ST: Pandora "Pandora's Light", Pt II

Eric

chemkarate

ST: Pandora "Pandora's Light", Pt II

June 04 2010
Last time on Star Trek: Pandora...

The Pandora was ordered to Zarath III by Commander Wildman to rescue the crew of the USS Cosmos. The colony there had reported that the Cosmos went down following a battle with a Klingon Raptor. Upon arriving at the planet, the Pandora was attacked by such a ship, but successfully sent it into a cloaked retreat. Oren-De and Maggie went down to the colony to continue the security and science assessment that the Cosmos had been conducting, while Talona and Red led survey and rescue teams to investigate the wreckage of the Cosmos. Maggie found that the colony had discovered an ore capable of blocking sensor seeps and communication transmission.

Red, Talona, and their teams were attacked at the wreckage site by phaser-wielding assailants. War'en, in command of Pandora in Oren-De's absence, hailed the colony to investigate and try to get help for the away teams since they mysteriously could not be transported out. Instead, the colony's chief administrator, a Mr. Margulis, revealed that he himself was behind the attack and that he was holding Oren-De and Maggie captive. He also revealed that he was a member of the Gnostics, a group that previously had professed to worship a group they called 'the Nephilim'. When War'en threatened use of force to save the away teams, Margulis only replied that the Nephilim were coming for them and that resistance would be futile. At that moment, two Klingon Birds of Prey, augmented heavily with Borg technology, decloaked near Zarath III.

... and now, the conclusion.
Edited June 23 2010 by chemkarate
Eric

chemkarate

Re:ST: Pandora "Pandora's Light", Pt II

June 04 2010

"Go to red alert! Mr. Lacera, take us out of orbit and begin evasive maneuvers. Mr. Shrel, target critical systems. The sooner we destroy those ships, the better," ordered War'en.

The Pandora quickly moved out of orbit of Zarath III. No sooner had it done so than the Birds of Prey began firing at her. The Pandora's shields lit up under the heavy barrage of plasma and disruptor fire.

"Ops, report!"

"Sir, fore shields are down to 50%! Their weapons have been heavily modified beyond what a Bird of Prey is normally capable of!"

"All power to forward shields and commence Attack Pattern Alpha-3. Sadda to T'Vex."

"Yes, sir?" came a stoic Vulcan female voice.

"I want those cannon power improvements implemented now. We're going to need them."

"Sir, I don't need to remind you that it would be unsafe to use them prior to a combat test."

"No, you don't need to, and my orders stand. I want it done now!"

"Yes... sir."

Pandora flew straight toward one of the Birds of Prey, firing all of its fore energy weapons in one concentrated assault. As it reached the Bird of Prey, the ship made a sharp turn toward port, letting loose a second energy barrage followed by a volley of quantum torpedoes. On the bridge, Shrel frowned as he reported. "Their shields were severely weakened, but not enough. The torpedoes just caused glancing damage to the hull."

"Take us around for another pass. Hopefully our improved weapons will bring them down this time."

The ship suddenly shook as the Pandora suffered another round of attacks, this time to her rear. The crew of the bridge stumbled and fell out of their chairs as the inertial dampeners failed to compensate for the sudden bucking.

"Sir, aft shields are down!"

"Bring us around and keep our front shields facing them as much as possible!" War'en shouted as he regained his footing.

"Beams-ins detected! I'm detecting multiple Borg throughout the ship!" shouted Shrel, pulling out his own phaser in the process. War'en suddenly realized he hadn't issued an alert to the crew to prepare for possible boarding, and a pit formed in his stomach. A precious second was wasted as he recovered from realization before he issued a shipwide announcement.

"Borg boarding parties have been reported throughout the ship. Prepare for engagement with the Borg!"

As War'en finished issuing the announcement, green columns of light started shimmering around the bridge. The bridge crew, which had only the briefest of warnings, grabbed what they could and, once again, commenced a fire fight with a Borg invasion force.

Meanwhile, down on the surface of the planet within the confines of Cosmos' ruined saucer section, Talona was madly trying to escape from the grip of an unknown assailant. A hand was clamped over her mouth to prevent her from making much noise while she was being practically carried further into the dark remains of a crewman's quarters. As they passed deeper into the darkness, Talona managed to jam the heel of her boot hard on the foot of her captor. A male voice let out a loud curse, but continued to pull her inside.

"Will you quit squirming!? I'm trying to help you!"

Talona only responded with muffled protests and attempted the same attack again, but missed.

"Here, I'll prove it."

The man suddenly released Talona and pulled out a small light. Talona spun around to face her attacker and gasped to find she was looking at a Starfleet officer, dressed in a medic's blue and sporting the pips of a Commander. Talona first noticed he had pointy ears.

"You... you're Starfleet!? Why did you grab me like that?" Talona exclaimed.

The man looked annoyed, which Talona thought was odd. Despite her own Romulan heritage, she had immediately assumed the man was a Vulcan.

"Because I was trying to pull you in here out of their sight and to keep you from screaming when I did it. Now, we really need to get going, before they get down off that mountainside and find us."

"I'm not leaving my crewmates behind," Talona protested. The man gave her an even more frustrated look and then glanced at her pips.

"That's an order, Lieutenant. And trust me, if they catch you, you won't be able to help them. If you come with me though, we might stand a chance."

Talona frowned in hesitation. The mysterious officer was, of course, right that if she stayed she'd most likely just be captured as well. However, other than the fact the man was wearing a Starfleet uniform, she had no reason to trust him either.

"... fine. However, if you could at least tell me who you are, that would really help."

The man nodded and took off down the hallway, his light illuminating the way. Talona followed and, as they progressed through the wreckage, the man began speaking in a very hushed voice.

"I'm Commander Hikaro Tabashi, first officer on board the USS Cosmos." The man paused and looked around, his voice taking on a grim tone. "Or, used to be, at any rate."

"So you were able to escape the crash? We counted that 68 personnel were accounted for. Did they escape with you?"

Hikaro shook his head, which Talona now noticed in the very dim light sported a ponytail. "Ten of us, including myself, escaped. They were the conscious, walking wounded ones I found in the short time I had. I'm glad to hear that 68 people might have survived, though. Ah, here we are."

The pair stopped in the middle of a hallway. Hikaro pointed his light down at the floor, which had a large dark hole in it.

"Come on. This leads to a series of underground tunnels. I can get you to safety, but you have to be quiet. Our friends might be down there as well, and we need to be quiet to slip by."

Talona paused and looked at the hole, then nodded slowly. Hikaro climbed down into the hole and Talona followed close behind. As they disappeared under the ground, the ruined hallway of the Cosmos was plunged back into darkness.
Edited June 23 2010 by chemkarate
Eric

chemkarate

Re:ST: Pandora "Pandora's Light", Pt II

June 04 2010
The following tags have no closing tag: url


Shr">
el fired at the closest Borg drone, knocking it back against a wall of the bridge. The drone, like most of the ones on the bridge, clearly used to be Klingon. It was an odd sight to see, as the drones had lost most of the distinctive skin pigmentation of Klingons and had the usual dead Borg look in their eyes, as opposed to the ferocity of a warrior. Shrel thought little on this though as he silently turned and fired at another drone which had gotten dangerously close to War'en.

While the bridge crew fought the drones off with weapons, War'en was trying a different tactic to save the ship. He was typing on Engineering console like mad, counting on Shrel to provide him cover.

"Replicators, showers, non-essential lighting... come on, where can I get some more power. I wonder... Sadda to Shuttle Bay! Connect all of the shuttles into the ship's power grid and turn their engines on!"

"Sir, repeat that?"

"I said, plug the shuttles in and turn them on. Reroute their power into the main grid."

"Uh... yes, sir."

Shrel rolled back from a drone that was continuing to advance on him. As he remodulated his phaser, he noticed that at least two others had started advancing on War'en from behind again. He looked over at the ship's helmsman, who had just finished dispatching a drone of his own with the help of the crewman at Ops.

"Will! Cover War'en!"

Will looked over at War'en and nodded. He fired his phaser at the two drones, but they had already adapted. He turned to the Ops crewman. "Remodulate your phaser and shoot the closest one." As the ensign nodded and retuned her weapon, Will rushed the other drone. He pulled his compact katana out from his belt and pressed a button, causing it to immediately elongate into its full form. He grabbed the bridge railing between him and the drones, lept onto it, then used it springboard into the air. Will brought the tip of the blade down into the top of the Klingon drone's skull. The drone came to a stop, jerked a few times, then collapsed. The next drone suddenly fell to the ground as well, as the Ops ensign's phaser shot had scored a direct hit. Will removed the katana from the drone's head, causing an almost translucent blood to ooze out.

"That... was awesome," Will said as he looked down at the drones. War'en looked at him over his shoulder, then down at the drones on the floor with some surprise.

"... and disgusting," said the Chief Engineer as he looked at the strange Borg-augmented blood now pooling on the floor.

"Lacera, we still have some drones to worry about!" came Shrel's voice from the other side of the bridge.

Will sighed. "Man, I can't get a compliment to save my life around here. Fine, fine, I get it. Less talky, more blasty and slashy." With that, he pulled his phaser out and fired on another set of drones that had materialized on the bridge.

War'en turned back to his console and continued entering commands. "Alright... so I've got the power from the shuttles. Now to just reroute it from the main grid to the--"

The Pandora shook violently. Everyone on the bridge, both Starfleet and Borg, tumbled to the floor. War'en, through possibly sheer determination and stubbornness, got back up first and went back to operating the console. Shrel was up next and checked his tactical readout.

"We took a torpedo hit to the aft hull! We've lost 30% of our maneuverability. The computer can't fight this battle for us, sir. We need to get rid of these drones now if we're going to survive this."

War'en nodded and continued typing. "Just a little more... and... there! That should give us enough power. Computer, use all available auxiliary power to activate ESH squadrons throughout the ship, prioritizing by number of Borg lifesigns!"

Within seconds, groups of Emergency Security Holograms began appearing in various areas of the Pandora, including one group on the bridge. One of them looked directly at War'en.

"Please state the nature of the security emer--"

"THE BORG!" yelled War'en on shipwide broadcast.

With that, the shipwide firefight continued, this time with the help of an impressive number of holographic crew members. War'en looked over at his bridge crew.

"I've bought us some space, so get back to destroying those Birds of Prey."

"How the hell did you get the power to do that?" asked Will as he rushed back to his Helm controls.

"Well, let's just say that I hope none of you need to do things like eat hot food or take showers for a while. I had to reroute power from practically every non-essential system, which involved doing a hard shut-down of things like replicators and residential plumbing."

"Good thing I went before the fight," muttered the ensign at Science.

The Pandora, which was now trailing plasma out its backside, turned toward one of the Bird of Prey and began firing again. By now, the weapon improvements had been implemented by Engineering. The assault succeeded in taking down port shields of one of the ships. On War'en's command, a high yield torpedo volley struck the ship directly, causing catastrophic damage to the hull. Explosions began popping up throughout the ship.

"One Bird of Prey down, sir," reported Shrel. After a moment, he spoke again, this time with uncharacteristic alarm. "The second Bird of Prey is positioned directly behind us sir! Those shields are only at 10% and we've already sustained significant hull damage in that area!"

"Power to aft shields and fire all aft weapons!"

Pandora shook again as the remaining Bird of Prey fired its disruptor and plasma cannons, which succeeded in ripping through the ship's shields and striking the hull. The Ops console blew right in the face of its manning ensign, causing her to fall back and scream from the burns and cuts suffered to her face. A small explosion erupted from the ceiling of the bridge, causing material to rain down on the area near the port turbolift. War'en tried to ignore the pit that was forming in his stomach.

"Bring us around! Keep our backside away from that thing!"

"I can't, sir!" reported Will. "That last hit took out our impulse engines! I've got... some of the thrusters..."

"Shrel, fire everything we have. Keep it away from our back!"

The Pandor fired another set of beam weapons and a torpedo volley out from its rear. The Bird of Prey withstood the exchange.

"Their shields are weak, but not dow-- Sir! Raptor decloaking directly ahead!"

War'en's face lost all of its color as the Klingon Raptor picked that moment to decloak, directly ahead of and above the Pandora, already moving toward them. Shrel's voice was starting to take on a rather uncharacteristic alarm.

"Raptor is firing all cannons and torpedoes... AT THE BIRD OF PREY!?"

"WHAT!?" exclaimed half the bridge crew, including War'en.

Sure enough, a barrage of cannon fire lanced right through the Bird of Prey's weakened fore shields. A volley of torpedoes quickly followed, causing massive explosions throughout the ship.

"All power to aft shields! NOW!"

The Bird of Prey detonated near the Pandora, causing more rocking. When it subsided, Shrel looked back at his display.

"The ship is still intact sir, through we've suffered significant damage. There are also still a number of drones throughout the ship, but the ESHs seem to be working. The number of Borg lifesigns is steadily falling."

War'en nodded and looked over at Science. "Ensign Emerson, call for a medic to the Bridge and take care of Engisn Hu," he ordered as he motioned to the injured Ops officer. Emerson nodded and quickly moved over to her.

The ESH personnel turned to War'en. "Sir, the Borg have been removed from the Bridge." War'en looked around and saw that indeed all of the drones has been neutralized and were lying motionless on the floor.

"Good. Move to other decks that are reporting problems." The holograms acknowledged the order and hustled out of the Bridge.

"Sir, we are being hailed by the Klingon Raptor," reported Shrel, who was back to his normal calm self.

"On-screen."

The red-lit interior of a Klingon bridge appeared on the viewscreen, with its Klingon captain front and center. The Klingon laughed with a sneer as he looked at the bridge of the Pandora. War'en did his best to not show irritation at the insult.

"This is Lieutenant Commander War'en Sadda of the Federation starship Pandora. We are grateful for your assistance. However, I must admit I'm confused. Why have you helped us after firing on us before?"

The Klingon Captain laughed again. "I am Captain Ghol of the Qoj. And we fired on you, Trill, because we thought you were in league with the Borg."

War'en gave Ghol a look of incredulity. "The Borg? Why would you think the Federation was in league with the Borg?"

"This planet is a colony of Borgs and Humans living together. One of our ships was attacked by a Federation ship manned by the Borg. We were here investigating the wreckage when you arrived!"

War'en let out a breath and forced himself to calm down. "I think... we have a lot to sort out. I invite you to join me on my ship. Perhaps together, we can work out a way to drive the Borg away from this system and... make the colonists on this planet pay for what they've done."

A smile cross Ghol's face. "I agree, Trill. Once you've cleared your ship of Borg, I will make arrangements to join you on your ship."

With that, the communication cut off. War'en frowned and looked at Shrel. "Direct the efforts to eliminate the remaining Borg on board. I'll be down in Engineering helping to repair the ship. When Captain Ghol arrives, have him meet me in the conference room. Until I return, you have the Bridge." He then turned to Will. "Will, once Ensign Hu has been helped, I want you to provide assistance to Ensign Emerson and assist her in trying to determine the fate of the away teams."

The two officers nodded as War'en moved to the turbolift, though he had to maneuver around debris that had fallen from the ceiling. As he did so, the turbolift doors opened and a harried-looking medic arrived to help with Ensign Hu.
Edited June 23 2010 by chemkarate
Seannewboy

Seannewboy

Re:ST: Pandora "Pandora's Light", Pt II

June 04 2010
**munches on popcorn, enjoying the latest episode of Star Trek.** :woohoo:
Eric

chemkarate

Re:ST: Pandora "Pandora's Light", Pt II

June 07 2010
Oh, wow! Thank you for such a huge compliment! That's really nice of you to say. I'm really glad you're enjoying the story!
Eric

chemkarate

Re:ST: Pandora "Pandora's Light", Pt II

June 07 2010
The following tags have no closing tag: url, url
"Up ahead, we're almost there," whispered Hikaro as he and Talona turned a corner in the caves. Talona had long since lost track of how many turns they had taken and how far they had walked. However, they had also successfully evaded any of... whoever it was... that had ambushed the away teams. She looked ahead and saw a bright light a short distance away. Hikaro motioned for them to stop a few steps short of the exist.

"Do a scan for any nearby lifesigns."

Talona nodded and pulled out the device. After a moment, she frowned. "There's a cluster of 9 lifesigns to the north. Other than that, nothing in the vicinity."

"Good. Those 9 lifesigns should be the other members of the Cosmos crew that escaped with me. We're heading to their location."

The pair stepped out into the light. They allowed a minute for their eyes to adjust to the light, during which Talona looked around at her surroundings. The area, like much of the planet, was full of agrarian plant life that was low to the ground. The land was dry and rocky, and it reminded Talona of the time she had visited Vulcan as a teenager. This planet, however, had one key advantage over Vulcan.

It isn't full of judgmental assholes, thought the half-Romulan to herself with a rare smirk. The memories of Vulcan also reminded her of her companion's ears. She turned to him, and suddenly noticed something she hadn't noticed before.

"Your hair is... blue!?"



Hik">
aro looked at Talona with an amused grin. "Took you this long to notice, eh?"

"Well, this is the first time I've gotten to see you in the light," she said, suddenly feeling stupid. "Sorry, I guess I just assumed that you were..."

"Vulcan?" he asked, his grin increasing. Talona rolled his eyes.

"Well, yes... until you opened your mouth. After that I... thought you were part Romulan."

"Like you?" he said, his eyebrows raising with even more humor.

"Yes, like me," replied Talona curtly, her irritation increasing. The man may have saved her from the ambush, but he was certainly not afraid of being an ass. She looked toward the north and began walking away from the cave and Hikaro. Hikaro suddenly looked confused and followed her. "That's it?"

"What's it?"

"That's it? You're just going to say my hair is blue and then walk off?"

"If I might remind you, Commander", responded Talona, her stress on the rank immediately throwing the conversation back into formal territory, "you said we are heading toward the north to meet up with your comrades. This way is north. I'd like to suggest that we meet up with your crew and then contact the Pandora. Hopefully this new location will allow them to transport us all out of here."

Hikaro frowned, but simply nodded. "Acknowledged."

For twenty minutes, the pair made their way through the open, rocky terrain. Talona walked at a fast clip, eager to find the other members of the Cosmos crew and get back to the Pandora. The silence between her and Tabashi had become uncomfortable and she wanted to be among people other than him. It was Tabashi who finally broke it.

"So, Lieutenant, what's your story? I realized I don't even know your name."

Talona let out a small sigh. "My name is Talona Roberts. As you've guessed, I'm half Romulan. The other half is Human. I was raised on Earth. I serve as the main Ops officer on the Pandora, a Phoenix-class starship," she said, keeping the description short. She hoped Tabashi wouldn't talk again, but a second later those hopes were dashed.

"So your father is Human?"

"No, my father is Romulan. My mother is Human."

"But your last name..."

"... is Human, because I married a Human," she said with a grin. She received some small pleasure now that it was Tabashi's turn to make a social faux pas. Hikaro didn't seem to mind as much as Talona though, or at least he didn't show it.

"So does your husband also serve on the Pandora?"

Talona didn't answer immediately, and her hand drifted unconsciously toward her tricorder. Tabashi noticed that, for the smallest fraction of a second, she hesitated in her steps.

"He did," she said quietly, "before he was assimilated by the Borg a few months ago, during the attack on Vega Colony."

"Oh. I'm sorry."

Talona said nothing, allowing for yet another awkward silence. After a few minutes, it was Talona's turn to break it. Her voice was suddenly happier, though it had a forced quality to it. "So. I'll bite. That blue hair of yours. Assuming it's natural, it means that you're not Vulcan or Romulan, so what are you?"

Hikaro smiled at what he saw as Talona's effort to reach out to him. "I'm a Nevovan. And, before you ask and we both have to apologize awkwardly again, I don't know what Nevova is like, because I've never lived there. I was taken from the planet when I was an infant by my adoptive father and mother when they were Starfleet officers."

Talona stopped in her tracks and looked at Hikaro in shock. "They took you!? Why?"

"They were on the planet to study an herb there. The Federation suspected it had medicinal properties. They found me chained there in a bed of the stuff, alone, malnurished, and abandoned. So my parents, in a flagrant violation of the Prime Directive, took me back to the ship they served on."

"What happened to them?"

Hikaro resumed walking with Talona alongside him. It was a story he had told many times, and he found it simpler if he didn't have to look at the shocked faces he got. It wasn't that he didn't understand it, as he knew exactly what his presence represented to many Starfleet officers, but it still made telling the story easier if he didn't have to look at a jaw hanging open.

"My father was practically given a dishonorable discharge on the spot, though he was somehow able to get custody of me. My mother resigned from Starfleet to help raise me. Soon after they married, and we had a very happy life on Earth." Hikaro flashed her a smile and quickly changed the subject. "Say... didn't you say you grew up on Earth too? Care to tell me where?"

The two continued talking as they made their small trek through the barren land of Zaroth III. As they neared their destination, Hikaro motioned for Talona to stop.

"Hold here. I'm going to tell the others it's alright to come out."

Talona nodded, then grew curious as Hikaro just seemed to stand still. She looked around, when he was going to either call out or use his combadge, when suddenly nine people started emerging from the ground in the distance. Talona looked back at Hikaro quizzically. "How... when did you...?"

Hikaro, who was once again amused at Talona's reaction, grinned. "The ore in this area blocks the kind of transmissions required for scanners and communications, which is why they were hiding in small foxholes we up there. However, surprisingly it doesn't block good old fashioned telepathy."

"You're a telepath? Wait, ha--"

"No, I haven't been reading your mind. Not even this time. That's just a really predictable question."

Talona gave him an annoyed look, then looked back at the nine beleaguered Starfleet officers that were approaching them. "Well... I'll contact the Pandora. Hopefully they can beam us up from here."

"They should. The reason they couldn't beam you out back there is because there were transporter interference devices set up in a wide perimeter along the ship. I stumbled across one while I was moving toward your location, right before they ambushed you."

"Wait. Who were they, anyway? With all the talk about our backgrounds, I completely forgot to ask you."



Hik">
aro's face visibly darkened, even as the other nine Cosmos officers reached them and started asking about Talona. Hikaro ignored them as he looked at her.

"The colonists. They're members of a cult called the Gnostics who worship the Borg."

Talona's eyes widened. "The Borg!? No... that's... but... that means the 'Nephilim' are the Borg!?"

"You know about the Gnostics?" Hikaro asked in surprise.

Talona frowned in concern. "Well, I can't tell you much, under orders from a Starfleet Intelligence officer, but we discovered several of their members on Earth. After I talk to my captain, hopefully he'll be able to fill you in." Her frown deepened as she thought more about this new revelation. "However... how did you find out they actually worship the Borg? The Gnostics we encountered just kept calling them the Nephilim."

"How do you think our ship went down? The Gnostics don't just worship the Borg, they seem to control them. The chief administrator of this colony called them in on us when we got too... inquisitive... during our assessment." Hikaro shook his head and looked up at the sky. "I don't think I'll ever forget the shock of seeing a Starfleet ship, along with two Birds of Prey, uncloak and start firing Borg weapons at us.

Talona reflexively gasped. Hikaro looked at her with a raised eyebrow, having picked up on the flutter of emotions within her even without training his senses on her. It almost felt like fear and hope at the same time. "Talona, what is it?"

"The Starfleet ship. What..." she started to ask, before she realized her voice was shaking. She took a breath to calm down and looked Hikaro in the eyes, forcing herself to ask a question that might have answer she both wanted and dreaded desperately.

"... what was the name of the ship?"

Hikaro looked at Talona for a moment without responding. It was only when he glanced at the grief tattoo on her face that it suddenly all made sense.

"The ship was the USS Iowa, Talona."

Her hand touched the tricorder on her belt.
Edited June 23 2010 by chemkarate
Eric

chemkarate

Re:ST: Pandora "Pandora's Light", Pt II

June 09 2010
The following tags have no closing tag: url


Ore">
n-De let out a low groan as his eyes opened. His vision was slow to come back into focus and, even when it did, he realized he was in a rather dark place. The surface beneath his back was hard and flat, like a table, but he felt like he wasn't lying down; not entirely. He tried to move, but found his arms and legs firmly restrained and he was only rewarded with the cold touch of metal on one of his wrists as his uniform moved. It was then that he realized he wasn't horizontal or vertical, but instead positioned at an angle.

That's right. I was shot by Margulis...

Oren-De remained quiet as he allowed his mind to recompile the events that had led him to this point. Margulis had betrayed him, which meant that he and the rest of the Pandora's crew were in danger. Now that he was more oriented, Oren-De looked around again. The light around him was dim, but it was enough to make out a few silhouettes moving along the sides of the room. They would move toward one of the black columns that lined the walls, which seemed to be made from rock, attend to it in a way that Oren-De couldn't immediately ascertain, and then move to the next. When the nearest figure moved, Oren-De peered more closely at the column it had been in front of. It was a black irregularly shaped thing, with wires and cables snaking all over it. It was hollow though, and within the alcove Oren-De saw a figure illuminated by an eerie green light. He immediately tensed when he saw that the figure was a Borg drone.

"What are the Borg doing here!?" he wondered aloud, despite himself. His voice caught the attention of the sillhouettes in the room, one of which turned and walked away. A minute later, the sound of a door opening and closing echoed through the room. The noise clued Oren-De in to the cavernous size of the chamber in which he was being held.

"Captain? Captain, are you awake?" came a hushed voice next to him. Oren-De turned his head and saw someone on the table to his right, though it took him a moment in the darkness to recognize her as Maggie.

"Yes. Ms. Matoya, what's your condition?"

"I'm fine. That bitch Vulcan doctor gave me a hell of a shoulder ache, but other than that I'm good. How about you?"

"Margulis shot me with a phaser on the transporter pad," Oren-De said bitterly, though it was directed more at his own perceived carelessness than the actions of the traitorous administrator. "I don't suppose you know our location?"

Maggie shook her head. "No. I woke up... I don't know, maybe thirty minutes ago. It's hard to tell here. All I've been able to determine is that we're in a room full of Borg recharge alcoves that are being constantly maintenanced by these people. Maybe Zarath III colonists, but that's just a guess."

"If you're right though, we need to find some way to warn the Pandora."

"Sir, I think they already know. Look," she said as she motioned with her head to her other side. Oren-De strained his eyes in the darkness and saw a number of other tables in a row, with people on them he couldn't discern. "I woke up while they were bringing them in, and I think I saw Redwing."

"The away team..." muttered Oren-De.


At that moment, Oren-De and Maggie heard the doors in the distance open again. The silhouettes immediately ceased their actions and turned toward the rear of the room, though beyond that they didn't move a muscle. Footsteps echoed louder as they came closer and, from the cadence and pattern, Oren-De guessed that there were only two. From the actions of the silhouettes, Oren-De didn't have to make too much of a logical jump to guess at whose they were.

"I see your awake, Commander," said Margulis as he strode into view. His tone and expression were far from what they had seemed in the colony's administrative building. There was the arrogant smugness of someone who just pulled off what only he considered to be the greatest strategem ever created, as well as an unsettling look in his eyes. Maggie wondered if that was just the odd green light of the room's columns reflecting off his face. Oren-De said nothing and only looked at Margulis, then Shion when she came up next to the man. Maggie immediately started glaring icicles at the Vulcan.

"Really? No questions? You're not even curious as to why you're in a room of... well, as you call them, Borg?"

Oren-De raised an eyebrow. Not only did the man appear to want to give information freely, but the question was odd. What else would you call a Borg drone, after all? He was about to bite and ask when Maggie did it for him, though in her own uniquely Maggie way.

"And what the hell do you call them, you stupid jackass?" she asked, her voice raised. "Because if I didn't know any better, I'd say you and your colonists have gotten pretty buddy-buddy with these... things..." she said, her own term for the Borg practically dripping with hatred.

With a surprisingly fast motion, Shion backhanded Maggie across her face. The sound of skin slapping skin echoed throughout the room. Margulis turned to her and gave her a mock chiding. "Now Shion, don't damage her too much. After all, she is one of our offerings to the Nephilim."

Oren-De only stared at Margulis as it suddenly all fell into place. "You two are Gnostics... and you're not the only ones on this colony. You have enough here that you attacked my away teams," he said looking at the row of tables he and Maggie were in, as well as straining to see who knew how many rows behind him. He looked back at Margulis, but refrained from speaking any more as his mind raced through the various possible scenarios and how each factor fit in.

"Quite right," responded Margulis. "That ore is rather useful for hiding an ambush," he said with ever-increasing self-satisfaction. Oren-De maintained a cool facade, masking his relief that their captor was a talker that seemed very impressed with himself.

"Which I imagine this cave is practically covered in."

"Enough that the Pandora won't find one trace of you," he said with a grin. Shion turned to Margulis with an angry glare, which even Oren-De found to be unsettling on the face of a Vulcan.

"Administrator! Do you not think you have said enough!?"

Margulis actually seemed to blanch for a moment, then attempted to recover. He looked back at Oren-De and nodded in approval. "You are good, Commander. No wonder she is so interested in your abilities. You and your crew will make excellent offerings."

Maggie bristled and looked like she wanted nothing to rip herself from the table and strangle Margulis. "Offerings!? What the hell do you think the Borg are, your saviors from the Delta Quadrant!? They're going to assimilate you once you've outlived your usefulness!"

"Well, yes, that would be the agreement," said Margulis simply. The response left Maggie so dumbstruck that Margulis couldn't help but continue. "Is assimilation really so bad, Ms. Matoya? After all, how would you know? Have you ever been assimilated? Have you ever known the calm and tranquility of a chorus of minds thinking in harmony, and the joy of being free of the chaos that even now threatens us all? No, of course not. I, however, have."

Margulis lifted the loose-fitting tunic he worse, revealing several black metal objects protruding from his stomach. They seemed small, as if his skin and belly fat had started to swallow them. After giving Oren-De and Maggie a good look at them, he pulled the shirt back down. Maggie looked at Margulis in complete shock, while Oren-De calmly turned to look at Shion.

"And you? Were you also once a member of the Collective?"

Shion said nothing, as if deliberating if even that was safe to reveal. She decided on giving Oren-De nothing more than a sneer before turning to Margulis. "We should prepare. She will be here shortly, especially given recent developments."

"What recent developments?" asked Maggie.

The two simply looked at her then walked away in silence, their footsteps once again echoing. After the door closed, Maggie looked at Oren-De. "What recent developments?"

Oren-De only frowned. "I don't know. However, given the tense in which he spoke of the Pandora, I assume the ship is at least still functioning. However, I can only guess as to her condition." He thought in silence for a moment more, then looked back at Maggie.

"Ms. Matoya, this 'she' they kept referring to; do you believe they mean a--"

"Yes," interrupted Maggie, her form slacking as she lay back on the table in quiet surrender. "They are probably referring to a Borg Queen."
Edited June 23 2010 by chemkarate
Eric

chemkarate

Re:ST: Pandora "Pandora's Light", Pt II

June 16 2010
The following tags have no closing tag: url

"... and that's the situation, Captain Amana," finished War'en. He was standing in the conference room of the Pandora with Will and Shrel. On the large display screen in front of them was Captain Amana, the Starfleet Intelligence officer with whom War'en had worked with when he and the rest of the crew first encountered the Gnostics at Starfleet Medical. The Betazoid, who wore her usual expression of calm thoughtfulness, took a moment to mull over the new developments.

"Suffice it to say, it's troubling that the Gnostics have gained control of an entire colony, especially one with such strategic potential as Zarath III. And with regard to their... affiliation... with the Borg, unfortunately we have corroborating evidence." Amana appeared to tap something on her console. The captain's video feed shrank to about two-thirds its size, and three faces appeared in the open space below. War'en recognized one of them as Dr. Smith, the Starfleet Medical doctor who had attacked him prior to his Joining almost a month ago.

"Among the five Gnostic operatives that Starfleet Intelligence has apprehended since the start of our investigation, two of them were liberated as young adults from the collective after they were assimilated as children. You'll recognize Dr. Smith, Mr. Sadda. This caused us to suspect their might be some connection, but of course it could also be coincidence. It wasn't until our last arrest, unfortunately of an Academy cadet four days ago, that this theory gained some weight. He made a few comments in a New Orleans restaurant after a few drinks that were reported to us by a concerned party."

"So now that we've solved that problem, I have another for you, Captain. We know that these Borg still have at least one more ship that we can't account for: the USS Iowa. Given that we just destroyed two of their assimilated Birds of Prey with the help of the the Qoj, it's likely that it and any other ships they have at their disposal are en route. Additionally, a large number of the Pandora's crew, including her captain, have been captured and may be undergoing assimilation as we speak. When can we expect reinforcements from Starfleet?"

At this question, Amana frowned. "As you know, Mr. Sadda, our resources are stretched thin. I have ordered reinforcements to your location, but they will not arrive for another 36 hours."

War'en had to fight hard to keep his mouth shut. A frustration that was rare for him was boiling within him at unreasonable ETA. Will, however, had much less control.

"36 hours!? By that time, Captan Oren-De and the others will be Bo--"

Shrel cut Will off with an elbow to his side. Will looked at Shrel in annoyance, but got the message and kept quiet. Amana, in her usual patient nature, didn't react to the outburst. War'en frowned at the junior officer, then looked back at Amana.

"Then, in light of the circumstances, I plan on recruiting the crew members of the Cosmos that Lieutenant Roberts brought back with her to help us... as well as Captain Ghol."

This got a reaction from Amana, which caused War'en some small pleasure. The look of protest on her face was palpable, but War'en continued before she had a chance to speak.

"The Pandora is heavily damaged from our last fight, and a large number of our crew are currently being held hostage. We can't perform an adequate rescue operation without reinforcements, but they won't be here in time. Additionally, if you think informing a Klingon captain of a crazed cult that's gotten inside Starfleet and the Federation is a security breach... what would you call the Borg assimilating a Starfleet captain with access to the Federation's transwarp network, Starfleet's security codes, and one of its Phoenix-class escort ships!"

War'en could practically see, behind her eyes, Amana's mind weighing the risks of each. After agonizing seconds passed, Amana took a breath and shook her head in surrender.

"Fine. You are granted permission to brief Commander Tabashi and his crew on the full situation. You are also granted permission to brief Captain Ghol on the necessary particulars of the Gnostics, but nothing more than necessary. I will also require a complete report of what you told him once this whole affair is dealt with."

"Yes, ma'am," War'en said with a small victorious grin.

"Amana out," came the curt farewell before the video link cut out. Will let out a low whistle.

"She is not happy with that."

War'en allowed his frustration to seep out now that he didn't have any superiors in the room. "And I'm not happy that a good number of our crew is currently captured, that the Pandora is damaged and operating on a skeleton Engineering crew, and that Starfleet can't provide adequate support. So we're all out of our comfort zone." He turned and paced to the other end of the conference table, his hand over his mouth and his index finger tapping quickly as he thought. It was one thing to have limited resources when faced with an engineering problem. That was something War'en could deal with, even relish. It was entirely different in a command scenario when so many lives were at stake. Finally, he looked over at Shrel and Will

"Will, go to the Medical Bay and bring Talona and Commander Tabashi up here. By now the EMH should be done giving them their examinations. Shrel, take a security escort to the Transporter Bay to await Captain Ghol's arrival and escort him here. I'll be requesting his presence here. It's time that we all set a strategy for how to fix this mess."



The">
pair acknowledged their orders and departed the room. After they had gone, War'en let out a sigh as he looked at the planet below through the large windows of the room. Down there, somewhere, were Red and the rest of the captured crew members with who knew how many Borg. By this point, it was anyone's guess how many were undergoing assimilation. The fact that he couldn't immediately order... something, anything... done to save them was causing him a frustration the likes of which he had never known. And yet, there was a part of him that remained strangely calm about the whole affair.

War'en glanced up from the planet below to his reflection in the large windows. For the first time dealing with this kind of stress, he certainly was handling it well. How much of it was because of Sadda, and how much of it was because of himself?

Less than a month, and already I'm noticing changes. I guess though, I shouldn't complain if they will help me get Red & the crew back safely.

The sound of the conference door sliding open startled War'en, who turned around to see Will entering with Talona and Commander Tabashi in tow. This was the first time he had seen the tall man that Talona had returned from Zarath III with. The blue hair was certainly an eye-catcher. It took War'en a moment to remember that Tabashi was also his superior.

"Commander Tabashi, it is a pleasure to meet you. I am Lieutenant Commander War'en Sadda, acting captain of the Pandora," he said as he walked toward the man and extended a hand. Tabashi gave it a firm shake.

"The pleasure is mine, Mr. Sadda, though I wish it was under better circumstances. Thank you again for providing assistance. Shall we get down to business?"

"In one moment. We're actually waiting on one more arrival."

At that moment, the door to the conference room opened again to allow Shrel and Captain Ghol to enter, along with a small cadre of security officers. Tabashi was surprised at the sight of a Klingon officer on a Starfleet ship, but was completely shocked when War'en told the security escort to wait outside the door. Rather than address his surprise, War'en motioned to the table.

"Everyone, please have a seat. We have a lot of ground to cover and very little time to do it in."

The group was in the process of taking seats when a voice came over the comm. "Lieutenant Commander Sadda, this is the Bridge. We've detected a transporter signal that was sent to a location on Zarath III. We're still trying to pinpoint its ultimate destination and origin."

War'en raised an eyebrow. "You don't know where it came from?"

"No, sir. We have a location, but there is nothing there."

Shrel, Will, and Talon gave War'en a knowing look. He nodded and responded. "That would be a cloaked ship, Ensign. It's likely moved from that location. Forget about its origin and figure out its destination."

"Yes, sir. Bridge out."

War'en looked at Tabashi and Ghol, who were sitting across from each other at the other end of the conference table. "First, I think I need to catch you both up on a group called the Gnostics, as well as a missing Federation ship known as the USS Iowa."
Edited June 23 2010 by chemkarate
Eric

chemkarate

Re:ST: Pandora "Pandora's Light", Pt II

June 17 2010
Oren-De and Maggie, who had been conferring in whispers much to a recently-awakened Red's chagrin from his position two rows back, suddenly stopped when they heard the door to their chamber open again. A number of echoing footsteps, much more than before, began sounding throughout the room as Margulis, Dr. Shion, and their entourage entered the room and walked down the rows of captive Starfleet officers. The walked right past Oren-De and Maggie's position at the front and toward the front of the chamber. Up until now, it had been completely dark. However, when Margulis approached the area and entered a command on a lonely-looking console, the entire area suddenly came to life and lit up with the characteristic green aura of Borg technology. However, at the base of a mass of black cables, wires, and scaffolding that stretched to the top of the chamber, was a large Federation cargo transporter.

"Captain Oren-De, and Starfleet, it is time that you met our messenger to the glorious Nephilim," came Margulis' voice, which echoed throughout the room as if addressing a congregation. Dr. Shion and the rest the Zarath colonists that flanked her clapped as Margulis activated the device and no less than ten columns of blue transporter light shimmered on the dais. When they dispersed, a group of Borg stood in their place.


At the center of the group was a female Borg that Maggie immediately took note of. While the drones that surrounded her seemed standard fare, this Borg had a presence that called attention to her at best, and sent a chill down your spine at worst. Her head was held high and her eyes had a fire to them, which was very unlike the dead stares that most would usually associate with the Borg, as she looked out over the vast room of captured Starfleet personnel.

"She must be the Queen," Maggie whispered to Oren-De. Oren-De nodded, but was looking up at the device's connections to the ceiling. "How exactly did they transport through the ore's interference?" he asked back to Maggie. Maggie, who suddenly realized that herself, was thinking through that when a woman's voice called out through the room.

"Margulis and Dr. Shion, and indeed all assembled... you have done well," called out the Borg that Maggie had identified as the Queen. She stepped off the transporter platform in a deliberate and graceful manner, soon followed by her much more clunky entourage. The Gnostics only watched a reverence that struck most of the Starfleet officers that could see as nothing less than insane.

"We have the Starfleet Borg specialist, exalted Nephilim, who was studying that infernal disease," eagerly replied Margulis as he went into a deep bow. The others followed, including Dr. Shion who continued the report.

"We also have the Enhasan."

Oren-De looked at the Queen in surprise, while Maggie shot Oren-De a quizzical look. They were both wondering the same thing: what would the Borg want with Oren-De?

At this, a smile crossed the Queen's face. "Excellent. This is a most... inspiring... offering. The peace we all seek is truly within our grasp," she said in a silky voice laced with venom. She looked back at the Starfleet officers and her eyes settled on Oren-De and Maggie. She slowly glided over to them then looked at each in turn.

"The resources that have been lost to acquire you two..." she said with as much remorse as a Borg is capable of. "But soon, you will join us, and we will all once again be at peace."

Maggie bristled as the Queen spoke to her. "What the hell are you talking about, and who the hell are you? Since when do the Borg start cults!?"

"Do not speak to the exalted Nephilim in such a ma--" protested Margulis, but he was cut off when the Queen slowly raised her hand to indicate silence. She looked at Maggie with a hollow maternal smile.

"You may call me Albina of Borg. I speak for our... local... collective."

The sudden change in Maggie's demeanor from hostility to scientific curiosity was almost disturbing to Red, who was watching and listening from his position behind Maggie and Oren-De. "Local collective?"

"Yes. Sadly, I am not what you refer to as a Borg Queen, so my abilities to manage the drones are... limited. When we were cut off from the Collective following the events at that Federation world, I did what I could with the drones around me. I seek to return to the Collective and, for that, I need you."

Oren-De took this moment to speak, his voice much more calm than Maggie's. "If you think we have the kind of technology that can take you back to the Delta Quadrant, you're mistaken."

Albina looked at Oren-De, looking at him with what he couldn't help but think was some sort of sick affection. "That, I am painfully aware of. No, I wish for the Collective to come here and retrieve us."

Maggie's eyes widened. "Of course! You're not worth coming back for! You need to offer the Borg something that will make them want to come to you!"

"Maggie, I really don't think now is the time to be happy you got the right answer," chided Red. Albina ignored the medical officer's comment and simply nodded.

"The efficiency of the Collective, unfortunately, is currently in judgement against us. However, that is what you two are for, as well as this host of Starfleet officers. Your assimilation into the Collective promises a wealth of information on your flawed Federation, as well as that weapon you devised against us. However, the real prize... is you, Species 10883."

Oren-De looked at Albina with a raised eyebrow. "So it's not me you want, but simply a member of my race?"

"Your race is very unique among the races of the Alpha Quadrant. The records we've accessed cite that, despite being allied with the Federation for over 200 years, Species 10883 has resisted the social influences of the Federation. Instead, your race has retained it's more... perfect... tendencies."

The silence in the room was almost palpable. Oren-De felt the eyes of the Pandora and Cosmos crews on him, even with the thick slab of metal between him and them. It was bad enough that there was an empathetic rift between himself and his crew, but now a Borg Queen was admiring his species? Oren-De shot her an annoyed look. He figured he might as well cut to the quick of it, especially since this faux queen, like her subjects, was apparently content with monologuing.

"I take it you mean our meritocracy. Why are the Borg interested in it? Is your Collective not content with its own social hierarchy?"

"Your meritocracy is flawed. It is an imperfect product of imperfect beings. However, your ability to sustain even that system without the superior mind of our Collective is what the Collective will find interesting."

At this, Maggie's mouth hung open as she had an epiphany. "You want to serve up Oren-De and the rest of the Enhasans because they're practically a race of ready-made Borg Queens, maybe even Kings. They have a dramatic predisposition toward processing and evaluating abilities of others, which has allowed them to build such a system of government. It's a huge supply of the individuals the Collective needs to act as processors for their hive mind!"

"Again, really not the time for bragging about getting the answer," Red said, wishing Maggie would keep her trap shut. Oren-De said nothing, instead thinking about what Maggie had said. He suddenly feared for the safety of Enhasa if Albina were to succeed in contacting the Collective.

Albina, for her part, did not respond to Maggie's conclusion and merely looked at Oren-De. "Of course, this is all speculation. Unfortunately, we lack the capacity to perform a sufficient simulation." In one swift movement, Albina pressed her right fist against Oren-De's neck. The Enhasan gasped sharply as tendrils from her wrist shot into his flesh. Maggie shouted in protested, fighting her restraints and cursing Albina in more than one language. Red watched in horror from his limited vantage point, and the rest of the crew responded in varying degrees of terror and anger. In contrast, the assembled Gnostics seemed overjoyed at witnessing the event and, in fact, more than one seemed envious.

Oren-De's body lurched and spasmed in it's restraints. The Enhasan gritted his teeth, trying not to scream out in pain as the nanites flooded his body. Albina, her tendrils still in Oren-De, looked over at Margulis.

"Prepare for the arrival of Starfleet and Klingon officers. By now they should be attempting a rescue mission, and I've bided enough time since my transport from our ship. I believe they will arrive just as their captain... becomes our captain..."
Edited June 23 2010 by chemkarate
Seannewboy

Seannewboy

Re:ST: Pandora "Pandora's Light", Pt II

June 17 2010
I did not see that coming, i like it.
Eric

chemkarate

Re:ST: Pandora "Pandora's Light", Pt II

June 18 2010
The following tags have no closing tag: url, url
"Equip yourselves according to standard anti-Borg protocol! Move it!" barked Shrel to a line of security officers that were hustling into the Transporter Bay and grabbing equipment that had been stockpiled in the room. The Bajoran was already outfitted, including an antiproton rifle that he had slung over his shoulder. Talona, who was the only non-security officer equipped with a similar weapon, noticed that he looked much more energetic.

He lives for the fight, I guess, she thought as she walked next to the transporter pad, positioning herself near a modular console that had been set up there.

War'en, who was standing next to the transporter attendant, looked at Talona with concern. "Talona, I'm still not entirely on board with this idea. Frankly, I have a number of engineers who rate higher in a combat situation than you, especially given... last time."

Talona glanced at her tricorder reflexively, then looked at her console so that she didn't have to look War'en in the eye. "Yes, but how many of them can reliably hack in a combat situation?"

War'en frowned, but they both knew she was right. However, something about this didn't sit well with him. Given Talona's reaction the last time they had encountered these Borg, he would have expected her to refrain from a ground fight with them. To his surprise though, she had actually requested to go when she had proposed this attack plan. It was a good plan that had the best chance of success, though still slim. As much as War'en disliked the idea, there was no viable alternative.

When the security team, which included Shrel, was assembled on the transporter pad, War'en addressed them.

"On my mark, you will beam down to the planet and engage hostiles. Protect Lieutenant Roberts while she does her part. Once she's done, we will be sending down reinforcements via transporter," he said, motioning to the squads standing around him, most of which were security but included some science and engineering support. "As much as I hate to say this, your priorities are Captain Oren-De and Lieutenant Matoya as it is imperative they are not assimilated by the Collective. Everyone else... is secondary. Understood?"

The group responded with a loud "aye, sir!" War'en nodded then looked at Talona. "Begin, Lieutenant." Talona nodded and began entering commands into the console next to her.

Meanwhile, in the chamber below the surface of Zarath III, Albina was watching her captive Enhasan, who had stopped moving a few minutes ago and gone completely slack. Maggie, who was still retrained on the slab next to him, was practically screaming at him to wake up. His skin had become rather pale and even mottled in some areas, whereas many of the veins in his face where now visible with a sickly gray color. Red, who couldn't see any of this, could still tell from Maggie's reaction what was happening. His medical knowledge of the assimilation process more than made up for the rest. However, it also made him realize how futile trying to awaken Oren-De would be, so instead he tried to chart out in his head, what would need to be done to reverse the process. That, of course, assumed they'd be rescued in time.

Red, it seemed, it wasn't the only one in the room that had such knowledge. Dr. Shion, who stood about ten paces away from Albina, watched Oren-De with a Vulcan stoicism that masked her abandonment of their logic. "Interesting. He is being assimilated at a rate 23% faster than the average humanoid."

"Truly, his kind have been made to serve the Nephilim," said Margulis from his position next to her. Albina, for her part, said nothing and continued to watch Oren-De's progress with a satisfied smile. The smile only increased when a Borg implant suddenly shot through the skin over Oren-De's left forehead, sending a pale liquid that had stopped being blood some time ago splattering on the side of his face. The implant began to slowly expand outward over that side of Oren-De's upper face, including his eye. The sight brought raptured smiles to the faces of the Gnostics.

An alarm suddenly sounded throughout the chamber. Margulis raced to a nearby console and read it over.

"The Pandora has lowered its shields! They may be beaming down an away team."

Albina smiled but didn't turn from Oren-De. "They are too late. Even if they succeed in reaching us, they will be unable to reclaim their crew."



Abo">
ve the planet in Pandora's Transporter Bay, Talona's hands continued to fly over the console. The room was silent as Talona conducted her work until she finally looked over at War'en.

"I've got it!" she exclaimed before racing from the console and through the security team on the transporter platform to the remaining position in the rear next to Shrel.

War'en nodded with a grin. "Excellent! Energize!" The transporter attendant activated the transporter and the team disappeared in columns of blue light.

At his own console, Margulis was reporting the situation to Albina. "Transporter signal detected. I'm locking onto to the destination... and it's... here!?"

Albina finally looked up from Oren-De and glared at Margulis. "What!?"

The blue glow of transporter light from the platform at the front of the chamber grabbed her attention and she looked at it just in time to see the Pandora's away team materialize. Shrel wasted no time barking out orders.

"Suppressing and cover fire, now!"

The security team began firing their weapons at the Gnostics, who were caught off-guard and scrambling for their own weapons. Some of them were dropped immediately while others, like Margulis, were able to hide behind cover. Talona meanwhile was scanning the room with her tricorder and crouching low to the ground. Shrel called out to her while firing.

"What's the situation?"

"The controls are on a console just to the left of us. Cover me!"

"You heard her!" Shrel called out to his team. The group moved over to the console that Margulis had vacated and continued to provide cover fire. Strangely, it was only now that the Borg drones that had accompanied Albina had begun returning fire. They had first clunked awkwardly over to cover both Albina, Oren-De, and Maggie. However, Shrel could still make out Maggie yelling at them, but her voice seemed like it was starting to go so he couldn't understand her.

"Those Borg are covering the Captain and Lieutenant Matoya. Engage, but avoid friendly fire! Alternate front and back firing rows every five rounds to keep your shields charged!" The security team complied, shifting ranks with exact precision. Talona, who had hooked her tricorder into the console and was busy working on it, had to admire the discipline Shrel seemed to have drilled into his team.


"There... he is ready to join us," cooed Albina from her spot next to Oren-De. Maggie looked over and saw that he now seemed even paler than before.

No...

Albina leaned in closer to Oren-De's slackened body and whispered to him. "Awaken."

Oren-De's body suddenly moved itself into a straight position and his uncovered eye shot open. The implant over his eye began to glow red in the area that covered his pupil. The Gnostics fawned at the gloriousness of it all, while Maggie howled in protest. Albina reached up and touched a button the side of the Oren-De's slab, which caused the restraints to retract. Oren-De slid down and landed on his feet. As he did so, Maggie saw that the back of Oren-De's hands and neck also had small implants covering them.

At this point, Shrel noticed that the Borg drones blocking his view of Oren-De were beginning to move. When he saw what they were moving away from, his jaw dropped.

"Prophets, no..."

Talona, who had never heard Shrel invoke the Bajoran deities before, looked over her shoulder and gasped at the sight of Oren-De, who could now easily be seen in an assimilated state. The surprise was exactly what Albina had been planning on and took full advantage of the opportunity. The Borg drones opened up with heavy fire, surprising the away team. Shrel grunted as his shields failed to completely shield him and let a beam pass through, charing the side of his right arm. One of Shrel's subordinates stepped in front of him and continued firing.

"Talona, hurry up! We need reinforcements!"

"On... on it. I'm on it!"

Talona went furiously back to work. One of Shrel's officers glanced at him as they continued to exchange fire.

"Sir, what do we do about the captain?"

"Standard procedure. If we can't extract an assimilated Starfleet captain..."

The security officer nodded grimly. "... yes, sir."

Oren-De looked at Albina, who simply looked back at him. Oren-De then looked at the away team. As he did, the recharge alcoves that lined the room suddenly began to dim. Each released its drone into the room. Maggie and Red looked at the sight in horror from their vantage points.

"Talona, what is your status?" asked Shrel, his voice taking on a worried tone.

"Almost... just need one more... and... there! Sending confirmation to Pandora now."

Back on Pandora, Will's voice came over the comm in the Transporter Room. "Bridge to Transporter Room! We've received an o.k. from the away team!"

"Confirmed! ENERGIZE!" War'en practically shouted at the attendant. He looked back at the team on the pad, composed of Klingons and Starfleet officers, and returned Captain Ghol's eager grin with a simple nod before the team disappeared.

The team reappeared on the pad in the Gnostics' chamber and immediately got off, firing at the Borg drones. Several Klingons rushed forward with bat'leths and engaged the drones in melee combat. Several seconds later, another team materialized on the pad, and another. Talona let out a sigh of relief as they arrived and took some of the pressure off of Shrel's team. She looked around the room and was in the process of pulling up her own antiproton rifle when her eyes landed on one of the drones that was advancing on them from the recharge alcoves. It felt like the floor dropped out from beneath her.

"Michael..."

She disconnected her tricorder from the console and looked directly at her assimilated husband. She reached into her utility belt and switched out the tricorder's connection cord for another one.

I just have to plug this in and upload the program... and then I'll have him back...

Talona took a step forward... then stopped. Her gaze found itself moving towards Oren-De. She clutched the tricorder tightly in her hands as indecision weighed heavily upon her. Finally, she let out a breath, took another, and steeled herself.

"Shrel, cover me."

"Huh? We already are. Wait, Talona! What are you-- COVER HER!"

The security team shot around Talona as she sprinted toward Oren-De. Albina saw her coming, but her limited control of her drones wasn't fast enough to get them to move back into position in time. Talona leaped forward and slammed into Oren-De, causing them both to hit the metal slab. Talona reached up and grabbed Oren-De by the hair so that she could yank his head forward. As she brought the cord up, Albina grabbed her arm and used her superior strength to force it back down. Talona struggled against her but to no avail.

"Resistance is futile," said Albina with her poisonous grin.

Shrel pointed his rifle and fired. The antiproton blast struck Albina in the side, sending her tumbling to the ground. Talona smirked and raised the cord to the implant in Oren-De's neck. "Come on, Captain," she muttered as she plugged it in and initiated the upload on her tricorder.



Imm">
ediately Oren-De began spasming against the metal slab. Talona backed away, right up into a drone that was behind her. She turned to look at it, but the drone ignored her and focused on the away team. Talona looked back at Albina, who was getting back to her feet with an angry look on her face.

"You! What have you done!?"

Talona said nothing and continued to back away, past the drone. Albina advanced, then looked at Oren-De. She became incensed and raised her wrist to try and inject more nanites into Oren-De, but was stopped when Talona raised her rifle and fired a shot at Albina, striking her in the chest. The Borg flew back onto her back and lay there motionless. The drones around Talona suddenly stopped firing and just stood there, allowing Shrel and his team to pick them off easily. As the drones fell around her, Talona looked around. Her gaze once again landed on her assimilated husband.

"Talona, get me out of here!" came Maggie's voice. Talona looked at her and nodded, but was distracted when the Michael drone suddenly began spasming and collapsed to the ground. Talona gasped as she realized that the cure she had uploaded to Oren-De was spreading.

They haven't adapted yet... maybe...

"MICHAEL!" yelled Talona as she rushed forward to him. Maggie watched Talona with a shocked expression until she realized she was still restrained. "Will someone please get me out of this thing!?"

Suddenly, a number of the Borg drones and Gnostics began vanishing in blue columns of light. Shrel looked around in surprise and saw Margulis standing on the other side of the room at a console. He flashed an angry glare at the Bajoran as he, Dr. Shion, and Albina also finally dematerialized.

Up above the planet, War'en was back in the command chair. Will's console beeping an alarm. "Sir! A ship is decloaking dead ahead!"

"FIRE! Do not let them beam anything off that planet!"

In the distance, the assimilated USS Iowa decloaked. The Pandora fired all weapons at it, and the Iowa took several significant hits. However, after it made one pass by the planet, the Iowa went to warp. War'en cursed from his vantage point on the bridge and looked at his Ops officer.

"Status report!"

"Working on it, sir. It's difficult to communicate with the away team down there, even with that bypass that was set up!"

Agonizing seconds passed the ensign spoke again, her voice relieved. "The away team reports that everyone is fine, though a number of Gnostics and Borg were able to beam out on the Iowa. They report they have a number of assimilated that were left behind. Including..." The ensign's voice suddenly became much graver. "...the Captain, sir."

War'en's eyes widened, but he quickly regained his composure. "Teleport him to the Medical Bay immediately. Alert Commander Tabashi to begin as soon as the Captain arrives," he ordered as he stood up. Will looked over at War'en as he headed toward the turbolift. "Sir, where are you going?"

"Medical. You have the bridge, Mr. Lacera." The doors shut behind War'en, leaving the bridge in anxious silence.
Edited June 23 2010 by chemkarate
Eric

chemkarate

Re:ST: Pandora "Pandora's Light", Pt II

June 19 2010
The following tags have no closing tag: url
First Officer's Personal Log, Stardate 87793.7. It's been nearly 24 hours since the successful rescue of the Pandora and Cosmos crews from the Gnostics and the Borg they worship. Honestly, I can't believe I just said that sentence. This entire experience has shown me a side of not just Humans, but of all sentient species that I was previously blind to. While most within the Federation and Starfleet have remained optimistic that peace will return to the Alpha and Beta Quadrants, there are some who have become so weary of it that they would not just surrender, but in fact aid, one of our most dangerous enemies. However, I find it difficult to hate them. In fact, I pity them, as they have lost the hope for a better tomorrow that has sustained this crew, and all the Federation, through so much.

War’en stood in his room and looked out a large window at the world of Zarath III. It was hard to believe that such a banal-looking planet had been nexus for so many lives and events. His hand tapped nervously against his leg as he awaited a call from Starfleet. He took an expectant breath when the comm chimed.

“Bridge to Lieutenant Commander Sadda. We’re receiving a hail from Admiral Quinn at Starfleet on a secure channel.”

“Patch it through to my room. Sadda out.”

War’en practically leaped over to his terminal and activated it, through he tried his best to remain calm when Admiral Quinn’s face appeared.

“Greetings, Lieutenant Commander. I received your report regarding the events on Zarath III. While it is of course disappointing that many Gnostics, along with this ‘Albina’ and her drones, were able to escape on the USS Iowa, I am very impressed with how you and your crew handled the situation. You should know that we have linked the Gnostics to other attacks against Starfleet and the Federation in recent weeks, and we are in the process of declassifying the nature of their existence. They have proven themselves to be enough of a widespread threat that it is imperative all of Starfleet, and the Federation, know of them.”

War’en nodded with a satisfied grin. “That’s good to know, sir. I will pass that information along to Captain Oren-De and the rest of the senior staff.”

At this, Admiral Quinn nodded gravely. “Which brings us to the matter at hand. What is the current status of the Pandora, as well as the Cosmos crew?”

War’en paused for a moment as he summarized the information in his mind. “We determined that about half the Cosmos crew that wasn’t killed on impact was assimilated by Albina into her miniature collective. As it says in my report, thirteen of those were liberated and we are now in the process of providing surgical care, though it is slow-going given our limited medical staff. Additionally, Oren-De’s surgery has run into complications arising from his Enhasan physiology.” War’en stopped for a moment, then continued. “All major repairs to the Pandora have been completed.”

Quinn nodded again. “And the Klingons?”

“They are still going through the wreckage of their ship on the surface of the planet.”

“Keep an eye on them. The Kirk is expected to arrive at your location at any moment now. Once they do, you are ordered to depart for Earth directly via transwarp to transfer the Cosmos crew and other recovered drones for additional care at Starfleet Medical. Speaking of which…”

War’en braced himself. He knew what was coming.

“… how exactly were those drones liberated? I noticed your report was scant on those details.”

“We’re still working on that, sir. To be frank, we’re not entirely sure how it happened.” Because no one has told me and I haven’t asked yet, he finished in his own mind.

Quinn studied War’en for a moment with a careful look. “Then please continue investigating. I expect a report by the time Pandora returns to Earth.”

“Yes, sir,” War’en replied simply.

“Then, that is all. Quinn out.”

War’en breathed a sigh of relief after Quinn’s image blinked out. While he didn’t know for sure how Oren-De and the other assimilated officers had been liberated from Albina’s control, one of the security officers had let it slip that Talona had ‘done something to him’ with her tricorder. Unfortunately, Shrel’s death stare came seconds too late in shutting the junior officer up.

They will court-martial her for sure if she hacked that Borg cure of Lieutenant Calvin’s out of the ship… the fools.

War’en was still scowling about the restrictive Starfleet regulations when another call came for him over the comm.

“Dr. Redwing to Lieutenant Commander Sadda. Can you come down to the Medical Bay? We’ve completed the captain’s surgery.”

War’en looked up. “How is he?”

“War… we should talk here.”

“Acknowledged,” War’en replied as he felt a pit form in his stomach. He took a breath, got up from his chair, and left his room.

Several minutes later, War’en entered the packed Medical Bay. A number of liberated Starfleet drones were on beds, unconscious and receiving automated stabilizing medical treatment. He saw Talona standing over the bed of one such drone. When she saw War’en enter, she gave the drone a kiss on his forehead and walked over to him. The two didn't exchange words, but instead looked over at the other end of the Medical Bay, where Maggie, Red, and Hikaro were standing over a surgery-equipped medical bed. Red and Hikaro saw War’en and Talona approach and left the bed, intercepting them half-way.

War’en couldn’t remember if he had ever seen Red so exhausted. He knew that Red had only slept about two hours during the entire procedure, which he and Hikaro had begun as soon as Red came back with Oren-De. However, he also noticed that Red didn’t look like he had lost a patient.

“The good news is that he’s alive and there is no neurological trauma. He’s awake and, save for fatigue, doing well. However, as you know, there were complications that arose. This is the first time anyone has had to do this procedure on an Enhasan.”

Red suddenly was hit by a yawning fit. Hikaro smirked and continued for him. “Specifically, his vanadium-based blood caused a number of problems. It was touch-and-go, but we got all the implants out and all of his organs functioning normally again. Unfortunately, there is some cosmetic damage that we were not able to treat.

War’en raised an eyebrow, and followed Hikaro’s motion to see Oren-De. The group approached the bed just as Oren-De was pulling himself up into a sitting position, which caused Red to immediately rush to the Enhasan’s side. War’en, despite his effort to steel himself, was shocked at what he saw.

Oren-De’s distinctive blue skin had gone completely grey. It wasn’t a sickly-looking grey, but instead a smooth, almost graphite color. His hair was still bright blue, but War’en could already see grey roots starting to form at the base. Red placed a hand on Oren-De’s shoulder with firm pressure.

“Captain, you should lie down.”

“I’m fine, Dr. Redwing. Tired, but fine, no doubt thanks to your excellent work.”

Red smiled despite himself, then quickly motioned to Hikaro. “I couldn’t have done it without Commander Tabashi. For a command officer, he knows his way around surgical tools.”

Hikaro gave Red a look. “I did serve in a Medical Bay for ten years before I switched tracks.”

“Sell-out.”

War’en rolled his eyes and looked at Oren-De. The captain caught his stare and shook his head. “I already know about the change in my appearance, Mr. Sadda. If this is all I have to live with after being assimilated, I will gladly accept it. Now, please supply me with a report on the current situation.”

Red’s eyes widened. “Captain, I really don’t think now is—“

“Actually, Red, we do need to discuss it now, especially one rather pressing matter,” War’en replied with a grave voice. Red reflexively glanced at Talona, who took a breath before speaking.

“Captain, I—“

“Talona, unless you were about to express your hope that the captain’s health improves, please keep your mouth shut. I implore you,” quickly interjected War’en. Talona looked at him in surprise, then kept quiet. Oren-De raised an eyebrow, but remained silent as War’en reported everything he had reported to Quinn, save one important item.

“… and Admiral Quinn, by the time Pandora arrives at Earth from transwarp, wants a report on how we managed to liberate you, and the other former drones, from Albina’s control.”

Oren-De nodded slowly. He looked at Talona for a long while before speaking. “I remember… you tackling me. I don’t know why you did it, but I can only assume it was a brilliantly coordinated effort between you and the security team. After all, your move did distract Albina, who was in turn hit with several antiproton blasts. The shock most likely severed her fragile hold on the drones. After all, did she not tell us that her abilities were limited? It was one of the reasons she wished to assimilate me in the first place.”

A wry smile spread across War’en’s face. “Yes, that would be possible. Maggie, would that fit your studies of the Borg?”

Maggie grinned and shrugged. “It’s certainly the most plausible explanation I can think of. We’ve never encountered a situation with a mini-collective run by a non-Queen, so there really is no evidence against that hypothesis.”

Oren-De nodded. “Then we have our report. I will deliver it personally to Admiral Quinn once we arrive at Earth. Now, unless there is something else, I believe Dr. Redwing would like me to rest.”

War’en shook his head. “Nothing more, sir. And… it’s good to have you back.”



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n-De just nodded and lay back on his bed. Talona looked stunned by the proceedings, but then simply started smiling from ear to ear. Red was grinning as well, which caused War’en to do the same. Maggie looked around them all and rolled her eyes.

“Ok, this is getting a little too sappy. Hikaro, let’s go check on the Borg patients.”

Hikaro raised an eyebrow. “Alright, but should Dr. Redwing work wit—“

“No no, I think we can handle it just fine,” she stressed as she practically pulled Hikaro over to the drone that was the farthest away. Talona simply grinned and walked back over to her husband’s bedside. War’en rolled his eyes at the exchange and looked at Red, who motioned to his office. The two stepped inside, Red polarized the windows for privacy and closed the door. He turned to War'en with a tired smile.

"So, how was holding down the fort while I wa--mpph!"

Red had been cut off by War'en grabbing Red by the shoulders and pulling him into a deep kiss. It surprised Red, but he put his hands around War'en's waist and pulled him in. When it ended, War'en pulled back and looked Red up and down. A grateful smile broke out on his face.

"Do you have any idea how worried I was about you? I... I almost lost hope I'd be able to get you back."

Red gave him an embarrassed smile and shook his head. "I'd think you of all people would know by now, War'en. Hope is all we have sometimes on the Pandora."

Outside the office, Maggie smiled down at her husband, still covered in implants and Borg armor, but asleep and separate from the Collective. She raised his hand to her lips and kissed it. "I told you I'd bring you back," she whispered to him.

Shortly thereafter, Will's voice came over the comm next to Oren-De's bedside, where he lay looking up at the ceiling. "Bridge to Captain Oren-De. Sorry to disturb you, but the Kirk has arrived and taken over surveillance of Zarath III. Orders?"

"Set a course for the nearest Transwarp Network Gate, Warp 9, and engage when ready."

Up in the Bridge, Will nodded. "Aye, sir. Bridge out."

As he lay in the course, Will glanced over at the Bajoran at Tactical. "Well, it looks like all's well than ends well, wouldn't you say Shrel?" The question only earned him a noncommittal grunt, which caused Will to chuckle. "I'm so glad we can have these chats. Well, if you're not going to talk, will you at least agree to some post-shift combat training?"

Much to Will's surprise, the Bajoran looked away from his console and nodded. "... yes, I would agree to that."

Will blinked behind his visor, then grinned. "Excellent. I'll look forward to kicking your ass." He only got a derisive laugh in return.

"Whatever. Initiating warp drive... jackass..."

The Pandora flew through the Zarath system as its warp nacelles began to glow brightly. With a flash, the ship sped back into the dark depths of space in a streak of bright light.
Edited June 23 2010 by chemkarate
Eric

chemkarate

Re:ST: Pandora "Pandora's Light", Pt II

June 19 2010
((And that's a wrap for the first season of Star Trek: Pandora! I hope you all enjoyed reading these episodes as much as I enjoyed writing them. Stay tuned for the second season, which will have some interesting surprises in store for Oren-De and his crew.))
Seannewboy

Seannewboy

Re:ST: Pandora "Pandora's Light", Pt II

June 19 2010
Most excellent. :cheer:
Josh

Exobyte

Re:ST: Pandora "Pandora's Light", Pt II

June 19 2010
that was truly an excellent read! can't wait to see what happens in season 2!
Eric

chemkarate

Re:ST: Pandora "Pandora's Light", Pt II

June 20 2010
Thank you for the encouragement and compliments! I'm really glad you guys enjoyed reading it.