Shadows of the Night, Part XV

The Pyramid exited the realm of hyperspace, now without its Cube escort. They were no longer needed; the weapon had proven successful during the test, now was the time to put it to use. It continued at a leisurely pace through the void of space, the planet growing larger as it approached. It was a disturbing sight, this gentle gait. It moved like the distant clouds of the storm, sliding with an air of inevitability towards its target.

The locals put up a strong defense, fighting with a passion that was notable even to the conquerors of thousands of species. Their ships unleashed their full forces against the tetrahedron, intent on destroying it before it had any chance of harming their world; unfortunately the ship didn't seem to even notice their presence. Finally, at a distance it deemed satisfactory, it stopped, facing the planet. A transmission was broadcast, but not the standard words of the Borg, something different, something suggested by Anansi. Their message made plain, they then finished what they came to do.

A brilliant emerald green beam leaped from each corner of the base of the pyramid, meeting about ten kilometers in front of the tip. After a second or two a fourth beam lanced through the center of them and pierced the planet, ripping through layer after layer of rock, then exploding with such violence that the world burst into a shower of tiny fragments, and with it the hopes of its people. Most of the ships left before the debris hit; some chose to stay and die with their world. The pyramid, its job done, turned and left, returning to hyperspace to wait for the motions to continue, having already left their scar on this portion of space.

In a completely different galaxy the USS Enterprise, flagship of the Federation and their most experienced ship against the Borg, emerged out of hyperspace. A single Cube roamed this section of space, not dissimilar from the one that nearly conquered the Federation single-handedly, nor the one that had captured and assimilated another Enterprise in their previous battle, right out from under the nose of this crew. The Federation didn't believe in revenge, but there was a certain satisfaction in knowing the Borg would pay for what they'd done.

Behind the Enterprise were the other ships of the fleet, a collection of large Sovereigns and tiny Defiants, the warships of the Federation. Their engines at full, they quickly closed the distance between themselves and the twenty-eight cubic kilometer beast that had changed course to intercept them. Outnumbered twenty to one, and its still coming, Captain Will Riker thought as it continued to grow on the screen. So why am I the one who's nervous?

"Break formation and attack," he ordered the fleet. The ships split off to the left and right while the Enterprise remained on its steady, straight course towards the center of the Cube. The Defiants sped ahead, using their maneuverability to strafe the left and upper sides of the Cube with torpedoes and pulsed-phaser blasts. The phasers failed to penetrate the Borg shields, but where the quantums hit plumes of vaporized material leaped into space with the light green color that seemed to characterize the Borg. A group of Sovereigns turned the full force of their main phaser arrays on the right side, after a few seconds managing to cause a minor amount of surface damage, but unfortunately nothing very substantial. A beam shone from the side of the Cube and connected with one of the Sovereigns, tearing through its saucer section as it tried to maneuver away, finally managing to avoid destruction at the hands of the Borg, although Riker could actually see venting atmosphere from the tear in her hull before the shields finally sealed off the rupture. So far the Federation wasn't making much of a dent in the Cube.

"What's our status?" Riker asked as the Cube completely filled the viewer.

Laforge looked at the displays. "Fully charged. Approaching optimal firing range."

Riker stood up and stepped a little closer towards the viewer, trying his best to project confidence for his crew. "On my mark," he said.

Laforge kept his eyes glued to his display. "Range in three, two, one..."

Riker stood straight, towering in the center of the bridge. Now or never. "Fire," he said, his voice full of purpose.

From underneath the saucer section of the Enterprise a large red beam lanced through space, striking the Borg Cube dead center. The hull of the ship seemed to melt away in a circle as the beam chomped through layer after layer, widening over several seconds, until....

"My God," Laforge said, "Is that the other side of the ship?"

"Yes sir," Lt. Lightner said from tactical. "I'm reading destruction approximately one hundred fifty meters wide clear through the ship."

Riker's eyes widened in surprise. "I'm sure that got their attention. Quantum Torpedoes, full spread. Recharge the main cannon."

The white streaks burst from the torpedo arrays through the ship, crisscrossing through space while the Enterprise pulled up and away from the Cube as it started to get a little too close. The tiny weapons hit, causing more damage along the front portion of the ship. If the Borg were concerned, they certainly didn't allow it to show as its weapons continued to seek out the swirling Federation ships.

"We've lost the Churchill," Borui said as a white flair appeared off to the side as the Enterprise prepared to make an attack run across the Cube. Unfortunately their main cannon took time to recharge since they'd fired it on full power, but it seemed that the Borg had already shown some sign of weakening. Maybe there's hope after all, Riker thought as the Enterprise' phasers and torpedoes pounded the top of the Cube as it swooped in, flanked by a group of Defiants who also took their shots.

"Keep an eye on the status of their shield grid," Laforge ordered. "If we can get some shots through past their shielding we'll have a chance of finishing this."

The Enterprise lurched with a series of explosions as the Borg's torpedoes struck her underside, causing the ship to drift suddenly to starboard, nearly hitting some of the Defiant ships that now scurried out of the way of the lumbering vessel. As the Enterprise continued to lull, a direct hit knocked one of the veering Defiants over on its axis, destabilizing its path and causing it to spin slowly across its path over the Cube. A series of four quick hits knocked the ship around again before finally penetrating its hull and detonating its warp core. The remaining ships broke formation for the moment as they pulled away from the Cube, twisting to avoid any hits by the Borg weapons that reached out to destroy them. The Enterprise now pushed its engines full and raced past the edge of the Cube.

"Take us off fifty kilometers and then bring us about for another attack," Riker ordered, refusing to dust himself off after getting back to his feet.

"We'll have a full charge in thirty seconds," Laforge informed him as the Enterprise raced through space. It pulled a tight loop and was once again streaking towards the Cube, its pitted surface showing that they were indeed making some progress. A quick set of phaser blasts managed to cause some minor damage as they pulled away from the Cube to avoid another blast from their weapons. A nearby Sovereign had no such luck as the blast severed the connection between its drive and its saucer, the two now drifting helplessly through space for a few seconds before both were caught in the grip of a Borg tractor beam, slowly pulled towards the ship to be consumed. "Charge in ten seconds," Geordi said.

"Ten klicks, then take us about," Riker ordered. "Stand by to fire." The Enterprise again bore down on the enemy ship, lining up to try again at ending this battle. Riker's eyes were firmly set on the ship, but he remained focused nonetheless. "Fire!" he ordered, and again the red blast ripped from the Galaxy-class starship and into the Borg Cube.

"They've adapted," Seven remarked as they saw the crater appear on the surface of the Cube. It hadn't been neutralized, but it was far less devastating than the first blast.

"The destruction has spread through a radius of four hundred meters," Lightner reported.

The ship shuddered under a severe blow, blowing out two of the consoles. "Direct hit," Lightner called over the noise, "Deck 20!"

"All weapons!" Riker ordered as he tried to get back to his chair as the ship shuddered a second time. Phasers and torpedoes struck the Cube again and again as the Enterprise pulled away. As they twisted off from the Cube Riker pulled himself into his chair and straightened his uniform front. "All ships, form up," he ordered. Immediately the remaining Defiants and Sovereigns came and surrounded the Enteprise. Only seventeen ships now remained from the original fleet. "Course 121 mark 3" Riker ordered, and the ships came about to once again attack the Cube. The mob of vessels closed the distance quickly, several shuddering under the impact of Borg weapons as they approached. A volley of weapons fire filled the sky, ripping into the now strained shields of the Borg Cube and tearing it apart as they dug deeper and deeper into the superstructure. As the ships pulled away the perfect Cube was now a deformed wreck, but it continued its fight.

"Their shields are failing along this grid," Seven remarked from Science Station 1. "A sustained burst should disable their defenses temporarily."

"Lock onto my target," Riker ordered the fleet, and again the vessels pounded on the Cube with phasers and torpedoes, warping and ripping the Cube, then finally pulling away from the ship. Except for one vessel which continued despite Borg fire, closer and closer, until finally another beam leapt from beneath its saucer section and slammed into the Cube, spearing it with its destructive energy. There were a series of arcs as distribution nodes visibly failed, and the Cube came apart, shattering into pieces. A collective cheer went up from the bridge crew of the Enterprise, as most likely was happening on the other ships in the fleet. Their first clear victory during this war, and no one was more pleased than Riker, who nevertheless sat stoically in his captain's chair. "Destroy the remaining active portions of the ship," he ordered when the celebration had died down; he knew that even in this state the Borg could be dangerous and had to be neutralized. "Our status Mr. Lightner?"

Lt. Lightner looked over the instruments. "Sections 13 through 19 on Deck 20 have been damaged sir. Damage Control teams have already responded, but it's going to take a little time."

Riker nodded and faced the viewscreen. "As soon as we finish mopping up we'll rendezvous at Starbase 1179." And minutes later, as soon as the once deadly Cube had been turned to vapor, the remaining ships in the fleet returned to hyperspace, their joy tempered by the losses they had incurred that day. Little more than half the ships to arrive were leaving; and even this single ray of hope couldn't make them forget that a long road awaited them if they were to win this war.

The heat of battle now finally dissipating, Borui walked through the halls of the Enterprise towards her quarters. The reactions of the crew she felt weren't too surprising: elation from most, sorrow for those who had lost someone during the battle, some feelings of apathy or concern here or there. She paid it little attention; it was just part of the background noise on a starship, the emotions of so many people in one place. But as she walked, one was starting to stand out, and it was becoming more and more distinct as she continued. She tried her best to ignore it, she knew she shouldn't be snooping around in the minds of others, but after a while she felt compelled, if only to satisfy her curiosity. She pushed the chime on the door of the room where the mind was; such a strange sensation she thought, as the mind became aware of her and the door opened. "Mr. Skywalker," she said as Luke stood up off a small mat he had been crouching on. He was anxious, and she could see signs of perspiration; his breathing was slightly labored.

"Commander," he replied, "Can I help you?"

"Sorry for the intrusion," she replied with a measured amount of sweetness and concern. "I'm an empath, and I noticed you seemed a little... strained."

Luke gestured towards a sofa and she sat as he did the same. "I was just looking into the mind of the Borg," he said as he tried to relax, and failed. "I was hoping maybe during the battle, at this proximity, I could get a better glimpse at what's going on in that collective brain of theirs."

"Anything?" she asked as gently as possible. Even if she weren't an empath she could feel his tension.

He shook his head. "There's just too much going on at once, like trying to listen to a million conversations at once, it's just meaningless."

Borui felt the presence at the door before the chime rang. "Come in, Seven," Luke said before the sound had even stopped. Seven stepped into the room, a slow gait as she took in Luke and Borui in the living area of his quarters. "Counselor," she said in acknowledgment to Borui, but she could feel her distrust, even more so than usual. She focused her attention on Luke, remaining standing as she spoke. "Did you learn anything of importance during the battle?" she asked evenly.

Luke sighed a little. "Sorry. There wasn't anything of any use in what I saw."

"I see," Seven replied. "I would like to learn of anything you might encounter; with my prior Borg history, perhaps it could explain recent bizarre behaviors within the Collective."

"Or other things," Borui commented. "Like at Wormhole Station, when those two Cubes collided. I don't think we ever did figure out what caused that." She had been focusing her attention on Seven, observing how she reacted to the memory of that experience; hoping that in light of the discussion with Tuvok, there would be something noticeable.

But what surprised Borui wasn't Seven's reaction, although she did seem apprehensive about the subject. The surprise was Luke; he began showing overwhelming feelings of self-consciousness and shame. "Something wrong, Mr. Skywalker?" she asked, but he said nothing, just looking away from the two. Borui turned away, but sometimes thoughts are so loud they cannot help but be heard, and this one was so shocking she unintentionally said it aloud. "You were responsible for that?"

This was not a good day for Seven. Having to come face to face with the Borg again unnerved her, she'd had to endure more of Dr. Crusher's pointless tests, and she came in here, only to see Luke sitting down and talking with Borui. It was perfectly innocent of course... it had to be perfectly innocent. She felt that paradox of emotion again. She was angry at him for no reason, and she was angry at herself for being angry; all in all, she was just really confused.

And then Borui said those words, and all of that fell aside for the moment. "Explain," Seven asked Luke. He still didn't look at them, saying nothing.

"Seven," Borui said, "we should probably talk to the captain." Borui tried taking her arm to lead her off, but Seven yanked it away.

"You destroyed the Borg ship?" she asked again.

"I- I don't want to talk about it," Luke said finally.

Seven didn't know what to think. He'd saved her, she knew that much. And yet, he was able to do that... he had more power than the Borg did. It should have been comforting, but all it did was frighten her. "How was that possible?" Seven asked, trying not to let her fear show.

"I was just... just trying to help us escape," he finally stammered.

Seven's defense mechanisms kicked in. Logic; examine the situation and understand it... perhaps then you can control it. "If you could do that, why didn't you save the fleet from destruction?"

Luke looked at her for just a moment, and then his gaze fell downward. "Look, it's complicated."

"Small comfort," Seven remarked, and immediately she cursed herself. Her emotions were so conflicted she'd lashed out at him, and he hadn't done anything except spare her from a fate worse than death. She would have given anything to be able to take the words back, but she couldn't, and the controlled, gentle man was suddenly on his feet.

"You don't know anything!" he shouted at her. His anger and exasperation burst to the surface as he continued. "You can't understand what it's like. That came at the cost of a piece of my soul!" And then he turned away, clearly embarrassed at his own outburst.

Seven looked at him, and it was so hard not to reach out for him. Well, Seven, she thought, you've finally done it. You've shoved him away. Congratulations, you'll never have to worry about getting too close to him again, not after that. "I'm sorry," she said, and never meant the words more, but she didn't know what else to say, so she turned and walked out.

"Mind telling me what that was all about?" Borui demanded, catching up with her.

"I mind," Seven said sharply as she entered the turbolift. "Deck 20."

"Seven," Borui insisted, "he saved your life, you know that?"

Seven stared straight ahead. "I'm aware of that fact counselor."

"Well you've got a strange way of showing gratitude," Borui remarked. "Couldn't you see he was uncomfortable with the subject?"

"More than likely he's embarrassed for not having done it sooner during the battle and saving the station," Seven replied, resorting to cold Borg logic as a means of momentary escape. The doors opened and Seven moved to exit the turbolift but Borui blocked the path with her arm.

"You know, you don't need to be an empath to try to understand what someone feels," she said.

Seven stared hard at her. Borui was concerned for him; she probably wanted him too. Seven truly despised her. "Is there anything more?" she said with her usual neutral tone. "I have duties." Borui raised her arm and Seven left, throwing herself into her work.

Go To Part XVI
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