STAR TREK: THE NEW DEAL
Deep Space Nine—Federation Earth—Rigel 7
Talos IV—Island 101-Cardassia Prime
The Federation/Laas’ Borg/Klingon/Romulan fleet engaged the massive Borg fleet outside the Bajoran sector. As the battle waged on, it was becoming evident to Colonel Kira, Chancellor Martok, and Captain Duell, all aboard Deep Space Nine in the ops center, that the Borg fleet was starting to tilt the balance their way.
“At this point,” Commander Nog told them from his post on ops, “the Borg will be able to break the defensive line with-in the next couple hours.”
“Perhaps if we can regroup the flanking ships,” Captain Duell said, “over to the rear guard, we can hold out a bit longer.”
Kira nodded. “Do it,” Kira ordered Nog. “I know Captain Worf and Admiral Jellico are calling the shots out there, but we need the backing guard.”
“I’ll send the signal.” Nog replied.
“The battle will turn,” Martok assured them all, “our cause is one of honor.”
Kira nodded. “There are reinforcements on the way,” She said to Martok, “but unless they get here in time, I fear for my people on Bajor.”
“If you wish, Colonel” Martok said to her, “I shall order the five Klingon ships that remain intact to retreat to Bajor.”
Kira shook her head. “Thank you Chancellor, but if we fail here it won’t matter after that point.”
“What about Sisko,” Martok came back with. “Certainly he and his fellow Prophets can save the Bajoran people.”
“According to Picard,” Kira said with regret in her voice, “the unique powers of the Celestial Temple are still weakened after the ordeal with the Essians/Q siphoning off their power.”
“So,” Martok concluded, “by saving this so called reality, they may have handed the galaxy to the Borg.”
“It’s a possibility,” Kira agreed. “Its all up to Picard/Locutus now. Hopefully Captain West’s shuttle is in position should Picard succeed.”
--
The Borg Queen, who had escaped destruction once again, at the hands of Laas, controlled the Borg fleet that was attacking the combined fleet of the Alpha-Quadrant, and Laas’ controlled Borg. She watched the data streams that the Collective was monitoring. Her fleet was starting to gain the upper hand. She watched on the monitor as one of the Cubes from her fleet blasted a Federation Starship into millions of pieces.
Suddenly, new orders were being given to her fleet. Before she could react, The Collective had sent out a self-destruct signal. She whirled around to see Locutus at the center juncture node.
“You, Locutus” She screamed at Locutus! “How can you be here?”
He looked over to her, the scanning beam from his eye causing her to shield her eyes.
“Resistance is futile,” Locutus told her.
--
A small shuttle craft was inching its way towards the battle. Q had been able to get Locutus onto the Queen’s command cube. But he would be not be able to get Picard/Locutus off, due to his not interference decree.
Captain Everett West and Lt. Anrolla piloted the shuttle as Commander Tuvok Smiley, and Commander Bynak worked the unique device that Q had provided for them. The operation that Bashir accomplished, when he attached the Borg hardware to Picard, allowed them to constantly shield a portion of Picard’s brain, using the device, so as to ensure he would not be assimilated while trying to stop the Collective. Apparently, in the near future, this was one of the ways Starfleet would deal with the Borg. Q knew this, and through Bashir, he assisted in the Borg implant surgery of Picard, and provided the shielding device as well.
“According to my monitors,” Bynak said, “The Queen is trying to send cascade orders through a sub-routine in Locutus’s matrix.”
“I see it,” Tuvok said. “I will reroute her orders through a processor. It will only provide Locutus with another twenty seven point nine seconds to work with.”
“It will have to do,” Smiley said. “The main processor isn’t going to be able to monitor all the tangent data flows. It might cause Picard to have a stroke.”
“Listen up,” West said, “the Borg ships are starting to self-detonate. Its working,” West said. “We have to be able to pull Picard out of there before the Cube he is on detonates as well.”
“We are aware of that possibility,” Tuvok said. “Just be sure to keep the Shuttle in transporter range.”
“We are doing our best,” West replied as he dodged the smashed hull of a Romulan Warbird. “But the E.M. pulses that are accompanying the exploding ships may cloud the Transporter locks.”
A sixth passenger, Lt, Thron, jumped into action.
“I monitor readings.” Thron’s deep voice said loudly.
“Good,” West said, “I think we’re going to cut this close. Everyone get ready.”
--
The Borg Queen summoned drones, but Locutus had completed his task as he closed off all nets into his orders. He turned and faced the Queen as the drones approached.
“What gives you the right to condemn us?” The Queen asked as she realized there was nothing more she could do. So she played on Picard’s morality. “You spout out your moralistic Federation beliefs, and yet do this? We are trying to bring order to the galaxy; join us, do not stop us.”
Locutus felt to urge to follow her request. Her alluring qualities made it hard to resist, but the alcove of humanity, that Tuvok and the others were protecting, fought back.
“Your actions betray your intents,” Picard, not Locutus said. “You have destroyed far more than you have assimilated. That is why we resist, and will always resist those who promise one thing, and deliver another.”
“You are a fool!” the Queen barked back. “Species 8472, and other forces you can’t possibly imagine, will destroy this galaxy unless we are here to protect it. If you destroy us, you will destroy yourselves.”
“That is a chance we will have to take,” Picard said. “But right now, in this moment of time, know this truth.” Picard said coldly. “The Borg are now,” he paused for effect, “Terminated.”
At that instant, the Command-Cube exploded.
--
Seconds later Locutus was beamed aboard the shuttle. And across the fleet, a unified cheer went out.
On Deep Space Nine, the ops center broke out into a cheer as well. The Borg, the dreaded enemies of the Federation, of the entire Galaxy, had at last been eliminated. All that remained were the Borg under Laas’s control.
Inside the Celestial Temple, Benjamin Sisko smiled at the turn of events. With the Bajoran people safe, Sisko turned his thoughts back to more personal issues. He was well aware of the sorrow his son was facing. And he decided to help there, where he could. What Sisko didn’t know just yet, and would soon, was that his time as the Emissary was coming to; an end.
--
One week later;
Admiral Picard prepared to board the USS Coronado. It was one of the refitted Excelsior class starship, and had, recently, been reassigned for cargo duty. However, Captain Duell, and her crew, had impressed him so much that with the stroke of a pen, he reassigned the Coronado crew and reassigned the ship under Captain Duell’s command.
Captain Everett West stood with Picard as the Admiral prepared to board the Coronado. Picard had reassigned West as well. With Tom Paris returning to Earth for new orders, Captain Everett was assigned the command of the Defiant.
“Thank you again, Admiral” West said to Picard. “I won’t let you down.”
“I am quite sure that the Defiant will exceed my expectations.” Picard replied with his own smile. “Good luck to you and your crew.”
They shook hands, and Picard boarded the USS Coronado. As Picard headed down the boarding ramp, Captain Duell came down DS9’s corridor, preparing to board her ship as well. Commander Bynak accompanied her.
“Congratulations, Everett,” Captain Michelle Duell said. “I read a briefing report that the Coronado may soon take part in upcoming war-games. We’re supposed to attack DS9 and see what kind of defense he Defiant can mount against us.”
“Great,” West said, “that battle should last all of about five minutes.”
“You take care,” Duell said, “Shigeru will make you one fine XO.”
Capt West looked to Bynak. “Well, you big grouch,” West said to the Cardassian, “you better take care of her.” West said, in reference to Captain Duell. “Or you’ll have to answer to me.”
Bynak nodded. “I will, as you say, take care of the Captain.”
Bynak and West shook hands, and then he and Captain Duell headed down the boarding ramp and into the heart of the USS Coronado.
--
On the other side of the docking ring, Chancellor Martok, Captain Worf, and Colonel Kira stood outside the boarding ramp that led onto Martok’s flagship.
“It was good to see you both in action,” Martok said to them both. He looked to Worf. “Just reconsider my offer to become the Federation Ambassador again, Worf.”
Work nodded. “I shall consider it, Chancellor. But, for now, this is where I belong.”
“I’m going to miss you, Chancellor.” Kira said, clearly fighting back the urge to let a tear fall.
“I was quite impressed your tactical prowess, Colonel.” Martok said. “Should the Klingon Empire ever find itself under attack, I will demand that the Federation send you to advise us.”
“Thank you,” Kira said.
And, with that, Martok headed down the boarding ramp.
Kira looked to Worf.
“He’s a great man,” Kira said to Worf.
“Yes,” Worf agreed, “He is. Perhaps you and I should spend some time together at the Feringi’s bar, before I have to leave my self.”
“You still can’t call him by his name, Quark, after all this time?” Kira asked with a smile.
“Never.” Worf replied with his own smile.
“I will meet you there in one hour,” Kira said. “I need to say good by to Odo.”
“One hour it is then.” Worf said as he walked away.
--
Laas and Odo stood on Laas’s command cube. The bulk of the Borg fleet Laas controlled had already gone through the Wormhole, and back to the Gamma-Quadrant, on its way back to the Delta-Quadrant.
“What now?” Odo asked Laas. “Will you, someday, decide to bring order to the galaxy?”
Laas shook his head. “No,” Laas said. “I heard what you said back there. If those who control are corruptible, then what is the truth of that control? I shall take the Collective back to the Delta-Quadrant and go about changing the Borg nature. The home-world has accepted my edicts; it is now time to implement them.”
They both shared a moment of merging, and then Laas smiled.
“The Great-Link will be safe in your care once more.” Laas said.
Odo nodded. And then, Odo transported away. The Borg Cube dove into the Wormhole.
--
Ensign Marcy Rose had resigned from Starfleet. She, along with S’ovak, and baby Elaine, would head back to Earth to start a new life. They all sat together in the transport vessel that would take them back to Earth.
“It is strange,” Marcy Rose said. “This child will get to have the life that Elaine never had the chance to live. I guess Bynak did indeed bring Elaine to a higher plane of existence; the one she never had.”
S’ovak nodded. “I’m not sure what kind of future we will have, but I swear, as the father of this family, we will make it work.”
They both put their hands together and smiled as the Transport headed away from Deep space Nine and on to Earth.
--
Odo and Kira met outside the boarding ramp of his Jem’hadar starship, which would soon take him back to the new home-world.
“Thank you for your help, Odo.” Kira said to him. “I don’t think Laas would have listened had you not been there.”
“Nerys, I want you to know,” Odo said, “that after I set things in motion on the new Founder home-world, I intend to return.” He took her hand into his. “Please tell me you will wait.”
She smiled at him. “Incase you hadn’t noticed,” she said, “I have been waiting.”
They kissed.
Odo stepped onto the boarding ramp, “Then, I will see you soon.” He said.
“I’ll be here.” Kira said with a hopeful smile.
Odo headed down the boarding ramp, and would, hopefully, return in due time.
--
Continued..
STAR TREK: THE NEW DEAL
