Setisar VI (Part 2 of 2)

Posted on 18 Oct 2013 @ 8:11pm by Rear Admiral Lirha Saalm & Commander Scarlet Blake & Lieutenant Commander Dea Mialin & Lieutenant Theron Rhodes & Commander Allyndra illm Warraquim & Lieutenant Commander Amynta Markos & Lieutenant Asahi Kita & Commander Norvi Stace & Ensign S'Ranna T'Srrr'Kharh & Ensign Im'er Mor'an & Lieutenant JG Jacrux & Ensign Natalie Chevalier & Legatus of Borg & Vincent Kramer Ph.D. & Senior Chief Petty Officer Keval zh'Erinov
Edited on on 18 Oct 2013 @ 8:12pm

2,524 words; about a 13 minute read

Mission: Episode 04 - Exodus
Location: USS Galileo - Main Bridge, Various
Timeline: MD 06 - 0940 hrs

Previously, on Setisar VI (Part 1)...

The figure stepped forward and closer to Dea in order to inspect the Trill woman. Her head craned around the bridge to attempt to gauge the intentions of the crew, and a series of what appeared to be various mechanical implants could be seen running from the base of her skull down beneath her strange garments. The technology did not look Borg...instead, it appeared far less crude and much more advanced.

"We are the people of Le'kt, from the second moon of the yellow star. This nebula is ours by claim. As well as the planets within it." she responded in the same soft and deliberate voice. "One of your ships entered the cloud a week ago. And now your ship also entered. Why?"

And Now, the Conclusion...

[ON]

"The USS Venture..." Dea paused as the creatures comment made more sense but there were still a lot of holes. "We came in search of our missing ship. To see if we could find them and assistance." Her tone grew more somber. "They were destroyed then we encountered the Borg and they brought us here. It was not out intention to come here in the first place. We were forced to comply. Many lives were lost in the process."

The alien woman did not miss a beat, but delayed for a long moment to ponder the Trill's response. The mechanical implant on the back of her neck began to softly glow with a blue hue while her mind worked. "Explain. Why did your Venture come here? Starfleet...a military organization of the United Federation of Planets. State your intentions. Invasion?"

"Invasion no, absolutely not. Starfleet may be military but we are explorers and scientists. Those are the ideals the organization was founded on. We were on a scientific mission and Venture was assisting us with that objective. As I said before our mission is a peaceful one."

"Peaceful." came the calm, emotionless reply. It was hard to detect the cynicism in her voice. "You say you are explorers. We were once explorers. We traveled the stars to the North in search of new life and new worlds." she paused and took a step back. "Instead, we discovered the Borg. Our homeworld is now gone after the war. We do not explore anymore."

"The Borg are our enemy as well but they usually let us be. Not this time, they destroyed our other ship. Tried to do the same to Galileo but didn't succeed. Then they forced us here. While we like to seek out new worlds and new life we don't like to interfere with those that want to be left alone. However in this case we had no idea anything or anyone was here."

The bald alien turned to look towards Legatus who was still displayed on the viewscreen in all of his assimilated glory. She clasped her hands together at her belly, then turned back towards Dea. "We control the Borg in this cloud. They were once our enemies as well. Now they serve and protect us. You were brought here under our instruction. We wanted to know more about you and your kind."

"Well that we can agree on. We are willing and want to learn more about you as well. That is Galileo's primary mission. It intrigues me that you say once they were your enemy. Any encounter we've had with the Borg has turned hostile and cost us greatly. Most end up like the Venture, however this one is different. The fact that you say you control the Borg in this cloud is unique. As is the fact we weren't destroyed a few days ago."

Keval looked at the screen a look of intrigue, concern, curiosity and a bit of fear washing over his face. Anyone that could control the Borg, stop them, was either a dangerous enemy or a powerful friend. Which one of these the aliens were remained to be seen. He had 1,000 questions racing through his mind, but it was not his place to ask them.

Amynta's hand turned into a fist and she looked down. Them controlling the Borg hadn't stopped the Borg from acting like Borg. Meaning that in her mind, they were as bad as the Borg themselves.

Asahi wasn't exactly thrilled with this concept. He frowned, rather uncertain as to how to take it. All he knew was that if they were going to be controlling Borg, then they may not exactly have been friendly...

Technology that could control the Borg? Jac did not know this existed. Anything he had seen could barely slow or destroy a Borg infestation, but something to defeat the Borg and bring that mighty weapon hive-mind under their control? The possibility they could escape this situation was looking increasingly more likely.

"Unique. No." came the alien hologram's reply. "Necessity. The result of war." she tightened the grip on her own hands at her stomach, the only sign of emotion she had shown thus far. "We did not want you to experience death as your other ship did." she turned and looked back at Legatus then continued speaking in methodical broken sentences. "He speaks for you. He gives us knowledge of you. He is the reason you are alive. Your representative."

"Before he was Legatus he was a critical member of this crew," Dea attempted to keep emotion out of the equation but it was hard. "Yes there has been too much death. We have all suffered too much. Thank you for saving us from the alternative." After recent events emotions were still raw. The fact that she and Blake were standing there instead of Saalm and Holliday.

"Your gratitude is not required. Only your understanding." she replied, then stepped back and let her pale hands drop to her sides. "We have spoken enough. For now." the creature paused and the implant on the back of her neck began to pulse again. "We will now meet you in the flesh and determine your fate. You have one cycle to prepare before coming to the surface. Choose ten representatives." Her black eyes glanced around the bridge one last time, then her holographic figure began to shimmer and quickly dematerialized within a matter of seconds.

Dea stood there stunned. Letting her attention shift to Blake after the hologram had disappeared. It had been a rather revealing conversation but she still had not clue what fate awaited them one the away team went to the surface.

Rhodes spun around quickly before the transmission had ceased. He wanted to try to put a trace on the holographic signal, but it dissipated before any lock could be established.


Sickbay

Allyndra along with some of the staff again found themselves standing in front of the large view screen set up. The alien that arrived seemed both aloof and remote and she was sure there was a collective gasp as the alien announced that they controlled the Borg.

Powerful and isolationist, it was not unlike her own people. Deep in her inner being though Allyndra did not trust all that had been said. Isolationist with what she perceived as paranoia though was not a good mix. It these beings had used the Borg to destroy the Venture and left wounded and dying. They had attacked this ship through the Borg ruthlessly and had allowed the Borg to assimilate several members. Everything bespoke paranoia and hostility even though temporarily they had been spared. In her hearts, Allyndra could not see that a people that isolationist would ever allow them to leave for no matter the assurances; the fact they had been discovered and the fact they had the ability to control Borg would then let what humans called the genie out of the bottle. For all their faults and reasoning, Allyndra knew that in a set of heartbeats that old terrible weapons of the past would be brought to bear to protect a secret.

Allyndra no longer felt much like a healer as thoughts of anything but crept into her mind. These people she worked and lived with, even though aliens where now her true Guilds people and that meant protecting them at all costs.


Bridge

From the screen, the drone which had remained silent whilst it's apparent master has spoken then took control of the situation once again, no doubt the collective voices in it's head issuing the same orders it had been issuing up until now.

"Federation starship. Now that you have been educated, you will stand down your weapons and shields and prepare your representatives. Comply."

"Stand down," Scarlet confirmed with a nod towards tactical. "Cover key areas with your team," she added though, arching an eyebrow to Rhodes. Just because weapons were down, didn't mean they couldn't keep Security postings across the ships to keep it secure.

Rhodes let out a sigh of frustration. The shields were lowered. He felt very vulnerable at that moment. Even the metal sword at his side did not comfort him.

Moving across the Bridge, Scarlet rubbed the back of her head with a frown. Letting Dea do the talking had meant she could keep her own cards close to her chest for now. This new player might look and sound more palatable than the Borg, but they had been willing to see them killed and go through the trauma of assimilation. To Scarlet, this was still a threat of a new race, articulate or not. "I'll lead the Away Team, Mialin, you'll have the Bridge. Rhodes, you'll be with me, and bring Rice too," she paused to think, cricking her head to the side with a frown. Given the technology involved here, they would need someone with more insight. "Mor'an, Stace and Chevalier, you're also with me, and get a call through to Fahad. Warraquim, Carlisle and Crawley, I want them on the team too."

Dea was uncomfortable with the situation to begin with. However the knot in her stomach grew when she hear Blake call out the away team members. Sending most of the Senior staff to the surface including their acting CO bothered her but orders were orders. If these aliens were hiding something then part of her wondered how they'd approach the situation. Dea quickly set that thought aside as she nodded to Blake, "Aye Ma'am."

Rhodes turned to and asked Cmdr. Blake, "Standard weapons Ma'am? or would you like me to prepare some special tactical advantages?"

"Whatever you think necessary," Blake nodded lightly to him. "Just remember we don't make any moves unless they do."

"Weapons?" Nat muttered to herself. She'd thought that joining the Planetary Sciences Division might mean escape from the bizarre obsession of some Starfleet types with brandishing their surrogate metal penises at every new civilization they stumbled across: evidently not. "We come in the spirit of peaceful exploration, oh and by the way here's my phaser..."

Stace's stomach tightened as the thought of accompanying the away team to deal with the Borg again dawned on her. This was the third time she, as Stace, had dealt with them, and any species that could control them seemed to illicit yet a further dread. Her solemn face said it all. "Aye, sir," she said as she stood, secured her console and waited by the Astrometics MSD for the others.

Nat kept the rest of her invective to herself, though, nodding to Blake and joining Stace to assemble the scientific resources. It was her first Away mission she realized, and it could not have been to a more fascinating planet. It didn't look like there would be much to add to the arboretum, but maybe she would find some algae or simple plant life down there. "I'll take some sample vials down in case we run across anything interesting," she said brightly, her enthusiasm rather at odds with the prevailing sombre mood.

Jac stood and spoke up. "Sir, I request permission to join the away team. I can fight, unlike many of the other members of the crew," he said without any thought to what the others in his department would think. It was a simple fact; he had survived the Borg attack, not out of luck, but through skill. On a less bloodthirsty note, Jac would kill to be there on first physical contact with an alien civilization. The stories they could tell...

"While your confidence in your abilities is reassuring, your lack of confidence in your crewmates' is not," Scarlet replied lightly, casting him a look. "I want you here. We still need to look out for the ship."

S'Ranna glanced around the Bridge to see who that actually left behind. Other than her and Lieutenant Mialin, it seemed as though the ship's entire officer corps was either incapacitated by the Borg, or beaming down to an unknown planet on a dangerous Away mission. She shivered and drew her hindpaws up in her lap, thrumming her tail lightly on the floor.

Mor'an heard her name called out as a member of the away team and her heart dropped. It wasn't that she was afraid of beaming down onto an unknown planet. In fact, she relished the chance to explore a new environment. No, she was afraid of giving the Borg a chance to obtain her abilities should they assimilate her. She knew that no amount of mental acuity would protect her from the nanoprobes once they entered her bloodstream.

Keval looked over from his Operations Console. Part of him knew that he wasn't close to 100%. He still got dizzy if he moved too fast or when he first got up, It would be safer for him on the ship and he knew he could be used there. But part of him. the part that made him an Andorian, knew that even at less than 100% he was still a match for most humanoids, even their Borg Clone counterparts.

"Ma'am I would be glad to join the Away Team too."

"Thank you. Same for you though, Keval, I need people up here too," Scarlet not his way, acknowledging the offer. "Let's get moving."

[OFF]

--

Unnamed Alien Woman
Le'kt Leader
NPC'd by Lirha Saalm

Legatus Of Borg
Borg Representative
Borg Collective
NPC'd by John Holliday

LT Dea Mialin
Chief Flight Control Officer
USS Galileo

Ensign S'Ranna T'Srrr'Kharh
Flight Control Officer
USS Galileo

Lieutenant Allyndra illm Warraquim
CMO
USS Gallileo

Lieutenant Theron Rhodes
Chief Security/Tactical Officer
USS Gallileo

Lt. Commander Scarlet Blake
Chief Counsellor/2XO (Acting CO)
USS Galileo

Lt. Jr. Grade Asahi Kita
Engineering Officer
USS Galileo

Ensign Im'er Mor'an
Operations Officer
USS Galileo

Junior Grade Lieutenant Norvi Stace
Chief Research Officer
USS Galileo

Ensign Natalie Chevalier
Ecologist
USS Galileo

Keval Grayson PO 1st class
Operations
USS Galileo
NPC'd by Jared Nicholas

Ensign Jacrux
Anthropologist
USS Galileo

Lt. Amynta Markos
Chief Intelligence Officer
USS Galileo

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