The Gathering Storm - Part One

Posted on Mon Mar 9th, 2020 @ 2:29am by Captain Daniel "Karass" McKnight & Captain Javier Morales & Fleet Captain Racheal Yamaguchi & Commander Ken Noros & Lieutenant Commander Tressa Rikan & Commander Jiao Anderson-Smithson & Commander Zheng Jet & Zuko Omakan & Commodore Teyo Kemoke & Fleet Captain Torilla Yamaguchi & Fleet Captain Marie Yamaguchi & Commodore Siaxx "Bluemoon" Dvald-Vaxx MD
Edited on on Mon Mar 9th, 2020 @ 2:31am

Mission: Mission 60: Atlas Falls
Location: Neutral Space near the Federation and Cardassian Borders.
Timeline: 1500Hrs, Local Time - April 8th, 2392

It was now five minutes to arrival as Captain Marie Yamaguchi had her personnel already at battlestations, she was coming out of slipstream into what she was sure to be a warzone. She had planned accordingly and was taking no chances. "We will destroy them.."

"Aye.. That we will." Noros commented with a grin.

Much the same could be said about the Courageous. Torilla had every single one of her baby warbirds manned and ready to fly, as soon as she exited slipstream she would launch every single one of them. She smiled. "The Courageous was built to fight.." Yamaguchi said quietly.

"She'll get her chance.." Morales responded.

Meanwhile over on the bridge of the USS Tranquility. Tiressa Riken sat as the small human female waited patiently, her crew was alert and all stations were manned and ready for anything. "You think of anything we missed Number one?"

"Nope.. Well other then an old Egyptian blessing... I can't think of a thing." the Exec responded.

"How does that saying go again?" Riken inquired.

"May the Gods always stand between you and harm in all the empty places you must walk." the exec quoted.

"Fitting... Lets hope this goes well or it'll be a black matter for the King who led them to it." Riken then let out a soft sigh.

Meanwhile Daniel McKnight was sitting on the Exec's chair on the USS Dreamcrusher. "Well... we'll be arriving in several minutes." he paused. "The Akurians.... should be arriving at the same time as us... with a little luck.."

Zuko contacted Ryuukei, "Hey Ryuukei, those two battleships you have have the highest survivability of any ship in our task force, so if you don't mind can you place them at the front of the formation when we arrive."

Ryuukei nodded. "On it."

McKnight watched displayed the display before him. "Arrival in ten seconds..."

The slipstream aperture opened as the Federation, Akurian force of ships arrived, when suddenly the starfighters began emerging from the hanger bays of the USS Courageous like a swarm of angry bees. McKnight smiled as he knew that Torilla Yamaguchi wasn't wasting any time. "Borg Cube, distance... Half an AU away and closing.." he commented.

Over on the second Guardian class ship. Marie Yamaguchi smiled as she regarded the tactical display. "Mmm... well whats this?" she inquired as she noticed some old well new friends appearing on the display.

Several Cardassian ships were also closing with the Borg cube which looked a little weathered and beaten. "Captain, the cube is regenerating."

"I wonder why they would come here then regenerate.." Marie Yamaguchi said softly. "Anything on that distress call?"

"Its still bearing towards the Federation, its stronger this time..."

"As expected. Helm. stay in formation... and steady as she goes.."

Meanwhile over on the bridge of the Tranquility. "Helm, back us off... this is a heavyweight fight and we don't have the ordinance to participate." Riken explained.

Her conn officer nodded. "Dropping to one quarter impulse." the young human woman responded. "Beginning shield shift pattern one now." the young Andorian at tactical mentioned, it was designed to allow patients from other ships to be beamed aboard Tranquility with her shields still up but it also increased their risk considering the Borg were very good at beaming onto ships with their shields still up.

Back on Dreamcrushers bridge. "The Cardassian ships will beat us there by four minutes. ten seconds." came the voice of Rojas who was at tactical. "God, watch over my brothers and sisters this day..." McKnight said quietly, it was his usual war prayer and most people who knew him knew he always said a few words before going into battle.

Yamaguchi tapped the display before him. "Sir, the Cardassians are opening fire on the cube."

The Cardassian force did not fight stupidly, and as Zuko observed, they were using some new weapons. The 5 galor and 2 keldon class ship fired from very long range what appeared to be smaller versions of their old dreadnought missiles, and once they fired their payload, they then retreated, heading back to cardassian territory, leaving the borg cube to contend with 84 long range missiles.

"Well looks like the Cardassians have a few new toys," Zuko commented in a mildly surprised tone. "Have the battlegroup hold its position here, I want to see what this Borg cube does."

The cube waited before it opened up with a new type of shield along with a warhead system that seemed designed to shoot down massed amounts of ordinance.

Meanwhile on the cube. Rachael Yamaguchi slowly smiled. "Open fire and shoot down those warheads.." she paused. "Analyze their attack and prep a counter to it."

"Confirmed." one of the nearby drones responded as he went to work.

The cube shot down forty of the missiles while the rest impacted on the two sets of shields but two warheads made it through and impacted into the cube's hull.

Rachael then turned to the nearest drone. "Has the Federation force arrived yet?"

"Yes, my Queen. They have indeed arrived.." as she watched the display light up with a local star map with several Federation combadges, names and registry codes for the Federation ships. "Identify their flagship... Hail them."

"Yes my Queen." the drone responded.

Meanwhile on Dreamcrushers bridge. "Umm.. skipper. we're being hailed by the Borg."

McKnight raised an eyebrow. "This.. is new.."

Zuko asked. "Is it their usual greeting that we all know and love."

"No." Nettles responded. "The Borg Queen is addressing you skipper.. By name no less." she sounded shocked.

McKnight shook his head. "I don't get this skipper... the Borg pop up then broadcast a distress call and then want to talk to you by name. I don't like this."

Zuko was also deeply suspicious, so he commanded. "Alright, answer their hail, but be ready for a fight."

Ryuukei was also observing the situation, but he kept silent on the matter, as all four Akurian ships had their weapons trained onto the borg ship.

The screen changed to the interior of a Borg work space as a human female or human lookalike appeared on the screen. "Greetings Captain Zyko. I am the Borg..." she said first. "I have been severed from the Hive mind and I am myself once more... I come with a gift... a half million drones and this vessel."

McKnight paused before he spoke. "You addressed yourself as 'I'... Are you a Borg Queen.?"

"I am indeed. Yes." the female responded. "Do not be troubled Commander Daniel McKnight. I intend no hostility." the female responded.

Zuko was not sure how exactly to handle this situation but he knew deception was something that didn't really occur to the Borg, at least, not as far as they knew, so Zuko decided to be upfront. "So, what do you want?"

"I wish to speak with you.. face to face... Can that be arranged?" the Queen inquired.

McKnight regarded Zuko, confusion written on his face.

Zuko nodded apprehensively. "Yeah it can, but don't bring any drones." While he was conversing with the queen he used the newly fitted tachyon radio system to send a text message to Ryuukei, requesting his presence. If Zuko was to meet a Borg queen personally, he preferred to have a high level energy manipulator with him, just in case.

The Queen regarded him with a curious look. "I am sending coordinates." she spoke up a moment later.

Nettles nodded as she turned. "I have them."

Zuko stood up saying, "Alright, have her beam into the briefing room."

Ryuukei meanwhile entered the bridge without saying a word.

Nettles smiled as she went back to work. "Beaming her aboard.. now.... She is in the Briefing room."

McKnight regarded Zuko. "Want me along or should I mind the store?" he smiled. "I almost want to see this but... I have a feeling she wants something from us... and she wants it quite badly too.." he paused. "A Borg Queen does not compromise, she commands.."

Zuko looked at Mcknight. "No I would prefer you come". He then looked over at Selgae. "You might as well come too."