to the front of the group and pulled up on a section of the floor. “This’ll help us bypass some of the other areas,” she said as she slid her slugthrower back into its holster on her back. She began quickly climbing down, the rest of the group following her. After fifty meters she dropped to the floor, unslung her phaser rifle, and moved to the front. So far the area was clear. When the last of the group reached the floor they advanced carefully, finally coming to the entrance to the corridor on this level. They could hear the distant sounds of the drones moving about, and so they proceeded down the corridor with caution.
--------------------------------------------------------------

By this time the Borg Pyramid’s surfaced looked like the surface of a moon, the power of the drones devoted to repairing all the damage but unable to keep up with the sheer number of attacks being waged against it. Most of its tiny fighters were gone, the allied ships making quick work of them despite their advantages. Now almost all attention was focused on the tetrahedron, which meant that the battle would be worsening for the Borg. Of course, they only had to wait a short while longer, as the fleet of cubes would be arriving soon enough, and the Borg could continue to the Federation without interruption.

Suddenly, a distant signal was received, and a new threat emerged. Even Anasi agreed that the Federation was unimportant by comparison to this. The fleet here was the closest; they could arrive in time and provide sufficient numbers of drones to assimilate anyone within the citadel. With a thought the fleet changed course, leaving the Pyramid to fend for itself.
--------------------------------------------------------------

A warbird stood gripped in the bonds of a tractor beam as the battle continued. Wedge brought his X-Wing around and, with a well timed shot, put two proton torpedoes into the emitter. He felt a small jerkiness in the controls as a Borg weapon grazed one of his wings. He quickly put in some evasive maneuvers, corkscrewing away as the Borg tried to get a lock on his target, but his random twisting managed to save his life.

The Deliverance had launched several devestating broadsides into the side of the pyramid, but still, it seemed as if nothing could stop the ship. Desperate to find a way to deal serious damage, a group of over thirty Romulan ships charged the Pyramid. Three were hit by the Borg’s weapons as they approached but a volley of torpedoes tore into the expanding hole which extended two kilometers into the pyramid. Another two warbirds were hit on their way past the ship, but it had proved fairly successful.

The Enterprise rocked as two Borg torpedoes struck them, reducing the effectiveness of their shields. They bombarded the Pyramid with their quantum torpedoes, further drilling into its pitted surface. For a brief time the Borg’s shields failed along a single vector, allowing two B-Wings to launch their intruder missiles, making another contribution to the distorted shape of the pyramid.

The battle continued for another hour as the two sides exchanged energies that could slag continents and boil oceans, each seeking to outdo the other in the deadly match-up. While all this happened, Riker kept a close eye on the damage to the Pyramid, waiting. Finally, he spoke. “All ships,” he said. “Concentrate your fire on grid 18.”

Immediately the ships disengaged and came around together, a few shots from the Borg weapons striking them as they moved. They twisted about, and suddenly a deadly rain blanketed the surface of the tetrahedron. After a few seconds the shields collapsed, and the ships pulled up, skimming the surface of the cube as they spread out in their various directions. Once they cleared, a single galaxy-class starship continued in, and its main phaser cannon, charged to the limits, tore through the open wound and consumed layer after layer of the Pyramid, stopping as it exposed the hypermatter reactor. A single sparking silver jewel left the Enterprise as it pulled up, the torpedo shimmering as it passed through kilometer after kilometer of Borg ship. It struck the side of the reactor and detonated, its expanding destructive energy piercing the shell and causing the reactor to explode. As the ships pulled away the Pyramid shattered in all directions.

The cheers from the crew matched Riker’s own feelings of relief at their accomplishment. But after a short while he ordered everyone to calm down; after all, this was only the first battle. “How long until the rest of the Borg ships arrive?” he asked.

“Seven minutes.” Lightner reported. “No, eight. Wait,” he furrowed his brow. “Sir, the Cubes have changed course.”

Riker and Laforge looked at each other. “You don’t think we scared ‘em off?” Laforge asked.

“We should be so lucky,” Riker replied. “What’s their course?”

Lightner looked. “Course 083 Mark 13,” he paused. “The Borg planet, sir.”

Oh no, Riker thought. They know. Somehow they know. “All ships,” he said. “Set Course 083 Mark 13.”

“What’s going on?” came the message from Admiral Riklin.

“No time to explain sir, just trust me on this,” Riker said. The remaining ships that were still combat-ready and weren’t involved in any rescues at the moment turned to follow the Borg Cubes. As they learned just what was at stake, they could only hope they could catch them in time.
--------------------------------------------------------------

[Sonnenburg]

(cont'd)

Taar and Darth Whind marched up to the entrance to Grand Admiral Thrawn’s office, Taar’s stomach tightening with every step. Could it really be true? Had they been betrayed all this time by the man who had rebuilt the Empire? It seemed beyond comprehension, but he couldn’t shake the nagging feeling he had.

Two Stormtroopers flanked the door to his office. “Stand aside,” Taar ordered.

“The admiral does not wish to be disturbed,” the trooper replied darkly.

Taar looked at them furiously. “Stand aside!” he repeated. “That’s an order.”

“Your order is superseded by the admiral,” the trooper said. Before Taar could utter another word there was a flurry of movement. In a single gesture Darth Whind pulled out her lightsaber, ignited it, and sliced through both troopers with one swing; the entire event took a second at most.

“No dealing with traitors,” she said as she shut down the blade but kept it in her hands as they opened the door and stepped into Thrawn’s office. As always, he sat in his chair on the other side of the room, but Taar noticed the look on his face, as if he were dead. Was he?

“Admiral?” he asked. “Admiral,” louder this time. “Are you all right sir?”

Thrawn’s gaze refocused on them. “This is not a good time,” he said with a cross tone. “Come back later.”

“Communicating with your Borg comrades?” Darth Whind goaded him.

“So,” he said as his concentration began to focus, “I see you did survive after all.”

“Yes,” she said with a voice that could cut glass. “I live.”

“Admiral,” Taar said, unable to remain silent, “Is it true? Are you really Borg?”

“Is that what this one tells you?” Thrawn asked, not allowing his attention to waver from Darth Whind in the slightest.

“Can you offer me an explanation?” Taar asked, almost pleading. The thought of Thrawn actually being what Darth Whind accused him of sent shivers through him; it was the ultimate betrayal of the Empire. “The Borg signals from your office? Picard? All that’s happened?”

“The truth,” Thrawn said, “Is that both you and I have been puppets all along.” His eyes hardened on Whind. “And quite masterfully too. I only recently became aware that you were pulling my strings.”

“Really,” Darth Whind said with a smile as she took casual steps towards Thrawn. Suddenly her eyes widened and she leaped back, visibly confused.

“Yes, really,” Thrawn replied. “You may have played me for the fool Jade, but it is a part I’ll play no longer.”

“What’s going on?” she demanded.

“Oh, you are not familiar with the ysalamiri,” Thrawn said. “My precaution; I know you Sith tend to rush into things.” Darth Whind shot daggers at him and reached out towards him as if to crush him with her hand; Thrawn didn’t so much as flinch. “And are rather slow at times,” Thrawn said wearily. “The Force does not exist where I sit at the moment; will you accept that please so that we can move on?”

Darth Whind lowered her hand but she was still visibly angry. “More of your tricks,” she spat at him.

“My tricks?” Thrawn said. “You treat the Empire as your own private marionette and accuse me of tricks?” He sighed wearily. “I have, for the moment, created a stalemate, so that we may talk like civilized beings.” He held up a blaster pistol. “I know how addicted you Sith are to your power. I wonder, will you enter the field again to kill me? Is it worth it to lose that power for just those few brief seconds?”

Taar felt his blaster fly out if its holster into Darth Whind’s hand. She turned and pointed it at Thrawn before he could move, pulling the trigger several times. Again, Thrawn didn’t even twitch as the blasts stopped before a personal force field. He shook his head. “Have we now established that you cannot kill me?” he said wearily. “I’ll admit that blade could do it, few shields can stop a lightsaber, but again, you’d have to enter the field. You’d lose all those wonderful force abilities, such as the ability to block a blaster bolt with your blade. So,” he said, his voice more chilling than before, “do we continue this pointless posturing, or do we talk?”

Mara tossed Taar’s blaster aside, but there was no hiding the frustration as her teeth ground together. “Talk then,” she growled at him.

“I assume you are here to retake control of the Empire from me,” Thrawn said. “It’s the only logical move. What you failed to anticipate is that I’m only too happy to give it to you.”

Darth Whind’s eyes narrowed at him. “You expect me to believe that?” she said with scorn.

“I have no use for crowns,” Thrawn said. “I don’t need kneeling masses to stroke my ego for me; I am content in commanding the fleets.” He leaned forward. “Why should we destroy one another, when the Empire would benefit so much from the both of us?”

“Because you cannot be trusted,” she shot back. “You have sat in the seat of power for too long, and I know that that’s changed you. You’ve developed a taste for it through them, haven’t you.”

“You speak nonsense,” Thrawn replied. He turned over to Taar. “What do you think, general? You see for yourself where we stand. I’m trying to reasonable, she refuses to listen.”

“You’re attempting to deceive us as you always do,” she spat at him.

Thrawn was visibly annoyed. “You can dare say that after what you’ve done? Look at the truth, general. Can’t you see what she’s done? She manipulated both of us, that’s what these Sith do.” Taar wasn't sure what to think any more. “Think about all the times, general, when things just seemed to happen exactly as you wanted them. Have you seen any troublesome officers suddenly fall into line, almost as if someone was playing with their mind?”

Taar turned slightly pale. He had a point. All those pigheaded admirals had eventually given in to what he demanded, although he had wanted to attribute it to his own leadership. Thrawn must have noticed the look on his face and pressed on. “Your rapid rise through the ranks? It was a manipulation, don’t you see. She wanted you to take this position; it’s all part of her plan.”

“My plan?” Darth Whind interrupted. “What of the Borg?”

“Yes, what of the Borg,” Thrawn retorted. “Why, Taar, do you hate them so? What rational reason is there to harbor the base hatred for them that you do?”

“Because they’re evil,” Taar replied angrily.

“She feeds your hates,” Thrawn said. “All this time enflaming your passions so that your mind will be clouded and you can’t hear the truth.”

“That’s a lie!” Taar shouted. “The Borg are the scourge of the galaxy, I hate them for being the monsters that they are!”

“You hate them for what they have done,” Thrawn said. “But you despise them because of her.” He looked back over at her for a moment. “Who do you think will take command when I’m eliminated?” he asked. “You. It will be passed over to you. But she knows you’ll never take command like that, you have too much personal honor, Delric Taar. But if I was destroyed as a traitor, the sum of everything you’d come to hate, you’d be perfectly willing to step into my place.”

“He’s lying,” Darth Whind replied. “It’s what he does. He’s a manipulator, trying to deceive you while he sells out the Empire to the Collective.”

“Well, there’s an easy way to answer,” Thrawn said. “Step into the field, general. She can have no influence over you there, you’ll be able to see things for the truth.”

“Don’t do it,” Darth Whind warned. “While we’re out here I can protect us from the blaster bolts if he fires, but inside the field he’ll shoot you down.”

Taar looked between the two of them, so confused. His deep loyalties lay in conflict with his passions. He removed his cap and wrung it in his hands at his thought wearily. He looked up at Thrawn slowly. “Are you Borg?” he asked simply.

Thrawn looked straight into his eyes, unblinking. “Of course not.” He replied.

Slowly, hesitantly, he took a step forward, and then another, until he stood within the field.
--------------------------------------------------------------

“Commander of Nine,” Riker said, “the Borg are heading straight for the planet." In a way, it was good news; if the Collective felt it important to divert the fleet there, then it probably meant Seven and her group could do some serious harm. Of course, that meant they needed to actually do that harm, and quickly. "You need to hurry up and finish this.”

There was a garble of static as the reply came. “No offense intended, sir, but it’s not as if we’re not trying to do that.”

“There’s eighty Borg cubes coming, commander,” Riker said. “If you don’t get to that device before they get there you’re going to be facing overwhelming numbers of reinforcements.”

“How much time?” Seven asked.

“Thirty minutes,” Riker said. “Probably less.”

“Impossible,” Seven said. They could hear the sound of weapons fire now. “Even if there weren’t any drones in the way, we’d never make it that far in time, the complex is too big.”
--------------------------------------------------------------

Seven stepped back as the drone army continued to advance, trying to hold them off as they withdrew to the main stairwell. “Then you’ve got no choice,” Riker said. “You’ll have to abandon the mission.”

“I don’t think the Borg’ll give us a second chance, sir,” Seven replied. There was another distant grinding sound. Now what, she thought.

"I know," Riker said, "but we can't stop these ships. You'll be killed or assimilated for certain."

"You know the stakes, captain," Seven said.

"I do, and if I thought you had a chance of pulling it off I'd say good luck, but you don't. The Borg’ll have you outnumbered a hundred thousand to one when those Cubes arrive."

"I'm willing to try-"

"No, commander," Riker said. "We withdraw, regroup, and fight, not throw our lives away. Now get your people to the surface."

Seven wanted to hit the wall in frustration. "Aye sir," she said. She fired again as she stepped back into the main stairwell, then looked to her left, her mouth hanging open in shock. "Kriff!" she shouted.

"What is it?" Riker asked as she began firing frantically.

“I don’t think that’s happening either, sir,” Seven said as the new army of drones started coming down the stairs towards them. There were hundreds, maybe thousands. Seven and the troops fired at them, but it was like a wall, and they had no choice but to retreat down the stairs.
--------------------------------------------------------------

“Commander,” Riker said. “Get to the surface, it’s your only chance.”

This time the sound of weapons fire was much louder, and there was screaming too. “We’re cut off,” Seven said, “We can’t get past them.”

Riker quickly tapped his own communicator. “Transporter Room 1,” he said, his voice rushed. “Do you think if we get into orbit you can pull the team out?”

“Not likely,” came the reply. “All that neutronium’s going to play havoc with the sensors.”

“What’s our chances?” Riker asked.

“A hundred to one,” the reply came. “Maybe worse.”

Riker turned towards Geordi. “I’ll take a slim chance over none at all,” his first officer replied.

“I agree,” he said as the starlines vanished. They saw the Cubes again, filling the skies before them as they moved with single-mindedness towards the planet that had spawned them an eon ago. “Full impulse,” he ordered.

“The Borg will reach the planet in sixteen minutes,” Lt. Lightner reported.

There was a list scrolling through Riker's mind, a list of his people who perished at Wormhole Station at the hands of the Borg. No more of his people were going to suffer that fate if he could possibly help it. “If we push it,” Riker said, more to himself than anyone present, “we might just make it in time to try.”

The fleet chased the Cubes through empty space past a large ringed planet. The sight must have been ridiculous to see, monstrous spaceships chased by the tiny vessels that followed. It would have made Riker very happy if they had suddenly decided to stop and engage the fleet, but even after firing a few quantum torpedoes at them the Borg still refused to take the bait. “We’re going to have to try and beam them out,” he said with disappointment as he returned to his chair.

From behind him, Lt. Lightner gave his latest report, echoing through the various ships of the Alliance fleet. “The Borg will reach the planet in fourteen minutes.”
--------------------------------------------------------------

The message sent a chill up Luke's spine. Riker was right, the fleet wasn't going to be able to stop them, but maybe there was a chance, he thought as he took a deep breath.

Fourteen minutes, he thought tensely as he looked at the mass of Cubes. Okay, relax Luke, you can do this... the Light side is just as strong as the Dark, you just have to use it. He stretched out with the Force at the nearest Cube, concentrating on it. Don’t think about how big it is, he thought, concentrate on moving it. Come on, just a small push for now, just start. He started to sweat a little as it continued, and he screwed his eyes shut to try and concentrate. Come on come on come on, just a little push...

The Cube moved ever so slowly to port.

“Yes!” he exclaimed, and quickly shut his eyes. Okay, now more, just move the ship. Come on, move the ship. Move.... Move..... move the kriffing ship! No, calm down. Relax. Move the ship. He felt the strain building throughout his body, and finally he opened his eyes as he breathed heavily, and noticed they were slightly moist. “Ben,” he whispered, his voice filled with pleading desperation. “Master Yoda... please... help me.” He tried again, straining to move the ship, and again he was left breathless.

“The Borg will reach the planet in eight minutes,” came the report over the comm.

“All ships, this is the Enterprise,” came Riker’s voice. “Break off pursuit. We’ll attempt to transport the team out if we can, but the rest of you are ordered to withdraw to the rendezvous point.”

“Those are our people, we can't abandon them-“ a voice began.

“You can’t stop that many ships in time,” Riker interrupted. “We’ve got to face facts.”

Luke closed his eyes at the words. "Facts are irrelevant," he mouthed, quoting Seven's response to him a lifetime ago... when she'd nearly lost her life trying to save him... when he was weak and needed her to deliver him from certain death... because whatever the risk to herself, if she had the power to save him, she would never let herself back down... no matter what the price.

“Commander of Nine,” he heard Riker say. “You understand the situation?”

There was a sound of weapons fire. “Understood captain,” Seven’s voice came over the comm, breaking Luke’s heart.

“Mr. Skywalker?” came the words. The rest of the fleet was gone; it was just him and the Enterprise. “Mr. Skywalker, withdraw.”

Luke rubbed the tears out of his eyes as they blurred the image of the ships before him. There were so many of them... she didn't stand a chance.

“The Borg will reach the planet in seven minutes.”

“Mr. Skywalker, you are ordered to withdraw.”
--------------------------------------------------------------

“What in the...” Geordi began to say as there was a sudden movement on the screen. “Did I see that right?”

“It appears that two Borg Cubes have collided sir,” reported Lt. Lightner.

Riker turned back from Tactical towards the screen, confusion giving way to realization. “Oh my God,” he whispered.

“Captain?” Laforge asked.

Riker shook his head. “He’s lost control again.”
--------------------------------------------------------------

Seven stopped in her tracks the moment she heard. “Confirmed. Two Borg Cubes have just collided.”

“Luke,” she whispered, understanding immediately. Borg ships don't collide on their own... she didn't have much time.

“Commander,” came the voice of Louis. “Commander!” But she ignored him, stepping out of the firefight.

“Luke,” she said into the comm. “Luke, it’s Annika. Listen to me. Stop this.”

Luke wiped away his tears. “Get off the line Annika,” he said.

“Listen to my voice,” she said, as soothingly as she could, though underneath she was terrified. “Concentrate on what I’m saying. Think peaceful thoughts.”

“I’m sorry Annika,” he said. “I’m so sorry.”

“No!” she said, her voice choked with a sob as she gave in to frustration. “Goddammit Luke, don’t do this! You know better!”

“I have to,” he said, his chest tightening.

“You know it’s wrong!” she insisted. “I’m not worth it! Don’t give in, please!”

“I can’t let you go, Annika,” he said, his voice shaking. “I’m too tired to grieve any more. I can’t do it, especially not for you.” A sob slipped out. “Not for you...”

“You know what you’ll become if you do!” she insisted.

“You know what you’ll become if I don’t!” he shot back.

Seven’s body trembled under the emotional strain. “Luke,” her eyes were filled with tears as she pleaded. “Please, for me,” her voice shook but she tried to sound forceful, “don’t do this.”

“No. I’m sorry Annika. I’ll do anything for you,” he swallowed, “I’ll even sell my soul to the devil.”

“Luke!!!” she cried into the comm, but she heard the sound of him yanking his helmet off so he couldn’t hear her any more.

Luke sniffed back the tears as he tossed the helmet aside and wiped his eyes, then looked up at the multitude of Borg ships. Anger started to burn in him, anger at what they were going to make him do. It would hurt her... and just the thought of that made him seethe. He ground his teeth, breathing through them like a bull as he glared at them. His voice came out like the strike of a whip. “You did this!” he hissed, and a Cube deflected and struck its neighbor. “You’re responsible!” Another did the same.

On the bridge of the Enterprise, Riker and Laforge stared in awe at what was going on, while the distant sound of Luke’s voice carried on the channel. “I love her!” he declared with fury in his tone, and two more collided. “I love her more than anything!!!” Four more collided, exploding with incredible energies.

“She’s mine!” Seven heard, slumped against the wall in the citadel, crying at the rage and hate in his voice. “MINE!!!”

Five Cubes flew like leaves on a breeze and smashed through the fleet. “How dare you!!!” he bellowed like an angry god. “How dare you take her away from me!!!” The Borg fleet changed direction, and ran at the tiny X-Wing. “Just who the hell do you think you are?!!!”

“My God,” Riker said as he watched a Cube latch on to the X-Wing with a tractor beam for a second, only to see it fly off as if swatted by an enraged giant. “Can you believe this?”

“Had I lived a thousand years,” Laforge said, “I’d never imagine I’d see something like this.”

“Weapons?!” Luke hissed, and Cubes collided. “Technology?!” They crumpled against one another. “Shields?!” They exploded under impossible strains. “You think that makes you powerful?!!!” The eternal night of space turned to day as ships crashed and exploded, helpless before the unfettered might of the Dark side. “I’LL SHOW YOU WHAT POWER IS!!!”
--------------------------------------------------------------

[Sonnenburg]

(cont'd)



Seven cried silently, oblivious to everything in the universe but the sound of his voice. “...please...” she said, barely audible. “Please turn back...” Her voice was punctuated with grief and she wept bitterly. “Please turn back.” She forced her eyes open and took a deep breath, but a sob still slipped out. “I need you... don’t leave me... please turn back...”

“Commander, this is the Enterprise," Riker said. "The Borg ships have been destroyed.”

Seven swallowed, but it wasn't easy. "Luke...?"

She was answered by silence. "He's gone into hyperspace," Riker said grimly. “I’m sorry.” She turned and leaned face first into the wall, burying her face into her arm. Her shoulders shook with heavy sobs. "Commander?" Please turn back. "Commander, please respond."

Seven stepped back from the wall, doing her best to wipe away the tears and sweat. “Seven of Nine here, sir” she reported, her voice shaking just slightly, but filled with conviction. “Continuing to target, sir.” She unslung her phaser rifle, stepped into the fight, and blasted several drones. "Let's move!" she shouted. "There's still a long way to go, and we have lost too much to fail now! Move move move!" She led the way, Louis close behind and the rest of the Federation troopers joining up.

The building echoed with the sound of weapons and screaming as they continued another nineteen floors until they finally reached the level of the central nexus. They whipped around the corner only to find another group of drones in their way. Quickly they opened fire, blasting them as they charged down the corridor, their hearts pumping with excitement as they realized how close they finally were to their target. Drones would sometimes pop out to ambush them, but by now their reflexes had been honed so razor-sharp the Borg never got a shot off. They moved at a trot as they turned the last corner and entered the room, a drone army in close pursuit. A small group remained near the door to hold them off while the rest moved onward.

As the group rushed the last few meters Seven dropped her phaser rifle and balled up her hand into a fist. Almost leaping she pounced on the central nexus, swinging at it with her arm, her tubules extending and entering the device. Her body convulsed several times as she tried to steady herself on her feet, then her upper body jerked back and up to the right, once, twice, and as she turned the third time everything seemed to slow down and the citadel faded into an empty whiteness, the sound of battle gone.

Seven immediately started walking. At first the only sound was her footsteps, then a whispering. She began to see them all; drones, innumerable numbers of drones. They moved as one like some bizarre choreography, each whispering the same words together as they moved. They were in shades of black and white, while Seven herself stood out in brilliant color. Her steps didn’t even slow as she walked through them, and with each step they started to crack and fade away. As she walked the whispers became more distorted, confused, the invasive program spreading merely by her presence. Suddenly the drones parted before her and the Borg Queen appeared.

“Seven of Nine,” she said. “You have returned to us.”

"No," Seven said with controlled hostility. "I'm ending this; forever."

“No, don't you see?” the Queen said soothingly. “You’re part of us again. Embrace perfection.”

“There is nothing perfect about you or your Collective.”

“You need us, Seven of Nine,” she replied. “We can feel how much you hurt... we can take the pain away.”

“No,” Seven said, but there was a hint of uncertainty there.

“Join us,” the Queen said. “What waits for you out there without us? Don’t you see? He's gone... once again, you're alone in the dark.”

The seven-year old girl stood alone, face to face with the Borg Queen, and beyond her, the entirety of the Borg Collective. There was no one to protect her... even Luke was gone. The Borg closed in around her on every side, and Annika Hansen looked from gray face to gray face. And then her face twisted into a snarl, because that little girl had grown up, and she wasn't afraid, and she sure as hell didn't need anyone to protect her any more. “Fuck you,” she growled, “all of you.” And at that moment, the white universe exploded.
--------------------------------------------------------------

Taar was shocked as Thrawn started to convulse suddenly. He took a step back in surprise as the admiral started foaming slightly at the mouth, wondering what to do. And then he heard the words.

“General failure in Grid 19, Grid 20, Grid 21,” Thrawn rambled in a distant, strained tone. “Attempting to... re-establish interlink frequencies I127... All systems nearing total collapse. Engaging tertiary protocol. Protocol failure. Pro-“ He stopped speaking, but he sat in a daze.

He lied, Taar thought bitterly, standing outside the field now. He’s been lying the whole time, about everything. With hatred he grabbed Darth Whind’s lightsaber out of her hand and stormed up to Thrawn. The admiral’s eyes suddenly refocused, only to stare at him in horror as he brought the blade forward and stabbed him through the chest, straight up to the hilt. Thrawn let out an audible gasp of pain as he convulsed slightly. He looked up into Taar’s burning eyes, coughing weakly as he spoke.

“’Yet when this fiery web is spun,

Her watchmen shall descry from far

The young Republic like a sun

Rise from these crimson seas of war.’”

His red alien eyes glazed over, and his arms slumped. Without regret, Taar yanked the lightsaber back out and passed it over to Darth Whind as he stormed out.

She watched the door close and looked back at Thrawn, smirking. “Lucky for him he wasn't as wise as you were, admiral,” and she walked out of the office, leaving the body of the man who had rebuilt the Empire slumped in his chair without the slightest dignity.
--------------------------------------------------------------

On Earth, Jean-luc Picard suddenly seized and fell off his chair, a piercing pain stabbing through his brain. His mouth opened in a silent scream as he cradled his head in his hands. And then, just as quickly as it had come, it left him. After a brief bit of confusion he understood. “It’s over,” he said quietly. And then he smiled at the thought. “After all these years, it’s finally over.” He sat in his chair, closed his eyes, and shook his head. "Thank you, Annika," he whispered. "Thank you."
--------------------------------------------------------------

“Commander?” came the words through the comm as the emptiness faded back into the citadel. “Commander of Nine, respond.”

“Seven of Nine here,” she replied, taking several deep breaths, the fading adrenaline causing her to feel very fatigued. “Mission successful. The Borg have been... un-assimilated.”

“Great work, commander,” Riker said. “We’ll see you back on Deep Space 19. Enterprise out.”

“Excellent work, sir,” Louis said, patting her on the back. Beyond him she could see the cheering Federation troops as the Borg lay about on the floor without so much as a twitch. Seven said nothing, merely turning and stepping over the bodies on her way to the surface. Louis shook his head, “I’ll never understand ‘em,” he said, chewing on a toothpick.

“Women?” the trooper next to him asked.

Louis shook his head. “Officers.”
--------------------------------------------------------------

There was celebration on the bridge of the Enterprise. Reports were coming in of Borg ships floating adrift all throughout the quadrant. They'd make a few sensor sweeps on the way back to verify, but it looked like the longshot had delivered, that after all the struggling and death they'd managed to kill their mortal enemy. Riker, however, just dropped into his chair and watched the viewscreen. He didn't want to cast a pallor over the celebration, but he couldn't find it in himself to join in. They didn't know the price that was paid... and what the future might bring.

"You don't know the power of the Dark side," Luke's voice said in memory. And he'd been right, because Riker never would've dreamed he'd see this. "You may be left with something even more dangerous than the Borg."
--------------------------------------------------------------

Hours later, Seven, along with several other members of her squad, were beamed onto the transport pads of Deep Space 19. They filed out, but rather than heading for the local tavern to celebrate with her comrades, she turned to head for the dock where the Enterprise would be arriving very soon. As she continued her walk she saw a flash of gold.

“Oh, Miss Hansen,” Threepio said as she started to approach. “Thank goodness we found you.”

“Whatever it is can wait,” Seven said as she continued.

“I’m afraid it’s most urgent,” Threepio continued.

“I said later,” she snapped at him, and walked right past. She listened to R2-D2 beep as she continued.

“Artoo says he has a message for you from Master Luke.”

Seven stopped dead in her tracks, and slowly turned around. “What?” she said with disbelief.

“Artoo was given specific instructions to give this to you, should Master Luke fail to return,” Threepio said.

She stepped over to the small, squat droid. “Okay,” she said quietly. “Give it to me.” Artoo’s holoprojector started to shine, and sure enough, an image of Luke appeared right there in front of her. She could see the pain on his face.

"Hi, Annika," Luke said. "I was afraid this might happen... that you'd have to see me say goodbye like this. In case you're wondering, yes, I knew this might happen... that I'd have to make a choice. What you need to understand, Annika, is that there was no right choice. Even if I did nothing... even if I allowed them to take you away, I sill would have fallen." There was a visible lump in his throat, and Annika felt the tears forming. "Master Yoda was right... I'm selfish... I've let my love turn into terrible things. In time, I would have fallen anyway, because I could never forgive them for taking away someone I couldn't let go of. The problem wasn't in making that choice, Annika, it was in letting myself become so attached to you." He offered a pained smile. "That's why I know that I was wrong... destroying the Cube at the wormhole wasn't a mistake. It gave me a chance to know you, to love you... and I would trade my soul any day of the week to have what we shared."

"You're the strongest person I've ever met," Luke continued. "When you were in the Citadel, facing an enemy that had destroyed your life, you never backed down, you never showed fear. You pushed on, because you had to. I wish I could be as strong as you, Annika... to do what I know is right." He looked heartbroken. "But I'm not. I've done this terrible thing, but at least I have the comfort of knowing you're alive, and you're forever free of them. I know asking you to go on without me will be hard." He shook his head and she shook at the sight of him as his voice dropped to a whisper. "I know because it's something I can't do. But you're strong enough, Annika... I know you are. The future's not going to be easy; that's why I left it for you." He offered a pained smile. "Sometimes we need something we can hold. I hope it'll be enough for you. I love you, Annika... you've seen just how much I do."
--------------------------------------------------------------

“The results,” Picard said over the viewscreen, “were better than we'd hoped. There has been absolutely no evidence of any Borg activity at all, at least on a Collective basis."

"That's wonderful news," Leia said.

"Our sensor sweeps of Borg vessels indicates multiple individual life signs," Picard continued. "This indicates they're no longer connected, and also that they're finally free. Many are dead, unfortunately, but it looks like we can recover a fair number of former drones."

“That is fortunate,” Leia replied. “We mustn’t forget that despite what they Collective may have done they were all victims of the Borg, which I’m sure you can relate to.”

Picard laughed a little. “Very much so. It will take months, if not years to sort all this out. We’ll have to try to find some way to help them start over, to build a new life for themselves.” He shook his head. "Because if we've learned nothing, it's that with our support they can become better people."

"I agree," Leia said, but she seemed distracted.

“Is something wrong?” Picard asked.

Leia shook her head. “Just a nagging sensation. Maybe it’s the absence of the Borg. I have this strange feeling that something awful has happened.”

“Whatever it is,” Picard said, “I’m sure it pales by comparison to the joy of this day.”

“I agree,” Leia said with a smile. “I can’t imagine anything that can take away from this victory for us all.”
--------------------------------------------------------------

Seven materialized on the Enterprise transporter pad. Riker was there. "Leave us," he said, and the transporter chief did so. He stepped up to Seven as she walked off the pad. "Did you ever hear the prophecy?" Riker asked. Seven nodded. "'The child, champion and savior of all, will find no joy in victory, only tears.'" Riker took her by the shoulders. "But the last part is wrong... because you're not alone."

Seven's face trembled, and then all the emotion spilled out. She grabbed onto Riker and wept, deep sobs as if she could somehow force all the pain out of her body. He held her, not as a captain, but as a dear friend. "Why did he have to leave?" she lamented.

"You know why," Riker said quietly. “He had to protect you. First from the Borg... and then from himself.” Seven shook with grief, for how long she couldn't say, but he never stopped holding her. His presence gave her a comfort she sorely needed.

Finally Seven stopped and wiped her tears. "Thank you, Will," she said.

Riker nodded a little. "The Federation owes you both more than we could ever repay. You two have brought salvation to hundreds of billions of people. I'll make sure people know what happened-"

"No," Seven said. "No... Luke's- Luke's my hero. That's what he was doing. That was between him and me. Just... let people know that he was lost fighting the Borg. Let them know that he was a Jedi 'til the end. That's what I want, Will. Let them know the Luke that I knew."

"Luke's not dead-"

"Yes, he is," Seven said, and her lip trembled. "That wasn't him that left the battle, that's something... something terrible."

Riker nodded. "Our sensors indicate many of the Borg are dead, but some are alive as individuals. Our orders are to help them." He hesitated. "How do you feel about that?"

Seven looked away, wiping her eyes again and looked back. "Individuality is frightening... no one knows better than I what they've been through." She ground her teeth. "But I still hate them," she said. "And they're innocent... but I still can't help it. They took Luke away from me, so I hate them all. God help me, I'm no different than anyone else... I can't see past the implants."

"You've been through hell," Riker said. "What you feel's natural. Get some rest, then take a leave of absence until we resolve the Borg situation. Let yourself heal." He seemed uncertain if he should say it. "Because if you're right, then we've traded the Borg for the Sith, and we'll need you for that." He smiled at her. "Because you are our hero."
--------------------------------------------------------------

A crewman showed Darth Whind to the VIP suite, which General Taar had graciously provided her. She dismissed him quickly; there was work to do still. There would be time to enjoy the fruits of labor later, but for now she needed to act quickly. She'd worked far too hard to prod him into darkness to fail now. She sat down cross-legged on the floor, closed her eyes, and reached out with her mind.

There. There he was. Confused. Angry, spiteful, aching. He needed direction, he needed help, he needed someone to fill the hole inside.

Come, she said across the void of space. She felt his confusion at her words. Don't be afraid, she said. I've been waiting for you, and she smiled, my love.
--------------------------------------------------------------

The door slid open, and a single beam of light was shining into the room, framing the figure that stood within it. “Lights,” she said without enthusiasm. Seven leaned against the wall for a short while, reaching up and pulling her hair loose, letting it fall down around her shoulders again. After that she moved slowly through her quarters, tossing her shoes off into the corner without care. She was physically and emotionally drained at that moment, and needed to rest. Probably even sleep, although the thought of climbing into that bed just renewed her feelings of woe; not for anything sexual, but simply because it was something human... and humanity for her would forever be tied in with Luke. It’ll have to be removed, she thought; I don’t think I’ll ever be able to sleep on one again. She glanced at the bed in passing, and turned back to it. She reached over and plucked up the object, looking at it carefully.

Luke's lightsaber. So that's what he'd meant; it was something to hold, a piece of him. After a few seconds she noticed a piece of paper, folded up and stuck under the clip. She pulled it out and slowly opened it, and then, after she thought there were no more tears left, she started crying again.

The message was simply this: “Promise you won’t give up on me.”

Seven held the lightsaber close to her breast, the tears flowing freely now. “Never,” she said with a mixture of pain and hope. “I never will.” She picked up his cloak where he had left it, and folded it up very carefully. She placed it on the small window ledge, and rested the lightsaber on top of it. “You’ll need to come back for this,” she said as she looked at the stars. “Let it guide you back home.” She reached up and touched the glass with her fingertips, gazing into the depths of infinity. This time she knew what she was looking for.

[The End]

[consequences]

The only thing that I can think to say is that words completely fail me right now. Wow.

[rhoenix]

Well done, Sonnenberg. I look forward to seeing this placed in the Completed Fanfics forum, and re-reading it later on as well.

However, Sonnenberg, I hope you are aware that a story like this almost demands a sequel.

[ElPintoGrande]

My... God. B-E-A-utiful! What now? Is it 'Dawn of Forever' that comes next? Tell me! Tell me now!

[Sonnenburg]

The only thing that I can think to say is that words completely fail me right now. Wow.

Thanks. This has always been one of my favorite chapters of the series, and I'm glad it still holds up.

[Sonnenburg]

Well done, Sonnenberg. I look forward to seeing this placed in the Completed Fanfics forum, and re-reading it later on as well.

However, Sonnenberg, I hope you are aware that a story like this almost demands a sequel.

My... God. B-E-A-utiful! What now? Is it 'Dawn of Forever' that comes next? Tell me! Tell me now!

Thank you both very much. To answer your related points: the story continues in Against All Odds, Redux, which comes out starting Thursday. Seven of Nine versus Mara Jade in a war that has suddenly become very, very personal.

[LordShaithis]

Just checking in at the end to say good show as always. If you changed the "I'LL SHOW YOU WHAT POWER IS!" line, I was going to pitch a fit.

Anyway, more redux is good and all, but FINISH DAWN OF FOREVER ALREADY!!!

[Sonnenburg]

Thanks! And regarding DOF: there will be a new chapter tonight, and rest assured that we are now thoroughly back on the weekly schedule.

[Chris OFarrell]

I loved this chapter...and the new bits just work so damn perfectly...

[Arrow]

Excellent ending. And the Mara/Seven catfight sounds FUN!

[Crazedwraith]

An Excellant. Though obviously not the complete arc. Rather like ESB in fact...