© 2002 by Federation Space and the author Tam Otlan
== Before
the attack on SB1 Federation Space – Distant Patrol/Romulan Neutral Zone ==
The USS Mao Tse-Tung had been on patrol for nearly a month. Their orders had
changed slightly since the breakout of war between the Federation and Romulan
Star Empire, but they were still basically guarding the border like usual.
She was an older Destroyer, having been in service for more than a decade and
had never faced a single defeat. At one point, the technicians and repair crews
at Starbase twelve had begun painting small ships on the hull for the number of
vessels either destroyed, or chased off by the Mao Tse-Tung. Needless to say,
the hull had a small black streak along the port side that upon closer
inspection showed more ships than could easily be counted.
Captain Katherine Graham had commanded the small destroyer for the past eight
years. She had seen several First Officers come and go, but she had to admit
that Commander Tom Savage was the best. He seemed to anticipate her orders ten
seconds before she could give them. Sitting on the bridge watching the stars
streak past the viewscreen she turned to face him and found him smiling at her.
“You look like you’re thinking about the ship again.”
Shaking her head and snorting slightly, she was convinced that he was really
part Betazoid.
“How do you do that?”
“When I was at the Academy, I had a Vulcan Instructor that taught me how to read
minds from afar. He told me I wasn’t smart enough to pass the exams so my only
hope to graduate was to steal the answers from other students. Thankfully it
worked.”
Covering her mouth to hide her laugh, Lieutenant Commander T’Srel spun at her
station to face her CO and FO.
“Commander Savage is incorrect Captain. Vulcans cannot read minds from afar in
such a manner, unless of course the two individuals are already telepathically
linked. I would be willing to explain further if you would like.”
Katherine cleared her throat a few times, while Savage bit his lip, trying to
keep from laughing.
“That won’t be necessary Commander. I’m sure that Mr. Savage was speaking
metaphorically.”
“Metaphorically Captain?”
“Yes.”
A single raised eyebrow was the only change in expression as T’Srel turned back
to her console. Several of the other bridge officers were chuckling, or trying
desperately not to, knowing it would only make the matter worse.
“Captain, long range sensors are detecting a vessel at high warp on a direct
intercept course to our position.”
“Can you mark them?”
“Negative. Unknown configuration.”
“Bring us out of warp, go to Yellow Alert and hail them.”
“No response Captain.”
The bridge crew worked, attempting to identify the incoming vessel, but there
was nothing in ship’s computer that resembled what was coming at them.
“Configuration?”
“She is roughly two-thousand meters in length, almost a thousand in width.
Height varies across the hull. The ship will intercept us in…ten seconds.”
“All stop.”
The ship hung in space, waiting to see what was about to drop out of warp nearly
on top of them. They were expecting another Romulan ship, but if it was, this
one was huge.
“Captain, they’re coming out of warp.”
The ship that appeared before them was gray and silver. It had no adornment, no
designation markers, nothing that explained who they were.
“Keep hailing them. Tom, have you ever seen anything like that?”
“No. I’ve never even heard of anything like that.”
The Mao Tse-Tung shook violently and began moving closer to the strange vessel.
“They have locked a tractor beam on us. Shields are being drained.”
“Full reverse! Lock phasers and torpedoes on the source of the tractor beam and
fire!”
The ship sent destruction towards the larger vessel, but the tractor beam never
wavered. They were being drawn in closer and the engines were straining
desperately to try and keep their position.
“Engines will overload in fifteen seconds! No effect from our weapons.”
“Keep firing, everything we have. Helm, attempt to jump to warp!”
“We’re being held too tightly by their beam, if we go to warp, the ship will
tear itself apart!”
“Still no effect with the weapons! Captain, our shields are down!”
Before the Tactical officer could finish speaking, the bridge was filled with
intruders. They moved as fast as charging Klingons and before a single combadge
could be tapped, the bridge crew was assimilated.
Large cutting lasers began to carve the Mao Tse-Tung apart to be tractored into
the Borg vessel. They now had more raw materials and drones to add to their
service.
Moving
through the Romulan Neutral Zone, they had scooped up everything they could use.
Warships, starbases, populations on the outer worlds, everything that the Borg
could use for creating drones, or building ships, or repairing damage, they
took.
The Romulan ships patrolling the Neutral Zone had answered the distress calls,
and fought with everything they had, some Commanders even ordered their AQS
drives overloaded and set collision courses for the Borg ships, but the Borg
were well-practiced in their skills. They shut down the overloads and
assimilated the crews and ships in minutes, not wanting to waste any
opportunity.
Since leaving the Delta Quadrant, they had gained millions of new drones and
several new ships. In time they would make the Alpha Quadrant their new home and
build a Collective that 8472 could never overrun.