Storytime with April - Part Four

Posted on Fri Feb 28th, 2025 @ 6:34pm by Franklin Armstrong & Grand Admiral April Yamaguchi

Mission: Mission 120: All Along the Watchtowers - Part Two
Location: Various Locations - Canmore, Earth
Timeline: 1915Hrs - February 3rd, 2394

April paused. "The night before the battle. The minutes rolled by slowly. I think we all knew that something was going to shake loose the following morning and that what was coming would be remembered. Maybe we could make peace with this foe. I called Mom up after I realized what she had been trying to tell me." April paused. "What I didn't realize at the time and wouldn't for many years later. Just what she was trying to tell me. She told me what I'm telling you. Some foes are just so far beyond us. That we are as ants to them as ants are to us."

Franklin nodded before taking the opportunity to enter the chat. "They are giants in the playground. We are but mice. Weak. Impotent. Helpless. The Borg are one such foe that we learned to contend with over the coming years." he nodded to his spouse, indicating that the floor was back to her. April smiled at her husband in response. "So the Borg were seen on long-range sensors. The USS Righteous was travelling with them, about a minute or so ahead. She arrived on time at about oh eight hundred hours. The second of January. New Year had been spent preparing for battle. Members of the crew were wishing each other good luck and goodbye should the worst happen. People were scared. The fear had taken hold of every single person aboard the Yellowstone... But it was Captain Lasky who turned it around. He was able to lift everyone's spirits. He had traded in his uniform for civilian clothing, along with a hat so he would not be recognized easily. He decided he would tour the ship and see how his crew were doing. He went around and silently watched everyone preparing for battle. Knowing it could be our last." she slowly smiled. "It was an old tradition. A Captain touring his ship before a battle," she explained. "The British did it before every major battle since the days of Trafalgar. So did everyone else. A captain wanted his crew at their best and he would try to see to it that they had their spirits lifted. Especially when the crew saw the skipper as one of them, willing to help out and pitch in, as many so often did."

Franklin regarded his spouse. He knew she would have nightmares tonight, as she often did around specific times of the year, because of what happened at Wolf Three Five Nine. Her losses there and the fact that she had survived when she really shouldn't have done.

April proceeded with the tale. "The Borg arrived a few minutes before oh eight hundred. We were all at battle stations. All hands, across all ships in the entire fleet. We were all ready for it... Then the battle started... The first in the fray was the U.S.S. Roma. She didn't get off a single shot from her phasers before she had the front half of her saucer disintegrated from the Borg's cutting beam." she paused. "The Saratoga flew in, letting loose with her main phasers before she was snared by the Borg with their tractor beam. They proceeded to drain her shields while the U.S.S. Bellerophon and the U.S.S. Yamaguchi tried in vain to save their comrade. Once Saratoga's shields were deleted. The Borg hit her with a high-powered disruptor blast which crippled her. Then they turned their attention to Yamaguchi and Bellerophon respectively. Swatting one aside like she was nothing... An Ambassador class heavy cruiser, slowly tumbled, out of control and on fire... The Borg simply ignored her after that." she paused. "They then did the same to the Bellerophon. They snared her too, before amputating her weapons pod and starboard nacelle." she paused. "You have to understand that not even ten minutes had passed. While all of this was going on. Other ships came in, only to meet the same fate. Snared or slapped asside. The Borg was methodical. Damaging only enough to complete the task they had set for themselves." April's voice had taken on a dull monotone as she remembered that fateful day. She hated these memories but they were a part of her.

Brayden had never seen his mother like this. But in his eighteen months of life, he had never seen her sad, depressed or angry. So he had no idea what to make of this. But he opted to not interrupt her.

"The battle was over in less than an hour with all forty starships being destroyed or lost in action on that particular day. We would be able to recover one of them. The U.S.S Ahwahnee. The other ship that survived was the USS Endeavour. She had her tactical pod amputated but she was still able to help others. Captain Amasav and his crew saved many thousands that day."